This interview was originally conducted by Natasha Jung and has been condensed and edited for clarity.
What you wear on your wedding day is an important decision. It is an expression of who you are and symbolic of this special moment.
When Jenn Qiao, co-founder of East Meets Dress, was planning her wedding, she envisioned herself wearing a traditional Chinese dress – also referred to as cheongsam or qipao – to honour her parents and culture. However, like many Asian American brides, the pursuit of the perfect cheongsam proved to be a challenge.
“I wanted something modern that suited my style, but the options were either to go to Chinatown, where the styles are very limited and very traditional, or try to look at a website where you’re not quite sure if the dress is going to turn out like the picture,” says the Chinese American entrepreneur.
In order to address this gap in the industry, she teamed up with her maid of honour, Vivian Chan, to launch East Meets Dress. Over one weekend, their website – a simple landing page – immediately garnered over fifty responses from brides who wanted to honour their culture on their special day. Since then it has flourished into an e-commerce business with customers across the world.
Not only is the duo helping Asian Americans celebrate their cultures, they are also redefining wedding fashion by making inclusive styles more accessible.
Marrying tradition with individual style
Co-Founder of East Meets Dress Vivian Chan is the creative designer behind the dresses. Without prior experience in dressmaking, she learned on the go and draws inspiration from their clientele.
By combining traditional aesthetics with modern elements, East Meets Dress carries a spectacular collection of over 50 different modern Chinese dress styles, including standard and custom pieces, catering to the unique tastes of individual brides.
“Our dresses are all inspired by the traditional…
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