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Meet this Asian faced bright young designer: Alexander Wang. American and was born in San Francisco. He moved to New York City at 18, attended Parsons The New School for Design and interned at Teen Vogue. He launched his first full collection of womens wear in 2007 after a catchy warming in his sophomore year; a collection of cashmere sweaters. He won the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund in 2008, an honor accompanied by a $20,000 award to expand one’s business.

This newcomer has stolen the trendsetters’ heart such as Megan Fox, Mary-Kate Olsen, Nicole Richie, and Gwyneth Paltrow. Not to mention Erin Wasson, his friend, and his muse. His signature is casually cool downtown style, “drawing inspiration from the eighties, French chic, and rock grunge with a slouchy rolled-out-of-bed edge” as quoted from nymag.com, for example distressed boyfriend jeans, shrunken vests, or cozy cardigans.

In May 2008, he collaborated with Uniqlo for capsule collection. Some months later, in the same year, he got his collection for Keds published. In spring 2009 he created his own footwear collection and launched a line of pre-weathered cotton tees, tanks, and T-shirt dresses , T by Alexander Wang. All are brilliant! No wonder this guy is tagged with “Critics’ Favorite”.

Topic: Designer, International

Another oriental faced designer: Peter Som :)

Peter Som’s aesthetic of unstudied elegance and refined sexiness has brought a fresh point of view to modern American fashion. Peter grew up in San Francisco, a city known for its easy, relaxed sophistication. His parents–both architects–instilled in him the ideals of purity of form, function and composition. Today, Peter continues to draw from these early influences as he designs clothes for tasteful women with that same spirit of effortless elegance, luxury and allure. Peter excelled in Art History and Art when he attended Connecticut College and chose to continue his studies at Parsons School of Design. While at Parsons, he apprenticed with two of America’s most revered designers - Michael Kors and Calvin Klein. After graduating, Peter honed his skills in the design room of the legendary Bill Blass. In 1997, he was recognized by the CFDA as a rising young talent in it’s first-ever Scholarship Competition. Isaac Mizrahi awarded Peter the Parsons Gold Thimble for his work in the school’s prestigious Designer Critic program while Lord & Taylor reaffirmed his potential in its annual Dress Competition. In 2002, Peter was nominated for the CFDA Perry Ellis Award for Emerging Talent. In 2004, Peter Som was among the 10 semi finalists in the Vogue/CFDA fashion fund initiative. In 2005, he was nominated for a second time for the CFDA Swarovski Perry Ellis Award for Emerging Talent and in 2006 Peter was among the 3 finalists nominated for the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award for Fashion Design. Peter Som made his stellar debut at Seventh on Sixth in the Bryant Park tents with his Spring 2001 Collection. Since then, his clean, unfettered yet feminine clothes have been winning accolades from buyers and critics alike. Cathy Horyn of the New York Times identified Peter as “one of the best young designers working today.” Peter’s collections have been included in editorial features in major fashion publications, including Vogue, W, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar and InStyle. In response to Peter Som’s Spring 2007 collection, Vogue’s Andre Leon Talley writes “it became emphatically clear that he has moved to the head of his generational class. Magna cum laude, in fact.” In July 2007 Som announced his return to the house of Bill Blass, this time as creative director of the iconic American brand. In this role, he will oversee the company’s entire women’s collection, including all owned and licensed divisions. His first collection for Bill Blass is expected to be for pre-Fall 2008. Peter’s following includes a new generation of stylish celebrities and starlets, among them Scarlett Johansson, Claire Danes, Camilla Belle, Mandy Moore and Ginnifer Goodwin. Having emerged as one of the leaders of a new generation of American designers, Peter Som has a foundation on which to establish a modern luxury fashion and lifestyle brand, reinterpreting the tradition of Great American Sportswear for a new generation.

(quoted from Peter Som’s website)

Topic: Asia, Designer

Hyoni Kang’s real name is Kang Seung-Hyun.

She was born in 1988 and won the Ford ‘Supermodel of the world’ award 20 years later, becoming the first model of Asian ancestry to win the Ford ‘Supermodel of the world’ award.

GO ASIA! :)

Topic: Asia, Facts, Korea, Model

Asian designers rock! They can even use French name without leaving oriental style :)

