Asian nations flaunt best dresses

An exhibition of dress culture in China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations opened at the Chinese Museum of Women and Children on Tuesday.

Part of the 2014 China-ASEAN Cultural Exchange Year, the exhibition features some of the most splendid attire from the member countries, including wedding gowns, celebration costumes and birthday outfits.

Glamour to Wear: The ASEAN and Chinese Costume Culture opened with a runway show with designers from the 11 countries showcasing their innovative take on traditional garments.

With more than 120 outfits from ASEAN countries and China, the exhibition explores the origin, trends and craftsmanship in the dress culture of each country.

The exhibition was accompanied by a designers' forum focusing on tradition and innovation.

Singaporean designer Priscilla Shunmugam showed five dresses from her previous collections of Ong Shunmugam. She took samfoo, a two-piece outfit of a blouse and a pair of trousers, and transformed it into one of the best sellers for modern women by introducing modern graphics and a traditional cut.

Instead of a dragon or a butterfly, the fabric comes with simple patterns and light elegant colors. The loose-fitting pants are more tailored, and give an illusion of longer legs with openings at the bottom.

"I try to keep everything neat and clean. We take a garment that is very traditional and use elements that don't belong there. Women like it because they find this is exactly what they want: something modern and current but at the same time with a little bit of their roots," Shunmugam says.

Ne Tiger, a Chinese fashion label known for drawing on traditional Chinese attire from different dynasties and ethnic groups, showed some of its best-sellers on the runway.

Seven pieces from the label were exhibited, including a red silk gown that uses seven ancient weaving techniques and has been collected by the Capital Museum.

"Many of the fabrics showcased today originated from China. But they have developed new characteristics in the ASEAN countries. Compared to Chinese outfits, they have even stronger personalities while Chinese costumes are more diverse," says Tiger Zhang, founder and art director of Ne Tiger.

Important guests attending the opening ceremony included Cai Wu, minister of culture of China, and Daw Sanda Khin, vice-minister of culture of Myanmar.

If you go

9 am-5 pm, until April 17. Chinese Museum of Women and Children, 9 Beijige Lu (Road), Dongcheng district, Beijing. 010-6526-9678.