98.50.1

Images (3)

Exoticism_28 Left to right 92.229.9 (textile wall), 88.63.28 (hat case), 86.91.10 (necklace case), 2004.38.4 (shoes case), 96.6.23 (dress), 87.64.1 (paisley dress), 95.7.2 (sweater ensemble hidden), 99.53.1 (pink velvet suit), 92.182.1 (boots case), 93.165.2 (hat case), 98.13.1 (shoes case), 98.50.1 (tiger print dress partial), 97.70.1 (ensemble hidden), 99.43.1 (red gown)

Exoticism_27 Left to right 2003.28.2 (plaid dress), 92.229.9 (textile wall), 96.6.23 (dress), 87.64.1 (paisley dress), 95.7.2 (sweater ensemble hidden), 99.53.1 (pink velvet suit), 92.182.1 (boots case), 93.165.2 (hat case), 98.13.1 (shoes case), 98.50.1 (tiger print dress partial)

Object: Evening dress

Designer: Vivienne Tam (born 1957)

Date: Spring 1998

Medium: Multicolor nylon net with jersey underdress

Country: USA

Credit Line: Gift of Vivienne Tam

Object number: 98.50.1

DescriptionLong, strapless Tibetan Tiger column dress with large-scale design printed in shades of orange, gray and black on nylon net, with black jersey underdress

Label Text:Drawing from a heritage rich in symbology, Vivienne Tam eschews more familiar motifs, such as the Chinese dragon, for a print based on Tibetan tiger rugs. Tam's design aesthetic is decidedly cross-cultural, as is her background. Born in Canton, the designer trained in Hong Kong before establishing her fashion company in New York. In a November 1997 article, Constance C.R. White of The New York Times likened the columnar dress to artwork, writing that the "Tibetan tiger intarsia… gave the model the appearance of a splendid walking sculpture."

Exhibitions:

Exoticism
Asian Americans in New York Fashion: Design, Labor, Innovation