Linda at a Fashion Show , 2008
Photograph

This photograph shows Linda Yip wearing a cheongsam for a fashion show at a 2008 family reunion. Linda's great grandfather, Yip Sang, was one of the earliest Chinese immigrants in Canada and became the first successful merchant in Vancouver's Chinatown. Today, this family has the largest population among Chinese Canadian families. It was Linda's first time wearing a cheongsam in public. As she had not seen many family members for years, Linda hesitated to perform her Chineseness on stage. However, she chose to accept the challenge and showed her husband to her side of the family through performing fashion. From rejecting bright colours and ethnic clothing to making Chinese clothes for private occasions to wearing a cheongsam for a fashion show, Linda's evolving attitudes toward the cheongsam reflect her changing perception of her Chinese identity. Her performance is an act of connection and a strategy of self-definition to show her acceptance and belonging to Chineseness.

Exhibited by:

Violet Wolfe

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