The Asian American and Pacific Islander diaspora is vast and diverse, so why would AAPI fashion be any different?
While there the model minority myth suggests that Asian Americans are a monolith, this can not be further from the truth, and AAPI fashion is the perfect visual proof. There is no singular AAPI experience. Though celebrations like AAPI Heritage Month usually center around East Asian Americans, the AAPI diaspore expands far and wide.
From Indian and Taiwanese Americans to Samoan, Cambodian, Laotian, Native Hawaiian, Burmese, and Hmong Americans, AAPI collectives form a rich tapestry in the United States — sometimes more literally than others.
To celebrate AAPI Heritage Month, Teen Vogue has rounded up 21 AAPI fashion designers from every inch of the diaspora, in no particular order, to put their talents and designs on your radar.
1. Irene Geel of Geel
Geel is here to make you rethink your basics. Founded by Korean-American designer Irene Geel as a pandemic project, Geel's clothing is designed to be soft and high-quality and worn year-round. Geel went to Parsons School of Design, where she studied fashion design and accessories. The brand is designed in Los Angeles, CA, with slow intentions. As a part of the brand's sustainability philosophy, Geel releases in small batches to eliminate overproduction and collaborates with ethical manufacturers to minimize waste.
2. Rocket Ahuna of Rocket Ahuna
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Growing up doing hula, a sacred native Hawaiian dance and musical practice of storytelling, Rocket Ahuna is translating ʻāina, love of the land, into all of his designs. The young queer Kanaka Maoli fashion designer is working to bring Hawaii's enduring culture to the mainland by rethinking what contemporary Hawaiian fashion is with the most profound respect. Ahuna debuted his first show in March at Kaimana Beach, Waikiki, entitled KAIMANA, power of the Sea.
3. Sheena Sood of abacaxi
South Asian-American designer Sheena Sood leads her brand abacaxi with color. As a child, Sheena Sood would travel to India to visit family which saturated her with a deeper understanding of her roots. Her colorful garments celebrate her heritage with traditional hand-crafted textiles and techniques such as handloom weaving, mirrorwork beading, schiffli embroidery, and plant dyeing.
4. Allina Liu of Allina Liu
Designer Allina Liu is voracious when it comes to inspiration. A24 horror films (Midsommar is a personal favorite), Japanese Mizuhiki, and 17th-century Dutch portraiture are just a few of her sources. Despite the seeming coquette layer of bows, frills, and organza, her designs are always more haunted than they seem. Her latest collection, The Final Girl, is a testament to this dichotomy. Before starting her brand in 2015, Liu designed for The Row, Thakoon, Rebecca Taylor, and J.Crew. Since then, she has made her NYFW debut, and her clothing has been worn by the likes of Cardi B, Justine Skye, and Jihye Park.
5. Connie Ren and Hui Qing Wei of Soft Lana
While Connie Ren sources (often deadstock fabrics) and markets for Soft Lana, the real star of the show is Hui Qing Wei, who designs and hand-sews all the pieces. This mother-daughter duo is a true family business with even Ren's dad cutting fabric. In an era of polyester underwear, their pink rosebud and delicate floral print cotton underwear are refreshing. The brand banks on the feminine without compromising on comfort or quality with an array of the most adorable loungewear, swimsuits, and undergarments.
6. Kiniokahokuloa Zamora of Kini Zamora
Kiniokahokuloa Zamora is more than a designer but a community member, a philanthropist. The Project Runway season 13 and Project Runway All Stars season 5 contestant not only makes beautiful kukuis and ulus but has donated the entire proceeds of his lokelani collection to survivors of the Maui wildfire, whom he calls his ohana, his family, on his website. Zamora also teaches introductory sewing classes to help others connect to the cultural significance and history of clothing making in Hawaii. While committed to making traditional wear, he also creates intricate beautiful couture deeply inspired by the island.
7. Olivia Cheng of Dauphinette
"One-of-a-kind" is the best adjective that comes to mind when thinking of Olivia Cheng's brand Dauphinette. Using material a crow would love to hoard, she uses repurposed textiles, vintage matches, byproduct furs, preserved botanicals, and antique silverware in her work. The Forbes Art and Style 30 Under 30 designer is known for her infamous bag-uette bag (which, unlike other brand's, is a literal loaf of bread) bespectacled with crystals, dried flowers, shark teeth, and more. Her work can also be found at the Met Museum's Costume Institute exhibition, Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.
8. Kim Shui of Kim Shui
Kim Shui is not only a designer but a Forbes 30 Under 30, Time Magazine Next Generation Leader, CFDA Fashion Fund Finalist, and a Tory Burch Foundation 2022 Fellow. Dang. The first-generation Chinese American has turned her cultural heritage, which once was a point of shame, into a fountain of inspiration through her work. Her sensual and fun designs have "It" Girls flocking to her in droves, such as Kylie Jenner, Bella Hadid, Dua Lipa, Hailey Bieber, Solange Knowles, Megan Thee Stallion, and more.
9. Dae Lim of Sundae School
Dae Lim's Sundae School is the epitome of irreverence, in the best sense of the word. The first-generation Korean American immigrant often references his childhood and cultural roots with a sense of humor. The label's signature zip-up fleeces, worn by Pete Davidson and Irene Kim, are printed with Korean temple art (Dancheong), cityscape of the Namsam tower, and more. You can even match your fleece with your furry friend.
