May is designated as Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month and we wanted to take some time to highlight a few of the great Asian Americans who have helped mold the fashion and custom apparel industry. We celebrate them today and we look forward to continuing to bring attention to more Asian American-led businesses in our UGP Spotlight series on Instagram through the coming months.
First, we have Vera Wang, a woman that needs no introduction. Born and raised in New York City, Wang’s parents moved to NYC in the 1940s, before she was born, from China. Once an exceptional figure skater in her youth, Wang then graduated from Sarah Lawrence College and accepted an editorial position with Vogue Magazine. She stayed there for 17 years, then moved to Ralph Lauren for 2 more, before finally becoming an independent bridalwear maker and becoming the household name we know today. Wang has designed wedding gowns for some of the most famous women in the world, including Victoria Beckham, and the daughters of three different U.S. Presidents. She has also designed Olympic wear for multiple figure skaters, and she is a member of the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame for her work as a costume designer. One of the most well-known names in fashion, Wang’s influence still impacts apparel today.
Next, we have Anna Sui. Sui is a second-generation Chinese-American who was born in Detroit, MI. Sui wanted to be a designer since she was four years old, and she started the process of working towards that dream by moving to New York to attend the Parsons School of Design. One of Sui’s biggest breaks came during Paris Fashion Week in 1991 when Madonna wore her clothing and gave her instantaneous recognition. Sui would have her own runway show later that year, and in 1992 she would open up her first retail shop in Soho. She would continue to expand and would launch her line in other countries and start several different accessory lines, including shoes, fragrances, and cosmetics, among others. Sui remains active in the fashion world and continues to be highly influential to this day.
Another Parsons School of Design alum with a huge impact on fashion is Prabel Gurung. Gurung was born in Singapore to Nepalese parents (which is where he grew up). His mother was a boutique owner, but Gurung was really exposed to the world of fashion when he moved to New Delhi, India. He worked in the fashion houses of India, gaining experience as a designer, and he decided to make the move to New York City to study at Parsons in 1999 at the age of 20. He released his own fashion line in 2009 and his apparel has been worn by the likes of Michelle Obama and Kate Middleton. In 2021, Gurung launched his first home decor line in partnership with Etsy. Despite being based in the U.S., Gurung remains active in supporting his native Nepal and established his own foundation to help underprivileged children in the country.
Finally, we have Peter Som. Som is a Chinese-American who was born in 1970 in San Francisco. Born to a pair of architects, Som was always sketching from an early age, which inspired him to go down the rabbit hole of custom apparel and fashion. Som studied art history at Connecticut College before continuing his studies at Parsons and eventually working for the likes of Calvin Klein and Michael Kors. Som quickly became well-known as one of the most exciting young designers of the time, and he debuted his first collection in the spring of 2001. Som has worked for Tommy Hilfiger as their runway collection’s creative consultant, and he has become highly influential with the younger generation of Hollywood actors and actresses, and he has dressed the likes of Emma Watson, Anne Hathaway, Amy Adams, and Zooey Deschanel.
We say Thank You to these four great fashion designers, but we also want to show appreciation to Asian Americans all across the country and in any line of work. We remain appreciative of all the work done by Asian-Americans, or those of AAPI Heritage, and we look forward to keeping the conversation going. #AsianPacificHeritageMonth