Photographs by Michelle Lee Photography
Coalesce Fashion Week MN
Coalesce is a collective of nine designers and nearly 100 production and creative volunteers from the AAPI community.
A Twin Cities makeup artist, Mao Xiong's work takes her backstage at local fashion shows where she's witnessed the growth of the local design community. But when it comes to her own community of Asian Americans, she thought representation on the runway was lacking. Xiong decided to do something about it. She and fellow creative Kara Doucette, a chef specializing in Korean cuisine, came up with the idea of producing an event that would showcase Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) talent from fashion to music to food. Called Coalesce, their inaugural fashion show—the first of its kind in the Twin Cities—takes place Saturday at Allianz Field, capping Fashion Week Minnesota.
A testament to the hunger for cultural diversity in the arts, Coalesce is already sold out. But the show will livestream at fashionweekmn.com.
More than a show, Xiong says she wants Coalesce to be a collective, building a movement for AAPI creatives that will lead to future events. The inaugural fashion show will feature nine designers, each bringing four to 12 pieces to the runway. Not only did co-producers aim for a wide range of designers and backgrounds, but they plan for the collections to be shown together, rather than as distinct lines—as is typical in many multi-designer shows—further accentuating the spirit of collaboration.
Behind the scenes, nearly 100 volunteers have been working to bring the collective to life, including the creative lead team, makeup artists, hair stylists, mixed-media artists, and models.
“It's really great to see that a lot of these creatives and a lot of our team members, they took a chance on us,” says Xiong. “And we wouldn't be able to do it without them—it wouldn’t be something people would want to come see without everyone that's involved.”
In the week leading up to the show, Xiong and Doucette described the community reception to be extremely validating, especially as the show sold out both its general admission and VIP front-row tickets.
“It's a show where we really just want a lot of positivity and representation. And with that, there's like some anxiety because we want to do it right,” says Doucette. “But so far, people have just been so encouraging and rather than skeptical or judgmental, so just having that positivity really motivates me.”
Meet the designers and get a sneak peek of their runway designs.
1 of 9
M.HEURH Designs
Mai See Heurh Vue bases her brand M.HEURH Designs in the Twin Cities and hopes to teach fashion design in the future. Her collection, Super Nova, mixes masculine and feminine elements and draws inspiration from black space and the chaos and beauty that takes place when a massive star experiences a luminous stellar explosion.
2 of 9
Jocii Designs
Jocelyn Yang is a Hmong American fashion designer specializing in formal wear, with a focus on sustainability and inclusive fashion. Through her brand Jocii Designs, she offers a variety of product categories such as jewelry, sustainable upcycled or repurposed garments, and made-to-measure formalwear. Jocelyn will be presenting her Radiance collection, inspired by royalty and elegance with a hint of historical dress, Hmong motifs, and modern fashion.
3 of 9
Femme Retale
Tokyo-born Hikari Nakane founded Femme Retale in 2020 after more than a decade of experience in corporate jobs and mentoring young adults and BIPOC women. Built to employ women in an alternative business model that centers on ethics, sustainability, and relationships, Femme Retale will debut an upcycled and restyled, non-traditional line that plays with how colors move through clothes.
4 of 9
Sonu Lane
Sonu Lane is a current senior at the University of Minnesota studying apparel design and retail merchandising. Her vision is to create a brand that centers on South Asian culture in daily wear but also bridges the gap between traditional labels and cultural norms. Lane will be showcasing a capsule collection of modern silhouettes with an incorporation of Indian textiles.
5 of 9
Allison Pham
Allison Pham is a Vietnamese American designer based in Minnesota, grounding her design methodology in her culture. Her collection is inspired by the legend of the four sacred animals - the dragon, unicorn, phoenix, and turtle—with each animal representing peace, grace, luck, and wisdom. Each piece will be inspired by an animal and ties in elements from traditional Vietnamese clothing.
6 of 9
Debbie Xiong
Debbie Xiong is a designer based in Orange County, California, and has been sewing, designing, and creating since she was six years old. Her collection, Willow, tells a story of love, loss, grace, and freedom. The line is also a tribute to her late grandmother and her vibrant life story featuring her losses and strength.
7 of 9
Moosa Clothing
Zahra Moosa is a student, model, and stylist. Kickstarting her brand Moosa Designs in the summer of 2021 with a nudge from her mother, Moosa seeks to represent the versatility of Somali culture. Her collection at Coalesce will focus on garments that are modest and vibrant while tying in elements from Somali fashion.
8 of 9
TRIN Collective
Trinity Vang is a Hmong American who derives her creative work and inspiration from the Hmong diaspora. A model, stylist, and advocate for her community, Vang founded TRIN Collective with the aim to promote ethical sustainability. Trin Collective will be showcasing its first-ever styled collection, NPAU SUAV, which translates to dream in English and is inspired by the inner child of a Hmong girl.
9 of 9
Melevated
MiMi Nguyen is originally from the Twin Cities but had moved to Los Angeles, creating everything from red carpet gowns to high-end streetwear with her brand Melevated. Now back in the Twin Cities, Nguyen is planning to open a studio in south Minneapolis with her line celebrating the rewarding process of planting her roots down in Minnesota again and connecting with clients.
Coalesce will be live-streamed on the Fashion Week MN website. A full tape of the show will also be publicly released and edited by a team of AAPI videographers.
