Shanghai’s Mood

In the hands of renowned fashion designer Sebastian Gunawan, the iconic oriental feel of cheongsam marries elegantly with the vintage Western look.

The bright lights of Shanghai, one of China’s most modern, dynamic and bustling towns, has become a source of inspiration for Sebastian, who has translated  the idea into a series of ultra-feminine works of art.

As China’s second-largest home for foreigners and foreign-born Chinese, Shanghai is a melting pot: a cross-cultural mix of Western and Eastern influences.

“The ambiance and spirit of the city has given me passion for my swinging-style collection,” Sebastian explained from the sidelines of his solo show, recently held at a five-star hotel in Senayan, South Jakarta.

He said that the cheongsam dress is more like a kebaya (a Javanese traditional top), which can be transformed into something more modern.

“It is like your little black dress, which you want to keep in your closet as it is a timeless piece,” he says.

For those who don’t want to bare their shoulders, a cheongsam is a good choice.

Sebastian has played with his imagination, perfectly crafting every dress and blending traditional Chinese sensibilities with Western influences, creating an ultra-feminine look to die for.

Tight miniskirts were a common feature on the catwalk, adorned with sparkling crystals and sequins, which sometimes covered an entire dress, along with glamorous faux-fur and alluring flora and fauna Chinese embroideries.

Sebastian — often dubbed the “Sultan of Glamor” — really knows how to please women, with a series of peplum dresses giving way to a feminine silhouette which emphasizes a woman’s natural figure.

Full skirts with frothy petticoats were also a highlight of the evening, recalling the ladylike dresses by Christian Dior in the 1950s.

For instance, he merged a brocade cheongsam top with an asymmetric skirt or a swinging tulle ballerina skirt.

Waistlines and hips were framed by the shape of the clothing, while the dresses were sleeveless or had loose, capped or puffed sleeves.

Sebastian created a number of bare-backed pieces — with either deep V or U-shape backlines — showing the lean yet healthy backs of the wearers.

He toyed with the draping and layering of dresses with boleros, capes, jackets and mini-blouses.

Sebastian provided long, floor-length and mermaid-cut evening dresses, which shaped the body through bias cuts, which fell into a drape and clung subtly to the body.

He also came up with a classic kebaya encim (traditional Javanese top), which went well with a lacy pencil skirt. A long, classic cheongsam with a slit on one side also appeared on  the catwalk.

All were provided in a legion of color palettes, from soft tones like dusty pink, dusty green and dusty blue to bold hues like bloody red and green, which represented jade, and dark colors such as black, caramel, brown and silver.

The accessories also caught the attention of fashionistas, with uniquely-braided squared buns and strikingly fascinating head bands decorated with stony chandeliers, crystals and pearls adorning the models’ heads.

And the shoes were super chunky high heels, wrapped in fabrics matching the dresses, carrying an Ali Baba curved-on-the-toes style.