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

Other works by Unknown

Stela of Queen Amanishakheto , 1st century AD
39.5 x 24.4 x 3 cm (h x w x d)
Sandstone
aeszyman
Jacky , 1965
24 x 20 x 1 in (h x w x d)
Donald Courtney
Dekooning Newsweek , 1965
24 x 20 x 1 in (h x w x d)
Donald Courtney
Dorothy , 1938
Donald Courtney
Circle , 2016
Ceramic
SMUSD VAPA

More from Violet Wolfe

Hollywood Dress Sewing Pattern , 1940s
Pattern
Violet Wolfe
Gallery Two Text
Violet Wolfe
Portrait of Tiffany Le , 2010s
Photograph
Violet Wolfe
Makeup of Tiffany Le , 2010s
Photograph
Violet Wolfe
“Kuan Yin” Dress , 1997
Dress
Violet Wolfe