These new and established AAPINH talents are rewriting the rules of fashion.

<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/asian-models-fashion-industry-heritage-month" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Asia</a> is the unsung hero of fashion. Historically, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/travel-living/in-india-with-simon-liberati-and-christian-louboutin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India</a> was at the forefront of natural-dyed fabrics, supplying their sought-after textiles to an international market. For centuries, fashion drew unapologetic inspiration from <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/art/japanese-photographer-spotlight-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Japan</a>, borrowing from traditional <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/hiroko-koshino-whitebox-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Japanese </a>motifs and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/rianna-nina-s-couture-kimonos-come-to-new-york" target="_blank" rel="noopener">kimono</a> styles. With their production practices dating back millennia, the world looked to <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/shanghai-china-fashion-week-photos-looks-designers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">China</a> for expertly woven silks. Although the nature of these influences has evolved over time, our reliance on <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/ashley-park-emily-in-paris-season-2-mindy-movies-tv" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Asian American</a> and Pacific Islander ingenuity remains.
Despite May being AAPINH Heritage Month, we&rsquo;re reflecting on Asian American and Pacific Islander fashion design, forever and always. From <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/issey-miyake-iconic-career-moments" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Issey Miyake</a>'s awe-inspiring creativity to the feminized streetwear of <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/kimora-lee-simmons-baby-phat-family-kids" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kimora Lee Simmons</a>, there are innumerable instances of AAPINH designers enriching the world of fashion. The following spotlights a new generation of AAPINH creatives and the legendary talents who paved their way.

Detroit native <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/adriana-lima-anna-sui-victorias-secret-90s-new-york-city" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anna Sui</a> is one of the many talents to emerge from New York&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/parsons-mfa-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Parsons School of Design</a>. The second-generation Chinese American moved to the city in the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/70s-fashion-designers-emilio-pucci-diane-von-furstenberg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&lsquo;70s</a>&mdash;a time when candy <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/politics-culture/debbie-harry-young-photos-blondie-punk-icon">punk</a> sounds by the Ramones and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/music/jay-z-foo-fighters-tina-turner-dionne-warwick-nominated-rock-n-roll-hall-of-fame" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rock</a> tracks by Blondie were shaping the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/marc-jacobs-heaven-cultural-zeitgeist-fashion-collections-trends" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cultural zeitgeist</a>. Sui began sampling <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/history-of-hippie-fashion-at-music-festivals-coachella-woodstock-burning-man" target="_blank" rel="noopener">music</a>, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/lanvin-dc-comics-collaboration-batman-catwoman-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">books</a>, movies, art, and other pop cultural elements within her designs, birthing the designer&rsquo;s effortlessly cool aesthetic that we know today. Marrying <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/music/nasty-cherry-band-netflix-ep-charli-xcx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rock-and-roll</a> with <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/beauty/interview-jared-leto-gucci-guilty-fragrance-alessandro-michele" target="_blank" rel="noopener">romance</a>, Sui has ventured beyond garments and created her own design universe, from <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/beauty/kylie-jenner-relaunches-cosmetics-brand-clean-beauty-vegan-formulas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cosmetics</a> to <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/art/colin-king-interior-designer-arranging-things-book" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interiors</a>.

Anna Sui 

Japanese designer <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/rei-kawakubo-commes-des-garcons-abstract-fashion-design-runway" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rei Kawakubo</a> pioneered avant-garde fashion with her Paris-based label <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/comme-des-garcons-spring-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Comme des Gar&ccedil;ons</a>. The French name translates to &ldquo;like the boys&rdquo;&mdash;a reflection of the designer&rsquo;s feminist values. Warping garments with unmatched precision, Kawakubo upends femininity with subversive sensibilities. Hailed by many as fashion&rsquo;s greatest artist, the designer has elevated fashion to high art with inventive <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/elle-fanning-sculptural-trend-balmain-instyle-awards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sculptural</a> garments. In fact, the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/in-america-a-lexicon-of-fashion-met-museum-fashion-exhibition" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Metropolitan Museum of Art</a> held an entire exhibition highlighting her work in 2017, entitled, Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Gar&ccedil;ons Art of the In-Between, which explored Kawakubo&rsquo;s embrace of duality. Both absent and present, equal parts then and now, Kawakubo wrote the playbook for anti-fashion, consistently proving that <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/beauty/viral-tiktok-beauty-products-best-shopping-makeup-hair-skincare" target="_blank" rel="noopener">beauty</a> does not equal <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/valentino-fall-winter-2022-pierpaolo-picciolo-runway-photos-pfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pretty</a>.

