6 Emerging Asian Fashion Designers You Should Know

While couture has long been associated with names like Coco Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent and John Galliano, fresh Asian faces are breaking new ground in the world of haute couture, changing the narrative in an industry dominated by the Western Hemisphere’s luxury giants.

Meet Celine Kwan, Yueki Kee, Tomo Koizumi, Sohi Park, Ryunosuke Okazaki and Sensen Li – six East Asian fashion designers making their mark. According to K11 Musea and the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A)’s joint exhibition “Love of Couture: Art Beyond Fashion”, these rising stars of 2016 Until around 1960, it was produced exclusively by the V&A.

Mastered by renowned Hong Kong production designer William Chang Suk Ping, “Love of Couture” features a selection of the original works of these six Asian designers from the V&A archive. Presenting the evolution of couture across time and cultures, the exhibition invites guests to appreciate the historic, French-origin craft through a contemporary Asian lens.

Bringing her signature vibe to the space is Hong Kong’s own Celine Kwan. Inspired by the yellow evening wear of post-war London, her gown featured a pretty lime and pink print and a sheer bodice.

The young designer creates her bilo masterpieces with two goals in mind. One, to turn heads and two, to make someone smile. “I’m a very happy person, so I like to make people smile, especially with my clothes,” she laughs. “Fashion is so hard these days!”

Quan is no stranger to standing out from the crowd. Born in Hong Kong, she moved to England at the age of twelve and was the only Asian student at her school. “He taught me to overcome obstacles and be brave because I had to be self-reliant,” she recalls. Her tenacity as a designer, or “oomph”, as Celine puts it, comes from the lifestyle she experienced as an Asian in the UK. “Oh, and I’ve learned not to say anything about stereotypes,” she added with a smile.

“Because the bar is not dedicated to haute couture for Asian designers, we have a lot of scope and freedom to interpret the craft and bring our visions to life. We can define or create our own definition of what couture can be as Asian designers, which is really exciting.”

Love is at the heart of Yuiki Ki’s creations. The Guangzhou-based designer centered her four-piece mini collection for the exhibition around a single theme: 「爱」, the Chinese character of love. Chains of laser-cut metallic 「爱」characters form caps and skirts that straddle the line between utilitarian and avant-garde. But behind her stunning, shield-like pieces is a story that will melt any heart.

I established my brand when the pandemic first started. All the factories were closed, and I could not produce for my jewelry. One day, while I was buying breakfast, I was startled by an aunt who worked at the stall. ‘what should i do?’ I said, ‘There is no one who can help me with production.’ and “What if you let me try?” she asked me.

Today, the brand known as Yuki Qi is supported by an indomitable team of more than 300 women, from breakfast stall workers to housewives to disabled women with an eye for craft. “I’ve always been on the receiving end of love, and now I can give that love back. Through my beading supply chain, I hope to empower more housewives and women with disabilities to work from home. This is love,” she beamed with a beaming smile, “Big love.”

For Qi, couture is the manifestation of another kind of passion: a designer’s passion for her profession. “A coat embodies the spirit of a designer. Ready-to-wear is often marketed, but designers express their heart and soul through clothing,” she explains. “As long as you believe in yourself and stay true to what you stand for, your story will shine through your art, and it will be the same.”

Tomo Koizumi says, “Everyone can embroider clothes. And he is in the latter. The name of the Japanese designer has become synonymous with ruffles. Big and small, painted in every color you can think of.

But why ruffles? “So I grew up in this crazy, colorful garden…” he began to explain.

The crazy colorful garden in question? Flowers and ribbons on the funeral banners his mother made while working at his uncle’s funeral home. Growing up surrounded by “huge plastic flowers in metal and plastic,” Koizumi unwittingly transformed moments from his childhood into his signature swing. “It just goes to show how deep it is in who I am,” he said.

A statement piece for the exhibition, the vest jacket and A-line dress are carefully handcrafted from cravats of orange, beige and brown, reflecting the colors of wedding dresses from 1830s England.

“The top is made from hand sewing and smoking. I don’t often use hand sewing that much, but this time, I wanted to bring the craft and commitment to couture.” He paused and laughed as he made a small confession. “I didn’t do much research on the V&A dress I chose to quote.” It looks gorgeous, and I love it!”

Beautiful is one way to describe the Tomo Koizumi brand. Influenced by Japanese pop culture, there is a simple, clear sensibility to Tomo’s designs. “I grew up watching anime like Sailor Moon,” he shared, “even the cool Tomoe Koizumi is a girl like Sailor Moon! She may look pretty in my costume, but she’s really strong.”

Also from Japan is Ryunosuke Okazaki, who has never designed a fashion design in his entire career. It might be hard to believe for anyone who has cast even a cursory glance at his avant-garde creations, but the designer finds it natural to work his magic without design.

“The elasticity, flexibility and weight of my materials determine how I work,” he explained. “I create everything with my bare hands. Unexpected forms can be created by interacting and creating dialogue with the materials I work with.”

The outfit is really unexpected. Okazaki’s new creation transforms the 2D embroidery on Paul Porret’s 1920s samovar evening dress into 3D. He brings golden threads to life with otherworldly sculptures that look amazing, but somehow remind you of the geometric shapes that you can find in nature.

In the year Born and raised in Hiroshima, where the atomic bomb was dropped in 1945, the designer is fascinated by the relationship between people, prayer and nature. “I’m inspired by prayer, Shinto and Jomon pottery,” he shared. “The Japanese Shinto religion makes us aware of the harmony between humans and nature, and you could say that this is a prayer for life. The spirit of salvation at the heart of this prayer is shared by generations of Japanese people.

“Prayer” is how to describe the design process. “When people wear my clothes, I like to think they’re wearing nature,” he says.

Sohi Park, fresh off her Milan Fashion Week debut with Dolce & Gabbana, is the founder of Miss Sohi. The London-based South Korean couturier was invited to create this year’s V&A Museum Christmas Tree, a 3.5-metre-tall covered statue wearing a white chiffon cape embroidered with beautiful stars.

Volumetric silhouettes and intricate embroidery are quintessentially Miss Sohi, and her new dress for the exhibition, inspired by Yves Saint Laurent’s Polynésie evening dress, is no different.

“I need a big canvas for hacking, so I’m going to find a lot of shapes and bring my paintings to life,” Parks says with enthusiasm in her eyes. “I see myself doing this myself. I don’t know how long it’s been but it’s been a long time.”

Sensen Lii is not afraid to bring drama to the table. For “Couture Love,” the Chinese designer covered the pond with three new pieces, each more flashy and theatrical than the last.

“Historically, couture is a very different type of design. It has to be tailored for a specific person with a specific theme, concept and reason,” he says. “But contemporary couture is about following feasibility and embracing more creativity and imagination.”

Imagination is at the heart of the WINDOWSEN brand. The brand’s name represents a literal window that connects our reality to the Lii universe, which revolves around an inclusive, post-human vision of the world. “For me, clothing is a tool that gives voice to different minority communities.” He shared.

And so, Lee speaks through his clothes. Marrying the grandeur of haute couture with the technicality of sportswear, he continues to create bold, genderless clothing that fearlessly challenges our society’s norms.