Vivienne Tam (Q3653)
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Vivienne Tam is a fashion house from FMD.
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Vivienne Tam |
Vivienne Tam is a fashion house from FMD. |
Statements
Vivienne Tam spent much of lockdown in Hong Kong, where she integrated yoga and nature hikes into her work schedule. She’s returned to New York in a happy and optimistic frame of mind with one of her most personal collections yet.This designer has always incorporated elements from her heritage into clothes, and she continues to do so for spring: A hoodie features tassel pulls, a jacquard denim is woven with a Chinese dragon motif, the qipao and button closures are reinterpreted for casual dress. What’s new is how Tam’s day-to-day life and interests have informed her brand’s expansion into activewear this season. You’ll notice men in the lookbook too; this is the first time Tam has made a unisex offering. Tam’s expansive mood seems to be connected to her new, enthusiastic embrace of inclusion—at least of gender and ability. Alison Yu, Hong Kong’s Paralympic gold medal wheelchair fencer, is part of the cast.Tam, who designs her own fabrics, took real delight in collaging city and nature motifs into the season’s main print, from which the collection takes its name, City Camouflage. She used this colorful pattern on going out and outdoor clothes: Tam has no time for solid-colored hiking gear. “I want to be the flower in the woods,” she says.
5 October 2021
Vivienne Tam is one of many designers whose initial spring collection ideas, put in place before the pandemic, had to be rewritten afterwards.Tam had intended to mark the 600th anniversary of the Forbidden City in her spring collection, but as travel restrictions prevented her from going there, she expanded her vision to include the beautifully costumed period drama,The Story of Yanxi Palace, which put her in a romantic mood. The designer’s next challenge was how to translate these historical references into clothes that are relevant for today.One of the ways she did so was by taking architectural details, such as a sort of calligraphic carving, and incorporating the curvilinear shape into lapels or ruffles, adding an unexpected yet signature Tam touch. As a means to express romance, the designer turned to the longer, languid 1970s silhouette. While a smocked mesh midi-dress was pretty and packable, other pleated styles felt a bit dowdy. They were too literal, too vintage-y takes on the look-book conceit: high tea at a hotel—in this case the Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong.The most innovative looks Tam showed for spring were iterations on the hoodie. Starting with the basic body, the designer took elements from historic Chinese dress to reimagine the sleeves and shoulder details, and she combined fabrics to give an old favorite a fun and relevant update that can easily be dressed up or down.
24 September 2020
Spring 2020 will be remembered as a season focused on both theatrics and sustainability. And just as there are many ways to put on a show, so there are many approaches to designing responsibly. Having had a star turn in Shanghai, where she presented her Fall lineup, Vivienne Tam, back in New York, took a break from the runway for Spring to literally take stock. For Fall the designer had worked with upcycled yarns, but wanting to explore how she could create even more responsibly, she went into her storeroom and pulled out bolts and bolts of fabrics and trims from all different seasons—old, new, Spring, Fall—and laid them out on a table and just let the magic happen. Or as Tam put it, “I let the universe dictate to me what is good for this season.”The joy Tam found in the unexpected mixing and matching of archival fabrics and new, of texture and colors, and pattern clashes too, was evident in the patchworked pieces she assembled for Spring. There was a new lightness here, and one that wasn’t tied to a narrative but that grew out of the materials. Dotting thei, as it were, of a snazzy blazer made of maybe four different fabrics were denim-patch pockets. The mash-up approach also lent unexpected charm to the designer’s iterations on the modest femininity of thatLittle Womenlook that’s come back around. Think of Spring as a new chapter for Tam; she says she’s looking forward to continuing this sustainability story.
26 September 2019
Vivienne Tam is still creating “cool traveler” clothes, sending last season’s Himalayan backpacker on a sun-soaked trip to Southeast Asia. She called it The Color of Love, and its main reference points dealt with mandalas (a through line from Fall) and the lush floral offerings seen at Balinese temples. Visually, it manifested as a cheerful explosion of print and color that was quite pretty, and Tam will show this collection next month in particularly grand fashion: at the Bird’s Nest in Beijing (she’ll be back at New York Fashion Week in February).Tam began with a series of flat illustrations—gorgeous peacocks and swirling butterflies—printed simply on easy silk dresses and pajama-like separates. She then took those same motifs and worked them into crochet and lace appliqués to add literal dimension to the diaphanous pieces. As for Tam’s favorite mandalas, she took those hand-cut circular symbols and then applied them in a circular pattern around the bodice and skirt of a sundress—a mandala of mandalas, if you will.Elsewhere, she nodded to the region by using tan plaid organza that resembled rattan, and more general nods to peace and love came through in tie-dye knits and loads of crochet and macramé, the latter unfurling on sandal straps and colorful belts.
