Participants and organizers of the fashion show gathered for a group photo at the conclusion of the event.

SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - On May 19, the non-profit organization My Sister’s House (MSH) hosted an Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI) fashion show to raise awareness and money for domestic abuse survivors.

According to their website, MSH helps AAPI women and children impacted by “domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking by providing a culturally appropriate and responsive safe haven, job training and community services.”

The fashion show, which took place on the top floor of The California Endowment building, featured a lavender color palette, MSH’s brand color, and a traditional red-carpet runway. MSH Deputy Treasurer Stephanie shared the kind of work MSH does and encouraged AAPI to learn more about the pervasive issue of domestic violence. 

“We are dedicated to increasing the AAPI pipeline in the capital community,” she said.

Executive Director of MSH, Christine Nguyen, spoke about the urgency of the cause and the importance of understanding its seriousness, while also addressing common misconceptions. She noted that domestic violence is often underestimated because perpetrators and victims do not always fit stereotypical expectations. Society tends to assume perpetrators will appear aggressive, dominant or overtly controlling, when in reality they may also present as friendly, helpful community members or even good Samaritans. Likewise, victims are often assumed to be meek, soft-spoken or submissive, but they can also be confident, outspoken and independent.

“The truth about domestic abuse is that it does not look the way you expect it to look,” Nguyen said. “And what you do not see, you do not talk about.”

According to Ngyuen, it is very possible that, “someone in your circle is experiencing abuse today and you do not know it.”

Another reason why domestic violence often goes unnoticed, especially in the AAPI community, is because people are afraid of tarnishing their or the family’s reputation While this pressure exists across many cultures, the family’s reputation is especially emphasized in many Asian cultures, and people will often sacrifice their own wants, needs and desires for the sake of the family unit.

“Domestic violence is hidden in order to preserve family honor,” Nguyen said.

Due to these reasons, an organization like MSH is especially important, because of factors in cultural differences that other similar organizations might not be specifically trained for. 

“For 25 years, MSH has been a place of safety, healing and hope,” Ngyuen said. “MSH can be the difference between safety and death for some people.”

After Nguyen delivered her speech, she introduced Audrey Fong, the event emcee. Fong provided educational and historical context for each outfit as participants walked down the runway.

The first look is a traditional Hmong outfit, modeled by Delilah Yang. The Hmong are an indigenous ethnic group originating from the mountainous regions of East and Southeast Asia, with a massive presence in Southwestern China and parts of Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar. The ensemble includes several components, such as a pleated skirt known as a tiab, an apron called a sev, and a long-sleeved shirt referred to as a dab tsho.

The Hmong people are divided into several subgroups such as the Green Hmong, the White Hmong and the Black Hmong, and the color of the tiab indicates which region someone is from. Yang, who wore a white skirt, represents the White Hmong subgroup.

“It’s a modern take on a traditional Hmong outfit,” Yang said. “I wanted to let [the audience] know more about Hmong culture.”

Next followed outfits from Cambodia, Indonesia and the Philippines. Azrael Rodriguez, modeled the traditional Filipino menswear called the barong tagalog, which combines both traditional Asian and Spanish styles. He said that this is the outfit that is generally worn for special events such as birthdays and weddings.

“It represents me,” he said.

Another featured look included Filipino womenswear known as baro't saya, the oldest traditional form of Filipino dress. It is defined by a wraparound shawl called the alampay. During the Spanish colonial era, the barong tagalog was a symbol of “pride and resilience” while the baro't saya symbolizes “modesty, elegance and social status,” according to Fong.

There was also an outfit that is commonly worn in rural parts of China, and the “red symbolizes vitality and protection,” said Fong, followed by Chinese formalwear. The womenswear was a contemporary take on a qipao while the menswear was a modern interpretation of a tangzuit.

Next were Japanese outfits such as the kimono as well as a traditional servant’s outfit. The fashion show also presented a Korean hanbok, which is “worn during special events such as Lunar New Year,” according to Fong. A Thai dress called a chakkri was also featured on the runway.  

In addition to East and Southeast Asia, they also showcased looks from other AAPI communities, such as a traditional Punjabi suit from the Punjab region of India called a salwar kameez. The final outfit was a twist on traditional Hawaiian formalwear. Even though Hawaii is part of the United States, it still part of Pacific Islander culture. The dress was a holokū which is a modernized version of traditional Hawaiian dresses called a muʻumuʻu. The floral headpiece is called a lei poʻo, and wearing a fresh flower lei around the head is deeply rooted tradition in Hawaiian culture, often used to signify a connection to the land. 

“Culture is not just something we inherit, but something we pass on,” said Fong, a sentiment that can apply to both the culture of domestic abuse as well as to fashion.

As a result of the fashion show, MSH was able to raise $10,000.