A TL;DR on what the kebayas in Emerald Hill reveal about the drama’s main characters

Think pastel hues symbolise softness and innocence? The wardrobe designers of Mediacorp’s latest Chinese blockbuster, Emerald Hill, might make you think again.

The saccharine-sweet pink and lilac kebayas of Emerald Hill’s main antagonist Zhang Anna (played by actor Chantalle Ng), shares senior image stylist Tee Yu Yan, stands as a contrast to her scheming nature. 

Kebaya maker Raymond Wong, who collaborated with Yu Yan on conceptualising the wardrobe, embroidered rabbits onto the collar of Chantalle’s kebaya to symbolise her character’s deceptively innocent personality.

“Unlike the other kebayas that feature mainly birds, flowers and butterflies, we used the story of the rabbit and the tortoise. Many Chinese relate to rabbits as quiet and innocent creatures but in Western cultures, rabbits are seen as cunning and toxic,” he explains.

As the drama and intrigue unfold in this hit sequel to The Little Nyonya, it’s easy to overlook these fashion Easter eggs that hint at the personalities – and fates – of its characters.

We sat down with executive producer Loh Woon Woon, senior image stylist Tee Yu Yan, and kebaya maker Raymond Wong to discuss the wardrobe of Emerald Hill in greater detail.

How did the conceptualisation of the wardrobe begin?

Tee Yu Yan: I read the script multiple times to understand the characters. Then, I assigned different colour palettes and kebaya styles to each character. Once this was approved, I approached Raymond to brief him on the colour themes, designs, and fabrics, and we collaborated on finalising the wardrobe.

Can you share how the colours of the kebayas reflect each character’s personality?

Yu Yan: For Tasha Low, who portrays Zhang Xinniang – a kindhearted street urchin who is later adopted by the wealthy Zhang family, we gave her a colour palette of mostly yellow themes to reflect her bubbly and outgoing personality.

Chantalle Ng, who plays the villain Zhang Anna, has a pink and lilac wardrobe to portray her “innocent outlook”, but she’s actually a cunning person. This represents the duality of her character.

Since Ferlyn G’s character,  Zhou Hongyu, comes from a sad background, her kebayas are primarily in shades of blue, with red embroidery incorporated to symbolise her past.

Quirky motifs like tennis rackets are embroidered onto the kebayas. Did Peranakan women use such symbols to showcase their lifestyles?

Raymond Wong: From what I’ve learned from the older Bibiks, kebayas in the past were either self-tailored or commissioned from Shanghainese tailors. Women would then sew on embroidery of their choice, sometimes even immortalising a favourite memory through the designs.

Tell us more about the outfit worn by Zoe Tay, the Zhang family matriarch. 

Loh Woon Woon: She wears the baju panjang, a longer version of the kebaya. We chose a neutral green colour palette to give her a softer, kinder appearance.

In other interviews, when Zoe was asked how she felt wearing the baju panjang – which included a long-sleeved inner piece and a knee-length outer layer with a buttoned collar – she described it as feeling like a raincoat. It was a particularly hot day in a room without air conditioning, yet she still had to maintain a poised and elegant appearance.

What were some of the challenges during the production process?

Yu Yan: The fabric industry in Singapore is shrinking, and so the fabric choices that are authentic to the 1950s and 1970s are hard to find. We went from Spotlight at Plaza Singapura to Chinatown and Arab Street to look for materials.

Raymond: The fabric for Zoe’s baju panjang is thinner and more sheer, and it needed to feature embroidery or checked patterns. Sourcing it was challenging for Yu Yan – she searched extensively across multiple places. Some of the fabrics she found even had stains or age marks due to their age.

What are you looking forward to with Emerald Hill?

Raymond: I hope the show will spark greater interest in our local Peranakan culture, much like The Little Nyonya did in 2009. I also hope that Singapore becomes more recognised for its unique heritage and that our traditional garments gain international appreciation.

Catch Emerald Hill from March 10 on Netflix, March 17 on meWATCH, and March 19 at 9pm on Channel 8.