Asia Society’s Women In Fashion Spotlights Asian Designers

1Cindy Yeilding and Tyler Donovan

2Lily Foster and Jie Willey

3Lily Foster and Jie Willey

4ASTC board member Nanako Tingleaf and Monjula Chidambaram

5ASTC board member Nanako Tingleaf and Monjula Chidambaram

6Brigitte Kalai

7Alice Mao Brams and Aisha Johkio

8Christina Zhou, Leela Krishnamurthy, and Peta Ledbetter

9Brigitte Kalai

10ASTC’s Bridget Bray, ASTC board member Nancy Allen, and Janae Tsai

11ASTC’s Bridget Bray, ASTC board member Nancy Allen, and Janae Tsai

12Alice Mao Brams and Aisha Johkio

13Christina Zhou, Leela Krishnamurthy, and Peta Ledbetter

14Janet Matherne and Diana Sun

15ASTC board member Glen and Kathy Gondo

16Nat and Leela Krishnamurthy

17Nat and Leela Krishnamurthy

18ASTC board member Glen and Kathy Gondo

19Betty Gee and Peggy Lun

20Betty Gee and Peggy Lun

21Janet Matherne and Diana Sun

22Megan Cung and Minh Hoang

23Julie Cogan and ASTC board member John Cogan

24Karina Barbieri

25Earlene Buggs

26Leigh Smith and Sarah Smith

27Karina Barbieri

28Julie Cogan and ASTC board member John Cogan

29ASTC’s Saleena Jafry and ASTC vice-chair Gordon Quan

30Earlene Buggs

31Zachary Foster and Sylvia Quan

32ASTC’s Saleena Jafry and ASTC vice-chair Gordon Quan

33Megan Cung and Minh Hoang

34Zachary Foster and Sylvia Quan

35Taneska Jones

36Designer/panelist Naina Shah speaks during the program

37Leigh Smith and Sarah Smith

38Brigitte Kalai, Lily Foster, and WLS committee co-chair Mandy Kao display jewelry from WLS sponsor Tiffany

39Designers/panelists Khanh Nguyen, Chloe Dao, Naina Shah, Becky Hollands, and moderator Joy Sewing

40Jenny Pallais, Jessica Candela, and Karin Jamieson

41Jenny Pallais, Jessica Candela, and Karin Jamieson

42Sheela Rao and Monjula Chidambaram

43Li Xu, WLS founding co-chair Anne Chao, and Carolyn Sabat

44Taneska Jones

45Sheela Rao and Monjula Chidambaram

46Designers/panelists Khanh Nguyen, Chloe Dao, Naina Shah, Becky Hollands, and moderator Joy Sewing

47Brigitte Kalai, Lily Foster, and WLS committee co-chair Mandy Kao display jewelry from WLS sponsor Tiffany

48Designer/panelist Khanh Nguyen during the program with students onstage behind her

49Designer Naina Shah with her work

50Designer Naina Shah with her work

51Designer Chloe Dao with her work

52Li Xu, WLS founding co-chair Anne Chao, and Carolyn Sabat

53Charlye Nichols and Madison Buble of The Southmore

54Designers/panelists Khanh Nguyen, Chloe Dao, Naina Shah, and Becky Hollands during the program

55Designer/panelist Naina Shah speaks during the program

56Designer Chloe Dao with her work

57Designer/panelist Chloe Dao speaks during the program

58Designer/panelist Khanh Nguyen and WLS committee co-chair Mandy Kao

59Designers/panelists Khanh Nguyen, Chloe Dao, Naina Shah, and Becky Hollands during the program

60Designer/panelist Chloe Dao speaks during the program

61Designer/panelist Khanh Nguyen during the program with students onstage behind her

62Charlye Nichols and Madison Buble of The Southmore

63Designer/panelist Khanh Nguyen and WLS committee co-chair Mandy Kao

64Cindy Yeilding and Tyler Donovan

‹PREVNEXT›

Four top Asian designers brought a sold-out crowd to the Asia Society Texas Center’s final Women’s Leadership Series event earlier this month. The May 17 Women in Fashion panelists included Chloe Dao, Becky Hollands, and Khanh Nguyen–all Texas-based designers–and Naina Shah, who splits her time between Mumbai and New York City.

The Q&A concluded ASTC’s third year of its flagship Women’s Leadership Series program, which focuses on women making a substantive impact in society and business and serves as a platform for influential women of Asian descent and those engaged in work that reflects the Asia Society’s mission. The Texas chapter is one of 13 Asia Society locations around the world.

Houston Chronicle fashion reporter Joy Sewing moderated the designer panel, where guests heard from Chloe Dao, the Houston-born season two winner of Project Runway and owner of an eponymous Rice Village boutique; local designer Becky Hollands, whose designs have appeared on Bravo’s Real Housewives and in the pages of Vogue; Khanh Nguyen, the Dallas designer behind the Nha Khanh label; and Naina Shah, who specializes in custom hand-embroidery and beading and embellishes designs for Gucci, Alexander McQueen, and more. 

After the panel, the party moved across the street from ASTC to The Southmore, where guests mingled with designers, viewed samples of their work, and enjoyed refreshments and music on a seventh-floor poolside deck. The next Women’s Leadership Series kicks off this fall; Mandy Kao and Y. Ping Sun chair the committee.