4 Asian Designers Celebrating their Identity through Fashion
Bangkok-based Thai designer Pattaraphan Salirathavibhaga trained as a bench jeweler and an artist before their start. Salirathavibhaga cherishes the bond between stories and the maker’s hand. After forging a bond between these elements, Pattaraphan (meaning beautiful skin), a genderless line of jewlery was born.
Embraced by the likes of Kendall Jenner, Hailey Bieber, and Gigi Hadid, these statement pieces give the wearer a bold flare. This collection takes a minimalist and modern approach, and it is greatly influenced by Pattaraphan’s traditions and home country of Thailand.
Their understanding of human anatomy coupled with irreverent minimalism challenges the traditional notions of jewelry. The pieces are edgy, yet wearable and versatile. Pattaraphan hopes that the wearer feels ecstatic the second they slip these exquisite pieces on.
This Bangkok brand is committed to sustainably preserving Thai heritage. To avoid waste, they only produce small quantities of the designs with locally sourced materials.
Every piece directly supports Thai artisans, check out some of the images below.
New York city-based Taiwanese designer Shawna Wu works with mediums that involve the body, textiles and garments. Through these mediums, she explores her conception of intimacy, empathy, and cultural nuance by reimagined rituals and traditional textile-making craftsmanship.
“As a member of the queer Asian diasporic community, my work comes from a personal space of feeling out ideas of pride/shame, renewed cultural heritage and lineage through traditional textile making techniques.” She also went on to say, "Historically, textiles were the first form of language and I hope to create pieces that embody and continue significant cultural practice."
Her first collection features traditional Chinese knotting, natural dyeing with ingredients from Chinese medicine, deadstock fabrics, and other sustainable techniques.
Check out some of the images from her collection below.
Los Angeles-based Chinese-duo Nana and Jacqueline embarked on their journey back in 2013 when they fused their names to form a singular entity and brand, Nana Jacqueline.
The core of Nana Jacqueline relies on the manipulation of traditional and luxurious silks. They differentiate themselves with their intricate designs, signature dresses in vibrant colors and playful accoutrements.
Their luxe silk dresses and dazzling playful accessories have made the brand a K-POP staple, celebrities like Black Pink, Tiffany Young, and Saweetie can all be seen wearing unorthodox's styles of silk.
Their SS21 collection that launched earlier last month was a chronicle of 90’s inspired vintage outfits that were saturated with modern hues of lustrous and a la mode silks.
Check out some of the images from the collection below.
Boston-based Japanese designer Lisa Nakanishi has been designing clothes for 2 years and started her brand RISA back in 2020. Nakanishi usually works with second-hand clothing and reworks old garments.
Her most recent designs include vintage pieces that are hand-painted, spray painted while some of her new designs will include screen prints. Lisa’s latest collection was a selection of hand-painted hoodies and jeans with 2000’s inspired tattoo designs adorned all throughout.
As a woman of color in an industry dominated by men, Lisa says “I have always felt like I needed something more to make myself stand out, which is definitely very discouraging at times. It is inspiring to me when I see other Asian designers who are respected in the industry because it helps remind me that my identity can be an asset to my creativity.”
The upcoming collection will feature a selection of hoodies, tees, and tanks with screen printed designs. She will also be crafting together babydoll dresses that will be made out of vintage bed sheets this upcoming summer.
Check out some of the images from the collection below.
