Hmong-American Designers Infuse Cultural Values through Fashion

Many Hmong Americans of today’s generation are asserting their identities from a mixture of cultures through fashion. 

Both traditional and current culture have become vital tools in shaping character for Hmong people.

Mai Hlee Lee, a 24-year-old Hmong-American woman who just graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stout, pursued apparel design from a distinct perspective. 

“I am proud of my culture and who I am as a Hmong woman. I hope to share a brand that really shows the true techniques of my culture. I want the brand to cater to my Hmong community and elevate Hmong designs to a whole different level,” Lee says. 

Lee and her family immigrated from Thailand to Holmen, Wisconsin in 2004 when she was 6 years old. She has six siblings and is the third youngest. Lee’s older sister, Mai Nou Lee, is a first-generation student in the family, and Lee is the second to graduate from college.

Lee remembers living near a temple in Thailand and traveling hours to attend school. She emphasizes that her family tried to get them into school whenever they could. When they moved to America, school became more accessible. Like every adapting family, language and food were a couple of the struggles she experienced. 

“I wasn’t used to eating fast food, and we didn’t have a choice since we didn’t have a kitchen at first. We used to live next to McDonald’s and I remember thinking, ‘What is this? The sauce is nasty,’ that was hard,” Lee says, “Of course, language was hard too. I am grateful that I got to start learning English when I was young. For my sisters and brothers, they were already in middle school and high school, so it was a little harder for them.”  

Lee even remembers a time when she was bullied because of her looks and accent when speaking in English. 

“It was hard because I wouldn’t know what people were saying, so I think I got bullied. The kids would pull my hair because it was long, they would make fun of the way I talked, and they pushed me around. Since I didn’t know I was getting bullied, I always had a smiling face because everything was so new to me,” Lee says. 

While adjusting her life to the culture we live in today, Lee’s outlook on life is modified compared to her parents’ traditional ways.  

“The expectations of a Hmong daughter are hard because it requires you to be a good housewife and requires you to graduate school. Since I’m educated, I know that those expectations aren’t realistic. It’s hard to have my own life if I live up to those expectations,” Lee says, “I want to make my parents proud of me, but at the same time, my college major isn’t seen as successful to them. It’s hard to change their expectations to new ones that are realistic.” 

Despite her parents’ concern, Lee decided to make her own decisions and change her attitude about her identity – along with others – when she began college. 

A fashion show led by the WEAR Fashion Association (student organization) at UW-Stout was held in April to showcase the 2022 senior collections from the Apparel Design and Development program. Out of 17 designers, four of them were Hmong.  

The presentation from the four Hmong designers proved how their existing culture and new culture produced their current outlook on life and individuality.

Kennedy Lor, a 22-year-old from Menomonee Falls, presented a collection that embodied a clash of themes between the French Revolution and 1970s punk. 

“Being an Asian-American in the fashion industry is super powerful,” Lor says. 

Lor is one of the many current young adults that feel disconnected from Hmong culture but strive to build a bond. 

“I love having meaning in my work, so if I were to design something that incorporates Hmong, I would need to do more research. I don’t want to do something that I don’t know or don’t feel deeply connected to,” Lor says.  

Lor understands that in the industry, getting hired to provide more diversity for a company or brand’s reputation is common. He expresses that he hopes to become a designer that works in an authentic environment that allows him to embody his identity in the way that he wants.  

Lor challenged his creative direction by merging two different concepts in his senior collection, which eventually won him the “Favorite Senior Collection” award voted by the audience.

“I was going with the idea of suppression, being tied down, and a bit dirty,” Lor says. “I did the French Revolution and wanted to make it super pretty. However, knowing me, the real me, I’m into darker themes and anti-governmental. I feel like the government today isn’t the best, and there’s a lot of structural violence. As a designer, we should talk about deeper things.”  

Through Lor’s senior collection, he’s shown his versatile talent in reflecting his awareness and the ability to convey the beauty of being dark and combative.  

“With it being such a unique collection that took so much technical workmanship, it was something I felt really proud to be a part of and tried my best to embody the vision he had for his collection,” says Chynna Lor, a model in Lor’s collection, “His designs are very elaborate and avant-garde with a strong concept, the French Revolution, that he tied symbolically into his designs.” 

Lor also reflected his racial identity through the models that were represented in his project. 

“As an Asian American, I’m really happy to see more diversity in Stout alumni and the fashion industry. Not only Kennedy, but the other Hmong American girls who were representing his collection are so impactful for other Hmong/Asian-Americans. I hope it gives other Asian-Americans, who want to be in these creative fields, the inspiration to know that there are opportunities and possibilities for them to be a part of these industries too,” Chynna Lor says. 

Lor’s work successfully struck an impression on the audience through attentiveness to the details. The gritty, fresh and grunge logic of his designs validated his understanding of his art. 

“I hope to inspire other Asian American designers, especially for Hmong people. We don’t see a lot of them, and I feel like the existing designers are making a bigger move to show us what fashion can be,” says Lor. 

