Snoqualmie Casino, in partnership with Kevin Stewart Productions, organized the Miss Northwest Asian Pacific Contest, a cultural pageant. It took place on Jan. 16 at the Snoqualmie Casino.

The goal of the event was to bring all Asian ethnicities together and share in the uniqueness of each respective culture.

Of the many women who auditioned, 24 contestants were chosen. The top eight winners earned monetary prizes that ranged from $500 to $5,000 while the rest of the contestants received $100.

The contestants modeled traditional gowns, evening gowns, and sportswear.

CAPTIONS: 1. Contestants of the Miss Northwest Asian Pacific Contest pose in the traditional gowns of their respective cultures. 2. Yuanyuan “Carol” Sykes (second place). 3. Pia Gillan smiles after she is crowned the winner. 4. Pia Gillan 5. Jenny Kim Nguyen (sixth place) 6. Kathryn Ngo (seventh place) 7. Rebecca Chung (third place) 8. Trang “Amy” Nguyen (fifth place) 9. ToQuynh Truong (fourth place) 10. Alam Park (eighth place)

Photos by Kevin Stewart Productions

Thai Nguyen (Photo provided by BravoTV.com)

By Vivian Luu
Northwest Asian Weekly

If he had listened to his parents, fashion designer Thai Nguyen would have become an accountant.

Instead of crunching numbers, Nguyen spends his days creating couture at Thai Nguyen Couture in Orange County. From evening gowns and bridal gowns to ready-to-wear lines, he immerses himself in each step of the process.

Sketching new pieces, picking fabrics, fitting his models, and selling couture is nothing new to this up-and-coming designer.

What’s new is Nguyen’s role as a fashion expert in “Launch My Line,” a series that premiered on Bravo TV Dec. 2. Serving as an adviser to fashion critic Merle Ginsberg, the duo designed pieces of couture in hopes of winning a deal to launch Ginsberg’s clothing line.

Nguyen says he was very lucky to have been paired with Ginsberg because they have similar tastes in style.

“The first instance we met each other, we knew what we wanted to do,” he said. “What I want and what she wants is one idea. I finish her sentences. That’s how compatible we were.”

The show was as real as reality TV gets, Nguyen added. He loved every second of it — even the stressful parts. Read the full story

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama wait to welcome India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur to the State Dinner at the North Portico of the White House in Washington on Nov. 24. (Photo by Charles Dharapak/AP)

By Samantha Critchell
The Associated Press

First lady Michelle Obama chose to wear a gleaming silver-sequined, cream-colored gown last Tuesday night to the first state dinner held by her husband’s administration. She was tending to her hostess duties in a strapless silhouette with the beads forming an abstract floral pattern that was custom-made by Naeem Khan. She wore a matching wrap, a stack of bangle bracelets on her wrist, and dangling earrings.

The guests of honor at the dinner were Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife, Gursharan Kaur, making Obama’s choice of the Indian-born, U.S.-based designer seem appropriate.

For a preview of the event, Obama wore a skirt by Rachel Roy, also an Indian American. “That gave us a preview that she was going to use clothes to convey a meaning,” said Mary Tomer, author of the new book, “Mrs. O: The Face of Fashion Democracy.”

“They were really thoughtful choices,” she said. Read the full story

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By Nina Huang
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Atsui Tokyo

Jay Doughten opened Atsui Tokyo, a Japanese fashion clothing store located at 90 Madison Street, almost two years ago. “My interest [in Japanese fashion] piqued by spending time in Japan with my wife and respecting the amazing fashion-driven society as well as reading many Japanese magazines,” Doughten explained.

Inspired by the culture, he decided to open up a store downtown. He and his Japanese wife, Masako, felt that there was potential in Seattle because there was interest in Japanese fashion and Japanese products. ‘Atsui’ is Japanese for ‘hot.’

Atsui’s focus is on the up-and-coming Japanese designers, premium denim, and quality Japanese products. Doughten said that his store carries many mainstream Japanese labels such as Tiny Dinosaur and Hysteric Glamour.
“The common focus is that all our labels have the concept of quality fabric and the make provided by Japanese artisanship,” he said.

In fact, Doughten and his wife are so committed to selling quality products that they travel to Japan several times a year to meet directly with designers and companies. They hand-pick the different items that they want to offer in their store, and hope that their customers and friends appreciate them as much as they do.

He emphasized that Atsui has no particular type of customer, only those who appreciate their Japanese products and services. The store also offers necessities such as men’s underwear, women’s leggings, and a variety of accessories.

The store launched a Web site in February 2008, which allows people from all over the world to purchase their items. According to Doughten, they regularly ship to Europe and Canada, and have even shipped back to Japan on multiple occasions because their products are so popular.

