Asian diasporic designers’ best looks from Fashion Week 2024
Across the world's hottest fashion destinations, our favorite designers debuted some killer 'fits and trends for next fall/winter
A model on the runway at the Ahluwalia Ready to Wear Fall 2024 show as part of London Fashion Week.
Aitor Rosas Sune/WWD
Words by Vandana Pawa
It’s that time of year again—the style-obsessed contingent is glued to their phones as footage from runway shows around the globe hits their social media feeds during yet another fashion month. Designers have descended upon the four fashion capitals of the world to showcase what’s in store for the Fall/Winter 2024 season, and it’s clear that Asian designers across the world are setting the trends this year. From New York to London and Milan to Paris, check out our favorite shows and collections from Fashion Week February 2024:
New York
Sandy Liang
Bows and ribbons have been back in the fashion zeitgeist for a few months now, and Chinese American designer Sandy Liang has been leading the charge. Though she started out as a smaller design house, Liang has been a favorite of it-girls like BLACKPINK’s Jennie Kim, skyrocketing her popularity. While the brand’s Spring 2024 season showcased bows in a massive, larger-than-life way, this season they’re incorporated in a more understated manner. Pastel pink and blue A-line dresses were the highlights of the collection, along with a bright red pantsuit.
Anna Sui
A model on the runway at Anna Sui Ready to Wear Fall 2024 at the Strand Book Store as part of New York Fashion Week.
George Chinsee/WWD
Chinese American designer Anna Sui brought her Fall/Winter 2024 runway show to the rare book room in New York’s Strand bookstore, and the show was every literature lover’s dream. The eponymous brand’s latest collection took clear inspiration from Agatha Christie’s mystery novels, and went perfectly from day to night looks. Sui masterfully mixed textures and prints with tweed, plaid, and argyle perfectly setting up the “whodunnit” vibes of the collection, and black lace and gothic jewelry creating visions of a 1920’s nightclub scene.
Prabal Gurung
A model walks the runway during the Prabal Gurung Ready to Wear Fall/Winter 2024 fashion show as part of the New York Fashion Week.
Victor VirgileVIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho
Bringing Eastern textile tradition to Western fashion industries has never been an easy feat, but Nepali American designer Prabal Gurung has carved out a strong niche in this in-between space. The brand’s last few seasons have incorporated fabric draping styles of South Asia, but this season’s standout is the incorporation of shearling material, calling back to the dressing trends and traditions of Nepal. Gurung also notably casted age-diverse models in his runway show, including three well-known Asian and Asian American friends: author Min Jin Lee, actress Sarita Choudhury, and director Lisa Joy.
London
Ashish
London-based Indian designer Ashish Gupta took to the streets this season, and showcased a colorful and vibrant collection chock full of knitwear. Each piece is intricate, with complex patterns that, while being bold, fit perfectly into the rainy London sidewalks. Slogans like “world peace now,” “in the pursuit of magic,” “are you serious?” and “angry homosexual” accompany many of the pieces, perhaps calling to a displeasure with the current state of the world, and the desire to create something better. Gupta doesn’t leave fans without sparkle, though, and a handful of pieces in the collection incorporate his signature sequins.
Ahluwalia
A model walks the runway at the Ahluwalia show during London Fashion Week.
John Phillips/Getty Images
In a runway show titled “Reveries,” British Indian Nigerian designer Priya Ahluwalia reminisces on the folktales of her culture, masterfully incorporating textile patterns that call back her understanding of the meshing of these two ethnicities. Greens, reds, and oranges created a story of knits that were stitched across a variety of garments. The most spectacular part of this collection, though, is the inclusion of denim. In a partnership with Levi’s, Ahluwalia created multiple patchwork-style denim pieces, including capes and corsets, that were sculpted to perfection on each model.
Huishan Zhang
Romance and sophistication are at the helm of Chinese-born, London-based designer Huishan Zhang’s brand. From pantsuits to gowns to midi-skirts, fabric was the focus in this collection, with layers of recycled crepe and polyester embroidery allowing for otherwise simple looks to take it to the next level. This season’s collection would fit perfectly on a red carpet, with the combination of sequins, tulle, and shining fabric dominating the runway.
Milan
Lisa Von Tang
Based in Singapore, Chinese German Canadian designer Lisa Von Tang’s design ethos is rooted in exploring her “bi-cultural understanding of the world.” With an emphasis on upcycling and sustainability alongside representations of yin and yang, masculinity and femininity, Lisa’s Fall/Winter 2024 collection incorporates a variety of silhouettes and fabrics that are clearly inspired by her Chinese heritage. The standout look is a more casual one, with knit green cashmere pants and a cowl neck top that is styled with a matching Jordanian keffiyeh scarf from Italian-Jordanian brand SEP.
Paris
Mame Kurogouchi
A model walks the runway during the Mame Kurogouchi Womenswear Fall/Winter 2024-25 show as part of Paris Fashion Week.
Justin Shin/Getty Images
Japanese designer Maiko Kurogouchi weaves the best of Japan’s nature motifs into Mame Kurogouchi’s designs, and this season’s collection is no different. Inspired by pottery and earthenware, color and texture were the major story for Fall/Winter 2024. Printed silk scarves and co-ordinated sets give the illusion of glazed painted pottery, and intricately woven sweaters and dresses showcase a rougher texture. According to an interview with Vogue, Kurogouchi was seeking to transform garments into “wearable ceramics.”
Maison Rabih Kayrouz
In a new collection titled “Back Home,” Lebanese designer Rabih Kayrouz celebrates the 25th anniversary of his brand with a presentation of elegance through textile. His pieces explore silhouettes in a daring, structural manner, and use bold, jewel-toned colors unapologetically. The collection was accompanied by a poem Kayrouz shared in French via Instagram, which calls to the ways memories and experiences can be intimately attached to clothing.
Published on March 7, 2024