On the contrary, one designer chose to fully integrate the Hmong culture and technique into their creative work. 

Nkauj Sheng Xiong, a 28-year-old from Wisconsin, incorporated the traditional Hmong theme into her collection as well as the addition of props used in Laos and Thailand. 

Xiong was previously an apparel design student but chose to switch her major to Human Development and Family Studies. She took a focus in Women and Gender Studies after realizing the importance of mental health. However, Xiong remains passionate about her love for Hmong culture and fashion.  

“My identity is Hmong, so I take full pride in it. I have always grown up to be understanding and extra mindful of my culture. I learned how to appreciate my rich history and traditions through the art of dance,” Xiong says. 

The connection between Xiong and her culture can be described as secure because she spoke mainly Hmong at home with her family. Xiong states that she was able to learn more about her culture with her father. However, learning English was a struggle since it wasn’t used much at home. 

“I didn’t want to speak my native language because I felt like an outcast at school,” Xiong says. 

This caused Xiong to have a brief detachment from her culture and language, but she was able to slowly accept her identity again when she officially joined a Hmong dance group at six years old. Xiong explains that her dance coach taught her to listen to the lyrics of the songs to better her understanding of the dance routines. This method helped advance her knowledge of the Hmong language, and it made her feel the presence of becoming a brave and resilient daughter of the culture. 

By fully embracing the Hmong culture, Xiong gained her ambition to create fashion after she began Hmong dancing. This journey inspired Xiong to create her work which led her to win the “Favorite Underclassmen Collection” award.  

“My underclassmen collection is inspired by my dance journey as a young dancer. I became a dancer at four and a dance coach at age 12. My focus in dance is Hmong and Southeast Asian cultural dances. Dance outfits are colorful and most of the time, they are very extra! With my collection, I decided to add the colorful Hmong/Vietnamese head wraps and Hmong printed textiles to finish the look. I decided to use a metallic turquoise green because I figured it would look really good with the Hmong patterns and its shapes printed on the fabric,” Xiong says.  

Xiong’s five-piece collection demonstrates the tedious work she went through to produce her meticulous results. 

“The process of creating my collection was exhausting and challenging. I started to draft the patterns for my five models and had to continuously alter the patterns as I went because I wanted to make sure it really fit to the model’s bodies. I decided to add pompom dangles and extra beadings to my garments. Hmong clothes are all about the bright, shiny, and sparkly colors,” Xiong says, “I decided to sew five garments within a one-month timeframe. The challenge was managing my time to see how I can complete my garments within one month. My models actually helped me dangle the garments, and I continued to sew and finish patterning. The process was exhausting but very fun and rewarding!” 

Xiong brought the true Hmong culture to the runway elaborately by adding props. 

“Many of the props used in my collection are traditional daily uses back in our motherlands. We use them for many purposes, for example the qeej (musical instrument) is used for cultural celebrations during new year’s, special events and funerals. The kawm (basket) is made to help carry crops before and during harvest season or just simply carrying items inside for convenience,” Xiong says.  

Through Xiong’s work, she displayed her strong and raw connection to the Hmong culture. She allowed it to levitate and shape her positively as a creative designer. 

“I hope to one day create my very own brand and have it shown worldwide to show my Hmong pride for respectful recognition and for others to see the value of our culture,” Xiong says.  

One particular designer had a more personal conception in reflecting their identity in the collection. 

Kalia Moua, a 25-year-old from Eau Claire, was inspired deeply by her late father’s memories in the 1970s and 1980s that remained with her as carefree recollections. 

“I grew up in a big family. My mom had a total of 10 kids, and I am my parent’s youngest daughter,” Moua says, “After high school, I took a three-year break and worked. After my dad passed away in January of 2017, I decided to go back to school that Fall. I began my college journey at Chippewa Valley Technical College until Fall of 2018, I enrolled into the Apparel Design and Development program at UW-Stout.” 

Moua’s approach to her creative designs exhibits the colorful themes and funk of the disco era.  

“This entire collection was inspired by old photographs from the 70s and 80s that I have collected of my dad. He unexpectedly passed in 2017 and instead of reminiscing about the darker years of his life, I wanted to share the better and brighter years of his life. Although he’s not here to explain these photographs to me, I choose to believe these photos are proof that he was having the best time-being young, happy, and healthy,” says Moua, “My dad is my biggest inspiration and will forever be my supporter. Even after his death, I felt like he helped push me to follow my dreams and go back to school to pursue my passion for fashion design.”  

Moua states that her father passed down the determination and creativity she had throughout this project to her. 

“This is in honor of him and a reminder that he’s still alive as long as I’m alive,” says Moua. 

With that, Moua had a solid concept when the school year began last Fall and had started prototypes. She began making the final garments earlier this year. 

“The most time-consuming outfit was the beaded blazer. It was the first outfit I worked on and the last one to finish,” says Moua. 

