Helen Tsim ’10

What do Valentino, Vera Wang, and Disney princesses have in common? They all serve as muses for Hoi L. “Helen” Tsim ’10, a student designer who started her fashion career by envisioning dresses for Barbie dolls. “When I was young, Disney princesses were my idols.”

And on Friday afternoon, Tsim adds another individual to her list of style inspirations: Mira Nair ’79.

Although Tsim initally has no idea who the film director and Harvard alum is, she is enthused after a quick Google search reveals that Nair is the Bollywood director of the films Monsoon Wedding and Vanity Fair. The signature elegance and bright color palette of Nair’s movies informs Tsim’s 24-hour design.

Inspired, Tsim’s next task is to find a fabric store that will allow her to remain on budget. “It’s all about the fabric,” she explains.

Tsim arrives at her Chinatown destination just as the store is about to close. Using some charm and pleading, Tsim convinces the owner to give her “just five minutes” to pick out essential materials.

“The bright colors of the wardrobe in Bollywood movies were the reason behind the colors of the design,” Tsim explains. Today, red and gold are her shades of choice.

But having conquered one challenge, Tsim is confronted with another: though she has long harbored a love for haute couture and larger-than-life fashion, Tsim admits she hasn’t sewn since she was ten. “It’s a fun hobby, I doodle dresses. I never sew,” she says.

Tsim installs herself in a friend’s room in Mather and goes to work. Twelve hours, three cups of coffee, and dozens of midnight snacks later, the dress is complete and ready to be unveiled. Tsim presents a two-toned dress, completed by a shimmering, golden crepe sash draped in a style reminiscent of the intricate saris of Bollywood actresses.

In the end, Tsim expresses nothing but relief: “I’m surprised everything came together. I learned how to sew overnight!”