Devin Kawaoka: The 36th GLAAD

In his mid-century apartment in Los Feliz, Devin Kawaoka sits in front of an open window. His groomer, Rachel Burney, finishes his look with a few final clips and a mist of hairspray.

The star of the Apple TV+ series Shrinking is getting ready for the 35th GLAAD Awards, where the show is nominated. His co-star, Michael Urie, is hosting and will be in attendance as well.

“Right before we started shooting season two, Michael and I were texting back and forth about how lucky we were to be authentically cast on this show as two gay men in a relationship,” Kawaoka shares. Both actors are in long-term queer relationships. “It just feels so apropos tonight that we’re going together.”

For Kawaoka, visibility is rooted in lived experience. He recalls being seen not just as a gay man, but as a biracial actor with Japanese heritage, on the show. “Charlie is one of the first characters who really recognized who I was, being half Japanese,” he says. In season two, the writers even included that the baby Charlie and his partner hoped to adopt was also half Japanese. “It just feels really special to be seen in that way by such a big production that, 10 or 15 years ago, would have never even thought twice about it.”

Kawaoka’s father was born during World War II and was sent to a Japanese internment camp as a baby. “When the Japanese got out of the internment camps, there was a lot of wanting to fit in, to not stick out too much. I think my father spent a lot of time not talking about that experience,” Kawaoka says. “By getting to be authentically myself at big events like this, it shows that we’re not ‘shrinking’ away from who we are.” He pauses. “And also, gay. Those are two parts of me that are very important. I carry my father with me everywhere I go.”

As he puts on a suit by Kimia Arya, there’s a quiet shift. His look channels contrast, emotion, and precision. “I love tension in fashion,” he says. “For this event specifically, I was thinking about the tension between masculine and feminine, and the ways they can pull at each other in one outfit, so it’s not all one thing.”

Stylist Benjamin Holtrop and his team leans into this duality when designing the evening’s wardrobe. “For the GLAAD Awards, we envisioned a look that was effortlessly sleek with a relaxed sophistication,” he says. “We were drawn to the idea of grounding the palette in rich earth tones, evoking a sense of warmth and understated elegance.” The fluidity of the silk, the subtle western-inspired details, and the ease of the silhouette all serve as a quiet rebellion against expectation. “With Devin, we aim to maintain a timeless silhouette while incorporating modern elements that infuse a fresh, contemporary edge. This balance allows us to honor classic tailoring while keeping the look dynamic and current.”

Just before heading to the red carpet, Devin adds with a nod to his roots, “Also, what I am today is Asian—and that’s just very present in how we do the work.”