Ali Wong stole the spotlight at this year’s Time100 Gala as she embraced her Vietnamese heritage in a custom Áo Dài, a traditional Vietnamese garment typically worn on special occasions such as weddings, festivals, and other formal events.
Alexandra Dawn Wong, popularly known as Ali Wong, who is of half-Chinese and half-Vietnamese descent, worked with stylists Tara Swennen and Thái Nguyễn Atelier to help her celebrate her roots.
She was born on April 19, 1982, in the Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco, California, and grew up as the youngest of four siblings in a multicultural family.
Ali Wong embracing her Vietnamese heritage in a custom Áo Dài from Thái Nguyễn Atelier at the Time100 Gala held at the Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City on April 26, 2023 (Credit: Jennifer Graylock / INSTARimages)
Her mother, Tam “Tammy” Wong, originally from Huế, Vietnam, moved to the United States in 1960 to work as a social worker.
Meanwhile, her father, Adolphus Wong (1937–2011), was a Chinese-American anesthesiologist who worked for Kaiser Permanente for over three decades.
Ali’s unique family background has inspired her comedic material and helped her become one of the most popular comedians today.
With a net worth of $4 million, Ali Wong has made a name for herself in the entertainment industry.
Despite her small stature, standing at 4ft 11 ½ (151.1 cm), Ali has become a big name in comedy, starring in popular productions such as “Baby Cobra,” “American Housewife,” “Black Box,” and “Always Be My Maybe.” Despite reports of her height, Ali once famously quipped, “I’m 5 feet tall.”
The modernized Vietnamese national garment that Ali Wong wore featured intricate beading and feather detailing (Credit: Jennifer Graylock / INSTARimages)
The modernized version she wore at the star-studded event was created by Vietnamese designer Thái Nguyễn, who dubbed Ali Wong the “Vietnamese Swan Lake Queen” on Instagram.
Nguyễn also thanked the star “for this iconic moment representing the Vietnamese culture and the beauty of the #áodài ♥️”
Wong showcased the meaningful garment as she posed for photographs on the red carpet. It featured stunning feather detailing and intricate beading. Wong also wore a beautiful complementary headpiece and pearl earrings from Lele Sadoughi.
You’ll never catch Ali Wong without her signature glasses, which she also wore during the event. She had flawless makeup done by Daniel Martin and her hair was styled by Tommy Buckett.
Makeup artist Daniel Martin also shared a video on Instagram of Ali Wong posing to the tune of Vogue by Madonna while in her beautiful Thái Nguyễn Atelier ensemble.
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It was a meaningful moment for Ali Wong, who was named as one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People of 2023.
In a special edition of Time magazine, multi-hyphenate star Randall Park recounted the moment he met the Beef actress: “I met Ali Wong at a party shortly after I graduated from UCLA. She was still a student there and had just joined the on-campus Asian American theater company that I had co-founded back when I was an undergraduate. We’ve been friends ever since.”
Park also mentioned admiring Wong’s “strong sense of self,” adding that the way “she advocates for herself” is “incredibly inspiring.”
Ali Wong also wore a complementary headpiece with exquisite detailing and a stunning beauty look courtesy of her glam team: Daniel Martin and Tommy Buckett (Credit: Jennifer Graylock / INSTARimages)
“She’s all about her family, her friends, and her art,” Park continued. “She doesn’t get distracted by fame or money. And when she commits to something, she gives it everything, every time.”
Randall Park ended on a heartwarming note, writing about what Ali Wong values most of all in her work and personal life: honesty. “She’s unafraid of digging deep, asking the hard questions to others and herself. I think that’s why she’s one of our greatest comedians and more importantly, to me at least, a great friend.”
He added, “And of course, she always makes me laugh.”
Catch Ali Wong with Steven Yeun on the new dark comedy-drama series Beef, streaming on Netflix.