In FIB’s latest film drop, we explore the world of eponymous label Alex Wang. Wang exploded onto the American fashion scene in 2005, becoming the proxy uniform maker for a youthful hipster tribe of New York City females. So is Alexander Wang a fashion hero? Or abuser? What do you think?
Alex Wang females are a tribe he bequeathed the acronym the “M.O.D”, or model-off-duty. And a bevy of “it-girls” like Erin Wesson signed on to become his loyal muses. Wang’s tribe were everything the other established designer’s patrons were not.
“Clothes That Girls Want To Wear”
They were hip, savvy, and young, really young, like no one over 30, which was a seismic age shift from the society matrons and Hollywood stalwarts like Lauren Hutton and Tom Ford’s go to, Julianne Moore who were the usual designer front row suspects. This same age, demographic who populated the front rows at Tom Ford, Ralph Lauren, and Marc Jacobs.
These ladies were antiques compared to Wang’s posse, who came with Nirvana’s “teen spirit”. With Wang there was no particular look, but rather a youthful hip attitude and sense of effortless easy cool that had that quintessential Wang from the West Coast. Wang was a Californian transplant by way of Taiwan. Wang grew up steeped in genuine beach culture; rather than as some elitist purveyor of status and fantasy, he aimed for something that’s even harder to deliver: “Clothes that girls want to wear.”
This uniquely fresh purpose was what no doubt, attracted the powers behind the house of Balenciaga when he was appointed creative director from 2012 to 2015. Alexander Wang was a breath of fresh air to the fashion scene, and he has since established himself as one of the most adventurous designers in the industry.
A Style Revolution
He brings his iconic style and finesse to his sportswear collections, and is now considered a revolutionary of sportswear fashion. It is a name for the everyday. Wang’s name is sometimes fraught with controversy. Which has seen reports of sexual impropriety arise for the young designer. It’s probably still too soon to see if these will compromise his brand and legacy, but higher profile people have been cancelled for less.
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