ASIAN LGBTQ+ REPRESENTATION IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY

Fashion and the LGBTQ+ community

What does it mean to be inclusive?

The concept of inclusivity when inculcated on a personal level can make any group feel worthy and loved, imagine the power inclusivity on a larger perhaps more premium level hold, potentially impacting several muted groups to come out in the open with pride. Fashion being counter-intuitive on assuring a somewhat grand welcome of the LGBTQ community to be a part of the field of fashion is gaining momentum of a social reform. Fashion through its loud expression has been seen dismantling otherwise eschewed flaws of the society by adopting a comprehensive approach to fashion and its conception.

The reason of spewing hate on the LGBTQ community is received through comments about them being ‘unnatural’, what a lot of people do not know is that queer disposition is not a contemporary construct but has existed in our mythology since time immemorial. Pushing forward from the archaic era of barbaric treatment inflicted upon a section people who did not fit into the customary societal construct to now being not just acknowledged but also taken as a source of inspiration by designers to reflect the beauty of the community in their creations.

It is although observed, that brands signalling support for the LGBTQ community is mostly reserved during the Pride month. It needs to noted that support in the purest sense stems from more than a month of rainbow banners and social media posts. It has been investigated that the brands that feature prominently during Pride month for supporting the community, do it to essentially monetize on it. Their ads will highlight “pride” merch or offer pride month discounts without actually working for the community. It is problematic since reduces the aim to amplifying queer voices and raising awareness to mere brand deals and ‘pride’ sponsorships for a month. This results in watering down the community’s resilience against oppression and also leads to rainbow- capitalism that ridicules the generations of trials and tribulations the community has fought for in order to be heard and seen.

In order to be a real and effective ally, printing slogans like “yaaaas queen” or “love wins” will not make anyone a true supporter. Fashion houses instead of creating designs which reflects hardly any style through putting the rainbow colours on clothes, they should note that those clothes are not something that attracts the community. In order to be inclusive and to attempt encouraging cross fashion they have heels and pumps with varied sizes that enables people with larger “manly” feet can wear. They can design dresses with broader shoulders making it easy for people with masculine shoulders to be able to live their fashion dreams. They can release a design encompassing dazzling, glittery and colourful patterns conveying a message that the community should not feed into their apprehensions regarding being shunned for dressing up boldly and experience the liberty to clad themselves up in clothes they only ever imagined to wear in public. It should be understood that waving the rainbow flag is a matter of true honour and pride which should only be deserved by people once they fully believe in the community’s rights on doing meaningful structural work. They should whole-heartedly get involved in the ground work that goes into lifting a century long muted group. Participating in movements, donations, campaigns as well as raising voices when there is a law which goes against the freedom of the community and lastly, not shying away from bringing some change for the betterment of the queer people given the massive influence premium fashion houses have on people and media.

How gender binary dictates fashion closets

Let's read some real stories.

A gender binary exists in fashion, and that’s a challenge for those who don’t conform. Masculine-presenting women are often destined for boys’ departments or bad fits, while people born male who transition or simply like to dress in femme clothes sometimes don’t know what to expect in sizing or from sales clerks.

As a transgender woman who began her transition about a year ago, Kylie Jack is still figuring out her fashion style, but she wanted one thing right away: well-fitting bras. Friends recommended Petticoat Fair in Austin, Texas, where she lives. The lingerie shop is known for one-on-one fittings, but Jack was denied access to the area where professionals work privately with customers after being asked if she was an anatomical female. Jack, 39, a computer interaction designer, left empty-handed and angry. She took to social media to protest. “It was unclear whether they had a consistent policy and I didn’t know what to make of it,” Jack said. The owner later apologized.

But mainstream fashion has done little to keep up with large-footed women, petite trans men, masculine-presenting lesbians or androgynous dressers in search of a decent, affordable suit.Small designers are trying to fill the gap, but often at prices not everyone can afford. In button-down shirting, for example, menswear is often oversized, tight in the chest or hips. Women’s tops may be too tight, too feminine or too short. The label Androgyny offers a signature fit with a “boob button” to minimize gaping, no darts, a slight hourglass curve at the bottom and a center box pleat in back for extra room through the chest and shoulders. The cost? $125 and up to $150 for limited editions. The toll is not always financial.

Laura Jane Grace, who fronts the punk band Against Me!, transitioned from male to female in dress onstage in 2012. At 6 foot 2, with a mostly black wardrobe worthy of a rocker, Grace recalls the days before she was “out” and on the hunt for women’s clothes. “It was always kind of terrifying, going out and actually shopping for stuff,” said Grace, who lived in small-town Florida before moving to Chicago. I can’t remember an experience where someone either didn’t look at you like you were total scum or have some kind of comment to make,” she said, adding: “People look at me like I’m a thief. There’s that attention on you from the beginning that always makes for an uncomfortable experience. People watch me from the second I walk into a store that’s not specifically like a rock ‘n’ roll store because I’m covered in tattoos.”

Asian queer designers pioneering genderless, sustainable fashion

For many queer Asians, just trying to survive is hard enough — let alone aspire to become a successful designer. Many countries in Asia have laws that criminalize same-sex relationships, and being openly LGBTQ+ is still largely taboo. Throughout the subcontinent, queer folks have been honor-killed and excommunicated, and others are harassed by not only their families and the larger public, but also by law enforcement. But recently, as fashion has emerged as a medium for the Asian queer community to embrace their identity, a new wave of fashion designers are challenging social norms and breaking barriers both within and outside the region.

