Editorial Note: This post was originally published at an earlier date. Since our support for AAPI-owned brands is forever, we thought we'd update any sold-out products to make it easy to shop the latest and greatest from some of our favorite designers.
Today we’re sharing some of our favorite new-guard designers that have caught the attention of our editors. If you want to brush up on some of the veteran designers who have shaped modern Asian fashion, we’ve got you covered there, too. When we chatted as a group about some of our favorites, the beautiful diversity of the designs stood out, from romantic dresses and minimalist bags to grunge knits and edgy jewelry.
Before we get to the designer spotlights below, it’s also important to acknowledge the heartbreaking and horrifying increase in attacks against Asians. A couple of resources we’d like to recommend are the Stop AAPI Hate organization, where you can report any incidents you witness, and the Hate Is a Virus community, which aims to combat racism and xenophobia.
The Vibe: Modern Marie Antoinette gone weird (in a good way).
The Designer: Yuhan Wang was born in China and trained in New York and London. Her graduate collection from Central Saint Martins debuted at London Fashion Week in February 2018. Before starting her brand, she interned at JW Anderson and Oscar de la Renta.
Our picks:
Just gorgeous.
Don't mind me. I'm just dreaming of this skirt.
The Vibe: Skater girl meets indie darling.
The Designer: Sandy Liang grew up in Queens, New York. She went to school at Parsons and interned at 3.1 Phillip Lim, Jason Wu, and Opening Ceremony. The designer often quotes her Chinese heritage as design inspiration and cast her grandmother to star in the shoot for her first collection.
Our picks:
So pretty yet so cool, this top is the best of both worlds.
Cool skorts have become a signature of the brand.
The Vibe: Grunge art-school dropout.
The Designers: Perverze is created by a collective of anonymous Japanese designers. The brand is only sold online (a retail model that's very unusual in Japan), which adds to its mysterious reputation.
Our picks:
This sheer vest is a head-turner.
A seriously cool denim skirt to add to our casual outfits.
The Vibe: Colorful knitwear that's having way more fun than you.
The Designers: Phyllis Chan, the former Rag & Bone director of knitwear, partnered with Hong Kong designer Suzzie Chung to create YanYan in 2019. The friends live together in Hong Kong and draw inspiration from their lives in New York and Hong Kong when designing their knitwear, with nods to their heritage.
Our picks:
The cropped top of our dreams.
You can just feel the love that went into this piece.
The Vibe: Exquisitely tailored pieces that are sleek and minimal yet packed with point of view.
The Designer: Do launched his namesake brand in 2017 after working under Phoebe Philo and Derek Lam. The Vietnamese designer lives and works in New York and quickly amassed celebrity fans, including Zendaya and Solange Knowles.
Our picks:
A classic you'll wear forever.
So chic.
The Vibe: Bags ranging from luxurious to cool and forward at a more accessible price point than comparable designer bags.
The Designers: Korea-based design duo Sungeun Um and Soonyoung Kim infuse a sense of retro glamour into their line (the brand's namesake is Gwyneth Paltrow's character in The Talented Mr. Ripley) while still giving the collection a thoroughly modern feel.
Our picks:
For the fashion-forward minimalist.
Such an eye-catching shape.
The Vibe: Sophisticated tailoring, lots of minimalist neutrals, always with a downtown-cool spin.
The Designer: Lee Myung Shin founded the Korea-based brand in 2009. With over a decade of experience refining the brand's aesthetic, the designer is known for churning out beautiful pieces season after season.
Our picks:
Such a pretty jacket.
Not your average jeans.
The Vibe: Sculptural silver jewelry with a slight punk sensibility.
The Designer: Pattaraphan Salirathavibhaga is a Thailand- based designer who founded her company in 2018. She graduated from the Pratt Institute School of Design in 2017 with honors and is trained as a bench jeweler and artist.
Our picks:
Striking.
Two-tone jewelry, ftw.
The Vibe: Chic, effortless, menswear-inspired pieces for when you want to look grown yet cool.
The Designer: Ji Young co-founded the company in 2017 with her husband, Won Seob Lee. The duo is based in Korea.
Our picks:
The kind of dress we'll be wearing all season.
Lvir does tailoring so well.
The Vibe: Seventies-inspired bags that check all the right boxes: lust-worthy materials, classic shapes, and a dash of personality.
The Designer: The South Korea–based brand is designed by Ji Hye Koo. She majored in textile design in college and made shoes and bags as a hobby around the same time. Her pastime became her main focus with the support of Net-a-Porter's program for emerging designers.
Our picks:
This silhouette is stunning.
Perfect for summertime.
The Vibe: One-of-a-kind, modern yet steeped in heritage.
The Designer: Russia-based Jenia Kim comes from a family of Korean emigrants from Uzbekistan. She studied at an art school first and then at the Moscow Carl Fabergé college of applied arts. Asian culture is an essential part of Kim's work.
Our picks:
This shirt is pure genius.
It's the cutout florals for me.
The Vibe: Architectural bags and shoes that manage to feel classic, androgynous, and modern all at the same time.
The Designer: Established in 2017, the Korean-based brand focuses on giving utility and versatility a fashion-forward spin.
Our picks:
This will go with practically everything in your closet.
Everyone will ask you where it's from.
Next up, 30 AAPI Fashion Brands That Will Make You Want to Get Dressed Up Again
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