Vivienne Tam facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vivienne Tam
譚燕玉 |
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Vivienne Tam at the 2011 Time 100 gala.
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| Born |
Tam Yin Yok
28 November 1957 |
| Education | Hong Kong Polytechnic University |
| Occupation | Fashion designer |
Vivienne Tam (born November 28, 1957) is a famous fashion designer. She lives and works in New York City. Vivienne was born in Guangzhou, China. When she was three years old, her family moved to Hong Kong. She later studied fashion design at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Vivienne Tam's fashion brand is named after her. Her designs are a cool mix of Chinese culture and modern fashion. She loves to blend Eastern and Western styles. Her very first collection was called "EAST WIND CODE."
She also wrote a book called China Chic. In her book, she explored how Chinese style meets Western style. She talked about how her mother's traditional Chinese dress, called a cheongsam, inspired her. Vivienne has also worked with tech companies like Hewlett-Packard. She designed special Vivienne Tam versions of their netbook computers. She even designed clothes for characters in the Animax movie LaMB. In 2013, she worked with the Chinese jewelry brand TSL. They showed their designs together at her Spring fashion show.
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Early Life and Inspiration
Vivienne Tam was born in Guangzhou, China. Her family moved to Hong Kong when she was three. Her parents' experiences in China during difficult times influenced her designs. This inspired her famous "MAO" collection.
Vivienne found her love for fashion when she was very young. She watched her mother make clothes for their family. By the age of eight, Vivienne was already making outfits. She dressed herself and her siblings, even for special events like Lunar New Year. She went to a Catholic school where she learned English. At home, she spoke Cantonese with her family. After school, she studied fashion design at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. She earned her diploma there.
Starting Her Fashion Business
After finishing her studies, Vivienne moved to New York City. She wanted to start her own fashion business. In March 1982, she launched her company, East Wind Code. This name means "good luck and prosperity" in Chinese. Her clothes were made in Hong Kong, but she had a workspace in New York City. After about ten years, she changed her business name to "Vivienne Tam." This happened just before her first big fashion show at New York Fashion Week.
East Meets West in Fashion
Vivienne Tam is well-known in the fashion world for her "East meets West" designs. Living in Hong Kong and having family roots in China made her a "bridge between two cultures." Vivienne believes that the world has a balance of opposite forces, like yin and yang. Her collections often show this idea, mixing traditional and modern styles.
Through her work, she wants to share the beauty of Chinese culture with the West. Vivienne's collections highlight the special character of Chinese culture. She uses her designs to show that Chinese clothing is more than just clothes. It is a form of art, creativity, and a reflection of many years of history.
Famous Collections
Vivienne's first collections used many traditional Chinese prints, fabrics, and designs. Her clothes became popular with people who liked Asian-inspired fashion.
The MAO Collection
In 1995, Vivienne Tam worked with artist Zhang Hongtu. They created her special "MAO" collection together. This collection was a way for them to express their feelings about past events. The collection featured several images of Mao that showed him in a fun way. For example, one image called "Mao so Young" showed him with pigtails. Another image, "Ow Mao," showed Mao with a bee on his nose. She made a series of t-shirts with these funny pictures.
Another part of the collection included clothes inspired by the "Zhongshan suit," also known as the "Mao suit." These suits had black-and-white images of Mao covering the whole garment. Vivienne Tam saw this collection as more serious. She felt it showed the good and bad effects Mao had on Chinese culture. Some pieces from this collection became permanent artworks. They are now in the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are also in the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising Museum in Los Angeles. Other museums, like the Texas Fashion Collection and New York's Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, also have pieces.
Year of the Dragon Collection
In Spring 2001, Vivienne released her "Year of the Dragon" collection. This collection was also inspired by Asian culture. It featured images of Buddha. Vivienne explained that she wanted to make the Buddha image more accessible to people.
Growing Her Business
In 1996, Vivienne Tam expanded her fashion business. She created a shoe line for the brand Candie's. The next year, she opened her first store in New York City. After that, she opened more stores in Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Kobe, Japan.
Recent Collections
In Fall 2016, Tam showed her Spring and Summer collection at New York Fashion Week. This collection featured famous Houston city logos. Vivienne worked with Visit Houston to show a new view of the city.
In February 2018, Tam presented her Fall/Winter 2018 collection. This collection was inspired by a "spiritual journey" through the Himalayas to Tibet. She showed it at Spring Studios in New York.
See also
In Spanish: Vivienne Tam para niños
- Chinese Americans in New York City
