AO DAI: A MODERN DESIGN COMING OF AGE

April 18, 2006 - July 9, 2006
Opening reception with "Project Runway's" Chloe Dao, April 23, 2:00-4:00

In the first exhibition of its kind in North America, the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, in partnership with the Association for Viet Arts is pleased to present Ao Dai: A Modern Design Coming of Age. The ao dai (pronounced 'ow yie' in the south, but 'ow zie' in the north) is a versatile garment of ancient Vietnamese origin known for its unique beauty and grace. Considered a cultural symbol of Viet Nam, the ao dai is worn by women and men as a fitted tunic-style gown over long, loose-fitting pants. The exhibition features the largest survey ever of historical and contemporary ao dai pieces, many never before seen in by the public, from international designers, collectors and a royal restorer. Fashion designer Chloe Dao, winner of Bravo TV’s “Project Runway” will appear at the opening reception Sunday, April 23, 2:00-4:00pm.

Ao Dai: A Modern Design Coming of Age is co-curated by Caroline Kieu Linh Valverde, Assistant Professor of Asian American Studies at the University of California at Davis, and Robin Treen, Chief Curator, San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles. The exhibition will be on view through July 9, 2006.

“The beauty of these garments is not simply a matter of aesthetics. Ao Dai represent the full breadth of the culture, history, and tradition of the Vietnamese people. They act as a living and evolving link, showing us the roots of Viet Nam and how it is transforming both at home and abroad,” said Valverde.

“This exhibition touches on the evolution of, and participation in, cultural expressions of identity by communities displaced by war and economic reconstruction, as well as the reinvention of culture by post-war generations,” added Treen.

In recent years, the contemporary ao dai has made its mainstream debut on Hollywood celebrities as well as on the haute couture runways of Paris from top fashion designers including Christian Lacroix, Karl Lagerfeld, Ralph Lauren, Claude Montana and Richard Tyler. Though originating in the mid 18th century as the national dress for both genders, the modern ao dai form only emerged in the 1930s. The exhibition takes the viewer on a journey through the past and present and combines traditional techniques with new global influences that embody both functional and artistic designs, representing the innovative spirit of Viet Nam’s ao dai tradition. The exhibition features the work of: prominent Vietnamese ao dai designer, Minh Hanh; fashion designer Le Minh Khoa; Si Hoang, an artist and educator turned ao dai designer; Le Phuong Thao, a Vietnamese-American designer who combines traditional and modern techniques; Trinh Bach, a collector and restorer of royal ao dai from the 19th and 20th centuries, and collector Nam-Son Ngo-Viet.

In conjunction with the exhibition the museum will host several educational lectures and children’s workshops looking at the culture, design and influence of this art form.

Sponsors of the exhibition include Applied Materials, Piercey Toyota, Union Bank of California, Southwest Airlines, and San Jose City Council members Judy Chirco, Linda LeZotte, Chuck Reed and Forrest Williams.

Founded in 1991, the Association for Viet Arts (AVA) is a non-profit, multi-disciplinary arts organization serving San Jose and the Bay Area. AVA’s goals are to provide opportunities for Vietnamese American artists to present their work, open dialogues for cultural understanding, bridge Vietnamese and American cultures, and sustain the arts through arts education for youth in the community. For more information call 650-868-6158 or visit www.vietarts.org.