Designers of Today
JASON WU,
a 32-year-old fashion designer born in the capital of Taiwan, Taipei on 27th September, 1982. Always liked pretty little things the the idea of creation. Curiosity of how things were made was one of attribute in driving him to be a part of the fashion industry.
At the age of 9, Wu and his family moved from Taiwan to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In Vancouver, Wu learned to speak English and came to know about fashion as was exposed to well-known fashion publications like Haper's Bazaar and Vogue. "His English tutor gave him Vogue magazines to read in lieu of text books. Wu jokes that because of this, he knew who Christian Lacroix was before he learned his geography." (Source) He learned how to sew, draft patterns and sketch in fashion proportions by using dolls as mannequins. Wu also got his first sewing machine at age 9.
When he was 13, Wu’s family moved to the United States where he studied at Eaglebrook School situated in Massachusetts and then attended Loomis Chaffee in Connecticut. When he was 14, he went to Tokyo to study sculpture. Wu entered the fashion industry through an nontraditional way as he originally, at the age of 16, was working as a freelance doll apparel designer for a toy company, Integrity Toys. The designs were produced under the lines "Jason Wu dolls" and later "Fashion Royalty", a high-end line of dolls. In a year's time, Wu was named as the creative director of Integrity Toys. During his senior year of high school in Rennes, France, Wu decided to become a fashion designer. Hence to pursue his dream, Wu enrolled attended Parsons The New School for Design, a division of The New School in New York for three-and-a-half years. Later, Wu worked as an intern for Mr.Rodriguez.
 |
| 2010 , CFDA Fashion Awards |
 |
| Jason Wu , Fall 2006 Collection |
 |
| Jason Wu, Fall 2006 Collection |
With the aid of his savings from his job as a freelance doll clothing designer since the age of 16, Jason Wu debuted with his first full ready-to-wear/prêt-a-porter collection in 2006.
(Full collection)
(Full collection)
"I was just at home with some friends, having a pizza, watching television. Then the president's wife came out and she was on the screen and it was my design and I just dropped everything. I remember saying, 'that's mine'. It was unbelievable. I was screaming, excited, jumping up and down. In the middle of it all my parents called from Taiwan because they'd seen it, too. It was like a dream, except not a dream in a way because I could never have dreamed something like this would happen. I didn't have any idea she was going to wear the dress." (Source)
In 2009, no one had any idea of, including Wu, what is the new first lady, Michelle Obama is going to wear for the first inauguration of American President Barack Obama. However, that night, Mrs.Obama wore the one-shoulder white silk chiffon gown by Jason Wu. That had a big impact on the 26-year-old (in 2009) then-emerging fashion designer, Jason Wu's career in the fashion industry as it bought him to fame. 'The one-of-a-kind silk chiffon confection was embellished with organza rosettes, Swarovski crystal rhinestones and silver embroidery' (Source) is now part of the fashion history and being displayed at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History along with other First Lady inaugural gowns.
 | ||||
| Michelle Obama wearing a white, embellished gown by designer Jason Wu to the inauguration ball in 2009 |
“As a designer, you have to drown out all of that noise,” Mr. Wu said. “You have to think about the client, and I felt like red was such a perfect color for her. It’s such a confident color for her and it really was my first instinct.” (source)
The first white inaugural gown, Wu explained that, at that time, that was where they were, very 'optimistic' and thus it reflected a more fanciful and fairy tale style. Four years later, Wu once again approached this project but in a much different way. With the knowledge that Wu has gained after four years, he created a more matured and confident style and colour, which reflected both of their growth. In addition, Wu emphasized that, in both designs (or most of his designs), he follows his instincts and he beliefs that as designers they should always trust their instincts.
SPRING 2008 RTW (Sources: 1 2 3)
Inspiration : Rene Gruau illustrations, Geoffrey Beene and Lisa Fonssagrives
Style/Concept : “elegant, messy yet beautiful, and quirky with a modern twist.” Featuring hand-painted prints inspired by René Gruau,high waists with narrow patent belts, and his shapes classic (the sheath, the trench, the strapless tea-length cocktail dress). The show closed with a series of evening gowns, the most impressive of which was a mottled-gray chiffon number hand-sewn from a tremendous 55 yards of fabric, all cut on the bias. It was a demonstration of craftsmanship that not many twentysomething designers could have pulled off.
FALL 2009 RTW (Sources: 1 2)
Inspiration: inspired by vintage fairy tales, particularly a book of illustrations by Arthur Rackham that he had as a child.
