In today's political climate, it is increasingly important to recognize that the diversity in style and fashion is largely attributed to a variety of cultures. Fashion would be nothing without the influence of immigrants that show up and show out — with style — in positions from underpaid tailors to respected designers.
Recently, there has been widespread outrage over popular brands and TikTok stealing from immigrant fashion and calling it new. This allows big corporations to profit off immigrant identities without providing due credit. Additionally, it takes away from the authenticity of consumers and the market at large. Combating this with real cultural appreciation is essential — let's take a look at some designers that are doing just that.
1. Kim Shui
Kim Shui is a Chinese-American designer who was raised in Rome and is currently based out of New York. Her eponymous label re-imagines traditional Chinese pieces and silhouettes through a bold, modern lens. She does this by incorporating sheer fabrics, body-hugging cuts and delicate lace trim.
Her garments are both an homage to cultural heritage and a defiant reinvention of it, asserting the right to evolve tradition on one's own terms.
2. Ashish Gupta
Ashish Gupta is a London-based designer, originally from India, who crafted his label with upcycled vintage sarees, pajama suits and robes with a pop of color and chaos.
By combining Indian textile aesthetics with Western runway fashion, Gupta makes a statement on identity and inclusion — using fashion as his canvas for political expression. By merging traditional Indian craft with contemporary silhouettes and designs, he celebrates cultural hybridity.
3. Edvin Thompson
Edvin Thompson is a Jamaican born, New York-based designer. He built his brand, Theophilio, to merge Caribbean heritage with New York streetwear and nightlife culture. His collections are maximalist celebrations of color, texture and identity. He blends traditional Caribbean patterns and motifs with bold, sculptural silhouettes, and his work is as much about storytelling as it is about style, speaking to the experience of immigrants.
4. Nabel Martins
Nabel Martins is a Venezuelan‑Portuguese fashion designer based in Paris whose label intricately combines Latin-American culture with European couture. She regularly shows collections during Paris Fashion Week, interweaving elements of her Venezuelan heritage with refined tailoring. These garments reflect her immigrant roots and solidify her place in the global fashion capital.
5. Willy Chavarria
Willy Chavarria is a New York-based Mexican-American designer whose brand blends trending, oversized silhouettes with tailoring, workwear influences and references to Chicano culture. His collections celebrate identity, community and resistance by combining elements of Mexican-American heritage with modern American aesthetics.
It is important to continue highlighting designers that celebrate their identities in unique, authentic ways. This process shines the spotlight on designers, stylists, models and critics who share their perspective and work in a space where they feel respected and valued for their craft.
As the fashion community grows to recognize designers instead of fashion houses, and encourages young designers to share their talents, we must include more immigrants in this growth. That way, we can cultivate a truly diverse and novel era of fashion.
