When Rui En walked the Star Awards red carpet in a glittering gown by Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad, the person behind the look was stylist Neo Lirong. In 2015, she was one of Singapore’s most visible red-carpet stylists, and Rui En was the client most closely tied to her name.
Here is what the job looked like then, and where Lirong’s career stands today.
A client list built on red carpets
By mid-2015, Lirong had been in the business for about nine years. Her roster mixed established names with rising ones: actresses Rui En and Ya Hui, singer Olivia Ong and actor Romeo Tan. That year she added veteran actress Chen Liping.
The Zuhair Murad dress was a good example of her approach. The designer’s heavily embellished creations are popular with Hollywood A-listers such as Jennifer Lopez and Taylor Swift, and the look made Rui En one of the most talked-about guests of that Star Awards.
The start of the Rui En partnership is dated differently in different accounts. The 2015 profile placed it in 2011. A later profile says Lirong began working independently in 2012, with Rui En as her first celebrity client. In that later profile she said she was grateful to Rui En for trusting her when she was new to the job.
A friendship behind the fittings
Lirong credited much of her success to Rui En. In 2015 she described a close friendship, and said the two tended to agree on what suited the actress. That shared taste is a large part of what makes a stylist and a client work as a pair.
Taking criticism in her stride
Not every look wins applause. When Lirong dressed Chen Liping in a menswear-inspired outfit, with a corset worn over a long-sleeved shirt and paired with trousers, some critics called it passé.
She said at the time that, as a young stylist, she tried not to let such comments get to her. Her view was that not everyone will share her sense of style, and that pleasing everybody is impossible.
Her own reference point was Mel Ottenberg, the stylist known for dressing Rihanna in edgy, memorable looks.
Where Lirong is now
Her own website describes her as one of the most coveted celebrity stylists on Singapore’s fashion scene, with 15 years in the industry. It lists JJ Lin, Eddie Peng, Jesseca Liu, Rui En, Romeo Tan, Rebecca Lim, Fann Wong and Kit Chan among her clients.
Her portfolio shows that the Rui En partnership continued well beyond 2015. It includes Rui En’s looks for the Star Awards in 2017, 2018 and 2019, as well as a Cartier event in 2019. It also features Jesseca Liu at the Star Awards in 2018 and 2020, and JJ Lin on a Dishing with Chris Lee appearance.
A later profile traced her path back to graduating in 2010 and starting out as an assistant to veteran stylist Johnny Khoo. It also records that she had never planned to style for a living. As a child she wanted to become a lawyer, and she found fashion and design by chance.
Her own style is a world away from the glitter she puts on the red carpet. The same profile calls it a clean aesthetic: minimalist, effortless and elegantly casual. Her go-to off-duty outfit is cargo pants and a cropped top, chosen because it is comfortable and fuss-free.
That contrast helps explain how she works. The red-carpet drama belongs to her clients, and she starts from what suits each of them.