Allure Editor-in-Chief Michelle Lee recently spoke to HuffPost and noted that the fashion industry has a “misunderstanding” when it comes to Asians, but shared her optimism for increased Asian representation, particularly citing the success of Crazy Rich Asians last year having shown that there are many Asian “coverworthy stars.”

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, join TAP-NY for a panel featuring professionals across the beauty and fashion industry to discuss Asian representation! The panelists will also share their personal stories and their perspective on how to break into the industry.

The panel will be followed by a Q&A session and networking among the attendees.

Panel Bios

Ta Ming Chen
Ta Ming is a fashion, beauty, and editorial makeup artist based in New York City. Some of the brands she has worked with include HUGO BOSS, BMW, Danielle Nicole, Craft Atlantic, Mo Mi Beauty, and Lola Hats. You will also see her editorial work in WWD, VOGUE, ELLE, Glass, METAL, and LUCY’S magazines.

Ta Ming originally hails from Taipei, having come to New York City to find her passion in life. An encounter with a talented makeup artist opened her curiosity and interest in becoming a makeup artist six years ago.

While developing and expanding her career, she also started searching for a deeper meaning in life. She met a friend who introduced her to the Nichiren Buddhist Philosophy practice that has changed her perspective and intention in doing what she does. She thus shifted her focus to supporting green beauty and ethical fashion brands.

tamingchen.com | instagram.com/tamingchen

Lin Chen
Lin Chen is a clean beauty expert/advocate and founder of a brand consultancy, PINK MOON. PINK MOON elevates women-owned ethical + sustainable wellness brands. The two underlying philosophies that guided Lin’s journey with PINK MOON are her beliefs in the importance of female empowerment and holistic health. With her company, she wants to inspire women to start their own businesses, specifically young Asian American women who are vastly underrepresented in the entrepreneurial space. Lin specifically works with clean beauty companies that are friendly to the earth, mind, body, and spirit. She lives a holistic eco lifestyle, so aligning her career with her passion and lifestyle is very important to her.

pinkmoon.co | instagram.com/pinkmoon.co 

Marvin Lei
Marvin Lei is a Long Island and NYC-based portrait photographer who takes great pride in capturing the true spirit and personality of the people he photographs. Over the years, he has also freelanced and worked with companies on enhancing their product and brand images. On the side, Marvin enjoys window shopping on Amazon and consuming unhealthy amounts of Starbucks coffee.

marvinlei.com | instagram.com/marvinlei

Elise Ay
Having attended New York Fashion Week for three consecutive seasons, covering fashion shows like Longchamp, Boss, and Alice + Olivia, Elise Ay is a freelance fashion editor, writer, New York correspondent and blogger. She has an academic background in Chinese literature and fashion studies, and will soon be a graduate from Parsons School of Design. She has also interned at luxury fashion houses in Public Relations in New York. It took her a while to finally discover that fashion and writing are her calling. She hopes that through her writing, fashion can gain more recognition on its cultural and social influence rather than simply on what to wear and what to shop.

eliseay.com | instagram.com/eliseai