Rei Kawakubo (??? ?, Rei Kawakubo born 1942-10-11 in Tokyo) is a Japanese fashion designer, founder of Comme des Garçons. She is untrained as a fashion designer, but studied fine arts and literature at Tokyo’s prestigious Keio University. After graduation, Kawakubo worked in a textile company and began working as a freelance stylist in 1967. In 1973, she established her own company, Comme des Garçons Co. Ltd in Tokyo and opened up her first boutique in Tokyo in 1975. Starting out with women’s clothes, Kawakubo added a men’s line in 1978. Three years later, she started presenting her fashion lines in Paris each season, opening up a boutique in Paris in 1982. Comme des Garçons specialises in anti-fashion, austere, sometimes deconstructed garments. During the 1980s, her garments were primarily in black, dark grey or white. The materials were often draped around the body and featured frayed, unfinished edges along with holes and a general asymmetrical shape. Challenging the established notions of beauty she created an uproar at her debut Paris fashion show where journalists labeled her clothes ‘Hiroshima chic’ amongst other things. Since the late 1980s her colour palette has grown somewhat. Rei likes to have input in all the various aspects of her business. Rather than just focussing on clothes and accessories. She is greatly involved in graphic design, advertising and shop interiors believing that all these things are a part of one vision and are inextricably linked. Her Aoyama, Tokyo store is known for its sloping glass facade decorated with little blue dots. This was designed in collaboration between Rei and a Japanese architect. Rei published her own bi-annual magazine, ‘Six’ (standing for ’sixth sense’), in the early 1990s. It featured very little text and consisted mainly for photographs and images that she deemed inspiring. In 1996 Rei was guest editor of the high art publication Visionaire. Rei is known to be quite reclusive and media shy, preferring her innovative creations to speak for themselves. Junya Watanabe, Kawakubo’s former apprentice, started his own line in the early 1990s and has attained much attention in the fashion business in his own right. Her designs have inspired many other late designers like the Belgian Martin Margiela and Ann Demeulemeester, as well as Austrian designer Helmut Lang. Kawakubo is a member of the Chambre Syndicale du Pret-a-Porter. Kawakubo will create this autumn’s “guest designer” collection at H&M, designing men’s and women’s clothing along with some children’s and a unisex perfume.

(Source: Wikipedia)

Topic: Asia, Designer, Japan

While Du Juan has become a super*model, her ‘junior’, Xiaoyi Dai, is reaching her own star. She’s halfway for that. This Next model has caught my attention by appearing in Singapore Her World, Singapore Style, and Hong Kong Harper’s Bazaar.

She started out as an elite athlete that is a fencer and decided to become a model due to her stunning looks and 179cm frame. She won China’s Top Model competition in 2005.

What do you think? ;)

(images courtesy: AsianModels)

Topic: China, Model

Talking about Asian model, supermodel, meet Du Juan. She is not a new face in runway or world fashion monthly bible. This Chinese model was born September 15, 1982, in Shanghai. She is former Miss China 2003. She made her debut for runway in Spring 2006, posing for prominent designers like Valentino and Jean-Paul Gaultier. For the Fall 2006 season, Style.com included her in of top ten models list. That season she appeared in ad campaigns for Louis Vuitton, Gap, Roberto Cavalli, and Yves St. Laurent.

Trivial fact about her? She trained at the prestigious Shanghai Academy of Dance but eventually grew too tall to find a partner :D

Topic: China, Model

Topshop is never wrong about whom they’re collaborating with. They’re also right about these 2 Korean born designers, Steve J and Yoni P. Out of the collaborating-with-Topshop topic, these 2 designers also showed their collection in London Fashion Week, Spring 2009 about 2 weeks. The show was a half catwalk presentation and a half performance, with models and ballerinas presenting their collection.

The collection included much folds and drapes like origami. This gave an effect for the simple shape of the dresses. The colour palette was also simple; orange, pink and blue with metallic detailing.

So where do their inspirations come from? “Our collection has been inspired by our surrounding environment, particularly constructive architecture and the linear, almost endless repeats of design details in both buildings and supporting structures.”

(source: popsugar.com)

Topic: Designer, Korea, Runway

Meet the next Asian supermodel; Hyoni Kang. Her face caught my attention, and probably the whole world. This 21 years old, Korean girl had more than 10 shows in New York Fashion Week, Spring/Summer 2009, such as Marc by Marc Jacobs, Alexander Wang, and United Bamboo. And she’ll pop up on upcoming editorials for Interview, Korean Vogue, and Flaunt magazine.

Don’t be surprised then :)

Topic: Korea, Model

Talking about Muléh, I was curious with an Asian name: Min Young Lee, curious to know more about this designer whose collection is available in Muléh. Well, I instantly fell in love with her loose silk dresses and tops. They look comfortable and charming, especially the ones with antique patterns.

Min Young Lee surely has the signature pieces those every woman would fall for :)

Topic: Asia, Designer

There’s a boutique in Washington DC named Muléh. It got its name from Javanese word which means “to come home”. Well, the owner, Christopher Reiter, came home to Washington DC from Indonesia, South East Asia in 1999 then created a boutique that was inspired by the subtleties of Asian chic interiors. With clean lines yet rich textures. As harmonious as organic materials and traditional crafts of local artisans in modern designs.

3.1 by Phillip Lim, A Common Thread, Min Young Lee, Ports 1961, Rozae Nichols, Vivienne Westwood Anglomania are in Muléh’s fashion collection.

Muléh is located at 1831 14th Street NW, Washington, DC. The district obviously doesn’t sleep alone tonight, do you hear that, guys, The Postal Service? ;)

Topic: Boutique, Indonesia