Cover Madame Song in a Pierre Cardin evening dress at Maxim’s Beijing in 1985 (Photo: courtesy of Yonfan)
Madame Song in a Pierre Cardin evening dress at Maxim’s Beijing in 1985 (Photo: courtesy of Yonfan)
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Madame Song: Pioneering Art and Fashion in China honours the woman who was a trailblazer in everything she did
Song Huai-Kuei, better known as Madame Song, was an influencer of her time even before the word became the term as we use it today. Born in 1937 to a well-off family, Song played many roles in her lifetime—artist, actress, model and businesswoman. In fact, when China reopened itself to International trades in 1978 after the Cultural Revolution, a time when economic activities came to a halt, Song was one of the leading figures who was instrumental in cementing East-West cultural exchanges and revolutionised China’s fashion landscape.
Her life and achievements are now being celebrated at M+ in an exhibition titled Madame Song: Pioneering Art and Fashion in China, which runs from July 29, 2023 to April 14, 2024. Before you go check out the exhibition for yourself, here is a look at some of Madame Song’s key contributions.
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Artist
Above ‘Butterfly—Dream of Zhuangzi’ (mid-1970s) by Song (Photo: courtesy of Lok Cheng and M+)
Above Song creating ‘Aporia’ (1972), a collaborative work with her husband (Photo: courtesy of Boryana Varbanov and Phénix Varbanov)
‘Butterfly—Dream of Zhuangzi’ (mid-1970s) by Song (Photo: courtesy of Lok Cheng and M+)
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Song studied oil painting at Beijing’s Central Academy of Fine Arts, where she met Bulgarian exchange student Maryn Varbanov in 1954 and married him two years later. Their marriage was the first international marriage since the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
Together with her husband, Song specialised in tapestry art, and one of her most memorable works was Butterfly—Dream of Zhuangzi (mid-1970s), which was showcased in Paris in 1974. In it, she wove together fibres of different textures into the shape of a butterfly, but the image also suggests female genitalia. This was not only a nod to the feminist movements of the West at the time, but was also an indicator of Song’s liberalism.
Read more: How are these Hong Kong artists tackling gender issues?
Businesswoman
Above Song in a Pierre Cardin evening dress at Maxim’s Beijing in the mid-1980s (Photo: courtesy of Yonfan)
Above Pierre Cardin fashion show at Maxim’s Beijing in 1985 (Photo: courtesy of Adrian Bradshaw)
Song in a Pierre Cardin evening dress at Maxim’s Beijing in the mid-1980s (Photo: courtesy of Yonfan)
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In 1980, Song met Italian-French designer Pierre Cardin at the Foire Internationale d’Art Contemporain art fair, held at the Grand Palais museum in Paris. At that time, Cardin was looking to set up stores in China, having realising its market potential. Being aware of Song’s art training, sophisticated fashion sense, close connection with the Chinese art world and her understanding of European culture, Cardin invited Song to be the chief representative of his company in China.
One of Song’s key projects for Cardin was opening art nouveau-style restaurant Maxim’s in Beijing in 1981. With Song’s connections, Maxim’s quickly became a popular gathering spot for international celebrities, musicians, models and artists. The restaurant hosted weekly parties featuring live rock music and disco dancing, setting a trend for partying among China’s elite.
Fashionista
Above An installation view of the ‘Madame Song: Pioneering Art and Fashion in China’ exhibition at M+ (Photo: courtesy of Dan Leung and M+)
An installation view of the ‘Madame Song: Pioneering Art and Fashion in China’ exhibition at M+ (Photo: courtesy of Dan Leung and M+)
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Song was a fashion icon throughout her life. Equally comfortable and effortless in suits as well as avant-garde outfits, she knew how to stand out with her sartorial choices. She also became a de facto ambassador of Chinese fashion by expertly blending her Chinese heritage with Western couture, thereby showcasing her modern aesthetics while proudly displaying her cultural roots.
Runway godmother
Above Song’s modelling group in Paris in 1985 (Photo: Benoit Gysembergh for Getty Images)
Song’s modelling group in Paris in 1985 (Photo: Benoit Gysembergh for Getty Images)
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Song was the first to introduce fashion modelling to China. To raise awareness of Cardin’s brand, she scoured the streets for women to train as models, including factory workers and sportswomen. Using cassette recordings, fashion magazines and photos sent from her friends in Paris, Song taught the women how to walk on the runway. In 1981, the first cohort of Chinese models made their debut at a fashion show held in Cardin’s newly set-up showroom in Beijing.
Read more: Meet Christina Chung, the Hong Kong mother who entered modelling in her 50s
Actress
Above Song as Empress Dowager Longyu on the sets of ‘The Last Emperor’ in 1986 (Photo: courtesy of Recorded Picture Company)
Song as Empress Dowager Longyu on the sets of ‘The Last Emperor’ in 1986 (Photo: courtesy of Recorded Picture Company)
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Song had been cast in some Asian roles in foreign films, though mostly as Japanese characters, during her years abroad. But her most prominent role was in The Last Emperor (1987), an epic biographical film about the life of Puyi, the final Emperor of China. Song played the role of Empress Dowager Longyu, whose real-life counterpart, the Qing dynasty regent, was known for signing the letter of abdication on behalf of Puyi, then a minor, that ended two thousand years of imperial Chinese history.
The empress’s costumes made a lasting impression on Song. Later in life, she curated the Five Dynasties fashion show in the mid-1990s, which sought to reestablish historical Chinese garments in the mainstream fashion world, after they had fallen out of fashion during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976).
Topics
Zabrina is the Senior Editor, Arts and Culture of Tatler Hong Kong. She specialises in performing arts, visual art and film. Her wanderlust was first fuelled by the Mighty Rovers Antarctica Expedition 2010. Over the years, she has interviewed A-list artists and filmmakers, including Oscar winners Chlóe Zhao and Tim Yip, Golden Horse winner Sylvia Chang, In the Mood for Love cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Pachinko author Min Jin Lee, and Coachella’s first Chinese solo singer Jackson Wang. She won gold at the WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards for her 2021 feature on the waves of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans.
