S.M. Celestial Clothes – Fashion of the Golden Age, Part 8 of a Multi-part Series

During the 1995 S.M. Celestial Clothes Fashion Show, Supreme Master Ching Hai held several conferences with journalists and discussed Her original design concepts in great detail. She spoke of Her choice of fabrics and the special occasions that called for certain pieces of clothing in Her life.

“One design but two purposes. For example, this one is for conservative ladies, or a little bit elderly lady. And therefore, you see all the legs are covered with one piece of attached vegan silk inside. And if someone is a little bit younger and more lively, with a beautiful figure, she would probably like to show off what God has bestowed upon her. So, probably we would take this part away, and then she can show her leg. It’s attached from inside. You can wear it, or you can take it away. It depends on the occasion and depends on the taste of the individual.

This is for golfing, in different colors, like, navy blue and white, and turquoise and white trousers, and bright yellow and white trousers. I don’t design it in green or red, because red is too hot for sport, and green is all over on the golf course already, for example. These are for sport, therefore, the color is also carefully chosen. Can you notice all these holes here, or it’s window? There’s a window open everywhere, for cooling effect, for ventilating. You don’t have to play golf in it, you can also walk or jog around, or take the children to kindergarten even, but in a fast way.

This is Arab. Arab piece. I also wore this one day. One day, I had the honor of receiving an award in Chicago. Some of the dresses, the technique never had been made before. For example, the effect is very soft, it’s because I mixed the color, one stripe, one stripe, it’s not the same color even though it looks all blue. And inside is slightly different, and shiny with kind of rainbow color, and inside is velvet. So all the effects combined together make this look mysterious. Otherwise, it’s not the same. And you know this scarf, the face scarf, I painted it myself, because we didn’t buy the material.

I don’t watch television. I’m not in the fashion world; I’m not in the world. I don’t know much about worldly things. All this is from myself, from inside. That’s why you see nothing resembles Pierre Cardin or Saint Laurent, nothing. It’s unique. It’s no copy or no resemblance of outside master designers. Nothing, nothing.”