12 September 2018
Unity. Wholeness. Infinity. These were the taglines that accompanied Vivienne Tam’s Fall 2018 collection, which she laid out as a “spiritual journey” through the Himalayas to Tibet. It was a celebration both of the region’s rich culture and the search for inner peace—the mandala, a circular symbol of the universe, recurred throughout the show, beginning with the spinning green graphic projection on the wall and carrying on through the prints.The image of a cool female traveler inspired Tam last season, and she revisited it here. “I really enjoyed making this collection with the colors and textures,” she said backstage, and that joy was evident in the clothes. Think a neat fleece jacket shaped like a judogi with quilted sleeves then paired with a paneled lace skirt, or a chunky red knit withViviennehand-embroidered in yellow, green, and pink trailing yarn. There were rose-color corduroys in a loose, wide-leg cut (a new silhouette for Tam) worn with a denim jacket lined with pink fur, and Mongolian lamb bags in a fun range of colors.Another key point for Tam this season was her continued experimentation with technology. Backstage, she pointed to a hooded black jacket that had a heated panel embedded in the back; one could turn it on and warm up on a trek through the mountains. For technophobes, a fabulous blue hooded fur with a purple sequined dragon snaking up the back would do the trick, too.
13 February 2018
The cheerful animated backdrop at Vivienne Tam’s Spring 2018 show featured dancing Wuba, four-armed creatures the rough color and shape of a daikon radish from the filmMonster Hunt. The Chinese blockbuster was this season’s focal point, a collaborative effort that Tam has wanted to execute since she saw it two years ago. “I loved the message—bringing hope, love, friendship, and family all together,” she said backstage before the show. “I want to bring that message to the world; that’s why the clothes are joyful.”She kept it light and loose, her way of honoring the traveler’s narrative. There were many ruffled silk georgette gowns in baby pinks and pale blues to evoke a trickling mountain stream. A separate nod to the explorer came in subtle fabrications—a diaphanous tulle that was, in fact, a tactile mesh, and braided nylon cords slipped around waists. Tam included patched denim (“She’s traveling!”) as high-rise, wide-leg pants belted at the ankles—a rather nomadic shape—and several bohemian touches, like colorful woven straps and skinny mock scarves.Someone on the team has clearly been taking note of salable trends; there were fanny packs and a single slogan tee, plus a logo strap in Ikea’s unmistakable blue and yellow. The collection excelled when Tam focused on what she does best: interpreting traditional Chinese motifs for an international audience. “There’s an element of mysticism to it,” she said, and Tam wove her culture directly into the clothes. There were swirling clouds and mountains picked out in blue silk threads, and two-headed cranes soaring across a tea-length dress. An ethereal landscape on a blouse chest pocket matched a mesh skirt, shirred and tucked to create asymmetrical waterfalls. “You know the nine-tailed fox?” she asked, pointing to a hand-painted one darting across a shirt. “I hand-drew it.” Then there were the cherubic Wuba, done as a showy print. It was best done subtly: a dimensional jacquard miniskirt sliced diagonally in a fun, wearable way and a heartfelt tribute to Tam’s home.
10 September 2017
Twenty years ago, Hong Kong was returned to China after 157 years of British rule. Vivienne Tam splits her time between the island and New York (Hong Kong is one of her biggest markets, and her production facilities are based there), and for Fall she decided to celebrate the anniversary with a collection inspired by Hong Kong’s flashing lights, neon signage, and bustling energy.Tam’s most literal riff on the theme was the velvet, pouf-sleeved dresses in a stripe-y neon motif, which mimicked the blur of traffic lights as seen from inside a taxi. Similarly demure, long-sleeved dresses came in silver-foiled lace, rainbow sequins, and jewel-toned lamé; they were certainly bold, and felt a lot more modern than Tam’s graphic, appliquéd gowns of past collections.As for the plaid trousers and deconstructed shirting, it appears even Tam isn’t immune to the Vetements effect. She said she wanted to juxtapose all the sparkle and shine with something more androgynous, but those menswear-inspired pieces also hinted at the business types who work in Hong Kong’s booming financial district. Still, the big-shouldered tops and XL bombers were surprisingly zeitgeist-y for Tam, and should attract a younger, more experimental customer.
