First things first: We’d be remiss to not acknowledge that the last time we heard from designer Alexander Wang, it was during the fallout from accusations of sexual misconduct. After denying the allegations, the designer later released a public apology and then met with his accusers in private; their lawyer, Lisa Bloom, subsequently released a statement that the accusers acknowledged Wang’s apology and were moving forward.
So last night he staged something of a “comeback”—and a savvily orchestrated one at that. For a designer known for his cheeky spirit, Wang played it safe: He was unavailable for interviews and he staged an open-to-the-public show far from his New York stomping ground, in Los Angeles’s Chinatown district. The whole event was titled “Fortune City” and, as such, leaned into the designer’s Chinese heritage—a theme, it should be noted, he had been exploring since before the pandemic and the accusations against him.
Before Tuesday’s show, he shut down a particularly iconic plaza in the neighborhood—neon lights, pagoda-style architecture, hanging red lanterns—and guests were invited to peruse the local vendors for souvenirs like jade buddhas and beckoning cat figurines, along with skewered meats and sweet treats. Proceeds from the sales of a limited-edition T-shirt plus an undisclosed amount were donated to Chinatown Corporation, an organization dedicated to preservation and restoration of the area.
While the venue was a departure, the clothes themselves were in line with the aesthetic he’s built over his decades-long career. He opened with pieces that felt instantly recognizable as part of the Wang universe—swaggering, broad-shoulder leather coats, oversized men’s white button-ups with bras exposed, roomy jean shorts over pants, slouchy boots, and ruched, fleshy bodysuits. There were Miu Miu–style barely-there skirts and, toward the end, draped white dresses and a smattering of velour tracksuit sets. The designer tapped some of his famous model friends—after all, he built his career on selling the “off-duty model” look—sending Alessandra Ambrosio and Candice Swanepoel out in tattered and frilled lingerie styles. A highlight was a very pregnant Adriana Lima with her belly exposed (reminiscent of a Wang look that Rihanna recently sported).
Despite the controversy, Wang still has the power to produce a look that is effortlessly cool, slightly unexpected, and seemingly attainable. His brand has worked in the past because people can see themselves as part of the “Wang” crew—that they can achieve the off-handed downtown glamor he has so long trafficked in. The ideas behind the masculine-feminine designs—a revealing bra top under a leather vest, say, or jeans and a blousy men’s shirt worn with a pair of stilettos—have a certain timelessness to them, the grittier, American answer to France’s gamine style.
Wang came out for his bow at the end—in jeans, a white shirt, and a leather vest—a little more subdued but still looking hopeful. The crowd cheered, and phones were held aloft, and for a moment, the past was forgotten. Will that hold? It’s hard to say. A ’90s dance anthem suddenly blared over the loudspeakers as the crowd dispersed, some wondering if there was an after-party (there was not). “This is the rhythm of the night,” the voice sang. “This is the rhythm of my life.”
