Even as a child, designer Derek Lam was fully immersed in the sartorial world. His parents and grandparents made a living out of importing clothing from Asia to America and running a San Francisco garment factory, respectively. From a young age, Lam was able to appreciate both the beauty and craftsmanship that exist in the fashion world. And now as a major sartorial contributor he expertly creates clothing that reflects both beauty and craftsmanship. By mixing gorgeous patterns on gorgeous fabric with clean silhouettes, he masterfully creates a balance between feminine and practical with every collection. 

After graduating from Parsons School of Design, Lam started his career working under renowned designer Michael Kors under whom he worked with for four years. In the wee years of the Twenty First Century, Lam decided to start his own label and was met with much acclaim. Since then he has moved on towards mastering shoe and jewelry design and another more youthful label 10 Crosby Derek Lam. Whatever task he takes on, he executes deftly and professionally - a good reflection of the work he churns out constantly. 

Since the 2002 birth of the undeniably cool Opening Ceremony, this sartorial dream team continues to champion the rise of contemporary fashion. When the duo is not revolutionizing the big city boutique scene, they can be found heading the French luxury house Kenzo. Lim and Leon’s style alliance finds its roots in the friendship they developed as students at the University of California, Berkley. And to this day, said friendship mixed with a shared love of clothing and travel has encouraged Opening Ceremony to lead the ever-changing fashion industry, rather than sit idly by as up-and-coming trends whizz past.

Lim and Leon’s boutiques pay a sort of fashion homage to their namesake - the Olympic’s opening ceremony tradition. Over the years, the brand has continually curated a collection of global style with multi-national names like Delpozo, Comme des Garcons, Repetto, and Band of Outsiders gracing the roster. Not unlike the international sporting event, Lim and Leon’s Opening Ceremony gives a platform to designers from all ends of the world to showcase their abilities on a wider stage.  

In my book, Alexander Wang takes the spot as the hippest designer in women’s fashion. Though Wang was born and raised in San Francisco, he is of Taiwanese descent. He moved to New York for college, but after two years at Parsons, Wang dropped out to focus on starting his own line. He blasted onto the scene in 2007 with a line of unisex sweaters during New York Fashion Week, receiving critical acclaim. Quickly after, Wang was awarded with the esteemed CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, solidifying his start as a promising designer.

Looks from Alexander Wang 2014 Fall/Winter collection.

Wang has consistently created clothing with clean, sleek lines and solid colors that scream cool. He holds two women’s lines, a ready-to-wear that features classic turn modern pieces in luxurious fabrics, and T by Alexander Wang which creates sportier T-shirts, pants and jackets. He also has created menswear, lingerie and eye-wear. In March of 2012, Wang was allowed to spread even more of his cool vibes everywhere as he was tapped to become creative director of the revered French house of Balenciaga. Alexander Wang’s clothing is considered a staple to every cool girl’s closet around the world or if you are like me, a dream staple to one day put in my closet. At thirty years old, Wang is at the top of his game and I can’t wait to see what is to come. 

Born in China, Liu Wen turned to the world of modeling in 2005 at age 17 when she entered the New Silk Road World Model Contest. Though she ultimately lost, she gained enough recognition to begin working for Chinese publications. In 2007, she caught the eye of Karl Lagerfeld, the head of Chanel and expanded to walking and modeling for international markets. Liu Wen has worked on a large number of campaigns including Dolce & Gabbana, Oscar de la Renta, H&M, Viviane Tam and Converse. 

Liu Wen has pioneered the Asian model in international markets, especially in America. She is the first model of East Asian decent to walk for Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and is also the first Asian face of Estee Lauder. Last year, Forbes named her the fifth highest paid model in the world. Now at age 26, Liu Wen is one of the most prolific models with a huge social media presence with over 377,000 followers on Instagram. Liu Wen has served as a huge inspiration and representation for the ever-growing presence of Asians in fashion.  

Joseph Altuzarra is the one at the forefront of modern sportswear. As the 2014 recipient of Women’s Wear Designer of the Year, Altuzarra has perfected the look that every girl wants: modern and sexy all wrapped up in practicality. Born in Paris to a Chinese American mother and a French father, the designer spent most of his youth studying ballet. He moved to America to attend Swarthmore College and got his first big break in fashion as an intern for Marc Jacobs in 2004. Afterwards, he continued to work in fashion under Proenza Schouler, Rochas, and Givenchy. In 2009, he debuted his first collection on the runway to critical success and has never stopped building steam. 

(Altuzarra for Target)

Altuzarra credits much of his influences to his multicultural upbringing, both from the intersection of cultures born into as well as the geographical span he’s reached. Now based in New York, Altuzarra has configured all of these cultural influences into a sharp perspective that keeps an eye on tailoring and taste levels, pushing both elements to their most extremes and yet remaining still absolutely wearable. Perhaps the most notable aspect of Altuzarra’s work comes from the utter pragmatism of his clothing. Altuzarra keeps his designs at bay, remembering that first and foremost clothing must accomodate the woman’s body instead of the other way around. I had the extreme fortune of being in the audience for a Q&A he did with Teen Vogue Fashion University. He was asked what was the most important piece of advice he had ever gotten as a designer. After thinking long, he said it was to remember that women wear bras. Really good designs make Altuzarra one of the most notable designers, but respect for women’s bodies and a culturally diverse viewpoint make Altuzarra one of the most admirable.

