Huishan Zhang can dress a socialite anywhere — be it China, Mayfair or the Middle East, all of which are key markets for his business.

This season he focused on the ultimate socialite, Song Huai-Kuei, otherwise known as Madame Song, Pierre Cardin’s agent in Beijing and a patron of international fashion and the arts in the late ‘70s.

She was the subject of the exhibition “Madame Song: Pioneering Art and Fashion in China,” which closed on April 14 at Hong Kong’s M+ museum. More than 320 items of fashion and art were on show, and among them was a Huishan Zhang cheongsam dress, or mandarin gown.

For resort 2025, the designer reconstructed and reimagined the minimal, strict form of the cheongsam and turned it into an A-line dress with a fitted bodice; a tailored blazer with a sliced neckline, and various pieces of outerwear. 

“Whenever I’m working with the idea of bridging the gap between the East and West, Madame Song is always my reference. She’s a Chinese fashion icon and a cultural legend,” Zhang said.

The color palette came from the soft shades of pink and blue that she liked to wear, and Zhang also incorporated bold floral prints, something he rarely uses.

A pleated rose print dress had a sash fixed with a red brooch, while a dusty pink tweed skirt suit came with jangling pearl fringing. The yellow rose print on a jacquard dress-and-coat combo resembled brush strokes on close inspection.

Zhang does his best work when he’s fixated on a single character, and Song offered just the right dose of elegance, and flamboyance.