formalgownau

 Fashion designer Cindy Leewood grew up wearing traditional Khmer garments in Cambodia, but would often daydream about moving to the U.S. and dressing in a trendy, Westernized way. “I wanted to be wearing leggings, I wanted to be wearing crop tops,” she recalls. Her father came to America as a refugee, and though he eventually moved back to Cambodia, it was always his intent to bring his children to America to finish their education. When Leewood entered high school in Minnesota, she remembers the distress of being between two cultures. She found it hard to break into existing friend groups, and often felt disconnected from her peers.“I could speak the language, but I didn’t act quite right to fit in,” Leewood says. “I grew up not showing skin, not wearing shorts, not wearing tank tops … It could be like 90 degrees out and I’d be wearing so much clothing.”These days, Leewood has found camaraderie with other AAPI designers, like the ones who’ll be showcased tonight at Co...