15 February 2017
Vivienne Tamis the first fashion designer to use NASA’s logo in a collection. You could say she’s fairly obsessed with the space station—she recently took a trip to Houston, where she visited NASA’s headquarters. While she was there, she also took part in a major Texas cultural event: the rodeo. “Everyone talks about New York being the center of everything, but Houston is such an advanced city,” she said. With its diverse population and booming art scene, Tam said Houston is like a collage of cultures. She channeled that idea literally with dresses collaged with embroideries, screen prints, and appliqués encompassing the city’s highlights: Sequined rockets mingled with vibrant Mexican blooms, supersoft fringed suede jackets were teamed with chrome metallic flares for a “space cowboy meets rodeo” vibe, and botanical prints were spliced with a constellation of stars. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo even let Tam use their logo, which turned up as patches on a denim dress.At times, the mashed-up references felt a little too full-on—it’s hard to picture any woman wearing a tie-dye dress with NASA patches, pixelated Houston Rodeo logos, and armadillos stamped all over it—but there were times when the Western vibe felt fresh. One blouse with ruffled sleeves was done in a classic blue-and-white Chinese motif, but instead of being printed on silk, it was embroidered like a Mexican blouse. It was one of the better examples of East meeting West. Similarly, the lacy finale dress was covered in Tam’s signature 3-D butterflies and just a few NASA references, with a black Western belt cinched at the waist.Clothing aside, Tam’s enthusiasm for her subject was infectious. She wanted to celebrate the diversity and growth of a booming American city, and what better time to do that than before a historic election? Tam has plans to bring the collection to Houston later this year, and once the clothes are in stores, she’ll donate a portion of the proceeds to the Houston Livestock and Rodeo Educational Fund.
13 September 2016
Plenty of designers have lofty goals, but this season,Vivienne Tamseemed to have set her sights on nothing short of world peace. “I’m a designer, but really, it’s about sharing the culture of the world, bringing cultural harmony,” said Tam backstage.Indeed, the Chinese-American designer has built a career on that principle, gaining a loyal following on the strength of her East Asian–inspired embroideries. These were in full effect this season, but came fused with Central and North Asian influences. “I had this dream that I went to Central Asia—to Xinjiang, Kazakhstan, all the way up to Turkey and Russia,” said Tam on the inspiration behind the collection. “I was so fascinated with their embroidery—their ikat and their patchwork.” Tam borrowed the ikat in innovative ways—most beautifully on the finale gown, which came covered in two-sided sequins so that the pattern changed slightly when brushed. The patchwork showed up in a myriad of ways and was surprisingly sophisticated—black leather pants with subtle crock patchwork, for instance, could find their way into even the most minimalist New Yorker’s wardrobe. A patchwork leather jacket got many an editor and buyer scribbling.World peace might be far off, but Tam certainly made a case for blending disparate cultural references. In your wardrobe, at least, these regions can coexist happily.
15 February 2016
Vivienne Tambuilt her business on lavish evening gowns that fuse her Chinese heritage with modern technology, but today’s show threw a wrench in that formula. Spring was all about casual, streetwise clothes for both girls and guys; it was Tam’s first time casting male models in her show. “Traveling between New York, Hong Kong, and Paris, I noticed people on the streets were very androgynous,” Tam explained before the show. “Girls were wearing men’s clothes, and men were wearing more feminine things.” Sure, you could chalk it up to the impactHari Nef,Andreja Pejic, and (most famously)Caitlyn Jennerhave had on pop culture this year. But transgender isn’t a trend, and Tam included lots of additional context, too, like the oft-referenced Chinese Art Deco period, which saw women playing with masculine style for the first time.The show opened with a relaxed, strapless gray striped ensemble that captured Tam’s new laid-back approach. It was closely followed by a few different takes on shirting, like a flouncy wrap dress and a men’s charcoal jumpsuit with a ruffle down the front. A lot of the best pieces, however, were the ones that could pass for unisex, like the satin souvenir jackets—already a big trend for fall—and tech-mesh bombers. For the red carpet, Tam showed playful mahjong-inspired dresses that were undeniably fun; the game was introduced in the U.S. during the Art Deco period. Intricate dresses with embroidered rows of tiles felt whimsical, but still a lot more restrained than the gilded, heavily embellished dresses Tam showed in the past.
