Two Southeast Asian Fashion Designers to Watch For
photo: Emmenjaan.com
by Zara Khan
It is the most important rule of fashion to find the piece that nobody has. People are constantly looking for brands that are different and unique. They want something that stands out. I’ve found the easiest way to find these pieces is to go to your mom or dad’s closet - vintage right? But how do we search for unique pieces further outside of our own closets that we have access to?
The answer is simple. Looking at up and coming brands, small shops, and diverse places. Today I want to highlight two brands doing their work in mainstream and ethnic fashion.
photo: @rastahofficial
Recently, I stumbled upon a girl’s website that displayed art she made. From animated sweatshirts to drawings of diaspora, she made and sold everything. Similarly, scrolling through instagram, I found this high fashion brand using traditional Pakistani embroidery and designs to create streetwear. Both of these collections reminded me of an in between cultural experience - the idea of still wanting to represent your ethnicity, but still trying to embody Western fashion.
EMMEN JAAN
Emmen Jaan is a small shop but the pieces are exquisite. Emmen Jaan’s website features handmade embroidered sweatshirts and t-shirts filled with different graphics. It is a mix of street style with an ethnic incorporation. It is a lowkey find, hard to come across, but once you do it will be hard to not come back. A treasure in itself.
RASTAH
Rastah is making headlines in the fashion world. The Pakistani street style elevates the hoodie, adding motifs and designs that are bold and rare in mainstream fashion. Rastah has been featured on Hypebeast and Vogue - showing that they have really made a place for themselves in the fashion industry.
