The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and Timid Magazine welcomed Asian Pacific artists, actors, content creators, and more to the opening of the Fashioning Chinese Women: Empire to Modernity on June 10 at LACMA.
The exhibition was designed by the architecture firm Chu-Gooding and Berkeley-based artist and designer Chere Lai Mah, who donated her expansive collection of 19th- and 20th-century Chinese clothing. Fashion designer Jason Wu customized the 3D-printed mannequins with faces, hairstyles, and finishes, designing the look to fit the era the clothing was from. It was also guest-curated by Michaela Hansen, with support from LACMA curators of Costume and Textiles, Clarissa Esguerra and Nicole LaBouff. The event welcomed Asian talent, including Desmond Chiam, Kevin Woo, Manny Jacinto, Sherry Cola, Dianne Doan, Christine Ko, Camilla Belle, Poppy Liu, Ally Maki, Momona Tamada, Thalia Tran, Kara Wang, Gia Kim, Adeline Rudolph, Plastique Tiara, and more. For the event, Wu dressed guests Belle, Cola, Doan, Ko, Liu, Maki, Tamada, Tran, Wang, Tina Leung, and Tal Anderson.
Fashioning Chinese Women: Empire to Modernity will be on view at LACMA from June 14 to October 12, 2026, featuring a seldom-seen story of how Chinese and Chinese American women used fashion to negotiate their changing identities amid profound societal and cultural transformations, globalization, and modernization in Chinese society. From the fall of the Qing Dynasty through the Cultural Revolution, the period of production captured the evolution of Chinese identity, while “mining the value of traditional craft and cementing the garment as a form of expression for Chinese women.”
Timid Magazine, which focuses on Asian Pacifics in entertainment, fashion, lifestyle, and pop culture, worked closely with LACMA and with those in the entertainment industry to bring the event to life.
“Fashioning Chinese Women: Empire to Modernity stands as a testament to that commitment, with three LACMA’s Asian and Asian Diaspora Initiative members providing generous support for the exhibition’s development and realization,” says Rachel Du, Principal Gifts Officer at LACMA. “Timid Magazine’s co-hosting of the exhibition’s opening celebration is a natural extension of this shared mission, bringing together leading voices from fashion, art, and entertainment to celebrate Asian cultural storytelling and champion figures like Jason Wu as influential voices of the global Asian diaspora.”
Upon entering the exhibition, visitors encounter an immersive video showcasing the intricate details of the garments, highlighting the meticulous craftsmanship of the pieces. The entire exhibition really paid attention to the evolution of Chinese fashion from Chinese to Chinese Americans, with room designs that reflected the different color palettes of the designs. With over 70 rare looks from the collection, ranging from late Qin Dynasty loose-fitting embroidered robes to 1930s qipao to 1950s cheongsam, the exhibition is available for all ticket holders to see.
Fashioning Chinese Women: Empire to Modernity is available for viewing from June 14 to October 12 at LACMA. For ticket information, click here.
