Wearing the Cheongsam: Chinese Canadian Identity Through Fashion
Date:
June 3, 2026, 6 P.M.
Location:
Chinese Canadian Museum [51 E Pender St Vancouver, BC V6A 1S9]
Schedule:
5:30 P.M. – Doors
6 to 6:30 P.M. – Presentation by Cheryl Sim
6:30 to 7:30 P.M. – Discussion with Cheryl Sim and Mia Wu
7:30 to 7:45 P.M. – Audience Q&A
Cost:
$5/annual pass holder
$15/general admission visitor
*GST not included
The cheongsam (Cantonese for “long dress”), or qipao (Mandarin for “banner robe”) is an internationally recognized symbol of Chinese cultural identity and femininity. Originating as a combination of Han and Manchu clothing styles and later influenced by Western fashion, the garment carries layered meanings across generations and diasporas. For Canadian-born women of Chinese descent, wearing the cheongsam can evoke tensions between desire, fear, wonder, and contestation.
Drawing from her book Wearing the Cheongsam: Dress and Culture in a Chinese Diaspora, curator and author-scholar Cheryl Sim examines the cheongsam’s history and revival overseas, as well as its contested meaning for Chinese Canadian women as a symbol of heritage, traditional values, and cultural belonging. Following the presentation, join Cheryl Sim and Mia Wu, owner and senior tailor at Modernize Tailors, for a discussion on contemporary cheongsam trends, garment production, and cultural appropriation.
Attendees are encouraged to wear a cheongsam to the program.
This event will be conducted primarily in English.
This program is part of the public programming for Dream Factory: Cantopop Mandopop 1980s-2000.
Guest Speakers
Cheryl Sim
Director and Chief Curator, PHI
Cheryl Sim, PhD is the Director and Chief Curator at PHI in Montreal, as well as an artist and scholar. Born in Hamilton, Ontario of Chinese and Filipino heritage, her work explores the multiplicities of the diasporic experience with a focus on the power of clothing and style. As a curator she has organized and curated major exhibitions notably STAN DOUGLAS: Revealing Narratives, Yoko Ono: GROWING FREEDOM and the group show RELATIONS: Diaspora & Painting. She has edited and contributed essays to numerous art publications and her book Wearing the Cheongsam: Dress and Culture in a Chinese Diaspora, which is based on her PhD research that was published by Bloomsbury Academic in 2019.
Photo credit: Guilaume Simoneau
Mia Wu
Owner and Senior Tailor, Modernize Tailors
Born and raised in Taiwan, Mia Wu first learned how to sew from her mother on a Singer foot-pedal sewing machine. She moved to Vancouver in 2013 and completed the fashion design program at Blanche Macdonald Centre. In need of buttonholes, Wu met Bill Wong, and the apprenticeship started from there. Under Bill’s wing, as well as Park Wong’s, she quickly honed her skills. Sadly, Bill passed away in 2017 and with encouragement from Park Wong and Beverli Barnes, she took over the Modernize Tailors legacy, which continues to operate to this day.
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“Clan of the Painted Lady” Film Screening & Director Q&A
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Wearing the Cheongsam: Chinese Canadian Identity Through Fashion
Join Cheryl Sim and Mia Wu, owner and senior tailor at Modernize Tailors, for a presentation discussion on contemporary cheongsam trends, garment production, and cultural appropriation.
