Sartorial Ingenuity

The recipients of the Tatler Fashion Awards 2019 rise to the challenge of styling their own ensembles on the cover, and we discover the genesis of their individual styles from their closest confidantes

- Cheryl Chan, Terence Lim And Daphne Chen-Cordeiro

MOST STYLISH WOMAN

NANCY ONG

INTERVIEW: TERENCE LIM

From a mono-brand lover to a master of classic dressing, we trace socialite Nancy Ong’s fashion evolution with her daughter Sonia Ong

“I feel somewhat responsible for cultivating my mum’s love for fashion. When she first started using the internet years back, I introduced her to luxury fashion news portal, Style.com. Even when I stopped visiting the website, she stayed on to keep herself updated on the latest trends and the hottest designers, and she would change her look accordingly.

She used to shop exclusively at Max Mara some 10 years ago because the Singapore boutique offered an excellent selection. But when the distributorship was taken back by the brand principal, she no longer fancied the selection available locally. So she ‘broke free’ to discover other fashion brands.

These days, her style has evolved. She enjoys looking at the effortless dressing of French women, and emulating their preference for simple silhouettes without the need for too many accessories. It’s like how Nicolas Ghesquière used to design for Balenciaga, Phoebe Philo for Céline and Alber Elbaz for Lanvin.

One good thing about my mum is that she’s not a hoarder; she’s almost like the Marie Kondo of fashion. Some of us, myself included, think that fashion trends will come back. But to her, if it’s old and passe, it’s out.

When she found out that she was receiving the Most Stylish Woman award, she couldn’t believe it. She said to me, ‘There are many other ladies in society who dress better than I do, with their beautiful dresses, sparkling jewellery and outstanding accessories. I, on the other hand, am the quiet one who prefers simplicity in my outfits.’