Prabal Gurung’s superpower is his ability to control other people’s minds. Phillip Lim of 3.1 Phillip Lim can form a protective shield, and Oscar de la Renta’s Laura Kim can transport herself and her pals anywhere they want to go. Together, the designers with their friends and fellow superheroes, the stylist and social media influencer Tina Leung and restaurateur Ezra J. Williams, are the House of Slay. Last month, the fearsome fivesome hosted a coming-out party at Chinese Tuxedo that was also a launching pad for a digital comic book starring their alter egos that hits the internet this Thursday, November 11.
Modeled on traditional comic books with a nod to ballroom culture, the weekly series will follow the #Slaysians, as they also call themselves, on their adventures as they combat anti-Asian hate and build community. The tagline: “Alone, each of you can be broken. But together you make a radiant fist.”
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Growing up, the House of Slay founders didn’t see people like themselves as superheroes. Still, says Gurung, there’s a relationship between the comic book and the immigrant experience. “As immigrants we’re supposed to assimilate, to hide our identity. We have to keep ourselves down,” he explains. “Comics are the one chance where we can be our powerful selves. It’s also the easiest way for people to understand an experience.” Issue one, which has been developed with XRM Media and Einhorn’s Epic Productions, alongside writer Jeremy Holt and illustrators Kevin Wada, Soo Lee, and Kimi Lee, finds Gurung and co. tapping into their superpowers in a speakeasy not all that unlike the vibe at Chinese Tuxedo.
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IRL, the five were all acquainted pre-COVID, but through the pandemic their friendship solidified. Lim uses the term found family. “We came together through food—we all have that deep-rooted in common in our cultures and our DNA—and also the celebration of community.” You could say the House of Slay owes a debt to the success of Crazy Rich Asians. Gurung hosted a screening in 2018; “it was the first movie that unapologetically celebrated how we look,” he remembers. As anti-Asian violence escalated during the lockdowns, the group started thinking: Why not channel our influence and storytelling skills into a project that shines more positive light on our cultures?
“When COVID happened and our communities started being attacked, we already had a safety net within our family here,” says Lim. “But we thought that if we didn’t do something about this [the attacks], if we didn’t say, ‘we’re not a trend, we’re not your stereotype, we’re not your model minority myth,’ then we could’ve disappeared at any point—even in fashion. We can be very frank,” he continues, “we’re constantly treated as a trend. One time we’re in, next time, it’s another community. It really shouldn’t be that way; we should all make up the community of fashion. So we thought we should build a house that invites all in—all communities.”
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As the series continues, public figures and friends from the world of fashion and beyond could make cameos. And as with any superhero saga, there will be merch. But the logo sweatshirts, tees, and caps available on the House of Slay site are just the beginning. Lim says the goal is to build House of Slay into a social impact brand. Down the line, there will be a philanthropic angle, and possibly, “film, tv, food, collectibles, lifestyle,” but the point now is just to “show up,” and assume roles not traditionally occupied by the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. “When we first started in fashion, Prabal, myself, Laura, Jason Wu, all of us,” Lim begins, “in no other industry was there such a large grouping of creatives that were disrupting what it means to be an American. Fast-forward 10, 12, 15 years later, it takes the fashion industry to do it again.” The #Slaysian hashtag has racked up about 10,000 posts on Instagram. Imagine what they could do with a partner like Marvel.
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Kim, who co-designs Monse in addition to Oscar de la Renta, has never read a comic book in her life. She prefers cooking and painting to superheroes, but she was 100% game to put on a cape. She requested white because it’s not a color she wears in real life. “When we started talking about it, I liked the idea, because I felt like as a group of five friends we could do much more than I could do on my own. I do feel very empowered together.”
“It’s based on our friendships,” adds Gurung, “our flaws, our fabulousness—the way we slay.”
Editor
Nicole PhelpsCredit
Lead Image: @tinaleung via Instagram