Ha Truong on the "Crazy Rich Asians" Inspired Dress She Made for Her Daughter
Crazy Rich Asians officially hit theaters this week, and many Asian-Americans are feeling seen for the first time. That’s because it’s the first major studio film centered on an Asian-American character’s story in 25 years. Miami-based blogger Ha Truong and her 5-year-old daughter Olivia are among those who couldn’t wait to see the landmark movie — so much so that Ha flexed her DIY skills to make a replica of the blue Marchesa dress that Constance Wu wears in the film for her daughter. And the end result is pretty much cuteness overload.
“I’d like to say it all started from something more profound, but I really didn’t think about the grand picture just yet,” Ha tells Teen Vogue. “I saw the dress in the trailer, and it gave me a dose of inspiration. I’ve always loved making costumes for her, and I knew she would love this one.”
As Ha was looking for more photos and details of the dress, she read articles about the movie and stumbled upon a quote from Constance: “Immigrant stories are the stories of dreams, of love, of sacrifice, of courage, of honor."
Ha, whose family is from Vietnam, says that those words opened up an important conversation with her daughter.
“She asked me what an immigrant was, and we talked about our family,” Ha says. “I was born in America because my families were refugees of war. Nothing was handed to them aside from an opportunity. This is part of my children’s story — I don't want them to lose that part of them.”
Ha says that she and Olivia have been reading books about strong women lately, including Maya Angelou, Coco Chanel, Audrey Hepburn, and Mother Teresa. So it was only fitting that they found another role model in Constance.
“This time especially, she got to see a reflection of her heritage,” Ha explains. “She gets to see someone who worked hard and persevered to get to where she is. She gets to see someone who’s making her mark on the world. Constance is opening windows and doors for little girls, like Olivia, to dream bigger.”
Ha and her family saw Crazy Rich Asians on opening night, and when Olivia saw her dress on the big screen, she had “a sense of pride.”
“Seeing Constance in ‘her’ dress always gives her the ‘that’s me!’ excitement,” Ha says. “Being an Asian-American, often times, you don’t see that Asian part of yourself in America, and neither do your peers. Crazy Rich Asians is proof that representation matters. It’s refreshing to see someone on the big screen my daughter and my son can relate to. So many stories haven’t been told — and hopefully this means more are to come.”
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