| After designing her first label, East Wind Code, for nine years, Chinese-American designer Vivienne Tam launched her eponymous line in 1994. Though designers often struggle initially to cultivate a distinct image, Tam's line was quickly known for its East-meets-West polish. Her clean lines, Asian prints, rich color sense, and facility with beading garnered critical success and earned her a nod from the CFDA in 1998 with a nomination for the Perry Ellis award for womenswear. It also allowed her to open boutiques from L.A. to Tokyo while placing her pieces in top stores (Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale's) and museum archives (the Met, Pittsburgh's Andy Warhol Museum, and F.I.T.). In 2007, Tam launched offshoot lines in both the contemporary and higher-up markets—Vivienne Tam Red and Vivienne Tam Jade, respectively. That same year, the designer's sensibility stamped the staff's uniforms at the Gramercy Park Hotel restaurant, Wakiya. |