15 September 2015
On the heels of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute exhibitionChina: Through the Looking Glass, which included a selection of pieces from Vivienne Tam's archive, one might expect the designer to go all-out with Chinese iconography and embellishments in her new collection. Not so: "I wanted everything to feel really clean," she said during a preview at her Mercer Street store. In contrast to the colorful, densely embroidered Spring '15 dresses hanging nearby, Resort was architectural, minimal, and a little sporty, right down to the flat foam sandals. Crisp shift dresses, khaki culottes, and knife-pleated miniskirts were Tam's idea of takeaway clothes, but she sharpened them up with Chinese lattice cutouts, tiny mandarin collars, and strips of poppy red. Those were the only real nods to China here; besides craving simplicity in her own wardrobe, Tam understands that her customers need variety, too. That being said, we'd venture to guess that lots of women who see the Met exhibit will get a sudden urge to try on one of Tam's most decadent, ornately embroidered dresses.
2 July 2015
Chinese-born designer Vivienne Tam is known for her East-meets-West aesthetic, and it feels particularly relevant right now with the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute exhibitionChina: Through the Looking Glassset to open this spring.Tam's Fall collection was inspired by chinoiserie—the European impression of China in the late 17th century—but she focused on bringing it into the modern age. "I love that time period, but I didn't want it to feel too soft," she explained backstage. "Mixing in leather and high-tech materials makes it more urban." Tam has been experimenting with neoprene and mesh for a few seasons now, but she manages to avoid the cold, plasticky vibe so often associated with synthetics. On the shimmering fit-and-flare dress that closed the show, Tam paired tech mesh with a thick embroidered trim that mimicked baroque gilded Chippendale mirrors. It was so light bouncing down the runway that the fabrics didn't feel artificial.There were also touches of a Victorian influence in the high, ruffly necklines and drapey blouses. Tam wasn't the first designer to play with that look this week. A completely see-through top with a jet-beaded choker neck even felt a little goth (another rising trend for Fall). The best pieces, though, were suited for evening, like the sheer chiffon gowns covered in embroidery or the weighty column encrusted in sequins.
16 February 2015
Have power mesh, will travel. For Spring, Vivienne Tam culled her inspiration from a trip to Beijing's Forbidden City, lifting design elements of flora and fauna from paintings, enamel boxes, and architecture, and marrying them with athleticwear. They were magnified and printed in vibrant shades, or cut out and stitched onto sporty mesh dresses for a decoupage effect. Some natural references were blown up to a low-res blur that was especially novel and looked great on trousers. Others were silhouetted and laser-cut from neoprene and used to trim dresses and skirts. Neoprene has in the past few seasons reached such oversaturation on the catwalks as to feel ubiquitous, but Tam deserves credit for her take on the fabric here. It was current, but not cloyingly so. Overall standouts were a frock in white power mesh with a deconstructed wave print and Tam's sheer jerseys embroidered with traditional Chinese landscape scenes. Those could hold their own against a host of streetwear labels offering similar pieces today.
7 September 2014
Vivienne Tam likes contrasts. "Here, I'm thinking about my Chinese heritage and mixing those ideas with techno fabrics and sportier silhouettes," said the designer about her new Resort collection. Organic floral appliqués were used throughout, layered on a cotton-spandex A-line top and a flared dress, but also on a black-and-white jacket made of techno mesh. That netted fabric appeared again on a black drawstring top, worn over a bright yellow bandeau. A hexagon eyelet was another major element, used either as an accent—like on the sleeves of a mandarin collar dress—or as the main event (like on a laser-cut neoprene bomber). There was a lot of layering of the appliqué, netting, and eyelet, and it sometimes came off as too busy for one piece. The looks that worked well—such as a patchwork jacquard top and skirt—were the most straightforward.