Rei Kawakubo

Speaking of anti-fashion, Japanese designer <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/yohji-yamamoto-spring-2019-mens" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yohji Yamamoto</a> was another pioneer of the movement. Since opening his first shop in the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/shopping/80s-jewelry-pieces-shopping" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&lsquo;80s</a>, Yamamoto has demonstrated radical creativity through masterful construction and signature use of low-chroma colors. At a time when beauty meant polished to perfection, the designer went for an undone, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/beauty/deconstructed-eyeliner-trend-tiktok-beauty" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deconstructed</a> approach, frequently sending makeup-less <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/models-fashion-brands-labels-collections-gigi-hadid-emrata-swimwear" target="_blank" rel="noopener">models</a> down the runway. Accredited as the father of <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/shopping/cargo-pants-for-women-to-shop" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Japanese street style</a>, Yamamoto&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/shopping/oversized-bags-purses-fashion-accessories-shopping" target="_blank" rel="noopener">oversized silhouettes</a> have played a heavy hand in shaping <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/why-are-tiktokers-hating-on-streetwear" target="_blank" rel="noopener">streetwear</a> as we know it today.

Yohji Yamamoto

You can&rsquo;t describe the early aughts fashion without mentioning <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/kimora-lee-simmons-baby-phat-family-kids" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kimora Lee Simmons</a>. Merging body-conscious designs with <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/aaliyah-best-style-moments-90s-y2k" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hip-hop</a> sensibilities, Simmons was among the first to celebrate women in streetwear. From velour tracksuits to bedazzled baby tees, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/baby-phat-is-back-just-like-that" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Baby Phat</a> garnered the admiration of music legends like <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/lil-kim-best-fashion-moments-birthday-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lil' Kim</a> and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/hennessy-paradis-celebrates-new-campaign-alicia-keys" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alicia Keys</a>. Eventually becoming one of the first Black and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/wellness/asian-origins-wellness-practices-yoga-gua-sha" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Asian</a> women to lead a billion-dollar company, Simmons made Y2K fashion a cultural phenomenon.

Kimora Lee Simmons

Informed by technology, the late <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/issey-miyake-iconic-career-moments" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Issey Miyake</a> pushed the boundaries of fashion with sculptural design in ways few ever have. For over 50 years since founding <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/issey-miyake-fall-winter-2021-collection-paris-fashion-week" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Miyake</a> Design Studio in 1970, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/issey-miyake-spring-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Miyake</a> managed to reinvent the wheel every time&mdash;a testament to the designer&rsquo;s measureless creativity. Accredited as the father of Japanese avant-garde design, Miyake&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/men/androgynous-glamour-style-mens-spring-2022-fashion-trend" target="_blank" rel="noopener">androgynous</a> work and origami-like pleating continues to inspire sartorial innovation.

Issey Miyake

After graduating from the iconic Parsons School of Design in 2013, New York native Sandy Liang began her own namesake label. Although she initially rose to prominence for her viral <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/shop-leopard-swimsuits-bikinis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leopard</a>-print-and-neon fleece jacket in 2019, the designer has since then proven her tremendous creative range. Best described as downtown cool girl meets grandmother, Liang&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/shopping/oversized-bags-purses-fashion-accessories-shopping" target="_blank" rel="noopener">oversized</a> coats, satin <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/shopping/mary-janes-to-shop-fall-2021-shoe-trend" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mary Janes</a>, and, most recently, expert use of bows have made the designer a mainstay throughout the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/travel-living/lady-gaga-apartment-home-before-fame-new-york-city" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lower East Side</a> and beyond.

