Ms Vivienne Tam, a world-renowned fashion designer who has dazzled the global fashion followers with her signature designs, was presented the University Fellowship parchment by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU)’s President Prof. Poon Chung-kwong at a special ceremony yesterday (29 October).

The coveted award was conferred on Ms Tam in her absence in June by the University in recognition of her outstanding achievements in the fashion industry and her contribution to PolyU, her alma mater. Ms Tam is a graduate from the then Hong Kong Polytechnic in 1978 with a Higher Diploma in Design.

At the presentation ceremony, Prof. Poon lauded Ms Tam for her creativity, professionalism and entrepreneurship. He said, “It takes vision, perseverance and supreme professional skills for one to make it to the top in a highly competitive industry. To be successful in the fashion business, you need to add taste, style and an eye for beauty to the list. Vivienne not only possesses all these qualities, but also displays them with grace. She is indeed one of the most enviable graduates of this Institution.”

After graduating from the Polytechnic, Ms Vivienne Tam moved to New York, where she thrived on the excitement and energy of the fashion world. She founded her own fashion house East Wind Code Ltd in 1983, and in 1994 established the “Vivienne Tam” brand. Ms Vivienne Tam is internationally recognised for her innovative and unique East-meets-West designs. All of her collections are prominently labelled “Made in Hong Kong” or “Made in China”, and she continually promotes the use of Asian women as models in her promotional campaigns.

In 1995, Ms Tam introduced the influential “Mao” collection, which triumphantly crossed over from the fashion world into the art world. Two years later she launched the venerable Buddha collection, which once again stimulated the interest of celebrities and the fashion conscious. Such has been her influence that some of her works have been incorporated into the permanent archives of the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, The Museum at FIT, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Ms Tam is Adjunct Professor of PolyU’s Institute of Textiles and Clothing and was honoured with the Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award in its first selection in 1997. Despite her busy schedule, she still maintains close links with her alma mater.

The PolyU University Fellowship Conferment Ceremony 2006/2007 was held on 12 June this year. Other recipients of the honour include Mr Barry Lawson Burton, the founding Librarian of PolyU; Dr Jonathan Choi Koon-shum, President of the Sun Wah Group; Mr Paul Chow Man-yiu, Director of the World Federation of Exchanges and Chief Executive of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing; Mr Andreas L. Hofer, Vice Chairman of the Lanson Place Group; Dr Patrick Lam See-pong, co-founder and former CEO of ASM Pacific Technology Ltd; Dr Lee Kang-kuen, Senior Director-Capital Projects of the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation; the late Ir Prof. Leung Tin-pui, Professor Emeritus of PolyU and Honorary Director of the Confucius Institute of Hong Kong; Mrs Katherine Ngan Ng Yu-ying, Vice President of the May Cheong Group; Prof. Kenneth Pang Tsan-wing, the former Commissioner of Rating and Valuation; Ir Otto Poon Lok-to, Founder and Managing Director of the Analogue Group of Companies; Mr Glory Wan Lee-wa, Founder, Executive Director and General Manager of Texment Fashion Limited; Mr Yau Chun-ying, Chairman of the Tsim Sha Tsui District Kaifong Welfare Association; and Mr Yu Kwok-chun, Chairman and Managing Director of Yue Hwa Chinese Products Emporium Ltd.

***