Of history and modernity
A new exhibit of the áo dài shows Việt Nam’s past and present.
Home
 The áo dài. It might be known as the traditional Vietnamese dress, what women wear on the important occasions in their lives — from the whisper-thin silk they drape on their wedding day to Lunar New Year — but it’s way more than that. At least Robin Treen thinks so. Treen, the chief curator at the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, sees it as part history lesson, part work of art. While older pieces show the influence of both the Chinese and French, prominent countries in Vi?t Nam’s history, she notes: “The áo dài, in its most contemporary manifestation, really does cross over into one-of-a-kind art to wear. They are amazing pieces.” Nearly 60 flowing samples will go on display Tuesday when the museum and the Association for Viet Arts open “Áo Dài: A Modern Design Coming of Age.” The exhibit, which runs through July 9, will display treasures from Vietnamese designers and a royal restorer and will include many gowns never before seen by the public in Vi?t Nam or the United States. Staging it is the result of two years of work by the association, known as AVA, said Mai Bùi, chairwoman of the 15-year group. She and volunteers dedicate themselves to showcasing the arts of the Vietnamese, organizing major projects that span literature to theater and everything in between, teaming with local venues. For this exhibit, the partnership between AVA and the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles was a natural. “I had been sort of looking for or trying to find a project to work with the Vietnamese community in San Jose for some time,” said Treen, co-curator of this exhibit with Caroline Ki?u Linh Valverde, an assistant professor of Asian American studies at the University of California, Davis, who has researched the áo dài extensively. About 10 percent of San Jose’s population — or 130,000 people — is of Vietnamese descent, according to the 2000 census. Valverde said the show will help Vietnamese Americans to bridge some of the culture gap that Vietnamese living abroad might feel. “One of the most difficult questions to ask a Vietnamese person in Vi?t Nam or in the Diaspora is ‘What is culture?’” Valverde said. “It’s difficult to answer.” The áo dài, though, definitely is part of culture, she said. As the national dress, it represents the nation, it also has reacted to the society around it and changed. Not only is there the Chinese, French, American and global influence shown in the body-hugging gown, but it also gives hints about the Vietnamese evolution. Just the transformation of the áo dài itself, from mandarin collars to lower necklines to more form-fitting designs, show how the Vietnamese have traveled into modernity, Valverde said. The exhibit is a testament of the Vietnamese through history, she agreed. “It seemed to me there weren’t very many cultural cues for me to hang on to,” Valverde said of her growing years. “It was important for me to have this exhibit...The cultural and historical significance can’t be denied.” While an intensely personal experience for the Vietnamese American community, the exhibit still will have appeal across cultures, Treen said. “Textiles are universal,” she said. “They are produced by every culture on earth, as far as I know, in one form or another. We are all very interested in each other and each other’s clothing. We are interested in clothing people used to wear and people wear now.” The oldest item in the exhibit is 135 years old, Bùi said, and men’s and women’s pieces are included. The bulk of the áo dài are newer creations, including those of prominent Vietnamese designer Minh H?nh; fashion designer Lê Minh Khoa; Si Hoàng, an artist and educator turned áo dài designer; and Lê Phuong Th?o, a Vietnamese-American designer who combines traditional and modern techniques. Also on display will be dresses from Tr?nh Bách, a collector and restorer of royal áo dài from the 19th and 20th centuries, and collector Nam-Son Ngô-Vi?t. “It’s just very fulfilling,” Bùi said of the exhibit. “Art really is a form where we can understand our culture and enrich our identity.”
Powered By Nguoi-Viet Online

This article has been moved here