Tag: Chloe Dao

Going Against the Grain: Chloe Dao

ATG is proud to highlight Chloe Dao, a talented designer and winner of  Project Runway Season 2,  who  won the hearts of America with her mild honest demeanor and judges’ votes with her consistent display of technical skills, business savvy and creative talent.   Not only is she a successful entrepreneur, she has a wonderful dedication to her family.

Chloe’s modest immigrant upbringing has kept her grounded, despite her new found celebrity status. She emigrated from Pakse, Laos in 1979 with her parents, Thu Thien Dao and Hue Thuc Luong, and her 7 sisters to the U.S. and settled in Houston, Texas. All the sisters were encouraged to study hard and pursue careers in medicine or law, although Chloe was never interested in either. Her passion for design and fashion were sparked at the age of 10 when she saw her first episode of CNN’s Style with Elsa Klensch. The passion grew into a career choice, and years later, she graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology with a patternmaking degree.
 
Even with the win of PR2, Chloe continues to develop and grow her boutique’s business in Houston. In March 2008, she launched her Dao Chloe Dao wholesale line with showrooms in New York and Dallas. Her collection is available nationwide and through www.lot8online.com. 
 
Don’t miss your chance to meet Chloe and catch her collection at this year’s Fashion for a Passion charity event on September 25th! 
 
Full Name
Chloe Dao
 
Hometown
Pakse, Laos
 
Current City
Houston, TX
 
Ethnicity
Vietnamese
 
What does it mean to you to  “Go Against The Grain?”
Follow your dreams…by your own rules, but also be respectful of family and history.

 

What made you decide to pursue a career in the fashion?
My love for fashion is innately in me. I always felt it pursuaded me. There is nothing else I want to do.

 

What have been some of the challenges you faced/lessons you learned as an Asian American in a very competitive industry?  
I think the challenges I faced have never been about race. Maybe I am being naïve, but I think in fashion, it is all about balancing creativity with commerce. One cannot survive without the other.

 

What do you feel is your biggest accomplishment, and why?
My boutique. It is what I always wanted, ever since I was 19. I made it happen when I was 28. Lot 8 boutique just celebrated 10 years in business.

Asian American Designers Showcase Collections at Fashion for a Passion

Proceeds from charity fashion show to benefit international orphanages


DALLAS, TX – Dallas nonprofit ATG Against The Grain Productions presents the 2nd Annual Fashion For A Passion from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, September 25 at LandCo/7 Senses located at 1202 N. Riverfront (formerly Industrial) in Dallas, Texas. The event will showcase collections from emerging Asian American designers Khanh Nguyen for Nhã Khanh, Nikki Duong Koenig for Cykochik, Lyly Thanh Koenig for Lyly Thanh, Prashi Shah for Prashe and Judy Yang. This year’s event will also feature the collection of Chloe Dao, Season 2 winner of Project Runway, with the designer in attendance. In addition to the fashion showcase, there will be musical acts, as well as an exhibition of work by local Asian American artists.  The event also features a live auction of pieces from each fashion designer’s collection, with the proceeds to benefit orphanages in Vietnam and ATG’s community outreach initiatives.

FFAP Presenting Designer Chloe Dao

In 2009, ATG showcased the designs of budding designers Kim Phuong Pham, Lizzi London, Aiden Vo and Khanh Nguyen, all of who have now gone on to start successful careers in the industry.  ATG also raised more than $5,000 to aid needy orphanages in Vietnam.

Returning designer Khanh Nguyen, a graduate from UNT, said, “Participating in Fashion for a Passion in 2009 was definitely a turning point in my career.  The event was also where and when I learned the meaning of receiving and giving back.” After Fashion for a Passion, she became a Woman That Soar Honoree, recipient of the Brilliant You Award and her work was featured in La Mode and D Magazine. Added Nguyen, “Against The Grain Productions not only allowed me to connect with my native country, but it also helped me to realize the importance of charity work. I loved the experience, the effort and the energy that everyone put in to make the show happen. I am very honored and thrilled to be back to showcase my new collection this year!”

FFAP Presenting Designer Khanh Nguyen

ATG President/Founder Tammy Nguyen Lee, a graduate of SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts, said, “I’m so proud to hear and see lives changed like this as a result of our organization’s efforts.  We founded Against The Grain with the mission to provide that essential support to Asian American artists and promote and share our community’s young talents, and we hope that our hard work continues to result in success stories like Khanh Nguyen’s. Compounded with the nationwide praise for our first documentary Operation Babylift: The Lost Children of Vietnam, it has been a tremendous year.”

FFAP event tickets range from $40-$50, and sales for the event start in mid August online at www.AgainstTheGrainProductions.com. VIP/Sponsorships are still available. ATG Against The Grain Productions, a Dallas-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, promotes Asian-American cultural awareness through compelling media projects and raises funds for international orphanages. Operation Babylift: The Lost Children of Vietnam has received the Audience Choice Award for Best Feature Film at the Vietnamese International Film Festival and the Documentary Audience Choice Award from the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival. For more information, visit www.AgainstTheGrainProductions.com or www.TheBabylift.com.