“As for our future, we are going to continue to grow by adding new labels and products, and continue to increase our online items,” Doughten said.

He also said that the store will be launching a new Japanese raw denim line called Enduring Goods later this summer and is currently working with Johnbull, a Japanese fashion label that features artisanship in denim and outerwear.

Malia Peoples

On the opposite side of the Japanese fashion spectrum, Malia Peoples is a multi-racial (Chinese-Hawaiian-German-Irish) fashion designer who creates her own Japanese-inspired clothing. She said, “Japanese fashion occurs when a person expresses their own take on a style and owns it without apology. … Japanese street fashion is inspired, head-turning, and even downright bizarre at times. Nonetheless, it results in a sometimes dainty, sometimes sexy, and always spot-on look.”

Read the full story

By Jacklyn Tran
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

As Alfred Lape strolled the walkways of UW as a student, it wasn’t the department he was headed toward that indicated his passion in life. It was what he did while walking between classes that was telling. Instead of his head being stuck in a book, he was lost in his yarn and knitting needles, weaving together his latest concept of a hat. Ambling along the stone paths that so many others had taken at the university, Lape at the time was unaware he would soon be creating his own trail.

Today, 26-year-old Lape is a creative director, visionary, owner, and the soul behind LAVSH, a premium men’s fashion line. He has foregone the idea of using his history degree to base his career, opting instead for the opportunity to make his own mark in fashion history.

During high school and college, Lape studied the style of others in magazines and videos from all over the world, used his knitting and crocheting as a way to release creative energy and relieve stress.

When he enrolled in an introduction to apparel construction class at Seattle Central Community College, he had no idea he would leave the class with much more than basic sewing skills. There he met his instructor-turned-mentor, Jacque Goldsmith, an experienced seamstress who has worn many hats in the fashion industry throughout her 25-year-and-counting career.

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By Peter Jo
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Americans spend millions of dollars on skin care products each year in the hope of recapturing a youthful luster. A 30-day supply of skin products can range from $20 to $250, depending on the product.

While lotions, creams, toners, or light treatments may have some effect in improving appearance, none have long-term efficacy. There is only one method for this, and it is rejuvenating your skin from the inside out.

I would like to present a different way of thinking about skin care. I realize that many of us want a quick fix with a bottle of cream. Unfortunately, skin health, much like heart, bone, or brain health, is dependent on many variables, and a decline in skin appearance is usually a signal of unhealthy internal factors. So let’s take a step back and look at the big picture of skin care.

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By Ryan Pangilinan
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Whether it’s a carefully disheveled thick mane or a sleeker, longer style, Asian hair has evolved into a unique cultural force. Across the United States — and definitely here in Seattle — many salons have specialized in styling Asian hair and providing cuts that are native to trends in Asia.

“[Chain salons] are not aware of the trends,” said Euri Song. Song is a hair stylist at Salon Juno, which is located in the Uwajimaya Village in the International District.

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By Vivian Nguyen
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

He designs his white dresses so they symbolize destiny and fate, but the way Kiko Rodriguez fell into the Seattle fashion scene was pure chance.

Born and raised in Manila, Philippines, Rodriguez grew up watching extravagant beauty pageants and fashion shows. Influenced by the dresses he saw, Rodriguez developed an interest in women’s formal wear and started to work on his own sketches as a hobby.

When he entered high school, a friend who worked in illustration saw his work and encouraged him to pursue a career in design.

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By Yoon S. Park
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

When one thinks of fashion, cities such as Milan, Paris, London, Tokyo, and New York immediately come to mind.

Where does Seattle fit into that mix? According to local boutique owner Michelle Kim, Seattle fashion is — in a word — safe. It’s safe both in style and color, with the local uniform composed mainly of “Ugg boots, 7 [for All Mankind] jeans, and a North Face jacket.”

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By Ryan Pangilinan
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Flipping through fashion magazines, it’s apparent that male Asian American

models aren’t very prevalent. There are the typical stereotypes that ac-company the stigma of being a male model — a thin, muscular body and usually, white skin. When there are ethnic models, they are usually Black.

This uneven balance provided by advertisers and fashion designers can create a problem for young API men. Not only are they seldom seen as models in the American market, but the lack of visibility can create a confusing sense of identity for an Asian male.

Go into any shopping mall in Seattle and the looks will vary from someone wearing baggy clothes that emulate the Hip Hop aesthetic to someone wearing designer clothes. There are also some who have closets full of polo-styled shirts, blazers, and form-fitting pants.

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By Evangeline Cafe
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

Spring may be upon us, but the clouds of recession still linger, and keeping up with the latest trends may not be a top priority for those struggling to pay bills. The good news is that there are easy ways for even the tightest penny pincher to be à la mode this season.

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