17 June 2014
Vivienne Tam spoke a lot about earthy 1970s luxury backstage before her Fall show. Somehow, though, it was her other inspiration, the ancient Chinese cave frescoes of Dunhuang, that came out feeling more au courant. References to Bianca Jagger circa Studio 54 are fairly rampant in womenswear, but Tam's Fall offering was more of a seventies allsorts; sure, there were soigné timeless looks (a fluttering, floor-length gray gown springs to mind), but there were also quite a few ensembles that felt costumey—even hot on the heels ofAmerican Hustle. It's debatable whether there are many women in the market for a long, T-neck peasant dress with sizable mandala embroidery or a top crafted almost solely from metallic crocheted lace appliqués. Happily, there were other pieces that felt more relevant and should please a wider audience, like a weighty boiled-wool coat in olive green that seemed to speak better to the cozy opulence Tam talked about. And her inaugural handbag offering was pleasant enough, if not revelatory, with classic, structured shapes and jewel-toned leathers.As for the aforementioned journey into Dunhuang, some good came of that, too. The resulting abstract prints were dynamic and interesting, and didn't look too conspicuously like Patterns Inspired by Cave Paintings. They translated into some good frocks and one particularly lovely skirt in a rust-hued psychedelic. All told, it was a mixed bag, but not without its charms.
9 February 2014
Back in the day, Shanghai was nicknamed the Paris of the East, and the city's PYTs wore a uniform of cheongsams and styled their hair in marcel waves. They, Vivienne Tam said backstage before her show, were her Spring muses, but she wasn't interested in creating matching looks or traditional dress. Instead she mined books and her own archives for prints that she updated, and in her tailoring she referenced classic Chinese design tropes. To wit, one-sided diagonal cuts at the collarbone suggested mandarin collars on some tops, and a lotus blossom print came stacked for a cool graphic density. With most of the focus on prints, embroideries, and cutouts, the silhouette was relatively simple. Cinched-waist shirtdresses, slim cropped pants, and a few fuller skirts were all very wearable, if not particularly thrilling. But there were some nice moments here, and Tam avoided being too literal with her theme. Only one Shanghai girl made it onto the runway— her mien part of a print on a mesh T-shirt—but that was the only hint of kitsch.
7 September 2013
Vivienne Tam has been on a graphic design kick lately (recall the Pop-art Obama prints she sent down her Fall runway) and combined some of that zing with more familiar feminine elements for Resort. Her new lineup was all about mixing materials, and Tam often implemented the rule of three on pieces such as a sheath with scalloped shoulder cutouts that combined smooth crepe with polka-dotted georgette and eyelet. Similar day dresses in the collection (all ranging around $400 to $500) featured details such as traditional cheongsam-inspired asymmetrical necklines and "spiky plum" appliqués. Noteworthy separates, meanwhile, included long Bermuda shorts cut from a stretchy ikat fabric, as well as cute chrysanthemum-printed skorts and more eyelet-lace pieces, like a pair of on-trend peekaboo sheer pants.
13 June 2013
President Obama, punk, pop culture, military, bar codes, and Chairman Mao. That's a pretty complete laundry list of the varying concepts that influenced Vivienne Tam's latest collection. Backstage before the show, which auspiciously fell on Chinese New Year (as she pointed out), the designer explained that she has "really been interested in current events lately, and wanted the clothes to say something more than just fashion." Silk faille shifts and strapless gowns were printed with scannable cell-phone codes, as well as caricatures of President Obama sporting sunglasses. Regardless of Tam's intentions for those novelty looks, they served as a reminder that fashion and politics don't generally mix. That said, it would be pretty mind-blowing if Beyoncé wore one of those numbers while singing the national anthem—just a suggestion. Another one-shoulder dress, screened with a letter from Chairman Mao, did a better job at making politics sophisticated.The most successful looks channeled the punk movement and seemed timely in light of the upcoming Costume Institute exhibition. A long-sleeve leather turtleneck paired with an asymmetrical zippered skirt that combined accordion pleats with houndstooth was admittedly badass, particularly when styled with short combat boots. A leather biker jacket with houndstooth quilting had texture and attitude that felt au courant. Focusing on more retail-friendly items like that jacket would increase Tam's good luck and prosperity in the New Year.
9 February 2013
Backstage before her show, designer Vivienne Tam shared her knowledge of Chinese cosmology, the inspiration for her latest Spring collection. "It's about the five elements," she said. Metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, as they were listed in the show notes—all things that seem ill-suited for a fashion line. But it was the shapes and energies associated with those elements that Tam brought to the runway. There was a geometric twist to almost everything. Sheath dresses were layered with intricate octagonal cutwork, and other frocks, including a printed column gown, had hexagonal peplums. A classic trenchcoat, cropped gaucho pants, and a miniskirt also got the graphic cutout treatment. And the knits, the most commercial pieces in the range, were of the burnout variety.All the looks were accented with jewelry from the first Vivienne Tam and TSL Fine Jewelry line. There were metal and wood necklaces, earrings, and rings, which matched the shapes that appeared on the clothes. At times, this looked a bit overdone. Tam had more success when she took her inspiration less literally. Model Ming Xi's black midriff-baring tank dress with a circle appliqué down the back was the collection's winner.