Sandy Liang

Renowned fashion designer <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/joseph-altuzarra-nyfw-return-spring-summer-2022-see-now-buy-now" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joseph Altuzarra</a> launched his New York-based brand in 2008. Raised by a French father and Chinese-American mother, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/altuzarra-spring-summer-2022-nyfw-backstage-photos" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Altuzarra</a>&rsquo;s multi-cultural influences are evident in his intelligent designs. Nuanced and feminine, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/behind-the-scenes-altuzarra-fall-winter-2022-beauty-oribe-tata-harper" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Altuzarra</a> tells stories through a range of fabrics, from burlap to velvet.

Joseph Altuzarra

Vietnamese-born <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/peter-do-fall-winter-2022-nyfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Peter Do</a> started his own brand after his time working for <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/phoebe-philo-exits-celine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Phoebe Philo&rsquo;s </a><a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/phoebe-philo-exits-celine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">C&eacute;line</a>. With a mission to <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/beauty/deconstructed-eyeliner-trend-tiktok-beauty" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deconstruct</a> luxury fashion and build it up again, Do became famous for his clean cut tailoring and transparent ethos. Most recently, the designer was named creative director of contemporary label <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/helmut-lang-designer-career-90s-minimalism-fashion-month" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Helmut Lang</a>, with his first collection for the brand set to release in the next several months.

Peter Do

<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/dior-mumbai-india-pre-fall-2023-fashion-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indian</a>-British designer Supriya Lele is an upcoming frontrunner in the London fashion scene. The 2020 <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/lvmh-prize-2023-finalists-young-designers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LVMH Prize finalist</a> garnered significant attention when shared her cash prize with the other seven finalists following the competition&rsquo;s COVID-19 related cancellation. Since then, the designer has shown several contemporary collections that marry the delicacies of South Asian dress with the prim yet <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/vivienne-westwood-sex-pistols-punk-fashion-history" target="_blank" rel="noopener">punk</a> history of the UK. Most recently, Lele created a photo book with a description that best describes her design ethos: &ldquo;a celebration of people, place, and the next generation of Indian girls.&rdquo;

Supriya Lele

Phillip Lim pioneered the concept of luxury designs at contemporary price points with the 2005 creation of his label, 3.1 Phillip Lim. Since then, the brand has gone global with three CFDA wins and 14 retail stores in <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/celebrity-influencer-fashion-trends-london-fashion-week-fall-winter-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">London</a>, the US, and across <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/asian-marvel-superhero-shang-chi-and-the-legend-of-ten-rings-trailer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Asia</a>. Lim laid the groundwork and continues to set the standard for contemporary creation.

Phillip Lim

Born in Taiwan and raised in Vancouver, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/jason-wu-fall-2021-new-york-fashion-week" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jason Wu</a> approaches themes of American <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/michael-kors-ellesse-emily-ratajkowski-jay-critch-capsule-collection-retro-sportswear-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sportswear</a> with couture craftsmanship. Designing for the modern woman, it&rsquo;s no surprise that his brand has attracted the interest of some of the world&rsquo;s most influential women, including our former First Lady <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/michelle-obama-fashion-independent-american-designers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michelle Obama</a>.

Jason Wu

Laura Kim launched New York-based luxury label <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/monse-spring-summer-2022-behind-the-scenes-photos" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Monse</a> with her partner, Fernando Garcia, in 2015. Doubling as the co-creative director of <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/oscar-de-la-renta-wedding-dress-bridal-fashion-kennedy-clinton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oscar de la Renta</a>, Kim is no stranger to women&rsquo;s tailoring. Her ability to make complex construction techniques appear effortless is just one of the many reasons Monse has become a modern classic in women&rsquo;s wardrobes.

