(CNN) -- Vivienne Tam has become well known for creating clothes that appeal to all ages, ethnicities, and income levels. She has earned the reputation for offering a stylish and high-quality product while at the same time inviting the consumer to experience the inspiration behind it. As a designer of clothing that "suggests tolerance, global acumen, and a Fourth of July faith in individual expression," Tam, in the words of fashion critic and curator Richard Martin, possesses an "idealistic globalism that transcends politics and offers a more enchanted, peaceful world." Born in Canton, China, Vivienne Tam moved to Hong Kong when she was three years old. Her bi-cultural upbringing in the then British colony was the first stage in the development of her signature East-meets-West style.
@highlight
Vivienne Tam was born in Canton, China, moved to Hong Kong when she was three
@highlight
Her Mao and Buddha collections were launched in 1995 and 1997
@highlight
Items of her work are featured in museums in New York, Pittsburgh and London
@placeholder became a home for her and a continuing source of stimulation for her designs.