They fight anti-Asian hate as superheroes in comic House of Slay. For AAPI Heritage Month, they want to encourage their US community to vote

Prabal Gurung, Phillip Lim, Laura Kim, Tina Leung and Ezra William created a digital comic starring Asian superheroes who fight anti-Asian crime

The five have been asked by AAPI Victory Fund to help create and promote a line of clothing aimed at encourage Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders to vote

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Four of the creators of digital comic series House of Slay. The five-member team has collaborated with a political committee to make a clothing line to encourage voter turnout within the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community in the US. Photo: Getty Images

Published: 7:15am, 26 May 2022

In light of a rise in attacks towards Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities in the US, a new superhero league was formed in November 2021 when five friends – all household names in fashion – joined forces.

The league of Slaysians is made up of designers Prabal Gurung and Phillip Lim, Oscar de la Renta and Monse creative director Laura Kim, influencer Tina Leung, and socialite Ezra William, and they are the stars of digital comic series House of Slay.

The series sees the squad go on a journey to fight a cruel tyrant whose strength grows as racially motivated cases increase.

The tale acknowledges the heritage and cultural backgrounds of every member of the gang. Each tells their story as a way to connect with readers who may feel out of place or scared.

House of Slay founders Phillip Lim, Laura Kim, Ezra William, Prabal Gurung and Tina Leung.

“[The fashion industry] is quite cliquey and segregated, even though it’s very small. So, during the pandemic, we decided to change the narrative,” Lim says in a video interview. “We centred ourselves as the protagonists and took away the narrative that we’re always competing with each other or that we’re divided.”