We look back at the Canto-pop queen’s boldest looks—and the fashion brands she wore before they were cool
Is there anyone cooler than Faye Wong? From being a muse to filmmaker Wong Kar-wai to collaborating with dream-pop pioneers Cocteau Twins, the Hong Kong musician has forged a unique path to stardom and has remained in that stratosphere since.
Wong’s status as the queen of Canto-pop is undeniable: she held the Guinness World Record for being the best-selling female Canto-pop artist in 2000 by selling 9.7 million copies of her albums, and still holds the record for the best-selling video game theme song with her 1999 tune Eyes On Me. But she’s also equally well known for a daring sense of style.
In true Leo fashion, Wong has boldly experimented with her outfits across her three-decade career. Her wardrobe is a fashion archivist’s dream, reflecting unconventional tastes and boasting avant-garde brands such as Yohji Yamamoto, Rick Owens, Helmut Lang and Raf Simons.
With the help of stylists Thomas Chan and Titi Kwan, Wong wore Margiela before the term “Tabi boots” entered mainstream fashion vocabulary, understood the cult appeal of the Vivienne Westwood corset well before Pinterest existed, and did we mention she’s a Philophile?
To celebrate her 55th birthday, we take a look at Wong’s style and all the covetable looks that still make her an It-girl on the internet today.
1992: Vivienne Westwood puppy printed corset
Before Vivienne Westwood’s corset became popular with the likes of Bella Hadid and Kourtney Kardashian, Wong performed in one from the brand’s “Always on Camera” fall-winter 1992 collection. This one is distinguished by its puppy print, taken from a painting by 18th-century English artist Thomas Gainsborough. Wong’s accessories, including a beaded choker and a cross necklace, was an edgy styling trick borrowed from Westwood—godmother of punk—herself.
1993: Plastic slip dress and mohair crop top

Above Faye Wong in 1993 (Photo: Reddit)

Above Faye Wong in 1993 (Photo: Reddit)
In a look that is quintessentially ’90s, Wong wore a see-through slip dress and a crop top to perform at a music awards in 1993. It has certainly lived on in fashion mood boards online, and 29 years later, pop star Olivia Rodrigo wore a similar outfit was worn by for her Sour tour.
1996: Ann Demeulemeester backless top and leather pants

Above Faye Wong in 1996 (Photo: Reddit)

Above Faye Wong in 1996 (Photo: Reddit)
Wong threw on another daring look for a 1996 concert, this time pulling off a full look from Belgian designer Ann Demeulemeester’s spring-summer 1996 collection that emanated rockstar vibes.
1996: Ann Demeulemeester asymmetrical jacket

Above Faye Wong in 1996 (Photo: Reddit)
Wong demonstrated her penchant for the designer—famously part of the “Antwerp Six” group of designers—by wearing this striking asymmetrical suit jacket with one shoulder and a metallic tank top detail.
1997: Yohji Yamamoto Harlequin coat dress

Above Faye Wong in 1997 (Photo: Instagram / @devine.mag)
For the cover of her eponymous album, Wong transformed into a goth goddess by wearing a long checkerboard coat from Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto’s fall-winter 1997 collection and accessorised with striking red eye make-up.
1997: Helmut Lang top and split skirt

Above Faye Wong in 1997 (Photo: Reddit)
Wong embraced ’90s edgy minimalism, as seen in this brown Helmut Lang ensemble she wore for an editorial shoot for Marie Claire in 1997.
1998: Raf Simons cobweb knit top, Jurgi Persoons skirt and Jeremy Scott’s sole-less heels
Avant-garde Belgian designer Jurgi Persoons had only opened his eponymous label two years before Wong sported one of his pieces, which is extremely telling of the singer’s pre-Internet intuition of knowing what’s cool. Besides styling it with a Raf Simons “grail piece”, what makes this outfit all the more impressive are the sole-less shoes from Jeremy Scott: Wong is the only person to have worn them off the runway.
1999: Maison Martin Margiela sweater

Above Faye Wong in 1999 (Photo: Reddit)
Wong continued to sport minimalism towards the end of the decade, this time a grey jumper with visible panel stitching courtesy of the cult fashion label formerly known as Maison Martin Margiela.
2001: Louis Vuitton’s spring-summer 2001 collection

Above Faye Wong in 2001 (Photo: Instagram / @faye.archive)

Above Faye Wong in 2001 (Photo: Instagram / @faye.archive)
Faye Wong modelled Louis Vuitton’s spring-summer 2001 collection in a moody photoshoot—that touched on many of the melancholy themes present in her work with Wong Kar-wai—for City Bella magazine. The pieces were designed by then-creative director, Marc Jacobs, who pulled inspiration from naval and military uniforms, with ’80s day-glo shades and punk elements meeting ’50s pleating techniques and silhouettes.
2010: Custom Titi Kwan knit dress

Above Faye Wong in 2010 (Photo: Getty Images)
Besides sourcing pieces from the edgiest fashion brands around the world, Wong also turned to her longtime stylist Titi Kwan for dramatic ensembles to take to the stage in, like this voluminous textured dress he custom-made for her Comeback Tour in 2010.
2011: Alexander McQueen skull dress

Above Faye Wong in 2011 (Photo: Getty Images)
A year after Alexander McQueen’s death, Wong performed in a dress from the British designer that featured his famous skull motif in honour of his legacy in fashion.
2011: Custom Titi Kwan crystal chandelier dress

Above Faye Wong in 2011 (Photo: Getty Images)
Forget swinging from the chandelier—Wong sang in one for a 2011 concert in Taipei, a feat achieved with the design brilliance of Titi Kwan and over 10,000 sparkling Swarovski crystals.
2016: Céline turtleneck and pleated skirt

Above Faye Wong in 2016 (Photo: Getty Images)
Even when dressing down, Wong opts for a fashion label unlike any other: old Céline, helmed by Phoebe Philo. The singer is a known fan of the brand, having made rare public appearances to attend its fashion shows.




