A Future Interwoven

Emerging Spanish Chinese designer Yayi Chen Zhou reflects on the tapestry of her multicultural influences that define the eponymous label, weaving together identity, craftsmanship and the immigrant experience

By Cherry Mui

One profile among the semi-finalists for the prestigious LVMH Prize 2024 caught our attention due to the designer’s multicultural upbringing. Yayi Chen Zhou, the founder of her eponymous brand Ya Yi, has navigated the complexities of cultural duality across Madrid, Shanghai and New York. Moreover, through her design and craft, she explores the experiences of Asian immigrant women, weaving their stories into her work. “Growing up in a Chinese immigrant community in Madrid, I spent much of my childhood in their working spaces, usually Chinese restaurants,” recalls Chen, who lived in the Spanish capital until she was ten years old. This early exposure to cultural duality became the foundation of her creative philosophy, sparking reflections on the gaps between first-generation immigrants and their descendants. “I feel like there are many…

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Tatler Hong Kong (Digital) - 1 Issue, February 2025

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