May marks Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, a time to celebrate the incredible members of this community who have helped shape industries across the world, including fashion. Alterre is proud to be a female-founded and led AAPI business. Shilpa Iyengar, our founder and CEO, along with our Vice President, Harmony Richards, are two AAPI powerhouses who each weave elements of their culture into Alterre’s brand ethos and creative vision.
In their honor, and in celebration of the many AAPI leaders bringing their heritage, expertise, and passion to the fashion industry, we've created this blog to highlight some of the trailblazers defining what fashion looks like today.
Vera Wang
Vera Wang is by far one of the most recognizable names in the fashion industry. The famous Chinese American designer has built her reputation on elegant and sophisticated bridal wear, characterized by modern silhouettes, luxurious fabrics, and meticulous, thoughtful detailing. Born in New York to Chinese immigrant parents who fled the Chinese Civil War, Wang first entered the fashion world as an editor at Vogue, where she spent 17 years before becoming a design director at Ralph Lauren. In 1990, she founded her bridal label at age 40 after becoming frustrated with the lack of sophisticated options while shopping for her own wedding dress. She has since built a true bridal empire, expanding into ready-to-wear, accessories, fragrances, and home goods. One of the most influential names in fashion, Wang received the CFDA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013 and has dressed a remarkable roster of celebrities, from Alicia Keys and Mariah Carey to countless Hollywood brides.
Anna Sui
Anna Sui is one of the original AAPI trailblazers in American fashion. The famous Chinese American designer and brand founder was born in Michigan to Chinese immigrant parents and grew up with a deep, lifelong passion for fashion. She first entered the scene designing sportswear before launching her own collection with minimal investment and little outside support, bringing her first five-piece collection to a New York trade show, where she immediately caught the eye of Bloomingdale's and Macy's. From there, she hit the ground running: hosting her first runway show in 1991 with supermodels walking her designs, opening her first boutique in SoHo, and winning the CFDA's Perry Ellis Award for New Talent in 1992. With stars like Madonna wearing her looks and her popularity exploding, there was no looking back. Anna Sui's designs are iconic for their rock-and-roll-meets-bohemian spirit, drawing from eclectic vintage, grunge, and global subcultures in a way that remains entirely her own.
Prabal Gurung
Prabal Gurung is one of the most important symbols of South Asian representation in fashion. He is a designer who has inspired an entire generation of creatives from underrepresented backgrounds to dream bigger. Born in Singapore and raised in Nepal, Gurung relocated to New York City to pursue his passion for fashion, launching his eponymous label in 2009 to immediate critical acclaim. He quickly became a household name in the industry, dressing high-profile figures including Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, and Kate Middleton, and regularly earning standing ovations at New York Fashion Week. Known for his feminine silhouettes, bold prints, and deeply romantic designs, Gurung has also been a champion of body diversity, offering inclusive size ranges long before the industry made it a priority. Beyond his work as a designer, he is a vocal advocate for diversity, inclusion, and social justice, using his platform to spotlight humanitarian causes and establishing a foundation dedicated to serving underprivileged children and driving economic development in Nepal. Prabal Gurung is proof that fashion can be both beautiful and deeply purposeful.
Peter Do
Peter Do is one of the defining AAPI voices in contemporary fashion. He is a designer who has brought his cultural perspective and a singular vision of luxury to an industry that had never quite seen anything like it. Born in Vietnam, Do immigrated to the United States to study fashion in New York City, where he went on to complete one of the most coveted apprenticeships in the industry, training under Phoebe Philo at Céline. He founded his eponymous label in 2018 and has been turning heads ever since. Do has won the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award in 2019 and built a fiercely loyal customer base of industry insiders, stylists, and tastemakers whose demand regularly sells out his collections. In 2022, he was appointed Creative Director of Helmut Lang, making him one of only a handful of AAPI designers ever to helm a major fashion house. Peter Do is best known for his minimalist, architectural silhouettes and precise, intellectual tailoring. Designs that feel both cutting-edge and timelessly considered.
Devon Aoki
Devon Aoki is a true icon. She is a Japanese German American model and actress who inspired a generation of young Asian women to see themselves reflected in fashion and film, and who helped open doors for countless others who came after her. Born in New York City, she was discovered on the streets of the city by a talent agency at just 13 years old, launching one of the most remarkable careers of the 1990s and 2000s. She made her runway debut in 1997, quickly walking for major fashion houses including Balenciaga, Comme des Garçons, and Chanel, and at just 16, she became the face of Versace, stepping into a role previously held by the legendary Naomi Campbell. At a time when diversity on the runway was rarely prioritized, Devon Aoki became one of the first Asian American models to achieve true supermodel status in the Western fashion industry. From the runway, she transitioned seamlessly into acting, starring in films such as 2 Fast 2 Furious, Sin City, and War. Known for her striking androgynous features and strong bone structure, Aoki challenged traditional Western beauty ideals and paved the way for a new era of Asian American models to follow boldly in her footsteps.
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