20 powerful Asian names in the world of fashion

Alexander Wang(31 years old)

Born in San Francisco to American and Taiwanese parents, Alexander Wang entered the fashion industry at the age of 19, working for Parsons. Soon after, with the help of his family, Alexander founded his own fashion company. In 2012, he became the creative director of Balenciaga. Recently, Alexander Wang's name took a step forward when his collaboration collection with H&M became a phenomenon.

Anna Sui(50 years old)

In the world of fashion, Anna Sui (left) creates her own unique style with eye-catching patterns and playful colors..In 2006, the Chinese-born, American designer's fashion empire was valued at $400 million by Forbes. She was named one of the "Top 5 Fashion Icons of the Decade" in 2009 and won the Council of Fashion Designers of America's Lifetime Achievement Award alongside big names like Yves Saint Laurent, Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren and Diane von Furstenberg.

Barbara Bui (58 years old)

Born in 1957 in France, the Vietnamese designer began to achieve success after opening a fashion store called "Kubuki" in the mid-1980s. She is famous for her simple, soft designs that blend many different cultures. From the 1990s onwards, Barbara Bui had her own store. In addition to clothing, she also made shoes. The Vietnamese designer's empire now covers major fashion capitals including Paris, New York, and Milan.

Derek Lam(48 years old)

The Chinese-American designer began his career as an assistant to Michael Kors in the 1990s. He was promoted to deputy design director for the fashion house. In 2003, Derek Lam launched his own brand. Two years later, he received the Council of Fashion Designers of America's "New Designer" award. In addition to clothing, Derek Lam has also had success with his footwear and jewelry lines.

Jason Wu(32 years old)

A Taiwanese-Canadian, Jason Wu has designed clothes for celebrities such as Reese Witherspoon, Julianne Moore and the first lady of the United States. In 2013, he was invited by Hugo Boss to be the creative director of the brand's womenswear line.

Jimmy Choo(66 years old)

Jimmy Choo is of Malaysian descent. His name has been associated with the famous shoe brand for many years. In 2001, Jimmy left the company but his niece Sandra Choi took over as creative director.

Kimora Lee Simmons(40 years old)

Kimora Lee Simons has been walking for Chanel in Paris since she was 14. When her modeling career fizzled out, she turned to design for Baby Phat. In 2011, Kimora became president and creative director of fashion retailer JustFab. The former model now owns a luxury fashion line called KLS.

Michael Cinco(43 years old)

The Filipino designer is famous for his fairy-tale-like evening gowns. He has worked with many big names such as Tyra Banks and Naomi Campbell. Stars such as Fergie, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga and Mischa Barton... are all fascinated by his dresses. Michael Cinco's achievements and contributions were recognized by the Asian Couture Federation in 2013 with the title "Asian Couture Genius".

Phillip Lim(41 years old)

The Chinese-American designer has an unmistakable rugged style. Starting his career in 2006, Phillip Lim is now considered one of the fastest rising names in the fashion industry over the past decade. He has won many awards from the Council of Fashion Designers of America. In 2014, Phillip Lim was chosen by Michelle Obama to wear an outfit he designed to meet the first lady of China, Peng Liyuan.

Vera Wang (65 years old)

Vera Wang was born to wealthy parents who emigrated from Shanghai to the United States. Her own wedding dress brand brought her great success in the fashion industry. Recently, Vera Wang has expanded her influence by expanding into accessories and interior design.

Vivienne Tam(57 years old)

The Hong Kong-raised Chinese designer has made her mark on the fashion world with her fusion of Eastern and Western styles. Her boutiques are found in major cities around the world. Besides making clothes to sell, Vivienne Tam’s fashion influence extends to film and technology.

Bhumika Arora(23 years old)

Possessing a distinctly masculine face, it took Bhumika Arora four years to gain a foothold in the international modeling industry. Currently, she is a favorite face of Vera Wang and Fendi.

Chriselle Lim(29 years old)

She is the fashion and style director of Genlux magazine. She started her career as a stylist and blogger. Chriselle's fashion blog, "The Chriselle Factor," launched in 2011 and is now one of the most visited websites for girls looking for style advice.

Devon Aoki(32 years old)

She is one of the shortest models ever to appear on the catwalk with a height of 1.61 m. Devon Aoki has walked for many big fashion houses such as Chanel, Versace. Besides her modeling career, the Japanese-born face has also participated in many famous movies: "Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift" and "Sin City".

Godfrey Gao(31 years old)

The Taiwanese actor and model was one of the first Asian faces to appear in a Louis Vuitton campaign in 2011. He has also been invited to model for many other major brands.

Liu Wen (27 years old)

She was one of the first Chinese models to walk the Victoria's Secret runway. In addition to walking for the famous lingerie brand, Liu Wen has signed contracts with a series of major fashion houses including Balenciaga, Chanel, Givenchy. She is also one of the first Asian faces to represent the famous cosmetics company Estee Lauder.

Park Ji Hye (27 years old)

Born in 1988, the Korean girl joined a modeling academy in Seoul. A few years later, Park Ji Hye started her professional modeling career in the world market. She became one of the 9 most famous Korean models today. Park Ji Hye once performed forRalph Lauren, Dolce & Gabbana, Oscar de la Renta, Calvin Klein, Kenzo, Hermes, Elie Saab, Christopher Kane, Erdem...

Park Soo Joo(29 years old)

The Korean-American model stands out from the crowd of Asian faces with her blonde hair. Although she is only 26 years old and just starting her career, Soo Joo has already attracted a lot of attention from major brands including Jean Paul Gaultier, Moschino, Oscar de la Renta... Recently, she became the first Asian-American model to become the face of a major cosmetics company.

Park Sung Jin (30 years old)

Originally an art student, Park Sung Jin got into modeling by chance. However, after working in Korea for a while, he realized that there were too few opportunities for him in this market, so he decided to move to the US. Not long after, Park became the "darling" of Marc Jacobs, Calvin Klein, and DKNY.

Tao Okamoto(30 years old)

The Japanese model is known to the public for her role in the movie "The Wolverine". However, before that, she was also a famous name in the world fashion industry. Tao Okamoto has modeled for a series of big fashion houses such as Alexander Wang, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors, Miu Miu, Ralph Lauren and Yves Saint Laurent. In 2009, Tao created a "bowl" hair craze when she performed for Phillip Lim. Tao Okamoto's face is not only sought after by the fashion world but also helps her catch the eye of many directors. Recently, Tao continued to expand into films with projects such as "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice", "Haninibal", "Crossroads".