Style/Concept: Romantic, playful and optimistic was what he discovered in the fairy tales and applying them to his collection. A fairy tale print of silhouette drawing was designed that looked like an abstract print from far thus adding value to the print, thus demonstrating how he emphasizes on small details.
SPRING 2011 RTW (Sources: 1 2 3)
Inspiration: looked to the seventies and forties, and inspired by the Brazilian artist Beatriz Milhazes's vivid floral paintings.
Style/Concept: The flowers and the color brought out print dresses with multi-petaled skirts, silk city sarongs, and chiffon blouses. The collection reflected maturity, and are rationally conceived with fitting and precise cuttings. Femininity reigned supreme with masterfully created trousers, blouses, belted strapless cocktail dresses and color combinations that were classic, yet innovative.
FALL 2011 RTW (Sources: 1 2 3)
Inspiration: Robert Polidori's three-volume photographic record documenting a series of photos over the 25 years of restoration of the French royal palace, Versailles. “Not just the opulence (luxuriousness) but the contrast of the rawness of the building materials.” said Wu.
Style/Concept: Delivering a "baroque meets sportswear" message, he came up with a luxurious collection featuring hand-cut, sparkling paillettes and 15 different kinds of lace. Wu claims that his collection is a romance version of the american classic.
 |
| Wu's inspiration board featuring art by Kaws |
Inspiration: Wu's major source of inspiration was from pop art and KAWS, the graffiti artist who was very well-known since the nineties. Together, Wu and Kaws worked on the floral print.
Style/Concept: Had the idea of mixing sporty with elegance and grand. Wu ease and loosen lavish and couture-like references with graphic and sportier elements as well as pop bright colours mixed with sedate colours like heather grey.
FALL 2013 RTW (Sources: 1 2)
Inspiration : “It’s all about the embodiment of a woman—powerful, sensual, sexy, glamorous,” Inspired by the idea of femininity, and a very strong/tough woman.
Style: Amazonian (characteristic of or like an Amazon; powerful and aggressive; warlike) silhouettes —a powerful eighties silhouette of linebacker shoulders with a nipped-in waist and short skirts. Featuring silghtly bigger rounded shoulders, tapering to an hourglass, then the tiny waist—reflecting extreme femininity. The main colors are black, white, grey, and a bit of red.
Generally, Jason Wu is well known of creating womenswear that are ladylike, feminine, frequently uses woman-friendly/flattering silhouettes and celebrating the female form by emphasizing the hourglass shape in his designs. Wu combines American sportswear(relaxed, casual wear) with old world sophistication for feminine designs. Wu's collection are polished, lavish and elegant that seem to belong to an earlier era which embraces a sort of sweeping old-school glamour. However, his designs are still contemporary and modern without intentionally aligning with a specific trend. Wu is said to have shown of having greatly attuned instinct for what women today want to feel and be seen as. Thus, Wu create clothing that are more timeless than timely. In addition, he is also well-known for his detailed, immaculate, and well-crafted creations as well as utilizing the most luxurious fabrics.
Wu’s earliest inspiration for fashion has been his mother who always dressed up with padded hips, poufed and peplums dresses, shoulder pads and nipped-in waist. At the time, in the 80s and 90s, Wu often laughed at the style but later on he started to appreciate and use it.
Jason is influenced by many sources including the classic photography of Guy Bourdin, the works of Charles James and Jacques Fath. He also finds inspiration on his travels to Asia, Europe and Latin America as well as an array of artists including Rene Gruau and Helmut Newton.
"I create clothes for women who are not only fiercely fashionable but also own their power and femininity," explained Jason. "But the heart of my collection will always be the craftsmanship; everything starts from my obsession for details."
(Source)
The Jason Wu Collection was established with a commitment to making beautifully crafted clothes with a modern sophistication. Jason has always been driven by a curiosity to learn about construction, workmanship and perfecting every detail of his designs. “My philosophy has always been to build a garment from the inside out,” explains Jason. (Source)
“Polished, feminine & classic, I always strive to create clothes that are more than trends, and that they are clothes that can be worn for a lifetime & that goes for a good quality, how garment are made; made as beautifully inside and that they are more than an it item for the season, they are an it item for life.” -Wu (Source)
In conclusion, the Taiwan born Canadian designer, Jason Wu's design philosophy is creating timeless creations for women, feminine with flattering silhouette yet with an edge, designing for strong and tough women who are not afraid to embrace their softer side. His obsession for details and appreciation of craftsmanship, lead to flawless, well-crafted garments from the inside out. His designs never loses its luxuriousness. There seem to be vintage elements in his collections and he often belief in his instincts.
Comments
Post a Comment