A rare collection of Chinese cheongsams tells a story of personal style and cultural connection in 20th-century America

By Stephy Chung, CNN (CNN) — Susan Mah knew exactly what she wanted for her version of a “little black dress.” It was the late 1940s in California, and after years of commissioning some of the finest tailors back home in Shanghai and Hong Kong, she had learned a thing or two about making clothes