Designer Yayi Chen was born and raised in Madrid, Spain to immigrant parents who originated from Southern China. Being immersed in two distinct cultures of different intrinsic values, she found her passion in challenging fashion norms by exploring women with multicultural identities. After Parsons School of Design and Central Saint Martins, Chen introduced her graduate collection, “in tran · sient,” which included symbolic elements of Chinese restaurant interiors as well as references to a Spanish mantilla — demonstrating her multicultural identity. Here, Chen tells us how she stays true to her dual heritage and her advice for students and emerging designers on how to find their own voices.

Yayi, tell us more about yourself.

I am a fashion designer and artist currently based in New York City. Through my research and creation, I envision to challenge the traditional interpretations of fashion by exploring women with multicultural identities as seen throughout history, hoping to raise awareness on more women minorities under globalization.

I was born and raised in Madrid, Spain, in a traditional Chinese immigrant family originated from the Southern part of China. Similar to many other second and third generation immigrants from 90s Europe, I grew up spending most of my childhood time in their working space, the Chinese restaurant. After I was eight, I began to live and study back and forth between Shanghai and Madrid following. I came to New York City in 2014, alone, to begin my university studies and pursue my design career.

Does your family have any traditions that are especially important to you?

Owning a family-oriented business like a restaurant required my family to work as a whole. Maintaining a harmonious and supportive relationship to sustain the same career burden between family members was the key tradition for most families at that time. The sad part was, I eventually realized that this tradition became the constraint and sacrifice to the personal aspirations of members within many immigrant families. Luckily, my career choices were always respected by my parents

Are there any specific past instances tied to your heritage that have influenced you today?

My family always insisted I learn their mother tongue, Chinese, both language and its culture. They believed that one should never forget one’s roots. I remember they always sent me to weekend schools organized by Chinese immigrant communities in Spain. I refused in the very beginning, but today, I am very thankful for my trilingual upbringing and learning experience which gave me the opportunity to appreciate and question the values and art forms from very distinct cultures.

How do you incorporate/stay true to your heritage while modernizing and making your heritage your own in the work you do?

The countless cultural contrasts that I encountered through my life often made me reflect on my personal identity as a women and the identity of the community I grew up in, which I believe fostered my ability to interpret the art world through multiple lense. Using my collection “ in tran . sient ” as an example, I incorporated the traditional Qipao garment details and floral symbols with restaurant interior adornments derived from my family album. The beaded bodysuits and masks worn underneath the garments were made with European lace (sponsored by Solstiss) referencing the Spanish mantilla as my second “cultural skin.” Multiple cultural symbols together with modern art forms interplay in my work to express the complexity and impermanency that lives within immigrants’ identity.

As a recent fashion graduate, what advice would you give to encourage student to emerging designers to stay true to their identities as being a part of the Asian American community?

Growing up as one of the few immigrant children in my community, I witnessed younger generations from Asian immigrant families refusing to accept their heritage simply because of their fear from being perceived as outsiders due to their distinct appearance and accent. I experienced the same until I started to create a voice through my work. I learned that one could only empower the self by respecting your true heritage and difference.

I see that you are very into working with cross-disciplinary fields of fashion. How have you been able to work your background and culture in these spaces?

Coming from a similar cross-cultural background, my artist collaborator Cathy Mou and I came across with the concept of “ in transient, ” inspired by our mothers’ experience as participants of the first wave of southern Chinese immigration to Europe during the 80s and 90s. [This] became a collaborative collection of fashion, performance and film which questioned the overlooked and objectified labouring body of women in the immigrant community. The collection also explores the poetic relationship between these women’s invisible social identity and their impermanent home and working space, the Chinese restaurant. My garments and accessories in collaboration with accessory designer Hau Yin Andree Kong are heavily adorned with mounting drop beads, flaring fringes and decorative knit jacquards which enhances the objectification of immigrant women’s bodies. Through the collaborative process that I have approached together with a community of fine artists and designers obtaining similar diasporic and multicultural backgrounds, we aimed to use our collective voice to empower the immigrant women that still remain invisible today, not only in the western society, but also in individual immigrant family systems.

What does Asian American Pacific Heritage Month mean to you?

A chance for Asian American communities to celebrate their heritage and to remember the overlooked labouring and creative efforts of immigrants.

Do you think the fashion industry is changing in regards to inclusivity? Where can we continue to do better?

I definitely see that the fashion industry has been much more inclusive to different races, sizes, gender, and disadvantaged communities in the [last few] years. I suggest encouraging more community collaboration within niche markets, emphasizing more on inclusivity through education and public media.