Previously known mainly due to her romantic ties with actor Shia LaBeouf, Karolyn Pho, a stylist-turned-designer, is making waves in the world of fashion. But forget Shia, because this emerging designer is making a name for herself by herself. Recently having made a cross-country move from sunny Los Angeles to the bustling New York City, Pho made her New York Fashion Week debut with a gorgeously simple Fall/Winter collection. Rather than littering the runway with ostentatious, unwearable pieces, Pho kept her looks to the basics, only choosing to embellish tastefully with subtle personal touches. Dresses in classic cuts were made from exciting materials like lamé and leather; feathers and lace trim decorated slips and jackets. Pho created a collection totally representative of her overall style. Refined basics mingled with subtle, yet extremely chic nuances.

Pho, who is in her 20’s, is extremely young but also extremely talented. Her social media presence reveals a level-headed, intelligent, and inspired young woman - and those qualities certainly shine through in her work. Her designs appear exactly as what one may expect a savvy, young, Karolyn Pho type woman to wear. Pho is Vietnamese-American and grew up in California. And even after spending all of her formative years in The Golden State for so long, she was unafraid to trek all the way to New York City to further her career and expand her craft. The amount of success she has been receiving recently is certainly deserved. 

For his New York Fashion Week debut, South Korean designer Lie Sang Bong, mingles sleek architectural cuts with vibrant colors to create an intensely beautiful Fall/Winter collection reminiscent of much of his previous work. 

Lie has always been interested in artistic work, having had been involved in theater earlier in life. He made the transition from the world of acting to the world of design after winning the Central Design Contest. Quickly after emerging in the world of fashion, he wowed Seoul Fashion Week attendees with his daring designs, which would eventually grace the closets of celebrities like Lady Gaga, Beyonce and Rihanna.

Lady Gaga in a piece from Lie Sang Bong’s Fall 2009 Collection.

Although his designs have only just arrived to New York Fashion Week, Lie is a well-seasoned Fashion Week participant. Having showcased his designs in Paris Fashion Week for over a decade, Lie is no newcomer unfamiliar to the world of design. Often hailed as South Korea’s Alexander McQueen for his championing of edgy, avant garde themes, Lie is never afraid to step out of any creative boundaries. All throughout his work, Lie always conducts a dialogue between his imaginative artistry with strict, clean craftsmanship to create spectacular pieces.

So, the 60th Annual Grammy Nominations were announced yesterday morning, and somehow it left me with more mixed emotions than I’ve felt in a long time. On the one hand, we have many reasons to celebrate this year–the 2018 list of nominees is the most diverse group in all of Grammy history, especially when it comes to Black and LGBTQIA inclusion. Jay-Z, Childish Gambino, Kendrick Lamar, and more were all (deservedly) nominated for record of the year. Kesha and Lady Gaga were both nominated for two Grammys each, and out songwriter Justin Tranter was nominated for his first award as well. 

When it comes to inclusion in the entertainment industry, we’ve come a long way, and these nominees are just one example of that. Unfortunately, this progress has not been reflected within the Asian American community, as you can clearly see by the lack of Asian nominees for the 2018 Grammys. I can’t say I’m surprised, considering there aren’t really any huge Asian American names in the music industry. But it’s not because we’re not trying–it’s because those who run the system aren’t listening. This year I got the chance to discover Alice Gao, Niki Zefanya, Yaeji, and several other incredible Asian artists whose music deserves recognition–but none of them are getting the attention they deserve. 

While Grammy nomination entries can by submitted by any artists/record companies with commercially released music, all submissions are reviewed by a group of over 350 experts in the fields of jazz, R&B, rock, classical, new age, and more. These experts within the Academy go through several rounds of screening, being advised to vote in up to 15 categories in their areas of expertise as well as the 4 general categories (Record of The Year, Album of the Year, Song of The Year, and Best New Artist). Unfortunately, if you are a lesser known artist in the US (aka most Asian American artists) signed to a label with more well known artists, your label will most likely submit their song/album to be considered for Grammy nomination over yours. At the end of the day, it’s pretty much a self fulfilling prophesy. Since Asian American artists are almost never well known enough to qualify for the final rounds of nomination, their work is not often submitted. As a result, Asian Americans are continuously left out of the mainstream. The whole thing is a cycle that seems to have no end. 

Don’t get me wrong, I believe we should celebrate the victories we achieve, but I’m honestly so tired of writing and complaining about Asian American representation. You guys have heard it all before and I’m not here to preach the same message all over again, but my soul is tired y’all. While we should celebrate and cheer on our fellow POC, let’s remember that the entertainment industry is still far, far, from being the all inclusive community that we so desperately need. 

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