10 up-and-coming Asian designers to watch

This New York-based Singaporean designer stunned the world earlier this year when Jennifer Lopez wore two custom looks for a feature in the New York Times and on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. But this wasn’t Ling’s first home run. The Central Saint Martins and Parsons graduate went viral on social media for her chrome butt bag. With an inclination for elegantly tailored and witty designs, we cannot wait to see what else she has in store.

There is a common notion that Singapore’s education system cannot foster powerful creative talents. But this underground fashion collective proves otherwise with their sartorial collections that have since been featured in multiple publications, Paris Fashion Week and idols like Jimin of BTS.

No one embraces flower-power 70s futurism like Kwan. Don’t just take our word for it: Lizzo, Dua Lipa and Doja Cat are just a few who have donned her garb. Since the birth of her label amid the pandemic, her collections have exuded unadulterated joy that is infectious and humorous to boot – it’s a no-brainer as to how she has risen in popularity in such a short time span.

This minimalist designer champions gender-bending fashion with garments that can easily be worn by men, women and everyone in between. Recently at New York Fashion Week, Do unveiled his first menswear line alongside womenswear featuring saucy backless blazers and shirts, high-slit pants and chunky platform boots. Do also enlisted NCT’s Jeno to open the collection, which made fans go wild for the idol and the looks.

Exploring the relationships of curved spaces and cyclic patterns, this graduate student at the London College of Fashion created an impressive menswear collection that features three-dimensional embossing technology. Fashion retailer SSENSE has also taken an interest in Xia’s work, stocking his collection on the site.

Beads have made a comeback thanks to the resurgence of Y2K sensibilities, but Singaporean designer and artist Denise Chong is one of the few people pushing the limits of this material. The 23-year-old student has crafted several dresses, skirts, and accessories purely made out of beads and in high-fashion silhouettes, all of which are available on her online store.

Akshat’s design aesthetic is innovative and wonderfully fluid. His label, based in India, specialises in ensembles that defy gender norms while using biomaterials and archival textiles to create futuristic shapes and textures. Akshat’s first Paris Fashion Week a few weeks ago showcased how sophisticated tailoring can be easily combined with creative silhouettes, without being cliché.

This New York-based designer is all about camp and he does it perfectly. The SS23 collection was an abstract tale of creatures such as spiders, octopi, butterflies and more translated into peculiar ensembles. While his looks tend to lean towards costuming, it has not hindered his label one bit with celebrities like Christina Aguilera and Rina Sawayama proudly adorning Zhou’s designs.