11 September 2012
Vivienne Tam has mastered the art of contrast. With her new Resort collection, she adapted circular tribal graphics of the mandala and geometric Buddhist symbols to her urban aesthetic. Subdued hues of black, white, gray, and khaki were mixed with a bold orange. Soft, lightweight cotton was paired with more tailored substantial silk and wool blends. Opposites were very attractive indeed in one of Tam's favorite looks, a patterned tank dress and a structured cropped silk blazer. Other high points: a pair of skinny black trousers with intricate mesh cutouts, a boxy T-shirt with a kaleidoscope design, and a printed hooded parka with a drawstring waist. All three were as wearable as they were chic.
18 June 2012
Shangri-La, the fictional utopia dreamed up by James Hilton in his 1933 novelLost Horizon, was the place Vivienne Tam's world-traveler touched down for Fall. She called the collection "Shangri-La Remix," and it combined the Himalayan textiles and shaggy fur Tam's traveler picked up on the road with familiar pieces from back home. The mix, at times, was a little overdone, but most of the individual items were worth digging out.Strongest was the outerwear. In roomy menswear silhouettes, pieces featured the groovy prints you'd most likely find on a trip somewhere far away. A black and green wool jacquard wrap skirt with a diagonal motif had the same found-object quality; it had a simple sexiness that was obscured by the mandala appliqué on the coat worn with it. Tam is at her best when she keeps things simple, and she's still finding her footing when it comes to dependably solid separates. Fall was a step in the right direction.
14 February 2012
"I wanted to transform the elements of a Zen garden into clothes," Vivienne Tam said backstage before her show. "The patterns, forms, and the feeling of tranquillity and lightness." Orchids are a perennial bloom in Tam's collections, and they appeared here in embroideries and appliqués. A white sheath dress had pretty, petal-like sleeves; a slender column of abstract orchids running down the back of a turquoise silk gown was fresh and unexpected. Prints were strong and played well together. A blouse in a hazy green and blue tie-dye—it looked like underwater starbursts—gave a little edge to a pair of cigarette pants in a blue and white bamboo print.Tam can veer into unwearable territory when her inspirations skew too literal, and some things, like the orchid cutouts on the back of a denim jacket, felt stiff. In contrast, the tap shorts looked dressy and comfortable. One pair, in a tan and white honeycomb print, came draped elegantly across the front, best capturing the sweet and easy, organic sensibility Tam was going for.
9 September 2011
Vivienne Tam can sometimes work an inspiration too literally, so news of her Chinese opera-inspired Fall show was received with trepidation. Thankfully, she stayed subtle. Mostly.What was successful? Structured outerwear and woolly A-line miniskirts had discreet nods to the look and costumes of the ancient Kun Opera. Structured collars swooped off the shoulders into sculpted wings, and, up close, you could see dense, intricate cloud embroidery on the skirts' hems. As for what didn't work, the cocktail and eveningwear suffered from overembellishment. A velvet tunic dress had fringe, an ornate cutout collar, and a multihued print. The print on its own might have been fine, but it got lost in the noise. With China on so many fashion people's lips of late, it was nice to see a native daughter mining the country for inspiration. Still, a lighter touch overall could have gone a long way.
11 February 2011
For the past few seasons, Vivienne Tam has focused on intricately detailed cocktail dresses; the mood has been dark and the silhouettes seriously tailored. Spring was a different world. Tam's imaginary muse took a trip down the Silk Road, from China across India to Persia. She was a crafty kind of vagabond, a girl who'd turn her fisherman's pants into an embroidered pair of shorts and pair them with a deconstructed cheongsam. The best looks came out first: A series of beautifully patched-together cotton lace dresses—with crochet work inspired by Asian temple facades and Middle Eastern frescoes—had a lived-in quality that was extremely appealing, like something you'd find inside a flea-market steamer trunk in a dream. The global mix felt right. Yes, some of the pieces did shout out their places of origin a bit too loudly, but overall the show had that relaxed mood everyone seems to crave these days.
