Ruth Bader Ginsburg famously said, “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made.” In honor of this statement as election day quickly approaches, New York-based label Private Policy is launching a photo series, aptly titled "Powerful Women," to reimagine what leaderships can look like and to celebrate leaders who've made important contributions in leadership roles, especially ones from historically underrepresented communities. That's why for the first installment, the brand is highlighting Asian American and Pacific Islander women shaping society.
The project is a continuation of the thoughtful work that co-founders Siying Qu and Haoran Li have always created, being deeply connected to the AAPI community and advocating for social change by using fashion as their language. “The series continues the brand's mission of using fashion as a platform for social topics, with a focus on celebrating the communities that inspire us and advocating for positivity and perseverance in the face of challenges,” says Li.
City Ballchain Cap, Multi Pocket Workwear Dress, Zip-up Field Jacket
Background: “George Washington, 1st President of the United States, 1789-1797. Portrait by Gilbert Stuart in 1797. Oil on canvas”
In the White House, there's famously a collection of portraits of every president of the United States. Of course, they're almost all white men. Inspired by these portraits, Private Policy co-founders Siying Qu and Haoran Li recreated with eight AAPI female leaders: Jodie Chan, Sandra Park, Sarika Rastogi, Evelyn Yang, Helen Nguyen, Laura Chau, Alina Cho and Young Ja Cho.
The creation of the photos themselves merged traditional and innovative methods, just like the journey of each of the featured women who've honored the past while driving change for the future. With the help of TA_F x Wlab virtual production LED screen technology, backgrounds and subject tracking could be changed on the fly. And of course, each person was styled in the brand's latest runway collection, and each look reflected their personalities and nuances.
Each runway collection is an opportunity for Private Policy to create discussion, and "Powerful Women" is no different. The goal is to amplify the fact that leadership should reflect the diverse society that it represents. “At Private Policy, we believe fashion is a tool for storytelling and advocacy,” says Qu. “By showcasing AAPI women as leaders in this historical context, we hope to create imagery that will inspire dialogue about inclusion and push for more representation in all spaces of power.”
Executive producer: Siying Qu
Creative director: Haoran Li
Special project advisors: Mickey Boardman, Yao King
Photographer: Huy Luong
Videographer: Ziru Wang
Stylist: Madison Wen Gu
Hair artist: Izumi Sato
Makeup artist: Alex Justimbaste
Gaffer: Bobby Han
Photography assistant: Theo Choi
Stylist assistant: Jia-An Liu
Production assistant: Christina Lu
Virtual production studio: Wlab
Producer: Ziva Shi
VP supervisor: Ryan Paz
VP operator: Harsh Palan
Production manager: Cindy Kay
Stage manager: Kevin Wang
CGI advisor: Shxpir Huang
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