Sue Wong Garners Award from Asia Society

Sue Wong, second from right, with actress Inna Korabkinna, wearing a Sue Wong dress, and other dinner guests

Los Angeles designer Sue Wong has received rave reviews for her elaborate silk evening gowns and cocktail dresses that are heavily embroidered with sequins, lace and other embellishments.

But recently she was one of six people, and the only woman, to be honored as an "Asian Visionary" on June 22 by the Asia Society Southern California. "I was in very good company," said the designer, who was born in southern China and moved to the United States when she was a 6-year-old. "It is a huge honor."

The awards presentation took place at the stately Millennium Biltmore Hotel, a 1923 structure in downtown Los Angeles that was the perfect complement to Wong's dresses that often resemble creations from that era.

Other honorees were Daniel Kim, chief executive of Nexon America; Johnson Lau, executive chairman, Kinex Pharmaceuticals, XenoBiotic Laboratories and XBL-China; Eric Nakamura, publisher of Giant Robot magazine; Tom Tanaka, deputy president, Mitsubishi UFU Securities Holdings Co.; and Raju Vegesna, chairman and chief executive of Sify Technologies Ltd. Asia Society President and Chief Executive Vishakha Desai delivered the keynote speech about "Asia rising: Are we ready for new realities?"

Wong was accompanied by a bevy of models who wore some of her beautiful dresses sold at high-end department stores around the world.