10 September 2010
Vivienne Tam loves a theme. Sometimes they can be a bit much, but this season her Chinese New Year animal motif was subtly and, at times, even beautifully executed. The Year of the Tiger is about to begin, but Tam had time for all the members of theSheng xiaozodiac. Even the rat got his moment on the runway.Out of deference to her menagerie, Tam steered clear of leather and used fabric to signify the volume and texture of fur. There was a lighthearted feeling to the entire collection, with laser-cut details adding levity to a creamy funnel-neck coat, and playful tights in all kinds of animal spots. A cashmere tee with fused charmeuse-satin appliqués, worn under an appealing sequined cardigan with a tulle overlay, was dressy but not stuffy; and comfortable tuxedo pants and a gorgeous gold and white striped blouse had plenty of chic party-time slouch. A strapless army green taffeta dress, wound round with a military belt and pinned with an origami rat, was another youthful take on eveningwear, and it worked.
12 February 2010
Most designers would prefer not to have their collections reduced to a single word, but Vivienne Tam, who took a sole Chinese character as her leitmotif last season, was all about butterflies for Spring. As insects go, they're arguably the prettiest, but the majority of women might not want to be seen with one—oversize and covered in sequins—riding on their lapel. Butterflies, in prints (both abstract and figurative) and appliqués, were to be seen on most everything in the show.The mood was very seventies. Suede and chiffon were the fabrics of choice, and the models were accessorized with giant, fringed hobo bags (when they weren't carrying mini laptops—the fruit of Tam's newest collaboration with HP). There were a few nice chiffon tops and long, beautiful dresses in lovely warm tones or acid hues, but, come spring, we expect we'll have an urge to emerge from our cocoons to wear something less clichéd.
11 September 2009
Vivienne Tam's closely edited collection for Fall focused mainly on cocktail dresses; a few skirts, a couple of blouses, and a cheongsam made up the rest. "I always wear dresses," the designer said by way of explanation. "I'm not really a pants person." Those frocks, for the most part, were lovely, though Tam faltered by overworking some until they became more wearable art than ready-to-wear. Her inspiration this season was the Chinese character for nothingness—a piece of art in its own right—which Tam was drawn to for its graphic appeal, as well as its message of cleanliness and starting afresh. The character appeared, in some form or another, on almost all of her 20 looks. While at times its use was too literal—a purple sheath dress made entirely from characters on rounds of laser-etched silk charmeuse looked uncomfortable to wear—the abstract renderings of the symbol were skillfully done.
17 February 2009
Two threads ran through Vivienne Tam's Spring collection Tuesday night: peonies and an homage to the late Yves Saint Laurent. The YSL element could be seen in the tailored suiting options; the peonies could be seen everywhere. "Every woman loves peonies," Tam declared before her show, and she wrote her love letter in prints, appliqués, and cutouts evoking the bloom's lush beauty. The tailoring was beside the point (it's just not Tam's thing), and the less said about her pinstripe version of Le Smoking, the better. The peonies were much more successful. Flowy maxi dresses in a petal print looked light, cool, and full of life; a snazzy, pleated chiffon silk sheath with a single oversize blossom on it had a graphic appeal. Tam's protracted show had its share of blunders, and these missteps weighed down a collection that had several lovely moments.
8 September 2008
Hong Kong Disneyland, of all things, recently tapped Tam, a native daughter, to design New Year's outfits for Minnie and Mickey in celebration of the Year of the Rat. Human versions of the celebrity mouse look were unveiled on the Fall runway. Unfortunately, there were no program notes to explain the startling apparition of the big-eared cartoon guy on various pieces here and there—incongruous, to say the least, among other clothes inspired by Himalayan thangka paintings (of all things). The other main leitmotif was the dimensional cutout technique that Tam has made her own, but which was also much used last season. Positive notes were pieces that demonstrated modernity and restraint, like a black coat with openwork, a dress with textural quilted clouds, a burgundy sequined jacket, and a cute gold cardigan-and-embroidered-skirt combo. Meanwhile, though, the metallic tights and Minnie Mouse shoes distracted from the clothes, some of which were ill-fitting. Even Disney magic couldn't save this one.
