Feature story: Peter Kor
written by Fiora Teng
"I'M A REBELLIOUS PERSON- IN FASHION"
At age 55, most working adults would be slowing and settling down with their career, in preparation for a relaxing retirement. However, that was not the case for Peter Kor. The veteran fashion designer and entrepreneur instead took on a new challenge, which was to dwell deeper into his roots: cheongsam.
“Fashion designer all my life, this is probably the only thing I can do.” For almost 45 years, he has never grown tired of being in this industry. Till today, the 69-year-old says “Well, to be very honest, I’m still interested.” That is Peter Kor. Born in Singapore, to Shanghainese parents, he has always known that art was something that he had always wanted to do. At the age of 10, any ordinary kid would be studying and doing their homework, but Kor is not like any other kid. He recalls, “At 10, I knew I could already draw well and all my exercise books were doodled with sketches instead of proper homework.”
Courtesy of: Peter Kor
During those days, studying overseas was the only way to pursue an art degree, and that was hard for Kor as he did not want to place a financial burden on his aged parents. However, that did not stop him from chasing his dream. In his growing up years, his young, burning passion pushed him to start his portfolio, knocking on doors of advertising companies and even offered to work for free.
Rejection after rejection, he finally landed on his first job, only as a stylebook illustrator at a fashion designing studio. But that was where it all started. “From just an illustrator, I was thrown into the deep blue sea; within a month, I guess it was due to my interest, I immediately became her personal assistant.” From doing all sorts of jobs that his late boss did not want to do, that was how he learnt from production to handling suppliers, being exposed to opportunities and gaining different experiences. “I’m just blessed in that sense,” said Kor.
Through years of peaks and valleys in his career path, life was not all up and up for him. But that did not drag Kor down. After going through a difficult period, he decided to go back into the business again. And this time, with a different approach. “As you age, you probably want to draw deeper into your roots.” So, cheongsam it is.
At age 55, Kor took on a new challenge. During one of the Singapore fashion weeks that he participated in, he thought, “Why don’t I dwell a little bit into my background, my culture, my family and heritage?” He created a small capsule involving cheongsams. “I wanted it to be fun, more contemporary but I also want it to be a cheongsam.” That was how he started his cheongsam journey and because of the positive response, he thought that might be a right direction to keep it as a brand identity.
PHOTO BY: Melissa Liow
To Kor, just by doing a mandarin collar does not make a cheongsam. He keeps it to the very fundamental silhouette, updating it with different aesthetics in terms of colours and print, “but the collar, I will never change it. To me, it will not be a cheongsam.”
"...TO ME, IT WILL NOT BE A CHEONGSAM"
When asked about what keeps him going, Kor answered, “You must have to have an interest but just with that doesn’t work, you have to fit the people around you. To be aware of the trend, not just fashion.” Challenges in businesses are unavoidable, especially in a developed nation like Singapore.
One of the main challenges faced by Kor, as a designer, is the supply chain. It is difficult because there is no supporting industry. A designer by himself is not enough; he needs to find a proper manufacturer, good technical people and accessorized accessories. So, to overcome that, the veteran fashion designer said, “You just have to find your way of doing things, maneuvering around it but at the same time, try to maintain the design aesthetic and philosophy as strong as you can.”
Kerine Chia, 20, a student from the Diploma of Apparel Design & Merchandising from Temasek Polytechnic commented that Kor’s design is “intricate and quirky”. She mentioned that the incorporation of polka dots and fish designs makes it very outstanding and unique. The high-quality fabrics and quirky designs make them attractive.
Through decades of designing, Singapore’s “Cheongsam Grandmaster” gives credence to his motto: “A true designer never repeats himself.”
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