Zap! Boom! Pow! The Fashionable Superheroes of the House of Slay Are Taking on Racism and Anti-Asian Hate

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.

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.”