During her trip to Hong Kong last week, Jasmine Chong hopped on a call with me at 3 a.m. her time. But with the energy and enthusiasm I could hear in her voice, I never would have guessed the designer was chatting in the middle of the night, um, early morning. She is, after all, still riding high from her debut resortwear collection, “The Bat & The Butterfly.” Released at the end of April, this new product assortment was a bit out of her sartorial wheelhouse, as it was the first time Chong ditched her signature velvet and silk pieces — dresses, separates, and accessories included — for lightweight cotton and linen silhouettes.

Chong’s interest in entering the resort world stemmed from a pandemic project with her brother. Together, they launched Celestia, a yacht that sails in Indonesia and is available for private charter. “Celestia has been a way for me to reconnect with my Southeast Asian side, because at this point, I’ve been in New York for 13 years,” says the Malaysia-born designer, who left home to study at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. After spending time out at sea with her sibling, she considered what one might wear on a boat ride, leading her to try her hand at vacation-ready silhouettes — which are admittedly a departure from her hallmark feminine styles (the ruffled red dress she recently made for Quinta Brunson being a prime example).

“I started thinking about cottons and linens and breezier fabrics, things that could be worn in a resortwear setting but still have that detail and delicacy and romance of my past collections,” Chong says. “With strappy shapes, a little bit of volume, and tender cotton scalloping, it’s resortwear that’s a bit romantic, but very wearable,” she explains, adding how the line is fitting for a tropical trip, garden party, and even everyday wear. 

Though this may be an entirely new category for Chong, who founded the brand in 2017, there are hints of her signature aesthetic threaded throughout the collection. For instance, one bralette boasts voluminous ruffles, almost mirroring the aforementioned billowy dress designed exclusively for Brunson. She’s also no stranger to a babydoll silhouette; however, her new silk-cotton poplin iterations feel fresh for the brand. Then there are the hair bows she’s known for, with her latest looks featuring delicate broderie anglaise (a type of embroidery).

Chong’s impeccable design skills are courtesy of her impressive resume. On our call, she reflected on the early days of her career, when she was a design intern at Anna Sui. “It was really important for my first industry experience to be working under an Asian-American designer who was at the top of her game,” she tells me. Chong later held positions at Thakoon, Marchesa, Halston, and Tory Burch, which gave her the knowledge and experience to build her eponymous label. “It felt like they were building blocks for what I wanted for myself,” she explains about her past roles.

Despite being a seasoned designer in New York for over a decade, she turns to her heritage when designing new collections. “I like opulent fabrics, and I think that comes from growing up in Asia, and seeing how my grandmother and my mom would dress up and equate that with beautiful jewel tones and glimmering materials.” Chong even paid homage to her grandma, Stien Hilda Tabalujan, whom she looked to for style inspiration, through a short film called The Last Time I Saw You, with an accompanying collection boasting bow-covered dresses, velvet handbags, and more chic pieces.

And even though Chong has amassed a following for her girly ready-to-wear and accessories, her customers were ready to see the designer step outside the box. “Every client has said, ‘Well, this is really surprising, but this really fits in my wardrobe and I’ve been waiting for something like this from you.’” She adds, “Some even joke that I had edged them for eight years, because they’re like, wow, we finally have a smocked piece that’s close to the body,” Chong jokes, referring to the new Silja top.

To get a closer look at the pieces in her first resortwear collection, check out some of TZR’s favorites below.