Hurry Up – Cinderella and Her Qipao – Hong Kong Film Archive – till 5/5/24

Sorry to be so late posting this but a few days left to catch this exhibition…

Qipao (aka Cheongsam) is at once a fashionable symbol and a symbol of fashions in Chinese culture. Its popularity peaked in mid-20th century Hong Kong, where celebrities paraded everywhere in trendy outfits, exuding graceful beauty. An enduring and significant part of Chinese cultural legacy, the craft of cheongsam making had been inscribed onto the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of China. Up to this day, qipaos are frequently featured in our movies. 

The ‘Cinderella and Her Qipao’ exhibition is a part of the 2023 Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival and a continuation of our 2017 programme ‘The Stars, the Silver Screen and the Qipao’. Garments from a glorious selection of films that span different eras of Hong Kong filmmaking will be displayed in the new exhibition, recreating the cultural landscapes of the past with qipaos worn on screen by iconic actresses such as Li Lihua, Hsia Moon, Maggie Cheung and Brigitte Lin.

Seminars will be presented as part of the programme and before each seminar will be a screening of the reference film Cinderella and Her Little Angels (1959) which serves as a perfect example of the successful crossover between fashion design and musical film. Actor Peter Chen Ho plays a tailor in the film and the many outfits made by his character—designed by Koo Yik-chun, the founder of Johnson Tailors—are delectable treats for the eyes. Koo’s renowned shop even appears in the film, offering the audience a glimpse of the fashion industry’s glorious glamour.