Modern Designers: The rise of Alexander Wang

Alexander Wang has dominated the fashion industry with his black, uniform designs. But where exactly did it all begin? In this series, we take a look at some of the most revered fashion icons of this century to give you an insight into how they carved their path in the fashion industry…

See our previous series here:
Jacquemus
Iris Van Herpen

Wang grew up in San Francisco, where he lived as a second generation immigrant with his parents and brother. Although he did not go down the traditional route, Wang was always impassioned by design and creativity. At eighteen, he enrolled into the Parson’s School of Design in New York, and, during this time, he was able to work with brands like Marc Jacobs and Derek Lamb. However, two years into the course Wang decided to quit the college. While he had become more knowledgeable about his craft, he had big aspirations, which he wanted to show to the public. He started his own company, Alexander Wang, which opened up a world of opportunity to him, especially in the famed fashion capital New York.

Read our article about New York as a fashion capital here

Interestingly, Wang chose to place an emphasis on knitwear. He developed what he would call an M.O.D style (models off-duty), which accommodated both for the urbanite and the fashion connoisseur. From there, he brought his clothing to New York fashion week, where he attracted attention from critics for his collection.

Soon, Wang found himself high up in the fashion world. He was awarded the Vogue Fashion Fund, enabling him to expand his business further, and reveal his diffusion line, T by Alexander Wang, made up of pre-weathered cotton T-shirts and tank tops. A few years later, he was awarded the Swarovski Designer of the Year Award and was announced as GQ’s Best Designer of the Year. Later, he went to work as Balenciaga’s creative director, before returning to his brand.

He developed what he would call an M.O.D style (models off-duty), which accommodated both for the urbanite and the fashion connoisseur

Alexander Wang is very much a family orientated business. His mother and sister-in-law partnered with him to manage the financial and marketing aspects of his work. In an interview with SCMP, he shared his pride in being an American with immigrant roots, diversifying the highstreets of today, with his powerful sartorial designs and family values.