The fashion industry has been long criticized for its lack of diversity and narrow representation of beauty. Yet, in recent years, prominent changes have been observed, especially with the emergence of Asian designers and models. This variation is reshaping beauty standards and has led the industry to be more inclusive.
It is argued that the face of the industry consists of models that represent the brands of clothing. The presence of Asian models challenges the stereotypic ideals of beauty, displaying a wider array of skin tones, body types, and facial features, complementing clothing in unique ways. Specifically regarding skin, when Asian models take the runway, they profoundly influence the skincare industry, leading to the creation of makeup catered to a broad range of skin tones.
Liu Wen, a Chinese model, was the first Asian model to make the Forbes magazine’s annual highest-paid models list. She was the first East-Asian spokesmodel for Estée Lauder cosmetics. It can be argued that her success has paved the way for other Asian models in the industry. Models such as Wen also inspire the general Asian population in the United States and beyond. I distinctly remember I was at the eye doctor this year and picked up Vogue. I saw Liu Wen on the front page, with a huge rainbow parachute billowing up behind her. She appeared confident, happy, and beautiful. I looked her up on the internet right then, and I recall thinking to myself that I would strive to be like Liu Wen. Later, I followed her on Instagram, these past few months, I appreciated how she advocates for Asian rights utilizing her social media platforms.
Furthermore, Asian designers are becoming very prominent, for example, Rei Kawakubo, a Japanese designer who founded Comme des Garçons. Kawakubo founded Comme des Garçons in 1969. Since then, and especially around the founding years, Kawakubo has pushed the boundaries of traditional aesthetics. Comme des Garçons is part of the “Anti-Fashion” movement, which rejects fashion norms and embraces non-conformity. For example, the brand has been a pioneer in androgynous fashion, blurring the lines between men’s and women’s clothing. Another pivotal trend Kawakubo has instilled in the fashion industry is collaboration culture, which is when brands work together to promote an article or line of clothing. This collaboration has continued throughout the decades. Specifically, Comme des Garçons has worked with Converse, Supreme, Vans, and Nike.
These Asian designers commonly have clothing that reflects their culture. Jin Teok, a Korean designer of Jain Song, a smaller clothing line, is inspired by nature. She incorporates floral and landscape prints into her collections, which reflects the Zen aesthetic and natural beauty of Korea. Jain Song is tailored for the more modest Korean style. As a Korean myself, her clothing reminds me of what I would see as I walked through the streets of Seoul.
Though Asian individuals in fashion and beauty have been emerging throughout the past few decades, models and designers still face challenges. For me, I believe that racial stereotyping is the biggest issue in the fashion industry. Racial stereotyping against Asians is extremely common in other aspects of life as well, including academics, where people assume Asians should excel at math. Pertaining to fashion, Asian designers are stereotyped as having a narrow aesthetic of certain designs, which is not true. While their designs may be closely intertwined with their heritage, they are capable of reaching beyond as well. Racial stereotypes have also influenced the casting of Asian models, as they are commonly typecast into certain roles. Some models are used as tokens by brands attempting to appear diverse. This is hurtful to me, because these hard working models are being used as tools on a checklist to make the company look inclusive.
Personally, I believe some things can be done to directly improve this issue. First, the implantation of inclusive ad campaigns. In these ads, there can be Asian models portrayed non-stereotypically. There can also be industry initiatives that work to support underrepresented groups in fashion such as Asians, that spotlight Asian models and designers. Asian designers and models just participating in the industry have challenged stereotypes already, but if we are open minded and influence others to push generalizations, the fashion industry has potential to branch out further.