Maggie Cheung has enchanted audiences with her enigmatic gaze over the span of a 26-year career that’s seen her star in 80 films. Although retired from acting since 2010, she still serves as a perennial style icon thanks to the flawless cheongsams that she wore to mesmerising effect in Wong Kar-wai’s 2000 masterpiece, In The Mood For Love.

Born in Hong Kong to Shanghainese parents, Cheung got her big break when she became first runner-up at the 1983 Miss Hong Kong pageant. She entered the local film industry shortly thereafter, with her first role in Jackie Chan’s Police Story. In 1988, a long-standing creative partnership with Wong Kar-wai began when the film auteur cast Cheung in As Tears Go By, establishing the actress as a darling of the international arthouse circuit.

Thanks to her ethereal presence, Cheung has been a fashion designer’s dream on the red carpet, frequently wearing haute couture to attend events. See her most memorable fashion moments here.