When Hong Kong’s young women made headlines for their looks at a debutante show
In 1959, the Diocesan Girls’ School debutante ball made headlines in the Post, revealing glamour, gowns – and a very different era
“The colourful setting of the coming-out ball will be the background for an Indian gypsy dance by Mrs Kalpana Surtani, expert in the art of classical Indian dancing.”
On November 5, the Post reported that “The Debutante for 1959, Miss Gloria Baker, with charming companions and friends, starred in six scenes featuring episodes in a young girl’s life from the sad day of leaving school to the joyful wedding morn.
“From the moment that cheerful little Julianna Wade and Rosalind Chen crossed the stage in the first scene of a school speech day ceremony, the show went with a swing [...] After school leaving, the Hongkong Debutante was shown at home with her friends wearing Shui Hing housecoats and casual wear. Pamela Low was particularly attractive in Italian mohair pants and purple sweater.
On November 14, another performance was covered in the Post: “The beautiful lace and tulle wedding gown worn in the final scene of the Hongkong Debutante charity fashion show will be presented to Mrs M. Abbass, the prize winner, at the repeat presentation of the show in the Diocesan Girls’ School to-day at 3.30 p.m [...] Several new creations will be shown and the Misses Hardevi and Shobha Mahbubabi have been invited to give a demonstration of the Manipura dance. Admission tickets will be available at the entrance to the show, which starts at 3.30 p.m.”