Key facts
- Fashion designer Zarny Shibuya is raising funds for refugees fleeing Myanmar.
- Shibuya fled Myanmar as a child and became a model and designer in Japan.
- He uses his fashion platform to provide confidence and support to refugees.
- Shibuya has collaborated with the UNHCR on refugee support initiatives.
- His work has been worn by royalty, including Japan's Princess Yoko of Mikasa.
Tokyo-based fashion designer Zarny Shibuya, who fled Myanmar with his parents as a child, is leveraging his platform to support refugees from his native country. Shibuya's family sought political asylum in Japan in 1993 when he was eight years old. He began his fashion career as a model in Tokyo and later launched his eponymous label in 2011, eventually securing Japanese nationality.
Shibuya has stated that fashion has enabled him to survive and has used it to build confidence, particularly during his teenage years when he felt he needed to dress stylishly to avoid bullying. His work has gained recognition, with his designs being worn by royalty, including Japan's Princess Yoko of Mikasa, whom he accompanied on a visit to Myanmar in 2019.
Following the 2021 military coup in Myanmar, Shibuya has been actively raising funds and organizing events to assist refugees. He has collaborated with the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) and aims to provide a sense of pride and a "brave heart" to those displaced from his homeland. Despite facing challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic impacting demand for his high-end clothing and the scattering of his professional connections in Myanmar, Shibuya has also branched into interior design and recently created a suit for the captain of the refugee Olympic team.