How the ‘Slaysians’ became an inspiring pop culture movement: Tina Leung, Phillip Lim, Prabal Gurung, Laura Kim and Ezra J. William share a love for food, fashion – and Asian representation
Prabal Gurung, Laura Kim, Tina Leung, Phillip Lim and Ezra J. William all share a love for food, fashion and Asian representation advocacy. Photo: @troublewithprabal/Instagram
They’re part of a dominating generation of Asian designers, influencers and socialites who have, over the past 10 to 15 years, succeeded in an industry that’s notoriously difficult to get into. Prabal Gurung, Laura Kim, Tina Leung, Phillip Lim and Ezra J. William are the “It” fashion squad of New York and have even coined a name for themselves: the “Slaysians”.
But how did they get here? Considering their individual power and influence in the fashion world, it was only going to be a matter of time before the “Slaysians” bumped into each other … but they certainly didn’t share champagne shooters. Turns out, all it took was a flashy movie to transform the Asian fashion community.
Here’s what you need to know …
The Slaysians’ origins
The “Slaysians” are considered among the most fashionable icons of New York. Photo: @ezrajwilliam/Instagram
It was through mingling in the same fashion circles, sharing friends and working in the same buildings as far back as 2004 (when Gurung and Kim first met, per Elle) that saw the early rumblings of the Slaysians. But the crew really cemented their friendship in 2018 with the release of Crazy Rich Asians. According to Elle, Gurung had attended a private viewing of the hit flick and requested a screening where he played host to fellow Asians in the fashion industry.
Prabal Gurung attended a private viewing of Crazy Rich Asians in 2018, where he met some of Hollywood’s most prominent Asian stars. Photo: @troublewithprabal/Instagram
The same report states that prominent Asian figures including Carol Lim, Claudia Li, Dao-Yi Chow and Humberto Leon all attended. Gurung said it was a breakthrough moment where Asian creatives gathered for a cause and not profit – and they bonded over it. The screening turned into home-cooked dinner nights. It created a powerful squad that eventually stood united in the face of the bias and racial prejudice they had experienced in their careers, states the same source.
Exposing bias and interrogating an unfair “normal”
The Slaysians bond over fashion and food. Photo: @ezrajwilliam/Instagram
After bonding over their love of fashion (and food) the group quickly named themselves the Slaysians. It was at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw a rise in anti-Asian sentiment globally, that strengthened their friendship even more, states Elle. In an interview with the publication, the friends said they took to the streets during the Black Lives Matter protests and helped create jobs when the pandemic started.
Prabal Gurung has opened up on the importance of tearing down the model minority myth. Photo: @troublewithprabal/Instagram
Speaking about racial bias in the fashion industry, Gurung has said that there is a narrative of celebrating minorities only when they’re excellent, which in turn means those minorities are simply there for entertainment. The group are here to open conversations around this “normal” model minority myth.
Bonding in business
Using the ethos of strength in unity, the Slaysians have made it a priority to attend each other’s shows and cheer for each other’s successes. Phillip Lim told Elle that it is through these actions that the message of “we’re not competitors, we’re not what you are trying to do to us” rhetoric is destroyed.
Prabal Gurung, Laura Kim, Tina Leung, Phillip Lim and Ezra J. William are known as the “Slaysians”. Photo: @ezrajwilliam/Instagram
Not only are they showing up for each other, they swap tips about which factories and buyers to work with, per the same source. In short, they help each other out, rather than tear each other down.
House of Slay
House of Slay was created to promote Asian representation in media. Photo: @houseofslay/Instagram
The group have become so influential that a web comic book series based on the five Asian best friends was launched. House of Slay tells the story of the group whose aim is to fight the God of Darkness. The New York Times reports that the friends started speaking about whether they should launch a joint product when Michael Chow, a friend to Lim, asked if they’d be interested in turning their lives into a comic book.
Given the opportunity to raise awareness and speak openly about issues affecting their community, the Slaysians couldn’t say no.
The 5 Slaysian fashionistas have run in the same circles for some time now, but properly cemented their bond in 2018 after a private premiere of Crazy Rich Asians
Sharing similar experiences of racial prejudice in the industry, the squad united to stand up for Asian representation, which led to the launch of web comic book series House of Slay
