Alexander Wang

Alexander Wang

Sometimes something small can do something big in this world and the same happened with a young student, fond of the world of fashion and trends. What got him this far was his confidence, style and design abilities.

An American designer popular for his unisex apparel and accessories designs, Alexander Wang was born on 26th December 1983, in San Francisco to parents originally from Taiwan. Besides him, the family includes two elder siblings. Wang attended a summer program for design at Central Saint Martins, London. For his elementary and primary education, he studied at the Harker School. Then he went to Stevens High School to complete grade nine. Later, he went to Drew School and when he turned eighteen, Wang moved to Parsons The New School For Design in New York for two years.

Wang gained experience in the fashion field by interning at magazines like Vogue and Teen Vogue. He also did an apprenticeship for Marc Jacobs and Derek Lam. Once he was well-aware, the young designer quit studying at Parsons in order to fulfill his desire of opening his own brand. He launched a cashmere sweaters’ line, initially.

In 2005, he launched a fashion label, predominantly with a collection of knitwear. Then for the first time, Wang presented his women’s prêt-a-porter collection on a runway in New York. Wang began being recognized for his efforts in just three years. In 2008, he received prize money and an award by Council of Fashion Designers of America, and expanded his business. Consequently, he launched a collections of handbags. Alexander Wang’s lines are shelved in more than 650 stores around the world, including Net-A-Porter, Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Dover Street Market, and Barneys New York. Over the years, he has won many awards for being an exceptional designer including Swarovski Designer of the Year, as well as Best Menswear Designer of the Year by GQ. In 2011, he launched his flagship boutique in SoHo. His work has been appreciated by  fashion-oriented young adults a lot.

Alexander Wang’s first show took place at his brother’s wedding. He designed thirty-five outfits for his sister-in-law.

In 2012, Wang became Balenciaga‘s Creative Director, overseeing the men’s and women’s accessories and clothing. A year after, he introduced his first collection for the company at Balenciaga stores in Paris. Wang quickly rose from a fashion-savvy pupil to the head of one of the leading fashion houses. Even at such a high post, the designer appears way too young for all the achievements he has been carrying in his hand.

Apart from the endless praises about his work, Wang has been criticized by around thirty workers of providing low-level labor conditions to his workers and the designer has been charged of fifty million dollar lawsuit for operating a sweatshop in Manhattan’s busy area, Chinatown. Wenyu Lu, a worker from Wang’s workshop, complained to the press that he had to be hospitalized once for because he was made to work more than 24 hours continuously. He added that workers have been forced to stay and work for more than 15 hours a day in an office without any kind of ventilation. Lu’s lawyer claimed that he was fired by the company on this note. In 2012, the lawsuit against Alexander Wang was dismissed and his spokesperson told Women’s Wear Daily that the allegations were false.