Alexander Wang on His 10 Year Anniversary: 5 Things You Need To Know About the Designer
Do you remember what the fashion world was like before Alexander Wang’s casual-yet-edgy-yet-refined creations hit the scene? Neither do we. It seems like he’s been around forever, but Alexander Wang’s eponymous brand is turning 10 this month! In celebration of Mr. Wang’s big anniversary, we’re rounding up 5 things you may not know about the designer.
He’s as charitable as it gets
To celebrate the 10-year milestone, the designer decided to give back. Wang is reintroducing the ten most beloved pieces, handpicked from all his collections, which are available now on his website and at his Soho store in N.Y.C. The capsule collection was voted on by fans via social media using the hashtag #WANG10. Wang is also teaming up with the organization DoSomething.org, for which he released a campaign featuring 38 of his most famous friends (like Kim Kardashian and Cara Delevingne) modeling the exclusive hoodies and t-shirts. The best part? 50% of the retail price will go to DoSomething.org.
Next up, Wang is partnering with Beats by Dre (again!) to bring back the Beats X Alexander Wang Studio headphones. The matte black and gold accessory is available online (and at his NYC flagship) now. And he’ll be donating 90% of the retail price to DoSomething.org!
Lastly, Wang is the latest designer to partner up with Evian. His exclusive packaging of the bottle will be available at his spring ’16 fashion show, after party, and will be available at select retailers, WWD reports.
Wang won the CFDA’s Fashion Fund award in 2008 — even after rebuffing judge Diane von Furstenburg
In 2007, Wang launched his first ever collection, which received widespread critical acclaim. But how does one know that his collection has received Anna Wintour-worthy praise? You win the CFDA/Vogue’s annual Fashion Fund award, which Wang did — only one year later! Before he won, Diane von Furstenburg had asked him to design sweaters for her after seeing one of his designs on someone else — and he said no (politely, of course). The year he won the CFDA award, DVF wound up not only on the panel, but also as his mentor, Wang told Yahoo Style. (No bad blood there.)
His collaboration with H&M crashed the website’s server
Ten minutes before the Alexander Wang for H&M collection went live on H&M’s website, it crashed due to such high levels of traffic. The collection sold out worldwide in minutes and you’d be lucky to nab a piece off eBay, even today. Wang’s sporty-chic line received immense praise, and the creations got a lot of fashion insiders thinking: Will he be tapped to design the uniforms for the 2020 Olympics? Unclear, but we can’t think of anyone cooler (or more talented) to represent American athletic wear.
After only 3 years, he’s saying goodbye to Balenciaga
After Nicolas Ghesquière’s departure in 2012, the fashion world was taken by storm when the label announced that street-style pioneer Wang would be replacing him. Wang presented his first collection as Creative Director in February 2013, bringing a fun and sporty edge to the legendary house of Balenciaga. However, Wang will be departing as Creative Director this year, and his last show for the label will be on October 2, in Paris.
He hangs with the coolest kids downtown
Judging by his DoSomething campaign, it’s no surprise that Alex Wang has a really fashionable squad — but he has a particular affinity for models of the moment Anna Ewers, Lexi Boling, Binx Walton and Hanne Gaby Odiele. The foursome, known to themselves and fans alike as the “bad girls club,” are often featured in his campaigns. Get to know them, below.
@annaewers: Perhaps the closest to Wang, Ewers is consistently photographed alongside the designer, whether it be at high-profile Galas, music festivals, or in numerous Instagram shots. She recently graced the cover of Vogue Paris, was included in this years Pirelli calendar and is a runway staple at all fashion shows. (If you didn’t already follow her on Insta, now you are!)
@lexiboling: You might recognize Boling’s name from a downplayed controversy this past February in which “bad girl” member Lexi was accused of bullying Kendall Jenner due to a comment made on a Vogue Germany Instagram post Kendall. With that in the past (the two models have been photographed together since), Boling continues to reign as one of the high-fashion models of the moment, featuring in campaigns for Mugler and Sacai — and most recently, she appeared on the cover of Vogue Italia.
@binxwalton: Walton is known for her versatile, androgynous appeal, which is perhaps what makes her so in demand. Walton couldn’t be any more perfect for the high-fashion world, although she recently appeared next to Gigi Hadid on the cover of Teen Vogue, proving that she can do more commercial fashion just as well (she also just appeared pretty-in-pink on Elle France’s September issue). Alongside Anna and Lexi, she’s ranked as one of the top 50 models by Models.com.
@hannegabysees: Since 2005, Belgian model Hanne Gaby Odiele has retained her place as the queen of cool. A street style trendsetter (you’ll find countless Tumblr’s dedicated to her), Odiele has appeared on almost every major runway and in numerous high-fashion campaigns. Most recently? Marc Jacobs and Alexander Wang! If you’ve been trying to master the model-off-duty look, you now know exactly who to Google.
Do you love Alexander Wang? Are you sad to see him leave Balenciaga? Share your thoughts in the comments, below!
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–Adeline Duff
