Category: Going Against The Grain

Each month at Against The Grain, we highlight an Asian American who embodies “Going Against The Grain” in their life and work. These individuals tell a personal story, Q-and-A style, that demonstrates the challenges and successes in their chosen careers and callings and also inspires our community to pave their own paths to happiness and success. You can read these stories here, read about them in our monthly newsletter and get updates on our Facebook and Twitter pages. If you know someone who would be a great Going Against The Grain feature story, please email info@againstthegrainproductions.com. Enjoy!

 

Going Against The Grain: Ranier Pabilona

Ranier and Grace Pabilona
Ranier Pabilona, Founder and CEO of RGP Group, LLC, an online wholesale and distribution network based in Houston, is generously providing $10,000 for two entrepreneurial scholarships for Against The Grain in 2016. The Lily Pabilona Emerging Entrepreneur Scholarship will recognize Asian American high school, graduate and post-graduate students pursuing a career in entrepreneurship. No stranger to going Against The Grain himself, Pabilona, who graduated from Southern Methodist University, left an award-winning, six-figure career in pharmacy to follow his passion for business and entreprenuership. Despite a lack of support and balancing pharmacy school while starting the business, he and his wife Grace, who is also his business partner, saw success immediately after their first year in operation.

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Going Against The Grain: Sophie Chien

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Eighteen-year-old 2015 Against The Grain Bruce & Pat McRae Scholarship Winner, who is attending the Rhode Island School of Design and majoring in Architecture, was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina. She grew up surrounded by critiques and discussions about design, as her parents are both architects. From this influence, she was drawn (literally) to take IB Visual Art for three years in high school, specifically focusing on expressing her ideas through sculpture and photography. Read more

Going Against The Grain: Nicholas Phat Nguyen

Nicholas Phat Nguyen

Nicholas Phat Nguyen is one of our newest Presenting Designers who will showcase his fashion line at our 7th Annual Fashion for a Passion charity event on Nov. 7. Nguyen grew up in Saigon, Vietnam, with a childhood dream of becoming a major fashion designer. As a part of a small group of advanced level students who were awarded the opportunity to study abroad in the United States, Nguyen arrived in America at the age of 15, ready to pursue his dreams as a designer. He devoted all of his free time to studying every aspect of fashion design, and through lots of practice, taught himself how to sew.

Nguyen found it a challenge to start his company while keeping up with his full-time studies, but he was determined. In December 2014, he graduated from the University of Houston with a degree in International Business, ready to take his next step with Mysterious by NPN.

Having already shown at Houston Artopia, Austin Fashion Week and New York Fashion Week, 2015 has brought exciting opportunities for the Mysterious by NPN with more to come.

Full name: 
Nicholas Phat Nguyen
Hometown: 
Saigon, Vietnam
Current City: 
Houston, Texas
Ethnicity: 
Vietnamese

What does it mean to you to “Go Against The Grain?”

Along with fashion, I always have a big heart for charity; to give back and help the community is a bigger picture of my dream!

What made you decide to pursue a career in this industry?

Art, music and fashion have always been my muses. They’ve inspired me in so many different ways. They feed on each other and make life special and unique. So does my taste. I’m very specific on what I like and what I want. It’s not easy to find something that you love most besides creating it yourself.

What have been some of the challenges you faced/lessons you learned as an Asian American in this field?  

Being Asian American makes me stand out; so do my designs. Since Europe has been known for their well-established fashion houses, the biggest challenge is how make my clients see and understand that my designs and products are far more important and of the best quality.

What do you feel is your biggest accomplishment, and why?

My biggest accomplishment is everything I have. Every day is my biggest accomplishment. You have to make the most out of every day to make the most out of every goals and dreams you have.

What’s up next?

As an artist, I want my art to inspire people to keep creating, to keep making the world different and unique. As a designer, I want my designs to become wearable art. I’m working on my F-W 2016 collection now. It’s going be something that I never done before. But I promise, it’s worth seeing.

