Nepalese-American fashion designer, Prabal Gurung, has announced his casting of all Asian models for his fall 2018 “Stronger in Color” ad campaign.
Allegedly dubbed by The Washington Post as the “most woke man in fashion,” Gurung has been known to use fashion as a platform for speaking out on issues of representation.
“I’ve always believed in the power of visual representation. Growing up, I never saw someone who looked like me represented in Hollywood films or fashion photos in a desirable and glamorous way (or really represented at all to be honest). I want to change this,” Gurung told HuffPost.
With his own nieces, nephews, and children that he volunteers with in mind, Gurung hopes that children will be able to “open a magazine or go on Instagram and be able to identify with the faces on the screen or in print.”
New Zealand-born designer Claudia Li, took a similar initiative earlier this year at New York Fashion Week by showcasing her Spring 2019 collection on the runway with a cast of 35 all-Asian models.
Gurung however, wants to display Asian women from across the continent, while Li’s showcase featured East Asian models. Gurung and his art director, David Moran, sought talent from Nepal, China, India, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand. Not only with just models, Gurung and Moran included photographers, stylists and makeup artists.
“It was a priority for us to represent a diverse range of Asia,” Gurung said to Fashionista. “Given our current political and social climate, I believe that strong visual representation for minority groups is more important than ever.”
Featured Image via Instagram / @prabalgurung
