Summary: Balancing ancient traditions and new technology is no easy feat. It can be almost a contradiction to try to apply both concepts to one idea. Vivienne Tam's Fall 2011 collection seems to do a good job of balancing the two. It was surprising to see how easily Tam transformed works of art into wearable clothing.
Using China and the costumes of the Kun as her inspiration, Tam successfully combines the fantasy of avant-garde sculptural shapes of the opera into everyday wear. Silhouettes of the graceful water sleeve combined with the motif of dragons create the fantasy of old world China while keeping up with the 21st century. I was particularly surprised at how well the red warrior sequined print dress wedding dress went over. Though one could say that it was a purely a dream come to life, don't be surprised if you happen to see that dress hitting the red carpet.
Color Palette: blue, white, black, green, champagne, jet, cream, purple, red, navy, charcoal, grey, gunmetal
Fabrics & Textures: tweed pagoda, cotton, knit, quilt, crystals, fringe, flannel,
applique, leather, suede, velvet, wool, embroidery, plaid, silk, shimmer, crochet, quilted, beaded
Key Looks: Blue tweed pagoda coat with flower pin applique, white scholar cotton shirt, black wool pleat skirt,
and black suede boots; Cream wool blanket coat with dragon and cloud applique, removable fur collar, black silk cashmere tank, black silk pleat skirt and black suede boots; Red
Dao ma Dan warrior woman sequined print weddign dress with fringe with black suede embroidered boots
-Taneisha Jordan
Photos: WWD