Laura Kim

<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/simone-rocha-interview-spring-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Simone Rocha</a>&rsquo;s designs are anything but boring. Known for puff-sleeved dresses, tulle flounces, and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/wellness/how-to-use-healing-crystals-amber-the-alchemist" target="_blank" rel="noopener">crystal</a> embroidery, Rocha&rsquo;s edgy <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/how-to-style-coquette-aesthetic-tiktok-fashion-trend" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coquette</a> collections have solidified her <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/cara-delevigne-2023-met-gala-arrival" target="_blank" rel="noopener">namesake</a> label as an industry favorite. <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/simone-rocha-spring-summer-2022-runway-show-lfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rocha</a> first debuted her subversively girlish designs at London Fashion Week in September 2010. In a little over a decade, Rocha&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/travel-living/london-residence-james-bond-design" target="_blank" rel="noopener">London</a>-based brand has received international acclaim, as evidenced by her highly coveted collaborations with high-street brand <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/h-and-m-twin-peaks-studio-collection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">H&amp;M</a> and luxury outerwear label Moncler. With the breadth of her work ranging from printed books to <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/travel-living/christian-siriano-furniture-collection-1st-dibs-interview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">furniture</a>, Rocha constructs a whimsically dark world of fairytales.

Simone Rocha

Japanese-American designer Hanako Maeda of Adeam is an East meets West take on wearable <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/harry-winston-majestic-escapes-collection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">luxury</a>. Elevating girlish &ldquo;Kawaii&rdquo; aesthetics with innovative design techniques, Maeda constructs a modern version of beauty.

Hanako Maeda

Remember the iconic yellow gown <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/rihanna-asap-rocky-relationship-timeline-dating-history" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rihanna</a> wore to the 2015 <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/what-happens-inside-met-gala-2021-seating-chart-performances" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Met Gala</a> &ldquo;China: Through the Looking Glass&rdquo;? That was <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/guo-pei-sothebys-interview-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Guo Pei</a>. The Chinese fashion designer samples details from <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/high-fashion-halloween-gothic-trend-shop" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gothic</a> fairytales, Chinese imperial court, and a whole host of fanciful influences. Her exquisite ornate gowns caught the attention of the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/evolution-of-haute-couture-runway-designer-paris" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture</a>, making <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/guo-pei-couture-spring-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pei</a> the first born-and-raised Asian designer to guest for the prestigious commission.

Guo Pei

Best known for her wedding dresses, Chinese-American designer <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/vera-wang-career-wedding-dresses-celebrity-red-carpet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vera Wang</a> is a household name. She began her eponymous label in 1990 and shortly thereafter struck a chord with fashion&rsquo;s elite. Before Wang, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/best-on-screen-movie-wedding-dresses-bridal-jlo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wedding dresses</a> tended to look the same. The designer revolutionized <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/bridal-trends-fall-2023-wedding-dress" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bridal wear</a> with her modern interpretation on classical silhouettes and has since then expanded to a successful line of ready-to-wear.

Vera Wang

Designer <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/vivienne-tam-fall-winter-2023-collection-runway-fashion-show-nyfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vivienne Tam</a> has merged her Chinese background with <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/cowboy-boots-trend-summer-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Western</a> style throughout her illustrious four-decade career. With a demonstrated eye for fusion, Tam has pioneered the intersection of fashion and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/art/legacy-russell-the-kitchen-technology-contemporary-art-spaces-history" target="_blank" rel="noopener">technology</a>, producing successful collaborations with megabrands like Google and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/politics-culture/starbucks-will-temporarily-close-all-u-s-stores-on-may-29" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Starbucks</a>. Globally recognized for her &ldquo;China Chic&rdquo; designs, pieces from her collections permanently reside in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Vivienne Tam

In October, the fashion world grieved for the late Japanese design talent, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/kenzo-takada-fashion-designer-legacy-japanese-influence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kenzō Takada</a>. Throughout his career, Takada made bright prints, floral patterns, and jungle motifs a favorite within the Paris fashion scene and beyond. Takada&rsquo;s joyful approach to design continues to <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/kenzo-takada-kenzo-fall-winter-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">live on</a> through his global design brand, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/kenzo-takada-designer-maison-kenzo-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kenzo</a>.

