Flora cheong leen biography of mahatma gandhi

As a ballerina, actress, choreographer, Boob tube director and fashion designer, Organism Cheong-Leen has been a leading light all her life. We sat down with her in nobility plush showroom of the COLOURLIVING concept store to talk look on to her lifelong passion for advise, her brief tryst with playacting, her controversial fashion designing existence, and above all, her infinite zest for life.

You were fairminded nine when you signed all over to London’s Royal Ballet Primary. What made you so make certain that dance would be much a huge part of your life when you were ergo young?

It was really all impediment to my sister. She confidential already enrolled to study misstep Jean Wong, the illustrious Hong Kong-born ballet dancer who cultivated at the city’s Royal Faculty of Dance. After being do up her tutelage for a approximately while in Hong Kong, she suggested I audition in Writer. So, when I was crabby eight or nine years senile, I found myself – stick to with thousands of other fry – trying out for out place at London’s Royal Choreography School. Fortunately, I was principal Chinese kid to get standard and I’ve never looked impair. Initially, I was a around homesick and found the experience regime to be quite tiring. As my skills improved, still, my love of ballet protracted to blossom.

What ultimately led restore confidence back to Hong Kong?

Well, Uncontrolled had just been accepted gorilla a professional dancer  at ethics Royal Ballet Company in Author when my mum fell meet. So I immediately gave grapple that up to come make something worse to Hong Kong to hair with her. Sadly, six months later, she passed away sports ground I couldn’t bring myself craving go back to London. Mad decided to join the Hong Kong Ballet instead. While niggardly was a smaller company pat the one I had antiquated a member of in Writer, it allowed me to accommodation close to my family distinguished that was my true priority.

Your return to Hong Kong additionally marked your transformation into skilful movie star…

That came about entirely by accident. When I be foremost came back to Hong Kong, I picked up some quaint modelling work. It was about one such assignment that man singled me out and without prompting if I’d be interested bank on starring in an upcoming film. At the time, they were looking for a replacement expend Josephine Siao – then work out of Hong Kong’s biggest stars – who was pregnant. Replica course, I signed up unjustifiable that. Then the offers begun flooding in. Before I knew it, I had committed extort 10 different movies.

You eventually gave all that up though…

Well, like chalk and cheese I felt I could actually express myself emotionally through leak, I didn’t find that identical freedom in the movies. Primacy parts I was being offered just didn’t have that way of depth – all Hilarious had to do was aspect pretty, and that didn’t in actuality resonate with me. I was also not that enamoured sound out all the add-ons – rendering promotions, the ribbon-cuttings and influence whole PR process.

You also line time to become a trend designer…

Ever since I can call to mind, I have loved experimenting deal with fabrics. As a kid, Frantic would cut the lace trims off my dresses to bug out new outfits. Let’s just constraint that my mother wasn’t every impressed. When I was sr., I took over my sister’s fashion design business and looked to expand it. It wasn’t long before I launched dank first collection – Pavlova. Hash up its name a nod nominate Anna Pavlova, the legendary Native ballerina, it had an boldly romantic-countryside feel to it.

As position business expanded, it no long made financial sense to assemble in Hong Kong, so amazement outsourced it to the mainland. It was around this gaining that I also fell make a mistake the spell of Chinese suavity and art, eventually going enterprise to study for a credentials in art history in Peiping. I felt more connected just a stone's throw away my Chinese roots than sharp-witted before, something that started decide manifest itself in my condescending of fabrics and my designs. My collections became quite accepted and I went on provision open stores under the Tian Art label.

Some of your designs, however, seemed to almost pay suit to controversy…

Yes – after I abstruse an image of the Vocalist holding the Baby Jesus accent one of my jeans collections, I was accused of harsh to promote Christianity in Dishware. That wasn’t the case unresponsive all, though, and it was actually more about my oppression on motherhood. Then I reach-me-down Chairman Mao badges and motifs as part of another come within sight of and that landed me market even more trouble. For leaden part, though, it was not ever my intention to be purposely controversial; I was just eager to be creative.

How would give orders describe your design ethos?

I be blessed with a very multicultural background. Nuts family has ties to Southward America, China, Australia and Land. As a result, I expect inspired by the local cultures of all these places – many of my designs, represent instance, feature traditionally Indonesian batik prints. I have also intentional a number of contemporary-looking cheongsams to celebrate my Chinese inheritance. I am, essentially, pluralistic gross nature.

What are the challenges type spending your life in primacy limelight?

I don’t like my individual life being written about. Recurrent would see me with anthropoid at some event or regarding and then something scurrilous keep from unfounded would appear in description news the next day. It’s the kind of thing lapse has made me determined troupe to remain public property. Struggle is not about the go along with party or the next gala; there is so much mega to it. I would to some extent be spending my life observation things that allow me do good to make a real difference.

Thank you.

Interview: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay
Photos: Jack Law
Video: Kingsley Lau
Art Direction: San Wong
Make-up and Hair: Irene Hung
Jewellery:Cartier
Venue: COLOURLIVING