The Buzz: Who Gets to be American?

Designers at New York Fashion Week always make a statement on the runway, but this year, one designer wasn’t just talking fashion. He wanted to take a stance.  

Since New York Fashion Week (NYFW) wrapped up last week, designer Prabal Gurung has been flooded with both support and criticism for his decision to bring social justice to the runways of the city. His models were sent down the catwalk in denim, cowboy boots, grand colorful gowns, and beauty pageant-style sashes that read, “Who gets to be American?” 

Gurung said in a meeting prior to NYFW that he wanted to define a new America. Someone challenged him by stating, “Well, you don’t look American.” It’s clear what the implication was in that encounter, and it led Gurung to ask, “Who gets to be American?” titled after the TIME Magazine cover featuring Viet Thanh Nguyen’s article, “I Love America. That’s Why I Have to Tell the Truth About It.”  

This question is at the core of many conversations in this country right now, with comments like, “You don’t belong here,” “If you don’t like it then leave,” and “You don’t look like [insert ethnicity].” These notions only offer one way to be American and close off the beauty of what a truly diverse and inclusive country can look like. 

Gurung is a native of Nepal and holds that identity close, while also celebrating his American citizenship, which allowed him to create a brand that is now featured on one of the most highly regarded runways in the world. In claiming his Nepali self, he can claim his American self too. Our identities should never be forced into a choice of one or the other. We are allowed to celebrate every aspect of ourselves, no matter our looks. 

Some people didn’t think it was the right time or place for Gurung to be asking such a pointed question, but if we love our country, then it’s our obligation to tell the truth about both the beauties and the inhumanities of it. I have a wooden cutout of America in my office with the words “Land that I love,” etched into it. Many years ago, I hung it up with pride. Now, it serves more as a reminder to not forget why we do this work – for the love of the country I know we can be. Gurung celebrated a similar optimism and hope for America, although in a much more elegant way. 

He decorated his runway with hanging bouquets and flags from around the world, and cast plus-size and nonbinary models, and people of all ethnicities to display his collection. Gurung created a new space in fashion – one that makes people feel safe and like they belong in this America.  

The most artful and refined part of Gurung’s show, however, was its deft balance in making a political statement through the daring designs, diverse cast, and provocative question topping each look. The diversity in this year’s NYFW demonstrated a sense of optimism, and celebrated the America we can all be a part of.