Vivienne Tam (, born 28 November 1957) is a fashion designer based in New York City. She was born in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, and moved to Hong Kong at the age of three. She attended the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Tam's fashion brand is named after her and is inspired by Chinese culture, design, modern fashion, and east–west fusion. The theme of her first collection was EAST WIND CODE.
She authored China Chic, a book in which she explored the ways in which Chinese style meets Western style and described elements of the Chinese culture like her mother's cheongsam that had the most impact on her. She also discussed how Chinese culture intertwined with Western style and influenced her future work. She has worked with Hewlett-Packard on a special Vivienne Tam range of designer netbook computers, such as a version of the HP Mini 1000 and the HP Mini 210. Tam also appeared on dressup site Stardoll where she has her own suite and brand name. She has also designed dresses for the characters in the Animax movie LaMB.
Tam debuted her collaboration with Chinese jewelry brand TSL at her Spring 2013 fashion show.
Early life
Vivienne Tam was born in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. When Tam was three years old, her family left the People's Republic of China and moved to Hong Kong. The experiences of Vivienne's parents as wealthy landowners during Mao Zedong's rule influenced designer's future collections and inspired her to create her signature "MAO" collection. Vivienne discovered her love of fashion at an early age. She was inspired by watching her mother making clothes for her family. By the age of 8, she was making her own outfits and dressing herself and her siblings, even for Lunar New Year. She attended a Catholic school, where she learned English, even though she still spoke Cantonese at home with her family. She then went to study fashion design in Hong Kong Polytechnic University where she received her Higher Diploma in Fashion Design.
Work
After finishing her degree she moved to New York City to launch her business. Her company, East Wind Code, was established in March 1982. (East Wind Code means "good luck and prosperity" in Chinese)
Through her works, she wants to spread awareness in the West about the beauty of Chinese culture and national clothing. Vivienne's Tam collections highlight the unique character of Chinese culture. She uses them as a tool to show that Chinese national clothing is not just clothing but also a type of art, creativity, and a reflection of years of history.
2018 Fall/Winter collection
In February 2018, Tam presented her Fall/Winter 2018 collection, inspired by a "spiritual journey" through the Himalayas to Tibet, in Gallery I of Spring Studios.
See also
- Chinese Americans in New York City