Wong Kar-Wai’s 2000 film In the Mood For Love won all kinds of awards, but I mostly remember it for the main character Su Li-Zen’s fabulous wardrobe of Shanghai dresses. Each dress fits her so perfectly, it is as though the dress is fabricated for her out of some kind of silken liquid. The patterns on the full length dresses range from bold and colourful florals, to iridescent silks that shimmer with each graceful step she takes.
Bold florals and perfect hair create an impression in the shipping office where Su works.
Gorgeous iridescent silk shimmers in the streetlight, late at night on the streets of Hong Kong.
text and screencaps by Rachel Walker
Agreed! Sooo good. There’s something about Wong Kar-Wai’s set-in-the-’60s films. “Days of Being Wild” is also very good. Such warm rich tones – the styling is bang on.
Oh gosh yes, this movie is gorgeous.
when raving about how gorgeous i found these vintage dresses, someone told me these were all custom made for the film/maggie cheung! do you know if that’s true?
Cheongsams are traditionally made to order.
We lived in Hong Kong at the time that the movie is set. My dad’s secretary wore cheongsams and her hair up like that.