“What you wear is what you represent.” That bold statement is one of the guiding mantras by Michelle K. Hanabusa, a fiercely independent and driven fourth generation Japanese-American dreamer and entrepreneur. Michelle is the Founder and Creative Director for WEAREUPRISERS — a community-driven streetwear brand rooted in amplifying impactful and authentic stories of the underrepresented. She is also the Co-Founder and COO of Hate Is A Virus — a nonprofit and community of mobilizers and amplifiers dedicated to dismantling hate and racism. After overcoming her own identity issues in her youth, she mustered the courage to break out of a traditional fashion career and start her own label. At its core, UPRISERS is a dynamic vehicle for advancing social change and telling the stories of the underrepresented. Instead of following a traditional seasonal collection schedule, the brand releases drops coinciding with community issues happening in society in real time. Michelle and her passionate team also take time to create thoughtful and empowering educational content to accompany each capsule. Delivering on the core of UPRISERS, they have fueled campaigns such as #MagandangMorenx, coined by trendsetter Asia Jackson dedicated to challenging traditional beauty standards and colorism; #HATEISAVIRUS a global movement started in March 2020 to combat the increased racism and xenophobia during the pandemic; #SomebodysBeloved with recording artist MILCK focused on healing and building power around justice; and so much more. As an Asian American women-owned brand, you will find UPRISERS in-store and online at PacSun and Complex.
