Chu Hongsheng was born in 1918, a turbulent and crazy era, but also a romantic and elegant era. That era created the devastated sorrow and the love that was nine out of ten tragic, as well as the legends of countless talented men and beautiful women in troubled times and the era of cultural explosion in which Chinese and Western cultures collided.
Chu Hongsheng came from a poor family. As the eldest son in the family, he was sent to a tailor shop by his parents to learn the craft very early. It was not because he liked the tailoring craft so much, but because he had to find a job to make a living. Although he was forced to choose this job, it also created his own Cheongsam legend in the end.
Chu Hongsheng’s master was Zhu Hanzhang, a famous tailor master in the Republic of China. Zhu Hanzhang’s Cheongsam was hard to find at the time, whether it was Chinese style or not. Whether it is traditional or Western style, he makes them very beautiful and has a great reputation. Countless noble ladies and wives come to Shanghai to ask him to customize cheongsams.
Zhu Hanzhang is very strict with Chu Hongsheng. He sees that Chu Hongsheng is a good candidate for learning tailoring, but he is too lively by nature. The master decided to temper Chu Hongsheng’s temper, which led to him learning the craft for a longer time than others. Naturally, his craftsmanship is also superb, and he has almost completely inherited Zhu Hanzhang’s mantle.
Chu Hongsheng did not disappoint his master and became a famous cheongsam master. However, he never thought of himself as a “master”. He always felt that his goal was to be a good tailor. Chu Hongsheng has been insisting on making cheongsams for 82 years. In these 82 years, he has been accompanied by fabrics, scissors and needles.
After Chu Hongsheng learned the craft, his master gave him a chance to make cheongsam for Hu Die, the most famous female star at the time. This was a good opportunity to make a name for himself. As long as his cheongsam could be worn by popular female stars, he would definitely become the most popular cheongsam master.
After the dress was made, it was immediately delivered to Hu Die. Hu Die was very satisfied with the dress. She had been worried about the dress for the banquet for a long time. This dress was in line with her imagination. The unique fabric and exquisite craftsmanship made the cheongsam praised by everyone at the banquet that day, and also made Chu Hongsheng’s name popular in the circle of Shanghai’s socialites.
Chu Hongsheng’s cheongsam was not only popular in Shanghai during the Republic of China, but also very well-known in China today. There are “Gong The famous movie star Gong Li, who is known as the “Empress of the East”, has worn cheongsams made by Chu Hongsheng many times, and has attracted countless attention at film festivals in the East and the West.
Of course, many other actresses have worn cheongsams made by Chu Hongsheng. Maggie Cheung in the movie “In the Mood for Love” is both heartbreaking and amazing. Those exquisite cheongsams have crossed the tunnel of time and let us see the various styles and loveliness of a woman. Perhaps only cheongsams can interpret a woman’s style so perfectly.
To this day, Mr. Chu still insists on the inheritance of cheongsam craftsmanship. The soft brocade, silk-edged stand-up collar lace, exquisite buttons, and finely crafted embroidery are all permeated with the spirit of craftsmen, which makes people yearn for it. These are what Chu Hongsheng has worked hard for all his life.
