Designer Phillip Lim and creative director Ruba Abu-Nimah are supporting the AAPI community through their initiative ‘New York. Tougher Than Ever.’
Stop Asian Hate: How Two Fashion Forces Are Fighting Anti-Asian Racism
Over the last year, racist, anti-Asian rhetoric, discrimination, and violence have dramatically surged, culminating in an Atlanta shooting last week that left eight people dead, six of whom were Asian women. Over the weekend, rallies across the country were organized in solidarity with the Asian-American community to stop Asian hate.
“As Asian-Americans we have to understand that now’s the time to activate our voices and make noise,” says Phillip Lim. The fashion designer has become a guiding force in uplifting the AAPI community, most recently as one of the leaders of Sunday’s Running for Protest event in New York City, which called for continued solidarity among Black and Asian communities against anti-Asian racism.
Last summer, in the midst of the pandemic, Phillip Lim (who leads his eponymous fashion label 3.1 Phillip Lim) and Ruba Abu-Nimah (Tiffany & Co. creative director) launched “New York. Tougher Than Ever” as a way to support underserved communities in the city. Over the past year, the initiative has pivoted to support causes close to their hearts, including the Black Lives Matter movement and the devastating Beirut explosion with a limited-edition release of t-shirts, sweatshirts, and key tags emblazoned with phrases such as “New York.Tougher than Ever” and “Beirut. Tougher Than Ever.” Presently, they’re focused on the AAPI community with a new collection of “Stop Asian Hate” key tags. 100% of the net proceeds go towards the AAPI GoFundMe, which supports grassroots AAPI organizations across the country. “I know that even when I feel strapped emotionally—physically, helpless—I know I can use this platform to do even the smallest things,” says Lim. “Because even the smallest things can affect and add up to bigger change.”
This story originally appeared on: Vogue - Author:Julie Tong
