Priscilla Shunmugam's pursuit of Orientalism at her label, Ong Shunmugam, has taken her on an abstract exploration of places and cultures. She is always updating the cheongsam with modern tweaks, and for her first ever runway show at last year's fashion week, she incorporated Indonesian batik as a recurring motif.
It was a matter of time before Shunmugan looked to Japan as a starting point for her works, which she did with the new collection she showed last night. There were contemporary variations of the kimono blouse, but strict and severe. Some looks were cinched at the waists with obi-inspired belts.
Such mix of the traditional and new is the reason why Shunmugam has received so much love and attention in recent years. It's no wonder she's also the last designer after Elohim's Sabrina Goh and Dzojchen's Chelsea Scott-Blackhall to be included in Fashion Futures 2015. Good times await.