Time Out at 40

John Woo | Sir David Tang | Vivienne Tam

Vivienne Tam © Time Out

Vivienne Tam
Born in Guangzhou but raised in Hong Kong, multi-award-winning Tam had an immediate understanding of Chinese culture and incorporated that knowledge into her designs from college. Tam has also showed the world that her designs are not only loved by the fashion world, but cross over to the tech industry, too. Her Peony design – a traditional Chinese floral symbol – graces the top of the red Hewlett Packard special edition notebook, which resembles one of the small rectangular clutches seen in her spring 2009 collection. This type of originality continues to separate her from every other Hong Kong designer and makes her a role model for the younger generation of Hong Kong designers.

How has Hong Kong been important to you?
Every time someone asks me if I graduated from America, I say, ‘No, I graduated from Hong Kong Polytechnic,’ and I’m proud of that. It was continuously my inspiration. I grew up in Hong Kong and that’s why my clothes are East meets West.

Did you have to fight to get noticed?
At the very beginning, when I brought my collection over [to New York], I made calls to stores and constantly they would say ‘Oh you’re a designer from Hong Kong? But there are no designers from Hong Kong, there are only manufacturers.' I had to convince them and convince them. I wanted to change the perception [they had] of Hong Kong.

Now you're helping promote young designers with the Hong Kong Design Centre
We are continuously promoting design, and creating a very strong platform for Hong Kong’s creative industry. I really believe in my own culture. This is where I grew up, and this is who I am; I think it’s quite important to really believe in yourself, have passion for what you are doing, and stop thinking about having to make money from it.

www.timeout.com.hk

John Woo | Sir David Tang | Vivienne Tam
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