Jason Wu goes back in time and draws inspiration for his designs from his roots.
hen Michelle Obama wore a one-shoulder evening gown to her husband’s first official ceremony as President of the United States in 2009, a young, Taipei-born 26-year old made international headlines along with the First Couple. Jason Wu was no stranger to the fashion industry when Michelle Obama chose to drape herself in his shimmering creation, but since then the designer has firmly entrenched himself among the stalwarts of the runway. [quote align=”center” color=”#b64736″]Now, after many years of living and working in the West, Wu has begun tailoring the oriental influences of his native land into his work.[/quote]
Earlier this year, as models sashayed down the runway at the New York Fashion Week, there was no mistaking the perfectly tailored cheongsams and the rich shades of scarlet, burnished gold and charcoal black that defined collection for this fall. “This is my answer to what is Chinese,” remarked Wu as he explained how his visit to Taiwan after nearly two decades made him look closely at the ancient warrior costumes that further influenced his collection, adding to the Mao style coats with Mandarin collars and stiff necklines.
In addition to the Eastern shades in his clothing line, Wu’s roots can also be traced back to his bag collection. Richly embroidered with stark gold and silver motifs, the bags are infused both with a modern and an ethnic touch so as to be suitable to wear on a variety of outfits and occasions.
It’s evident that Jason Wu’s star has risen high and is shining bright, both over the West and the East, an occurrence that is both rare and captivating at once. There is a lot to look forward to where Wu’s collections are concerned, especially since there is so much scope to infuse both traditional and new-age styles into his work.
By Riya Kartha
