Week 10-Uyen Ngo

As seen through the criticism of the Met Gala's China Through the Looking Glass, people love using Asian art and culture as inspiration for fashion but they don't love Asian American designers. This reminded me of the kimono trend that was happening years ago where every Youtuber and influencer was obsessed with the kimono trend yet even with trends such as these, we rarely hear of Asian designers. The only ones I heard of growing up were Vera Wang and Jason Wu, of which happened because of Michelle Obama. Perhaps this is why there is a "typical pattern for young designers, who build brand recognition by first selling to local (or online) retail outlets" or the new pattern of Asian American designers who "found that they could sell internationally before even making a dent in the New York market" (172).

 It shocks me to read about that fact that these Asian American designers grew up in America but are relatively unknown in their own home. They had to look to their home country or the place their parents or grandparents were born to give them the aid and support that they need and deserve. It touched me reading about these prices and how "many of them were monetary prizes that could provide a young designer with a huge financial boost" (176). It made me think of the irony of how many Asian Americans spent their whole lives in America and consider it home but when they need their country to support them, it is often the country that they feel disconnected from that is the country that has their back. 

Works Cited

Thuy Linh Nguyen Tu. “Asia on My Mind: Transnational Intimacies and Cultural Genealogies.” The  Beautiful Generation.