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 The newest designers to arrive are Asian-born and
Asian-trained, looking to make inroads in the lucrative U.S.
fashion market.
Their early predecessors, by comparison, had Asian heritage but
were U.S.-born and U.S.-trained designers. One of the best known
is Vera Wang, known for her wedding gowns and who recently
designed one for celebrity Kim Kardashian.
Then came designers born in Asia but trained in the United
States, such as Jason Wu, whose styles have been worn by first
lady Michelle Obama.
The newest wave brings a stronger sense of their own cultures,
mixed with Western sensibilities, said Lie Sang Bong, who
founded his brand Lie Sangbong in 1985 in South Korea.
He is opening a New York shop in October.
"I find inspiration in Korean poetry, architecture and natural
landscapes, but I’m equally fascinated by the construction of
traditional Parisian couture and, at the moment, by the women of
New York and the way in which they approach fashion," he said.
"New York Fashion Week is really the best means of exposing your
work to a global audience, so many Asian designers want to be a
part of this excitement and show here to get that exposure," he
added.
New York Fashion Week, which ends next Thursday, features looks
for spring 2015. A show can capture the attention of thousands
of fashion buyers, media and fans who attend the semi-annual
event.
Two designers to make their New York debut are Zhuliang Li with
his Shanghai-based luxury brand Oudifu, which has 200 retail
stores in China, and Tao Wang, designer at Broadcast, one of
China’s top 10 labels, which has 800 stores.
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Born in China and trained in Japan, Wang is launching her own
collection Taoray Wang with plans for a showroom in New York.
"I've been in this industry for over 20 years, and it's time for me
to seriously look at the business rather than to show my creativity.
I want a platform for the brand," Wang said, adding that the global
buyers are in New York, rather than in China.
While expanding into the U.S. market, these designers are keeping a
foothold in Asia, where China is set to overtake the United States
as the world’s largest apparel market by 2017, according to market
research firm Euromonitor.
"I don’t want to shift my focus away from any one market, but it’s
important for me to expand the brand’s reach," said South Korea's
Son Jung Wan, who launched in New York three years ago.
Wan said she strives for a balance between Asian and Western
cultural expressions, using rough-textured fabrics in soft, feminine
silhouettes.
"I think people are interested in the softness of Oriental
minimalism," she said.
(Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst and Jonathan Oatis)
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