Zang Toi Is the American Dream

By Caroline Downey

In 2019, Donald Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle attended Zang Toi’s spring fashion show, sparking furious backlash. This February, the mirthful Malaysian designer defied critics again, debuting a bold and eccentric collection.

At the Park Avenue Christian Church, an organ overture played as Toi opened his fall 2024 presentation. The music then transitioned to a series of French pop tracks, fitting for the rebellious chic theme.

Inspired by the St. Germain neighborhood of Paris, famous for artistic freedom, Toi’s pieces included striking silhouettes, color combinations, and accents. There were bright reds, pinks, and oranges, and diverse textures such as flower appliqués, silk, and sequins. Models wore black slick-back bob cuts with red highlights in the crown, matching Toi’s hair. Each look was packed with personality, featuring fearless choices such as neon furs, billowing organza, and enormous pussycat bows. 

Toi’s zeal has always been for fashion, not politics, despite what detractors might say. The styles ought to be judged for their quality, not the beliefs of the designer. This is the American meritocracy Toi thought he was joining when he arrived 43 years ago with $300 in his pocket. Instead of entitlement and elitism often associated with fashion, Toi exudes humility. 

He “was thankful to be embraced by this great country,” he told The Conservateur over email after the show. “I always walked into a room feeling like a victor, not a victim, and worked extremely hard to achieve the American Dream. I am forever grateful, and love AMERICA.”

As a token of that appreciation, Toi left a rose on every seat. His program paid tribute to his brother, to whom he dedicated the show and attributed much of his success. 

Toi’s contagious joy for fine fashion has attracted a loyal audience over the years. Many guests at the show wore ensembles with pops of red in a nod to their host. 

These friendships were also on display at the afterparty, set at the glitzy modern Monterey Brasserie off Madison Avenue. Long-time fans of Toi dazzled in his vintage designs from decades ago, singing his praises when I asked about the man behind the couture. Even the clearly old-school liberals whom I talked to heaped on the admiration. 

Some guests offered rare honesty into the observable decline of New York City, tempering the la-la-land fantasy boasted by influencers. For instance, I was glad to commiserate about rising crime with a bona fide New Yorker socialite (whose mother played the grandmother in Crazy Rich Asians) as well as the loneliness of being part of the apparently exclusive club that notices these things.

For a designer based in New York City, many of his top clientele live in Nashville, one of the emerging fashion markets that could displace the Big Apple. Indeed, The Conservateur first learned about Toi through Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn, who sported a suit by him in our fall 2023 photoshoot. 

Stealing Toi away from his groupies, I thanked him for a fabulous show and party. Dressed in a cool velvet skirt, Toi gasped with glee when I told him the magazine I represented. Toi, feeling like he had permission to be real, passionately unloaded his thoughts about the fashion world. One stuck with me. It was the idea that the industry could be so inhospitable to an immigrant who dared to show patriotism. Toi, of course, was not the first to endure this treatment. Former first lady and fashion model Melania Trump, who is from Slovenia and speaks five languages, was denied a cover interview in Vogue unlike most of her predecessors. Like her, Toi is obviously emblematic of the American dream. But the top arbiters of culture don't always see it that way. 

Following the fête, I headed to the Upper East Side’s Beach Cafe, a historic hangout and intellectual oasis for politically contrarian characters. Chatting with owner Dave Goodside, I explained that I had just left the show of an amazing Asian-American fashion designer. 

Goodside immediately guessed: “Was it Zang Toi?” 

Decades ago, while studying at the Parsons School of Design, Toi would spend hours sketching at the Beach Cafe, the proprietor recalled. 

A core part of the American credo is that nothing is impossible with hard work. It’s tragic that many native citizens, removed from other-world adversity, don’t see the amazing gift before them. They waste time tearing down capitalism and the country when they could be builders. This has never been lost on Toi, whose modus operandi is to create beautiful fashion for disciples to enjoy. Though estranged from some peers because of his perceived politics, Toi holds his head high, never showing any hint of grievance or bitterness.

And though Toi embraced Europe this season, he doubled down on his love for America in another way. Though the business wouldn’t deem it in vogue, Toi ended his show with a soulful rendition of a familiar Christian hymn: “Amazing Grace,” performed by a gospel choir. The words speak to Toi’s experience as a rags-to-riches designer in America. And despite disappointing him in the past, there’s no place he’d rather be.

Caroline Downey is the editor in chief of The Conservateur and a staff writer at National Review. She can be found on X @carolinedowney_.

(Photos by Aly Kuler / courtesy of Zang Toi, House of Toi & EVTME)