Granting the fact that Moua’s senior collection was a remembrance of her late father, many of the styles are her personal favorites in her daily wardrobe. 

“My style and sense of fashion has really been reflected in my senior collection. I’ve always loved the 70s-80s American era of fashion. I also have an obsession with blazers and suits. I just find them to be the most appealing clothing to wear,” Moua says. 

A true role model to his family, Moua’s father completed an associate degree after moving to the United States which opened the opportunity for Moua. Branded after her father, Moua’s brand is named Sayndo which stands for the motto, “do what you say and say what you do.”  

Moua recently accepted a job at American Eagle Outfitters as an associate designer in New York City.  

“I hope my work has begun conversations and laid some groundwork for the next generation of Asian-Americans to pursue their passions. For a very long time, many Asian-Americans who have come before me had to choose between their passions and job security, therefore I hope all my achievements show that the two are not mutually exclusive,” says Moua. 

The last designer, Lee, combined Hmong culture and evening wear in her senior collection for men and women. Lee named her brand HLI CREATIONS: Hmong Luxe in hopes to convey elegance and luxury in amplifying self-identity. 

“Being Hmong is unique in a way because it brings something new into the industry. I also think being Hmong can spark a lot of interest and exposure,” Lee says, “We have our own culture, language and food, so it gives me something to share. It’s my identity.” 

The connection that Lee is creating in her designs is the relationship of Hmong culture and modern designs, specifically for formal wear.  

“I wanted to do something with wedding dresses, and at the same time, I felt very inspired by all the Hmong success in the world like (Olympic gold medalist gymnast) Suni Lee. I wanted to do a collection to accept the success so far in the Hmong community and acknowledge our hard work,” Lee says, “I also wanted to do both menswear and womenswear to show who our Hmong brothers and sisters are, and that’s why I decided to do two couple outfits that are matching in my collection.” 

At a young age, Lee made “paj ntaub” or flower cloths with her mom and sisters. She reminisces about a time when her mom didn’t allow her to embroider on regular cloth, instead of on plastic grids for practice. That became a learning experience for Lee as she utilized her embroidery skills for her senior collection. 

“I used a mix of western and Hmong techniques. You don’t see blazers in Hmong garments where they’re very tailored and have a lot of layers. The Hmong elements I added to the blazer were the mountain embroidered pattern and the coins in the back,” says Lee, “I added the long-embroidered cloth on one of the model’s dresses, and it goes all the way down to her feet. It’s a lot shorter in the traditional clothing. I also added half an embroidered Hmong belt onto one of the male’s blazer with the coins.” 

Showing representation became an important quality that Lee wants to continue to show in her present and future work. Her ethnic background became more meaningful to her during this project. 

“This to me means that we, as Hmong people, made it. It also shows the combination of my Hmong and American side. I grew up here since I came to America at a young age and had to learn the culture here. This shows both sides of my identity,” says Lee, “I’m just so happy to be able to showcase that.” 

The power of owning an ethnicity helped challenge these designers artistically and mentally, and it’s reflected outside of their creative designs. 

“This was something that I really wanted to do to help my friend empower diversity in a white-dominant school,” says Isaac Yang, a model for Lee’s collection, “Being a part of a collection that celebrates being Asian-American feels amazing as if I’m giving back to my community through exposure to our fashion. It heals a part of my soul of the past of the little boy who wished to see more of his own community being represented in the media. I hope to give that representation to the younger generation now that don’t feel seen.” 

Representation is something Asian Americans felt was a struggle for a long time. Because of that, Lee was concerned about exposure in the industry which led her to embrace her racial background seen in her project. 

“We’ve cultivated our seat at the table long before being invited to it. We have always been here. This collection shows that we are here, we’re rich, deep and hold space. We’re beautiful in our adversity, powerful beyond measure, and continue to elevate. The added displays of silver amulets, belts, and stashes created an aura of wealth and power in the room. Even the models embodied confidence and execution in walk and pose,” says Mai See Xiong, a model for Lee’s collection. 

Exposure for Asian-Americans means hope, and it is seen as a way to revive their cultures that were once hidden because they were different.  

“I feel like a lot of Asian-Americans back then didn’t want to be Asian because we were afraid of being different,” Lor says. 

Now, that perspective seems to have shifted for these designers as they welcome the differences. 

“The most important thing that I want to give our multicultural community is the exposure to our identity, history, and acceptance of our differences,” says Xiong. 

Cultural value is an ongoing process for many Hmong designers whether they incorporate Hmong elements or not. Despite losing some culture while growing up, these designers still value it as a part of their identity and in their creative work. 

“My family has come a long way from refugees to now, and I’m proud of graduating college. It’s something worth celebrating,” says Lee. 

All four designers recently graduated in the Spring class of 2022. Their achievements will continue to power the future generations and encourage the success of any kind.  

“Fashion is free and all about fun. It taught me that there are no boundaries to how you wish to create something because a simple seam is a style of fashion,” says Xiong.