New York Fashion Week spring-summer 2013: Jason Wu
NEW YORK — The designer: Jason Wu showed his spring-summer 2013 collection at New York Fashion Week on Friday. You will remember he was a relative unknown when in 2009 First Lady Michelle Obama chose his dreamy white, one-shoulder gown to wear on inauguration night. Since then, he’s added accessories to the mix and a lower-priced collection that will launch for spring 2013. Named after his house mascot and logo, an owl, Miss Wu will retail exclusively at Nordstrom stores.
But on the runway, he showed his higher-end main collection, which considering the subject matter, could well be referred to as Mrs. Wu.
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The inspiration: The sexually-charged photos of Helmut Newton and the dream-like photos of Lillian Bassman. In other words, a contrast between hard and soft, naughty and nice.
The look: “Fifty Shades of Grey,†or good girl gone bad — but not too bad. (The first lady does still wear Wu’s clothing after all.) Think leather skirts embroidered with lace, dresses with corset details and body-tracing seams, shirts with peekaboo organza panels, Point d’Esprit bandeaus, pinup style, high-waist shorts and X-ray floral print trench coats. And there were lots of harnesses, as seen at BCBG, in leather, yes, but also in grosgrain ribbon trimming cloud-like tulle ball gowns. Lace pumps came with pin-thin heels embellished with crystals.
The scene: Fashion’s big guns, the editor-in-chiefs and fashion directors. Lots of camera-happy folks took pictures of the crowd reflected in the giant mirror at the top of the runway.
The verdict: With the popularity of the “Fifty Shades of Grey†trilogy, and several references to Newton already this week, it’s probably safe to assume we’re heading for another lingerie moment in fashion. I only wish Wu’s collection had more of a sexual spark.
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