While the opening of Playboy Club at Sands Macau is good news for boys with a taste for a lil bit o' T&A, we here at Geek headquarters are obviously more interested in the costumes. Hugh Hefner conceived and designed the original Playboy Bunny costume, essentially a modified one-piece swimsuit, but costume duties transferred hands in 2006 when Roberto Cavalli gave his Italian sex appeal to the uniform. For the launch in this Asian outpost, the brand tapped local designer Pacino Wan to give us his spin. We threw five questions at the fashionable and funny guy, who shared with us his original costume sketches for four versions of the va-va-voom Asian-fetish Bunny Costume.
HKFG: What was your inspiration when it came to designing the Playboy bunny costume?
PW: I was inspired by the heritage and craftsmanship of traditional Chinese garments and I wanted to create Eastern inspired Playboy Bunny costumes with a modern edge that compliments the delicate frame of Asian women. My inspiration comes from the Cheongsam, Chinese Kungfu suits, traditional embroidery and Chinese undergarment - bodice (肚兜). I infused the contemporary Western silhouette with traditional Chinese elements in my designs for the new Playboy Bunny costumes because I wanted to create designs that blend both Eastern and Western culture.
HKFG: Why do you think you were selected to design the Playboy bunny costume for its Asia outlet?
PW: Playboy was looking for a well-known local Hong Kong designer whose designs reflect Asia’s contemporary lifestyle. Playboy wanted to collaborate with a talented designer who is passionate, experienced, and has a track record of bringing originality to his works. Also, they are looking for a designer who takes his personal cultural background as iconic design themes, and handsome… hmm…I think that’s me!
HKFG: Which of your celebrity clients would you love to see in your Playboy Bunny costume, maybe for Halloween?
PW: Shu Qi (舒淇), Lin Chi-ling (林志玲), Chrissie Chau (周秀娜), Lynn Xiong (熊黛林)…are just some of the names that come to mind. For special occasion like Halloween, I believe that these stunning celebrities and beauties can all carry off the new Bunny Costume that is tailored to compliment the attractive Asian female figure! I think a Halloween Playboy Bunny Party sounds fabulous!
HKFG: What elements make your costume special? How have you put your own mark on the Playboy bunny costume?
PW: My designs are special in that they infuse Chinese heritage and craftsmanship with contemporary Western silhouette. I used a lot of red in my reinterpretation of the Playboy Bunny costume because red is an auspicious color in Chinese culture which represents joy, celebration and prosperity. Red is glamorous, seductive, sexy, feminine and a great look for any special parties and occasions. If you like to stand out from the crowd, then a red party dress or evening couture will definitely help you to achieve this.
The design brief called for a reinterpretation of the Playboy Bunny Costume to embody Asian influences. My appreciation of the lines and curves of the female body is clearly reflected in my pieces and this emphasis on the female contour is exactly my signature design style.
HKFG: Do you have a favourite Playboy bunny costume? Which one and why?
PW: I adore the classic Bunny Costume created in 1960 by Hugh Hefner. It is really a classic, original, and iconic costume.
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