Prospects for traditional wear still shine bright despite rising preference for tees and jeans

Whoever says traditional wear is only popular with the older set, should pay Kong Yoon Yoon, director and chief designer of Emerald Brilliant, a visit.

Captain of a six-branch cheongsam boutique, Kong may be 64 this year but the girls who don her outfits are half her age. Making a very sexy splash this year alone is the parading of some 100 pieces of Kong’s creations at the Miss Qipao and Miss Malaysia Kebaya pageants, where she has been wardrobe sponsor for two years. Her coterie of followers includes Leng Yein, an entrepreneur and model famed for her bombshell looks.