Vivienne Tam is in her element as once again, she brings the East to the West.
he Cosmos descended on the Mercedez-Benz Fashion Week in New York as Vivienne Tam brought forth the five elements onto the runway. Inspired by her roots, the Hong Kong-born designer wove the five traditional elements into bold geometric shapes for her Spring/Summer 2013 line. Tam presented each element with a distinctive geometric pattern; calm waves of water, shiny triangles of fire, smooth circles of metal, rough squares of earth and solid columns of wood. Ivory, muted gold, jade, black and vermilion were the predominant shades, with metal weaving its way into some of the styles too, allowing for an interesting blend of both bright and muted hues in the collection.
[quote align=”center” color=”#b64736″]Tam, who is Chinese and lives in New York tries to bridge the fashion divide between the East and the West in her designs.[/quote]While the prints and patterns drew their energy from Tam’s version of the Chinese cosmos, the loose cut pants and the sheer fabrics made for a distinct contrast to the strict silhouettes of the traditionally tailored Eastern styles.
The designer said that her latest collection was meant to enhance the wearer’s inner personality and add energy to their style along with the most important element- being at the forefront of the fashion trends. With this collection, Tam has found her way into the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Metropolitan Museum in London where some of her work is on permanent display.
By Riya Kartha
