QIPAO SENSATION!
Swish, swoosh, and bam!
Not every day do you get to see a catwalk show at LB AAC @ Bendemeer 32.
It was a sight to behold to watch our very own LB seniors who erupted the hallway with their vivacious catwalk to celebrate the successful completion of their 13-week-long qipao-making classes!
Indeed, it is no mean feat to craft apparel as elegant as a qipao; however, six talented seniors recently mastered the nuanced art over at the AAC!
Talented Seniors Excied to be Upskilled Further!
The AAC’s Senior Programme Executive Josephine Ng said the centre organises a wide spectrum of activities for seniors and encourages them to embrace the concept of lifelong learning and make it fun at the same time.
“These seniors in this class were not novices to sewing as they are already a part of the AAC’s active sewing interest group!
“They are known to produce hand-sewn collectibles, handicrafts, purses, bags, and more from recyclable items and even from scratch!” exclaimed Josephine proudly.
A step up from their current skill sets, in this class, the AAC’s vision was for them to learn from scratch on how to take measurements for all types of bodies, design, and ultimately create a qipao, with the speedy assistance of the tailoring machines that the AAC already provides on the premises.
When the class opened for registration, the seniors were on tenterhooks and signed up for it!
Talented Seniors Excited to be Upskilled Further!
Undoubtedly, these seniors were not novices to sewing as they are already a part of the AAC’s active sewing interest group!
They are known to produce hand-sewn collectibles, handicrafts, purses, bags, and more from recyclable items and even from scratch!
The AAC’s Senior Programme Executive Josephine Ng said the centre constantly encourages seniors to embrace the concept of lifelong learning and make it fun at the same time.
“You should see our seniors’ enthusiasm levels during our AAC activities! They are so full of life and passionate, especially when they get to produce something out of it.
“The sense of pride and ownership encourages them to do more, learn more, and even bond with each other while they navigate through it together,” said Josephine, adding that it was a fulfilling task for her as well organising such activities at the AAC.
In a mission to further empower the seniors with more skills in the sewing sector, Josephine said this class was introduced.
“A step up from their current skillsets, in this class, our vision was for them to learn from scratch on how to take measurements for all types of bodies, design, and ultimately create a qipao, with the speedy assistance of the tailoring machines that the AAC already provides on the premises,” she added.
When the class opened for registration, the seniors were on tenterhooks and signed up for it!
Sewing for a Cause
Well-known at the AAC as an avid handicraft artist, Leung Siu Kuen, 68, said it was an amazing opportunity when presented and was delighted to sharpen her sewing skills.
“I used to find scrap fabric and make oven mitts, tote bags, water bottle carriers, and more using the sewing machines at the AAC here. I would feel so proud when we display our items at pop-up booths for sale.
“Now in this class, it was a level further because I get to wear what I make, after going through a very thorough and gratifying class! It was challenging, learning at this age, but we ladies met up frequently to practise and help each other to complete our qipaos,” said Siu Kuen who was also crowned as the AAC’s Queen of Creativity this year.
The Queen of Creativity was a competition organised by the AAC to encourage female seniors to showcase their creative talents in conjunction with Mother’s Day.
Her peer, Lim Beng Hiang, 74, chimed in thanking the AAC for this opportunity, and that she felt excited to be able to wear her self-made qipao.
“I am a very shy person; I feel it is an achievement that I completed making this by myself and am proud to do this catwalk in it. I even took multiple pictures when I was trying it on!
I would definitely continue making more qipaos for myself now that I have the flair for it. This is one of the items I want to work on, apart from the others I make to sell,” said the multi-talented Beng Hiang who also makes purses and bags from fabric materials and handicraft trinkets.
Ramping Up the Catwalk!
While the ladies were getting ready for their catwalk, it was akin to a fashion show backstage!
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