4 February 2008
Two days after the Deitch Art Parade, Vivienne Tam orchestrated her own Soho happening. A cadre of models dressed in gray Mao Zedong suits formed a phalanx around her new flagship, while inside the store—located on the ground level of the Jean Nouvel/André Balazs project on Mercer Street—guests sipped Champagne and took in her 16-piece collection.Tam banished Fall's droopy Paul Poiret-inspired silhouette in favor of a leaner line but carried forward her exploration of Chinese paper-cutting methods on fabric. The latter worked to sexy effect on a white and silver-mirror leather dress. Elsewhere, she slashed up an abstract tropical print and appliquéd it back onto textural cocktail dresses, and she hung gold fish-shaped sequins on a simple but fun magenta shift. There was some sophistication here, and it made for an improvement on last season.
9 September 2007
Paul Poiret has been cited by a zillion designers this week. This is partly in anticipation of the upcoming retrospective at the Costume Institute, but also simply because those waistless Poiret pear shapes are an inevitable next step in the Darwinian evolution of the silhouette. But of all those shows where his name was invoked, at Vivienne Tam it was the most difficult to see any actual evidence of Poiret in the clothes.Season after season, Tam reworks the Chineseqipao. This go-round, she developed aqipao/twenties hybrid and overadorned it with ruffled bibs and geometric shapes ¿slashed¿ to expose flashes of the underlayering—and then added clunky, studded wood platform shoes for good measure. It was difficult to imagine where anyone could wear most of this: A lot of it was too fussy for the office but still not quite right for a night on the town.A copper-sequined mesh dress was an exception, as was a satin trench with a quilted skull on the back, and a dress with a dragon-embroidered overlay and fur trim at neck and hemlines. Those worked because, unlike much of the rest, they were straightforward looks that hadn¿t been forced through some esoteric fashion filter.
6 February 2007
"East West Techno Fantasy" was the ominous title of Vivienne Tam's collection, foreshadowing allusions toThe MatrixandCrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Tongue-in-cheek references, however, are not enough to see a collection through. Tam's paint-drip tees, motorcycle jackets and moleskin trousers worked because they looked natural and unpretentious, but the show ran into trouble the moment Tam toyed with plush tiger jackets, gigantic and unfeasible fur-trimmed ponchos and puzzling cracked-patch skirts. Ditto for the evening looks, which included everything from feathered and beaded tunics to lotus-print dolman dresses.On the upside, Tam showed several moleskin pants, embroidered sweaters and jersey tops that would be a worthwhile addition to any basic wardrobe. Sometimes, less is definitely more.
12 February 2001
Vivienne Tam doesn't have much luck with weather. Last year, Hurricane Floyd wreaked havoc on New York Fashion Week, forcing Tam to reschedule her show. And today, rains of Biblical proportions descended upon Bryant Park just in time for her presentation. Undaunted, Tam marched on—her models making their entrances with appropriately damp and tousled hair.Tam is at her best with accessible, easy-to-wear clothes like the Chrysler-print dresses and black leather jackets and skirts that opened her show. There was also an interesting matte jersey dolman dress with a metal choker that looked much fresher than her heavily beaded, overly ornate looks. A white skirt with a sparse, geometric sprinkling of crystals, worn with a simple berry cardigan, was far chicer than the overdone pink and blue computer-print sequined looks. In Tam's case, less is often more.
18 September 2000
"I've mixed the romanticism of the Orient with sensual silhouettes to create a look that is feminine, yet hard-edged," said Vivienne Tam about her collection, which celebrated the Chinese New Year. Gold was the dominant color for a series of fun looks that included chrysanthemum-beaded dresses, velveteen coats with fur trims and metallic-embroidered shells. There were also shimmering optical prints, sequin starburst dresses and purple leather trousers that were thoroughly urban and modern. Tam's clean designs were enlivened with texture, color and shine to create an eclectic and thoroughly upbeat show.
7 February 2000
Hong Kong designer Vivienne Tam's Spring 2000 collection was inspired by dragons, which showed up everywhere from discreet details on waistbands to large sequined representations on dresses. "I wanted to propose a return to femininity for the twenty-first century," explains Tam. Her trademark embroideries were applied to technologically-advanced, iridescent fabrics in hues like ivory, jade and coral. Minimalist jackets were lavishly draped, printed dresses were generously beaded and skirts were dip-dyed in aqua and mint green. Tam designed the kind of wardrobe that will take a chic, young girl-about-town from mother's garden party to the nightclub without skipping a beat.
15 September 1999