Hong Kong-born Sara Jane Ho stars in the new Netflix show, Mind Your Manners , which sees the super-polished Harvard graduate transform people with an etiquette makeover. In one episode, Ho helps a woman, “Bunny”, reconnect with her Chinese roots by dressing her in a cheongsam, or qipao, the traditional style of dress introduced by the ruling Manchus during the Qing dynasty (1644-1912). “I put Bunny in a cheongsam so I could take her back to her Chinese heritage, and all those complicated emotions ranging from nostalgia and comfort to fear and anxiety, which she had suppressed for so long,” Ho told the Post. Wardrobe advice is not all Ho shares. She gives tips on how to hold a teacup, improve posture and skin - even dating advice. Etiquette is a business she knows well. In 2013, Ho opened Institute Sarita in Beijing, China’s first finishing school for ladies. Two years later another opened in Shanghai. But it is Ho’s on-screen looks which steal the show, including her modern take on the figure-hugging dress that has her looking cool as a cucumber even while expertly slicing a banana. In one scene, she wears a knee-length red-and-white cheongsam by Shanghai Tang, the iconic Hong Kong fashion house that’s become a global ambassador of modern Chinese chic since it was established in 1994. Ho says her grandmother encouraged her to wear them. “My favourite pictures of my grandmother are her wearing a cheongsam,” said Ho. “She encourages me to wear them for formal events saying it is Chinese chic at its best.” In Hong Kong, home to many Shanghainese tailors who fled mainland China after the 1949 communist revolution, the word “cheongsam” became gender-neutral, referring to both male and female garments. They were a common sight on Hong Kong streets. Today they remain a popular choice for festive occasions such as Chinese New Year. Global exposure came thanks to their appearance in on-screen “roles”. Actress Nancy Kwan rocked one in the 1960 romance drama The World of Suzie Wong , while Hong Kong star Maggie Cheung wore almost 30 cheongsams in the 2000 movie, In the Mood for Love . Global fashion houses from Gucci to Louis Vuitton have interpreted them while celebrities including Gong Li and Nicole Kidman have strutted the red carpet in them. In 2021, the Hong Kong cheongsam making technique was given “Intangible Cultural Heritage” status, “undeniably the most glorious page in history for Hong Kong cheongsam”, said Hong Kong’s Debbie Leung, who runs her eponymous label known for hand-made versions of the garment. In September, Hongkong Post issued stamps celebrating the craftsmanship that goes into the item of clothing. Leung said the cheongsam has found a new and important role in the community. “With the influx of wealth, skills and patrons from Shanghai settling in Hong Kong, the cheongsam is taking on a role to connect with our glorious past,” said Leung. Once a decorative luxurious evening wear - or a uniform for school students or those in the service industry - the cheongsam, said Leung, is experiencing a revival. Modern modifications include a back zipper for a snug fit and adjustments to the length of the side split to appeal to a younger generation. This new modernised cheongsam, said Leung, is gaining acceptance, “challenging the patron saint of traditional culture”. “This tug-of-war will last for a long time but I think it’s acceptable for these two lines to run parallel with each other. “It gives people more choices to express themselves which is the most important essence of modern fashion.”