5-4-2025 MY INSPO: in honor of api month

may is asian and pacific islander heritage month - and we may not realize how much asian culture shaped our history and the whole world. from the silk road, to fireworks, to spices and tea originated from india.. harajuku girls appropriated by gwen stefani, our favorite sushi spots with lychee-tini's, pineapple on pizza, the indian bead purses that the girlies were obsessed with a few months ago. yoga, anime, hawaii vacation dreams, some of the best 2000s hits were inspired by bollywood. the list goes on. let's think for a bit about the icons of asian descent. for now i'll share 5 items, icons, moments of asian heritage that stay rent free in my mind.

tabi shoes

the internet is divided by the tabi's, most often referred to maison margiela tabi shoes. some call them hoof shoes, many find them a sensory nightmare, while other (anti)fashionista's will praise their boots and ballet flats. tabi's have been on my wishlist for some time now, something about them being so incredibly unconventional - pretty/ugly and unusual - seem to just fit for a night out in the croatian lodge to expect maximum judgment. let's dive into the history, and how they got westernized:

according to l'officiel philippines "the split toe silhouette comes from 15th century japanese socks. the tabi socks were worn with zōri (flat sandals) and geta (raised wooden clogs)". we're probably thinking of traditional geisha-wear, and the flip flops of the culture. these socks were initially worn by the upper-class in shades of purple then blue, and later it reached the wider masses in a wider variety of color, including neutral shades for everyday wear.

in the late 19th and early 20th century, the tabi's begin to evolve into boots with the introduction of western boots.

maison margiela introduced the modern tabi shoe in his first show: 1989 spring/summer in paris. since then, and with the further globalization and trend cycles, the tabi's come and go in different styles, shapes and colors. 

yellow queen - rihanna at the 2015 met gala

the theme for the 2015 met gala was china: through the looking glass, and the fashion world was struck with the beautiful yellow gown worn by rihanna and designed by guo pei. according to the historifans article guo pei's hautest designs guo pei has been a prominent costume designer for films and the 2008 beijing olympics, but it was this moment at the met that screamed to the western world to look east for couture in it's highest form. since then, her works are more and more seen in museums, and her couture shows (2016-2020) never disappointed the fashion world - guo pei is the second born-and-raised chinese designer awarded as a member of the chambre syndicale de la haute couture, "the chief governing body of the high fashion industry". 

this kind of work is truly art - rihanna's gown took 20 months to complete and the whole ensemble weighed 55 pounds. guo pei is not a designer that works for fast or mass fashion, as other pieces are unique, one of a kind, and take at least a year to complete.

guo pei's designs have a lot of historical and fantasy elements, and she has said about her work: "we often say that we want to inherit the past, but there is another concept — carrying the past forward. If you were to bring the past into the future, it should not be a straight copying or inheriting process."

the article further states about guo pei's work: "guo frequently cites emotional responses as inspiration for her collections; she is a big proponent of the idea that a work is a reflection of the artist’s feelings and soul, and her collections showcase inspiration from cultures across the world."

anthony bourdain: parts unknown season 6, episode 7: borneo

in this melancholic and bittersweet episode, anthony bourdain returns to malaysia after 10 years during gawai dayak - the rice harvest festival. bourdain reminisces the changes in the environment and the loss of friends over delicious food and copious amounts of drinks, and at the end of the episode, he gets a traditional hand tapped tattoo by the locals.

these tattoos, usually inspired by natural and floral elements, are found within the iban tribal men, but also found within women. these designs are incredibly artistic and impeccable considering the way the ink is tapped onto the person's skin. according to the article from the website rakan sarawak, the tattoos were a symbol of heritage and culture, and some individuals would get tattooed as young as 10 years old to mark their entrance into adolescence.

sandy liang

in the years 2017-2024 my twitter screentime was insanely high due to the concept of hftwt aka high fashion twitter. this is the time i learned so much about fashion history and style, and this is the grapevine which whispered the name sandy liang to me. at the time she was just an up and coming fashion designer. now, about 5-6 years later, her signature bows and bloquette styles are not just a niche hftwt reference, this brand has become rightfully mainstream. could we say that the sandy liang brand is the nyc sister to the italian miu miu girl? a bit edgier, sexier - also even more youthful. 

a 2023 harper's bazaar singapore article states that sandy laing's inspiration comes from the chinatown grandmas and her own grandma was cast in a photoshoot campaign. her accessories have a nostalgic touch, reminding us of totally spies, polly pocket, and sailor moon.

liang collaborated with target in 2021 and launched a capsule - and i got lucky to snatch a heavy duty white denim jumpsuit. the buttons have a flower motif (very y2k-esque). 

devon aoki

a style inspiration, the doll face beauty, suki from fast and furious 2 (reason why i ever watched the movie), she was a y2k it girl, princess of the runway, and the face of versace, balenciaga, and many more fashion houses. her father is the owner of benihana, and her half brother is famous dj steve aoki, and she has japanese and german ancestry. her red carpet and runway looks are absolutely gorgeous. i guess we can say she is also a nepo baby, considering her family fame and fortune and the fact that she is 5'5", my height, and usually that's not model material. however, many fashion history posts state that she was scouted at a rock concert when she was 13. either way, she serves face and her ad campaigns and editorials from the 00s looked phenomenal and so original. her portfolio from her modeling management select london is 27 pages long, highlighting most recent work done with acne studios, louis vuitton, and collaborating with more models on the cover of vogue may 2023 honoring the passing of karl lagerfeld. will we see her this year for the met gala? not sure, but next week's inspo will be all about it.