Ong Shunmugam marks 10 years with new cheongsam collection

Local fashion brand Ong Shunmugam, known for its vibrant modern cheongsams, is celebrating its 10th year with a retrospective collection. Singaporean designer Priscilla Shunmugam, 39, founded the label in December 2010.

Cheongsam 2010-2020 is a tight edit of 10 key cheongsam silhouettes from the brand over the decade. Shunmugam, who moved to London in 2018 but is currently back in Singapore, designed and produced the collection during quarantine with her team across London, Singapore and Malaysia.

The pieces comprise tops, skirts, pants and dresses in the label's signature fashion of marrying traditional and contemporary Asian textiles. Prices range from $488 to $888.

"My original rationale for creating a dedicated line of ready-to-wear cheongsam was its strange position as the most accepted yet contested symbol of Chinese identity," says the designer of Chinese-Indian heritage in a press release.

"Ten years later, I'm just very thankful I followed those instincts."

The collection is open for pre-orders at Atelier Ong Shunmugam in Chip Bee Gardens and at ongshunmugam.com.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.