Vivienne Tam
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The Label
Twenty-five years ago, the Canton-born, Hong Kong–raised Tam launched her first collection in New York under the label East Wind Code (named for a symbol of good luck). However, it wasn’t until 1994 that her luck really came around. That year she presented her first namesake line of hip but affordable Westernized chinoiserie (with Beijing-sourced fabrics) and followed with her Mao and Buddha collections, which featured cheeky silk-screens of the two anti-fashion icons on stretch nylon basics. The success of these early lines garnered Tam a huge following and allowed her to open boutiques from L.A. to Tokyo while placing her pieces in top stores (Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s) and museum archives (The Met, Pittsburgh’s Andy Warhol Museum, and FIT).
The Look
”China chic,” as Tam calls it, which, for her, encompasses everything from hand-beaded evening gowns and flouncy dresses to sleek, embroidered kimonos with a modern fit.
The Designer
Tam’s personal style and East-meets-West aesthetic not only garnered rave runway reviews but also earned her a spot in People’s 1995 “Most Beautiful People” issue. She continued to push “China chic” with an eponymously titled book that took her to Shanghai and Beijing to interview locals about what defines Sino style.
