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5 of Maggie Cheung’s most memorable screen outfits, from In the Mood for Love’s cheongsam to the catsuit in Irma Vep and Hero’s period costumes
- Former Hong Kong star Maggie Cheung Man-yuk, 59 today, won five best actress awards, and film fans remember her for her looks and stylish on-screen outfits
- We pick her top five screen looks – including the cheongsam she wore for In the Mood for Love, and her leather jacket and silver sunglasses in The Heroic trio
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After coming second in 1983’s Miss Hong Kong Pageant beauty contest, Maggie Cheung Man-yuk went on to become one of Hong Kong’s most celebrated and idolised actresses.
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Cheung is known for her elegance and classic beauty. Add that to her memorable on-screen outfits and her ability to fully embody a character, and it is no wonder she has five best actress prize wins under her belt.
As the former actress turns 59 today, we recall five of her most memorable screen looks from a film career that spanned more than two decades.
1. Cheongsam for days
Cheung is widely regarded as director Wong Kar-wai’s ultimate muse, and the impression she left on viewers in the 2000 romantic drama In The Mood For Love only bolsters that.
Playing the role of Mrs Chan opposite Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Cheung appears in more than 20 stunning cheongsam, also known as qipao.
The colours and patterns on Cheung’s dresses, often seen in dimly lit or shadowy settings, draw in the viewer’s eyes.
2. A second skin
In the 1996 French film-within-a-film Irma Vep – directed by Cheung’s then husband Olivier Assayas – Cheung dons a skintight black latex catsuit.
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