These four designers that we’ve chosen to spotlight represent a small portion of a growing force of queer Asian designers who are overthrowing stereotypes in the fashion world by creating genderless labels, fighting against existing beauty norms, and modeling ethical practices in their production line. With a nod to fair-trade, sustainable fashion, these rising designers all work side-by-side with local weavers and craftspeople while upcycling materials to introduce a limited number of designer statement pieces. This is all the more important considering South Asia is home to hundreds of thousands of underpaid garment factory workers, who slog day and night to produce clothes for international fast-fashion brands in life-threatening conditions. Not to mention that some of these designer collections are modelled by everyday people, an attempt often seen as a way to tackle the region's conventional beauty standards: slim bodies and fair complexion. More than anything, these designers are using their creativity to retell their Asian stories in a new way that embraces gender inclusivity and expression of self.

Param Sahib

Param Sahib is the 30-year-old founder of Param Sahib Clothing, a brand that champions maximalist fashion. Sahib, who grew up in Delhi as an artistic kid who played with barbie dolls, considers themself “god’s wild child.” The brand is an extension of their queer personality and bold style, which focuses on unusual color combinations, textures, and patterns. After graduating college in fashion design, Sahib worked as a stylist for five years before beginning the label in 2016, which is now featured in major Indian fashion magazines such as Vogue India and worn by Bollywood celebrities.

“Being queer, I struggled with reactions, opinions, and discrimination, but with that also came a sense of self-awareness and a feeling of authenticity,” Sahib says. “This was when I realized I don’t need to hide anymore. So I began creating awareness-based work for the LGBTQ+ community through my art and designs.”

Sahib wants the brand to be synonymous with vibrant colors. When Delhi went into a lockdown, they worked with marginalized women in the metropolis to design sunglasses, generating work and income as many people lost their jobs. Right now, the designer is reusing leftover fabric to create 3D wristwatches as a surface embellishment for genderless shirts. “I’m pretty stoked about it,” Sahib says, smiling. “My goal is to design for Bollywood movies.”

Sumiran Kabir Sharma

Before becoming a designer, Sumiran Kabir Sharma was an engineering student, a period the Delhi-based creative calls “living in denial.” They were born and brought up in a rural mountain village called Mangoti in the Northern Indian region of Himachal Pradesh, where they didn’t have a support system to be a creator. After realizing their true goal in life in 2009, Sharma enrolled in a design program. “I was the college black sheep who wanted to break away from institutional boundaries,” says Sharma. “But when my graduate collection won an award in 2013, I realized that a black sheep can have space in this world.” Later in 2015, Sharma began the label Anaam (the name means “nameless” in Hindi), and it was showcased at the 2019 London Queer Fashion Show.

Sharma’s work focuses on gender neutrality, inspired by Sharma’s mother, who did labor-intensive work that was otherwise reserved for men. Anaam, the designer reuses industrial waste, rebrands old collections, and champions the coexistence of drapes and patterns, while attempting to create a public space for visibly queer people. “It’s been a difficult journey of not fitting into the binaries,” says Sharma, who’s planning to return to the mountains to work with generational weavers. “I don’t think of body parts while I design. I design for a soul.”

Rahemur Rahman

For British Bangladeshi Rahemur Rahman, his namesake fashion brand centers people, the community, and the planet. The 30-year-old designer grew up in a family of eight children in East London, where his father works as a tailor for the region's garment industry known as the rag trade. Rahman, who had a troubled childhood, is thankful for a local arts organization that encouraged him to draw, paint, make, create and finally go to college to study design.

As a queer working-class South Asian Muslim, Rahman believes he’s experienced the world and the fashion industry differently from many others. “I felt it was my duty to create change so that the next 'me' would never have to experience what I have,” says the designer, who launched his new collection Children of the Rag Trade this July, and is working with young Londoners to create an arts installation to celebrate the 50th year of Bangladesh’s independence. As a brand, Rahman and his team work together to produce naturally dyed textiles, explore kinetic pattern cutting and repurpose production waste into garments. The designer, who collaborates with artisanal craftspeople in Bangladesh to retell the histories of South Asian craftsmanship, calls the brand’s customers “rebels” against the “systems and structures in society.” “During the entire process, our focus is on the people who create these products, their wellbeing, and the impact each piece makes on the planet,” he explains.

Asians models that champion LGBTQ+ representation

We would love to spotlight the next generation of Asian transgender and non-binary fashion models that use their social voices as a launching pad to raise awareness on equal rights and self-acceptance. An industry that has now openly embraced all forms of beauty has encouraged a crop of Asian models to promote inclusivity within the conservative culture embedded in Asian society by fronting covers and campaigns.

Poyd Treechada

A trailblazer within the Thai transgender community for making a name out of pageantry. She underwent gender-affirming surgery at 17, and nothing has stopped her blooming ever since. With over 2 million Instagram followers under her belt, her commercial success goes beyond modelling with regular appearances in Thai movies and dramas.

Shine

A relatively new face in the Thai modelling industry. Shine was raised in Southern Thailand before moving to Bangkok to pursue her tertiary education. Her most significant break thus far is to have graced both the print and digital cover of Vogue Thailand’s June issue along with other transgender personalities. “It is not easy to be here because there is not enough acceptance in Thailand. But I’m trying to fight for gender equality and hope this will be a driving force for others to follow suit”, she shares.

Mild

Mild is another face who has landed herself on the digital cover of Vogue Thailand’s June Issue. Her road into modelling wasn’t easy, as she recalled weighing 98kg and took a whole year to get into shape for the open casting. She shared her gratitude for being covered by Vogue but spoke about feeling like she can do more than just talking. She dreamt about being a lawyer like her father, but she wishes to reach for fame and use the platform to address the deprived human rights within the legal framework in Thailand.