Fastening Elegance: Royce Chau weaves creative flair into the traditional craft of floral button-making 綻放於衣裳上

The art of crafting handmade knotted floral buttons, a cherished Chinese tradition, often goes unnoticed by modern fashion enthusiasts. Adorning cheongsams and other garments, these buttons complement the chosen fabric and colour, serving as a small yet intricate detail in the time-consuming tailoring process of traditional Chinese dresses. Royce Chau knows this firsthand, having studied tailoring Chinese garments when she couldn't find a traditional Chinese outfit she liked while living in Singapore. Unable to find what she sought in numerous department stores, she resolved to learn how to make one herself.

Design Dialogue, Art and FashionFête ChinoiseOctober 17, 2024art, chinese, craftmanship, fashion, Fashion, chinesefashion, chinesefashiondesigner, silk buttonComment

The Master of Traditional Handmade Silk Buttons 傳統花釦之工藝大師

In Hong Kong resides a traditional artisan of embroidered button fasteners for cheongsams (qipaos) and other garments. Master Po Ming-Wah is one of the few artisans of this craft still practicing in Hong Kong today, however, this art is becoming extinct. Fête Chinoise had an opportunity to sit down with Master Po and presidents of Cheongsam Connect, Anita Tsang and Donna Cheung in Hong Kong to better understand the history and current challenges of the practice. Each of Master Po’s intricate knots have auspicious names, an intentional meaning, and a corresponding design.