How 5 East-meets-West Asian women designers have transformed fashion

The fashion weeks season has wrapped up again – for now at least. Discussions revolved around such topics as Karl Lagerfeld’s final Chanel collection show, whether people liked Hedi Slimane’s new Celine collection (after last season’s messy 1980s offerings), and what people thought of Grace Jones’ performance at the Tommy x Zendaya show. The fashion industry is, above all else, about success – where only the fittest survive. Designers often come and go: before you and your creations can make any waves you might already be history. Milan Fashion Week: Fendi says tearful goodbye to Karl Lagerfeld while Bottega Veneta’s Daniel Lee makes a terrific debut However, there are five notable Asian women designers who have certainly made a splash in the industry – and are certainly here to stay. Check out these talented women who have helped to change the face of the industry for the better, captured the imagine of fashionistas – in both the East and the West – and influenced many up-and-coming designers. Guo Pei’s lavish designs are inspired by imperial palaces Guo Pei Guo Pei is the most well-known haute couture designer in China today. She first came to international prominence when singer Rihanna praised her for making her headline-grabbing trailing yellow dress, which she wore to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's annual fundraising Met Ball in New York in 2015. Beijing-born Guo, 51, is best known in her home country for the regular outfits she designs for Chinese presenters and celebrities, worn during the nation’s regular television extravaganzas, and the ceremonial dresses featured during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Paris Fashion Week: Kristen Stewart and Penelope Cruz at Chanel’s tearful runway adieu to Karl Lagerfeld One particularly eye-catching gown, worn by soprano Song Zuying as she sang a duet with Placido Domingo during the Games’ closing ceremony, was covered with more than 200,000 Swarovski crystals – all attached by hand – which took two weeks to make. Guo was also credited as the costume designer on the 2014 action fantasy film, The Monkey King, starring Donnie Yen and Chow Yun-fat. She is also one of the Chinese designers to have had her work on show at the Met, in the 2015 exhibition, “China: Through the Looking Glass”, which focused on the impact of Chinese design on Western fashion over the centuries. Guo was named among Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2016. Met museum honours Comme des Garçons founder Rei Kawakubo Rei Kawakubo View this post on Instagram Happy Birthday Rei Kawakubo!!! #reikawakubo #commedesgarcons #birthday A post shared by Rei Kawakubo (@kawakubosan) on Oct 10, 2017 at 9:28pm PDT Japanese designer Rei Kawakubo, 76, who founded the fashion brand Comme des Garçons and multi-brand retailer Dover Street Market, never had any formal fashion training, having studied fine arts and literature at university. She moved into fashion after starting work in the advertising department at a textile company, and went on to become a freelance stylist in 1967. She started making her own clothes under the Comme des Garçons label in 1969, and it was established as a company, based in both Japan and Paris, in 1973; a menswear line was added in 1978. Kawakubo became known for designs that were anti-fashion, austere – sometimes deconstructed, distressed garments – and made, certainly in the early years, using black, dark grey and white fabrics. In the 1980s her clothes often were associated with punk-oriented styles, with frayed, unfinished edges or holes in the fabrics. Today she is known for her refusal to follow convention and for sticking to her ideals – including placing great importance on the quality of her handmade designs – and is lauded for her originality and contribution to fashion and design. An exhibition of her work, “Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçon Art of the In-between”, was held in 2017, at the Met, which hailed her as “one of the most important and influential designers of the past 40 years”. Masha Ma View this post on Instagram Thank You 2018 A post shared by MASHAMA (@mashamainsta) on Dec 31, 2018 at 7:45am PST Known for designs with chic and futuristic aesthetics, the Chinese designer Masha Ma has worked in the fashion industry since 2008. Now based between Shanghai and Paris, she first gained attention while studying for a Master of Arts degree in women’s wear at the London art school, Central Saint Martins, when her graduation collection was bought by B Store, the retail fashion store owned by Farfetch founder, Jose Neves. During her studies she also worked as an assistant to the designers Veronique Branquinho and the late Alexander McQueen. Her designs, released under her eponymous brand, which are influenced by her time studying in London, regularly feature at the spring/summer and autumn/winter London and Paris Fashion Weeks. Ma’s creations are known for their futuristic, chic, feminine characteristics, often with touches of minimalism, and the predominant use of white. Her success in the industry is helping to pave the way for a new generation of Chinese fashion designers now emerging on the global stage. Designer Masha Ma says China needs to ditch 'Made in China' concept for fashion to thrive Vera Wang The American fashion designer Vera Wang and her eponymous brand are known around the world for creating stunning wedding dresses for many high profile women, including Chelsea Clinton, Ivanka Trump, Alicia Keys, Victoria Beckham – now a fashion designer herself – Hilary Duff, Sarah Michelle Geller and Kim Kardashian. Her evening gowns have been worn by Michelle Obama, Sofia Vergara, and Viola Davis – at the 2012 Oscars ceremony – while Wang, a passionate figure skater as a child, has also designed costumes for American figure skaters including Nancy Kerrigan, Michelle Kwan and Nathan Chen. Wang, 69, who is the daughter of Chinese parents, started work as an editor for Vogue magazine after graduating with an art history degree and, after 17 years there, joined Ralph Lauren. Yet her epiphany about her true calling in life came while planning her own wedding in 1989; she resigned from her job and decided to become an independent bridal wear designer. Wang, who launched her first design boutique in New York in 1990, and has since opened stores in London Tokyo and Sydney and also expanded her brand with fragrances, eyewear, shoes and other accessories, has helped to revolutionise the wedding gown industry through her fashionable and chic designs. One-minute bio: Vera Wang Chitose Abe Japanese-born Chitose Abe’s brand Sacai – from her maiden name, Sakai – is known for its innovative, fluid multi-dimensional designs – which sometimes involve her splicing together two different items of clothing. Abe launched the brand in 1999, after previously working for Rei Kawakubo’s Comme des Garçons, where she trained in pattern-cutting and developed an interest in mould-breaking, avant garde designs. Her collections, based solely on her “creative instincts”, which are stocked around the world, include athleisure wear designs, which mix sportswear and classic pieces together. The designer – married to Junichi Abe, founder of cult brand Kolor – has previously worked on collaborations with leading brands, including Nike and Birkenstock. Abe’s creative quality fashion collections have attracted many influential admirers, such as the late German fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, British fashion critic Suzy Menkes and American Vogue editor Anna Wintour. Want more stories like this? Sign up here. Follow STYLE on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

How 5 East-meets-West Asian women designers have transformed fashion

Designs by China’s Guo Pei and Masha Ma, Japan’s Chitose Abe and Rei Kawakubo and US-born Vera Wang are admired the world over