ArchivesSpace Public Interface

Scope and Contents

This sub-series consists of thirteen objects as well as three paintings related to Chinese American culture and art. Objects include wine bottles, fortunetelling sticks, a jigsaw puzzle, a glass tumbler, a tin can, merchandise packagings, a war memorial medal, a ceramic large plate with match covers and a check, a letterpress block, and a shirt.

Three paintings are by artists Helen Gee (Yun Gee's wife), Paul Fung Jr., and Irving Sinclair.

Abstract Renowned fashion designer Anna Sui recounts her formative influences, including being taken to a textile store to purchase Chinese garments during her first trip to visit her grandparents. Having a mother who studied painting and talked about art and a father who was an architect also contributed to influencing her art and style. She also attributes her interest in fashion to natural inclination and personality, and recounts collecting inspiring things which helped her develop her own style...

Abstract Humberto Leon and Carol Lim were both born in Los Angeles and studied at UC Berkeley. They are the fashion designers behind the brand Opening Ceremony. They discuss learning a lot from their mothers about quality, fit and fabric, and attribute the sense of ease and nurture associated with their store to their mothers as well. They believe in having a story behind their collection, and think that the increasing interest in fashion is due to the internet making information about fashion,...

Abstract David Chu was born in Taiwan and studied fashion design at F.I.T. Initially, because he loved sketching and drawing, he thought he would study architecture, advertising, or communication, however, a summer course on fashion history at F.I.T. led him to take an interest in fashion. He ended up traveling to Asia and upon his return, landed a job at the apparel company Kayser-Roth. From this, he learned a lot about the industry, and after five years, decided to found his own company, Nautica,...

Abstract Derek Lam was born in San Francisco and studied fashion at Parsons School of Design. His family being in the garment business partly influenced his decision to enter the fashion industry, but he ultimately chose this path because he wanted to do something creative connected to business. He decided to start his own brand because he wanted to make that a challenge for himself but he was not naturally someone who liked to put himself in the forefront as having one's own brand required. Perhaps...

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Jade Lai is a Chinese American designer and was born in Hong Kong. She did not have formal training in fashion design but went on to work for Espirit and started her own brand Creatures of Comfort. In this oral history she discusses her design aesthetic, and the joy of being a designer in New York City close to the garment district. At the end of the interview, she discusses the universal impact fashion has and the success of Chinese American designers.

Abstract Jason Wu, a fashion designer born in Taiwan and raised in Canada, recounts his early influences and how he got interested in designing clothes. He attended Parsons School of Design in New York and dove head first into starting his own brand. His drew heavily from his background to succeed in the business. From his father, he learned good business sense, and from his Asian upbringing, he developed a good work ethic, which he thinks is needed to be successful in anything, fashion being no...

Abstract Mary Ping is the mastermind behind the Front Row exhibit. Born in Queens, NY and raised in Westchester County, she graduated with a bachelor in fine arts from Vassar and credits her experience working with Anna Sui and the Metropolitan Museum Costume Institute with providing her with a hands-on fashion education. She discusses the piece selected for the exhibit and how it was inspired by her grandmother, who had a very unique sense of style for a woman in Shanghai during the 1930s. She...

Abstract Melinda Eng is a Hong Kong native who pursued a thriving career in fashion through her initial love for illustration. Her persistence and her dedication landed her opportunities that many young fashion designers would never expect to have so early in their careers. Her strong work ethic drives her to go above and beyond not only in the fashion industry but in life, and she was constantly encouraged to do greater things as she grew. New York has constantly been a theme that seems to be an...

Abstract Peter Som is a San Francisco-born fashion designer who developed an interest in fashion from an early age. As a child, he avidly sketched women and their clothes, beginning with his first subject, his mother. He credits his parents, who were both architects, with inspiring his sense of design. He later came to New York to study fashion at Parsons School of Design and started his own clothing line, fulfilling a childhood dream. In describing how his identity is reflected in his design, he...