Paying homage to her hometown, the vibrant metropolis of Hong Kong, Kayla Wong creates a multidisciplinary retail experience, LANG, that celebrates Asian artists and creators in the city of Los Angeles. The contours of Wong’s journey are, in many ways, a familiar exploration for countless Asian Americans grappling with the duality of identity and, often, a rediscovery of self.
“It’s taken me a lot of time to understand and discover both my Chinese and my American sides,” Wong shares with Mochi. “I’ve always been heavily influenced by the American culture. For a long time, I didn’t really connect with my Chinese side. As I started growing up and with my experiences, I’ve grown to love Hong Kong culture.”
An alumna of the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, Wong created a private label before shifting her focus to the intersection of fashion initiatives and community-driven concepts. Inspired to amplify the eclectic and colorful culture of home, Wong conceived LANG to cultivate an uplifting space where Asian creators are empowered to honor their lived experiences, cultural heritages, individuality, and profound language of self-expression.
Wong’s desire to embrace her duality resonates with me, echoing my own experiences. I’m reminded of memories of my mother repurposing old kimonos to line the insides of homemade tote bags, the placement of a traditional Japanese hairpin ornamenting a contemporary hairstyle — glimpses of our roots and traditions that we weave into our modern American lifestyle.
LANG, in its essence, emerges as a catalyst for the exploration and understanding of one’s heritage, a vessel for the sustenance of generational craftsmanship, and a platform for embracing the multitudinous identities that make up who we are.
For example, a current collaboration featured at LANG is with the brand Yat Pit. Their “Pu’erh Tea Shirt” is inspired by the desire to understand and explore the beauty and history of tea in…
Read the full article here
