Naomi Tan

CANTO

Fashion allows people the opportunity to express their identity in creative ways. Growing up Asian American after my family immigrated from Singapore, I always felt slightly disconnected from my Chinese culture while also feeling out of place in America. As I have gotten older, I have come to embrace and appreciate my Asian American identity as well as discovering my own sense of identity. My capsule collection is a reflection of the two cultures I grew up with, connecting my Chinese heritage with my American upbringing. This collection merges Chinese and western historic and contemporary references to create modern designs that merge elements and cultural values of traditional Chinese dress and historical western dress to reflect the ‘interconnectedness’ of the two cultures. Elements of the traditional Chinese cheongsam and 1930s western women’s dress are combined, incorporating key visual signifiers of the cheongsam including the mandarin collar and asymmetrical lines with elements from 1930s bias cut gowns of simple lines and highlighting the feminine silhouette. These garments celebrate the beauty and intricacy of interconnected cultures and reflect how fashion can be used to reveal a part of your identity.