Kenzō Takada

Tomoaki Nagao aka &ldquo;<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/nigo-kenzo-creative-director-first-collection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nig&ouml;</a>&rdquo; is a DJ, music producer, and creator of streetwear sensation, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/exclusive-rapper-cordae-bape-coach-collaboration-campaign" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bape</a>. Founded in 1993, the brand quickly became a favorite among <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/sarah-michelle-gellar-movies-tv-young" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&lsquo;90s</a> hip-hop legends like <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/music/new-netflix-documentary-biggie-rapper-the-notorious-big-life-death-career" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Notorious B.I.G.</a>, while his creation of the &ldquo;Bapesta&rdquo; sneaker in the early aughts solidified his brand as synonymous with <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/hypebubbies-senior-hypebeast-streetwear" target="_blank" rel="noopener">street culture</a>. Today, Nig&ouml; serves as the artistic director for Kenzo.

Nigö

California native designers Carol Lim and Humberto Leon founded <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/opening-ceremony-disney-collection-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Opening Ceremony</a> in 2002. Both a design label and multi-brand retailer, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/save-the-date/opening-ceremony-pig-out-lunar-new-year-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Opening Ceremony</a> focused on <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/emerging-french-fashion-designers-follow-instagram" target="_blank" rel="noopener">emerging fashion designers</a> in tandem with global issues. Although the brand closed all of its physical stores during COVID-19, Lim&rsquo;s and Leon&rsquo;s work has retained an online cult following and is remembered for elevating streetwear.

Carol Lim and Humberto Leon

Fashion designer Han Chong was born in Malaysia but studied design at the prestigious <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/central-saint-martins-graduate-patrick-mcdowell-interview-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Central Saint Martins</a> in London. Smitten with the city life, Chong adopted London as his home, marking the birthplace of his womenswear brand, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/self-portrait-fall-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Self-Portrait</a>. As the name would suggest, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/phoebe-dynevor-models-self-portrait-fall-winter-2021-collection-bridgerton-netflix" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Self-Portrait</a> with its powerfully feminine creations is a reflection of the modern woman.

Han Chong

Born in <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/art/4-highlights-of-singapore-art-week" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Singapore</a> and raised in Nepal, fashion designer <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/prabal-gurung-fall-winter-2021-80s-nyfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Prabal Gurung</a> imbues his eponymous <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/new-york-fashion-week-celebrity-parties-events-fall-winter-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York</a> brand with international sensibilities. Having witnessed significant inequity in his early years, Gurung redefines glamour with bold femme designs whilst addressing global issues, from <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/men/daniel-robert-silva-spring-issue-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poverty</a> to <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/beauty/ysl-beauty-sustainability-initiative-rewild-our-earth-earth-day" target="_blank" rel="noopener">climate change</a>. In a 2022 <a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/story/aapi-victory-fund-prabal-gurung-phillip-lim-ourvote-house-of-slay" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a>, the designer remarked, &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve never seen <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/men/joe-biden-ralph-lauren-inauguration-day-style" target="_blank" rel="noopener">politics</a> and culture and fashion as separate, I never thought they should be mutually exclusive.&rdquo;

Prabal Gurung

Japanese designer <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/men/hiroshi-fujiwara-interview-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hiroshi Fujiwara</a>, better known as the &lsquo;Godfather of Harajuku,&rsquo;&nbsp; is involved in several successful ventures, including fashion label Fragment Design and minimalist home goods brand RetaW. A mainstay in sneaker culture, Fujiwara&rsquo;s list of collaborations ranges from luxury brands like <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/louis-vuitton-pre-fall-2023-seoul-runway-looks-collection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Louis Vuitton</a> and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/sergio-tacchini-rolex-monte-carlo-masters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rolex</a> to the iconic Japanese media franchise, Pok&eacute;mon.&nbsp;

Hiroshi Fujiwara

Filipino-American designer Rhuigi Villase&ntilde;or saw success as a designer before ever having a fashion label. In 2012, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/louis-vuitton-mens-spring-summer-2023-kendrick-lamar-virgil-abloh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kendrick Lamar</a> wore Villase&ntilde;or&rsquo;s now famous bandana tee to the BET Awards, making the demand for Villase&ntilde;or&rsquo;s designs abundantly clear. Two years later, Villase&ntilde;or launched <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/puma-and-rhude-announce-a-genderless-capsule-collection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rhude</a> and has continued to reinvent Americana fashion with his signature streetwear flair. Appointed creative director for <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/art/la-prairie-carla-chan-frieze-new-york-exhibition-immersive-artwork-nft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Swiss</a> luxury brand Bally more than a year ago (in which he recently announced his resignation in pursuit of new ventures), this is only the beginning for the thirty-year-old designer.