10. Yitao Li of Taottao
Yitao Li is bringing punk back with her line Taottao. However, despite constructing edgy garments with distressed acid-washed denim and flannel patchwork, there is a subtle sweetness to her clothes. Prior to launching Taottao, Li worked at Thom Brown, Kim Shui, Tibi, and MONSE to sharpen her textile development and design innovation expertise. All in all, she has made Taottao the perfect brand for any Y2K punk princess.
11. Sig Zane of Sig Zane Designs
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Since 1985, Sig Zane has been sharing everything he knows about Hawaiian culture through his eponymous brand. The ocean raised him, and made him the surfer, fisherman, hula dancer, and artist he is. His dedicated relationship with nature is the foundation of what he is trying to communicate about the clothing he makes. One look at his vibrant prints, and you can feel his love for the island that nurtured him.
12. Zhexin July Li of July Li
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Zhexin July Li's designs are pushing the limitations of knitwear with textural galore, architectural draping, and shocking fluidity. Specializing in textile manipulation, she dropped out of Parsons during the pandemic to create her own brand. Handmade in New York City, she and her team are dedicated to discovering the infinite possibilities by creating new techniques and exploring how knit interacts with the body. The brand is often colorful and sometimes provocative.
13. Maanasa Muralidharan of Maketh Thou
South Asian designer Maanasa Muralidharan's family owned a leather factory in Chennai, India, that would influence her journey into designing leatherwear. Everything from Maketh Thou is made in-house with leather sourced from the local industry byproduct. Thick belted moto jackets, a girly poofy leather dress, and mind-boggling denim effect leather pants reflect Muralidhara's philosophy of contemporary timelessness.
14. Sandy Liang of Sandy Liang
Sandy Liang has been helping people rediscover their inner child since her brand's conception in 2014. Best known for her unrestrained girliness, oversized Chelsea collars, and affection for bows, she debuted her first collection in 2015 at her parent's restaurant, Congee Village. Her Chinese American heritage, nostalgia for girlhood, grandmother's style, Chinatown, and Hello Kitty are major influences in her work. She recently collaborated on a collection with Heaven by Marc Jacobs and the New York City Ballet.
15. Taehee Park of Tae Park
Taeehee Park was born in Busan, South Korea, and raised in China, Indonesia, and Vietnam. She started Tae Park in New York City. Since then, her elegant clothing has been worn by the likes of Camila Mendes, Alexandra Cooper, Yada Villaret, and Anna Sophia Robb. Her signature apron styles, as seen on her dumpling wrap top that has dumpling-like cups on a corset, draw inspiration from her heritage with a fun twist. Inspired by the odd combination of vintage and athleisure, she is building the wardrobe of your dreams.
16. Shwetambari Mody of SHWETAMBARI
Mumbai-raised and NYC-based designer Shwetambari Mody is dedicated to bringing the very best of Indian craftsmanship to the world. She honors India's fine textile heritage by collaborating with the country's best craftspeople and artists. Handcrafted from delicious silks, cashmere, and cotton, her designs are vibrant and modern with clean lines and intricate stitching.
17. Maheen Haq of M33NU
Delicious silk is as much part of Maheen Haq's Pakistani heritage as it is a part of her brand, M33NU. The Los Angeles-based label was founded after she found a lack of clothing size inclusivity, so she created what was not there. Her garments drip with saturated colors that are inspired by the vibrant markets of Karachi, Pakistan.
18. Yuecen Ricky Cai of Yuecen
Yuecen Ricky Cai has created a gorgeous union between his Shanghainese heritage and New York life. Not only are his clothes extremely well constructed, but they are also super functional, with deep pockets galore (and many of them) as an ode to Chinese workwear. His tailoring is precise yet allows for the loose streetwear fit of your dreams. Before launching his brand in 2022, he honed his craft at fashion houses such as Bode, The Row, threeASFOUR, Vivienne Hu, and Sohung Design.
19. Osama Syed of SAAF GARMENTS
Osama Syed is bridging the crossroads of South Asian and American culture with his brand SAAF GARMENTS. The brand name, saaf, meaning 'clean' in Urdu, translates to chic tailoring and genderless clothes. Syed's designs have been worn by your favorites at this year's Gold Gala, such as Avatar: The Last Airbender's Gordon Cormier, The Sympathizer's Hoa Xuande, and Ms. Marvel's Saagar Shaikh.
20. Manaola Yap of Manaola
Manaola Yap's family have been artisans of traditional Hawaiian textiles and dyes for generations. A self-taught designer, he integrates Hawaii's natural beauty and spirit into colorful patterned prints. Respecting tradition, he practices ohe kāpala, a traditional Hawaiian stamping technique. The designs are hand-carved into bamboo to create a stamp that is later digitized and transferred to cloth. Manaola's new philanthropic organization, Hale Kua, works to nurture Indigenous creatives through business incubators, cultural workshops, and hula schools.
21. Terrence Zhou of Bad Binch TONGTONG
At his brand Bad Binch TONGTONG, Terrence Zhou molds the human body into structurally eccentric shapes. As much as his clothes deserve to be at the Met Gala, they also deserve to be exhibited as a work of art at a museum. He truly pushes the conventions of fashion and the human imagination in an architecturally unserious manner. Despite studying mathematics and engineering, his degree comes quite in handy during the construction of his work. Zhou's clothing has been worn by celebrities such as Björk, Solange, Sza, Lizzo, and Megan Thee Stallion.
