Asian American Fashion

After reading Professor Caroline Valverde's "Ao Dai Revival" and discussion of the very interesting questions asked by this weeks presenters, Zoe and Rhegille, I was left debating to myself. Does the appearance of new Ao Dai designs on major runways undermine the historical context and traditions it represents or breathe new life into the culture and pay homage to the national icon. I believe the recent emergence of the Ao Dai in the fashion world reinvigorates pride in and pays respects to the beauty and rich culture of Vietnam. Given the quote shared at the very beginning of the article from Le Si Hoang stating "Vietnamese culture borrows from other cultures to make our own" it seems only fitting that in return the Vietnamese culture should be shared widely with the rest of the world. What better way to do that than by displaying the beauty of the national dress at the highest level. I found a relatively recent example of the Ao Dai being proudly shown off...

Growing up, I had no sense of style as I had little to no control over what I wore. This, coupled with the rapid movement from house to house and even country to country, prevented me from developing my own style. After my parents divorced and I settled into one town to stay in, I was finally able to pick my own clothing. However I only got to get to new clothes once a year and only enough a weeks worth, if that. On top of that, even if I liked any article of clothing from the previous year, I couldn't wear anything consecutive years because I'd outgrow it. So it was a constant rotation of cheap off-brand clothing from a single annual trip to a generic store like Kohl's. Fast forward to College. I'm financially independent. I have to buy my own clothing, on top of rent, food, and budget-crippling tools to feed my photo/video passions. With no savings account, I typically end the month with less than $50, sometimes less than a single dollar, to my name. Finding the bud...