Rhuigi Villaseñor

As the prot&eacute;g&eacute; of <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion-week/comme-des-garcons-spring-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Comme des Gar&ccedil;ons</a> designer Rei Kawakubo, Junya Wantanabe was destined for greatness. His breakout project was &ldquo;Function and Practicality&rdquo;, a womenswear Spring/Summer 2000 collection filled with reversible, out-of-the-box pieces that upended familiar fabrics. Since then, the designer has branched out into menswear and consistently pushed the envelope on avant-garde design.

Junya Wantanabe

Japanese designer Tomo Koizumi proves that talent trumps technical training. Without any formal design education, Koizumi&rsquo;s hobby of creating custom garments for his friends caught the attention of an important editor. In a whirlwind chain of events, Koizumi was invited to show at <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/marc-jacobs-heaven-cultural-zeitgeist-fashion-collections-trends" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marc Jacobs</a>&rsquo; Madison Avenue store at New York Fashion Week for the Fall/Winter 2019 season. Since then, Koizumi&rsquo;s grown-up <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/men/louis-vuitton-mens-spring-summer-2022-virgil-abloh-nike" target="_blank" rel="noopener">club kid</a> design style has kept him on the international fashion radar.

Tomo Koizumi

Chinese-born womenswear designer <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/kim-shui-fall-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kim Shui</a> founded her cult-favorite label in 2016. Empowering those who are often pushed to the sidelines, Shui&rsquo;s namesake label celebrates women along with her own <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/simone-rocha-spring-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chinese heritage</a>. Outspoken by design, Shui&rsquo;s social media famous pieces are meant to be seen.

Kim Shui

New York-based designers Jin Kay, Dylan Cao, and Huy Luong merge their mutual Asian heritage with <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/brat-pack-photos-young-80s-films-hollywood" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&lsquo;80s</a> and &lsquo;90s Americana aesthetics. As first-generation immigrants from the Parsons School of Design, the trio established the label Commission in 2018. <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/y2k-summer-nostaglia-coming-of-age-movies-must-watch" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nostalgic</a> and sophisticated, Commission is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/davos/where-east-still-meets-west" target="_blank" rel="noopener">East Asian</a>&nbsp;at its core whilst remaining widely universal.

Jin Kay, Dylan Cao, and Huy Luong

Vietnamese designer Chris Leba moved to New York City when the &lsquo;80s <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/avril-lavigne-style-evolution-pop-punk-2000s-resurgence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">punk</a> scene was in full force. Leba&rsquo;s admiration for the rebellious subculture informed his creation of <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/r13-spring-2019-nyfw-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">R13</a> in 2009. Known for his riffs on classics like denim, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/shopping/leather-jackets-shopping" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leather</a>, flannels, and platform <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/white-sneakers-for-women-fashion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sneakers</a>, Leba&rsquo;s designs are effortlessly irreverent.

Chris Leba

Gaurav Gupta&rsquo;s eponymous label is proudly Indian. Championing exquisite <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/shwetambari-mody-designer-interview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indian construction and embellishing techniques</a>, the couturier has garnered a star-studded clientele, with A-listers such as <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/lizzo-best-looks-outfits" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lizzo</a>, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/cardi-b-style-rapper-paris-fashion-week-designer-looks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cardi B</a>, and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/nick-jonas-priyanka-chopra-celebrate-diwali-instagram" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Priyanka Chopra</a> gracing the red carpets with his sculptural designs. Each of Gupta&rsquo;s collections is <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/travel-living/monteverdi-tuscany-2019-italy-travel-architecture" target="_blank" rel="noopener">architectural</a> and conversational, what many are calling the future of couture.

30 AAPINH Designers Who Shaped Fashion History

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