Kuan Yin
Vivienne Tam · Spring/Summer 1997
Vivienne Tam
- Cross-cultural prints
- Mesh dresses
- Graphic ready-to-wear
Vivienne Tam established a New York fashion practice that connects Chinese cultural references with contemporary clothing. Her designs have used religious imagery, historical symbols and popular culture in vividly patterned dresses and separates.
Vivienne Tam official website
Five looks to know
Collection selection
Kuan Yin
Spring/Summer 1997
Named Kuan Yin in the museum record, this printed synthetic garment belongs to Tam’s Spring/Summer 1997 collection and entered The Met as a gift from the designer.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Costume Institute
Collection selection
Dress
1999 · V&A collection
nylon.
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Collection selection
Mao collection
1995 · V&A collection
Polychrome knitted and printed nylon mesh.
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Collection selection
Mao collection
1995 · V&A collection
Twill weave polyester.
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Collection selection
Mao collection
1995 · V&A collection
Jacquard-woven polyester, printed.
© Victoria and Albert Museum, LondonCollections & archive pieces
1 collections represented · 1 pieceSpring/Summer 1997
1 piece
About Vivienne Tam
The celebrated 1995 Mao collection, developed with artist Zhang Hongtu, transformed a political image through repetition and visual alteration. Later work continued to explore the relationship between Eastern and Western visual traditions. Tam's light synthetic fabrics and close-fitting mesh garments provide a distinctive setting for printed imagery, and examples are held by major fashion and design museums.