Atlas of Fashion Designers

35

Alexander Wang

Alexander Wang







Al

If at fi rst glance anything calls attention to Alexander Wang, it would be his youth. At

just twenty-three, he has already become one of the designers that young Americans adore

most.  is is due in large part to his ability to give his garments that insouciant yet elegant

urban look that so fascinates Americans, one not everyone knows how to carry off with

such skill and expertise.  is, alongside a style founded on the juxtaposition of elements

(good and bad taste, the 80s and current trends, the luxurious and the basic, etc.), has given

Wang’s creations an unusual identity that adapts very well to current preferences.

His designs are cherished by urban women with a rebellious bent, in search of comfortable

garments with a fl awless cut and the refi ned silhouettes of fashion that emerges from the

street.  is makes perfect sense, given his youth and restlessness. He is both an observer of

and participant in the germination of these street trends, as well as the fi rst to capture and

reproduce them in the form of collections. An example of this is his Spring/Summer 2008

collection, which off ered an unconventional reading of 80s fashion fi ltered through the

lens of the movie Working Girl, exploring the feminine work wardrobe and reinterpreting

it for current times.

Alexander was born in California in the heart of a Chinese-American family. When he was

eighteen, he decided to leave San Francisco and move to New York to study at the Parsons

School of Design. In a short time, he has traveled an impressively long road. Marc Jacobs

and Derek Lam are some of the brands he has worked for, and still under twenty-fi ve, he is

now presenting his seventh collection. In short, he is a true prodigy of fashion.

Photography by Dan Martensen

36

Alexander Wang

Spring/Summer 2008 collection for

women looking for comfort, freshness

and the opportunity to explore the chicest

side of their nature. Above, oversize

garments combined with mini shorts

or drainpipe trousers represented some

of Alexander’s most striking designs.

Photographies by Dan Martensen

37

Alexander Wang

Photography by Dan Martensen

38

Alexander Wang

- What inspires you?

Inspiration usually doesn’t stray too far from home. It’s my friends, the streets, art and music. I try not to push too hard

to fi nd inspiration, because it’s usually right under my nose.

- What is your dream as a designer?

To change the way people perceive what is acceptable for red carpet fashion and to create a lifestyle that people can

adapt to and feel comfortable in.

- What has been the most important achievement of your career?

To actually be sold in stores is thrilling, and so is having an amazing team working with me.

- How important are trends?

Not important at all. A trend means you are conforming, and that’s not what my brand is about.

- Fashion has always refl ected a certain era. What does fashion refl ect in the twenty-fi rst century?

For me, it’s individuality and comfort.

-  e book you would recommend to every fashion designer is...

Atlas of Fashion Designers.

Alexander Wang

386 Broadway, 3rd fl oor

New York, NY 10013

United States

www.alexanderwang.com

39

Alexander Wang

Photography by Dan Martensen