Quote to live by:

“I don’t design clothes. I design dreams.” — Ralph Lauren

Sign (Eastern Animal Sign & Western Zodiac):

Snake, Cancer

Passionate about:

Art, Fashion, Music

Favorite food:

Asian, Italian

Can’t live without:

Art, Fashion, Music, Friends and Family

I Go Against The Grain #beCAUSE:

I want to make the world a better place.

Going Against The Grain: Angry Asian Man (Phil Yu) & Ben Smithee

Phil Yu | Photo Credit | An Rong Xu
Photo Credit | An Rong Xu

Phil Yu is the founder and editor of the popular Asian American news/culture blog Angry Asian Man. He is also co-host of the web talk show Angry Asian America on ISAtv, and host of Sound and Fury: The Angry Asian Podcast. Building a steady, loyal readership since 2001, Angry Asian Man has been called “a daily must-read for the media-savvy, socially conscious, pop-cultured Asian American.” – Jose Antonio Vargas. Mixing humor with criticism, Phil’s commentary has been featured and quoted in the Washington Post, New York Times, National Public Radio, CNN, Wall Street Journal and more. He also appears in the Sundance documentary Linsanity, about the rise of NBA superstar Jeremy Lin, and is executive producer of the action/comedy web series Awesome Asian Bad Guys.

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Going Against The Grain: Caren Lock

Caren Locke

Caren K. Lock is the Regional Vice President and Associate General Counsel of TIAA-CREF, a full-service financial services company, where she is the primary interface for the company on all legislative, executive, administrative, and regulatory matters in the southwest region. She also directs all legislative lobbying and regulatory advocacy in her states. At TIAA-CREF, Lock is active in gender and racial diversity initiatives, having served as the Corporate Co-Chair of the Women’s Employee Resource Group. Read more

Going Against The Grain: Jack Yang

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Jack Yang is an actor, writer, producer and director. He has been seen on various televisions shows, movies and video games over the past 17 years. Jack started early-on as a model and commercial actor while doing extra work on television shows. He studied Directing and Photography at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena and then transferred over to Theatre and Film Studies at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and South Coast Repertory Theater. He has guest-starred on Law and Order: SVU, CSI Miami, Scrubs and Grey’s Anatomy. He has written many movie scripts, directed small budget projects and is currently working on his own personal project that has taken over a decade of research and preparation. He plays the leading man in indie film, A Leading Man, which has been doing well in festivals from Taipei to Philadelphia. He just wrapped up ADR for the new Jesse Eisenberg/Kristen Stewart film, American Ultra, which opens on August 21st.  (Look for him in a fun part at the end!)

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Going Against The Grain: Larry g(EE)

LG Promo shoot COLOR revised 1

We are excited to include Dallas-based soul singer-songwriter Larry G(ee) on our 4th Annual Groundbreakers Speak panel August 8th! His  career has taken him from LA to New York and back here to Dallas for audiences to enjoy locally. Most recently, he released his highly anticipated single “Days Like This” with a video release party on March 5 at Three Links in Deep Ellum. Chosen to be one of Red Bull Sound Select’s emerging artists, a Chevy Music Showcase artist for North Texas and the “Best Funk/R&B Act” at the 2013 Dallas Observer Music Awards, Larry released his four-track album “Weekends,” backed by his 10-member band of bass, percussion and horn.

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Going Against The Grain Tiffany Hendra

We are so excited to have the fabulous Tiffany Hendra join us this year as a guest emcee at our 7th Annual Fashion for a Passion on November 7! From the trailer park to Beverly Hills and now back to Texas, Tiffany Hendra teaches women from all walks of life how to style their life. She is a Wife, TV Host, Beauty & Style Expert, Lifestyle Mentor and creator of the blog & webseries Sanctuary Of Style. Tiffany is on a mission to guide women toward living their most fabulous, healthy and spiritually-conscious life. Her vision is for women all over the world to overcome their past circumstances and stand confident in their power. Tiffany believes confident women are World Changers! Read more