JW: I launched my first collaboration with Lancôme this fall, which was launched actually last week, and it was really about my love of color and beauty, and there’s always sort of a an important key statement beauty look within the collection that I do. And so I felt it was a really natural next step for me to expand and to embrace beauty in more ways than one.
Cannon: The accessories were totally over-the-top and gorgeous. The shoes, the bags, I love the huge bag that came out with the swimsuit.
JW: The weekender, the Daphne weekender, all the little bags were crocodile, it was luxurious, it was tranquil, it was beautiful, and it was exactly what I wanted to say with the collection. The shoes were spare but beautifully made. You know, just the right amount of hardware, just the right amount of straps that were constructed with a little bit of a raised surface. You know, it’s about this subtlety in construction and femininity that I really wanted to embrace with this collection.
JW: Well, design in the home always come hand in hand, you know I’ve been known to be a designer who is not just about the fashion, but about the entire lifestyle, the entire world, the universe, and so I think everything from the gold light fixtures that I created for this show, to the way the drapes just gauze over the entire venue, the way you see the beautiful original architecture of this building, that is all part of the message.
This isn’t Jason’s first foray into home design. Having been partnered with Brizo for a number of years, Jason has imbued his talents into their own aesthetic, creating the Jason Wu faucet. His encapsulation of modernity, form and sensuality clearly crosses borders.
But of all his efforts, there is nothing that can compare to the fantasy he creates on that runway. The show ended with the audience breathless with his closing gowns. Karlie Kloss devoured the runway with an almost arachnid strut giving ferocity to the most divine, simply chic, simply American tank gown. Simple in its lines, it then exploded in a frothy train that every girl dreams of. Its delight was matched by the exhilarating finale gown. It was all sex, all power, all black lace, chiffon and embroidery. It was the intoxicating woman Wu has been cultivating with each season.
The spectacle continued backstage with everyone and anyone just gushing over the show. A longtime friend and major fashion staple Jenny Shimizu had this to say: “New York Fashion week always starts off with Wu — that’s just how it goes. No other shows exist. Wu first and then I’m not sure really who follows…”
Fashionista Michelle Harper: “That was one of the best experiences—period. It was the perfect way to open Fashion Week for me. Sage elegance…I love a jumper. Jason covered it all, it was perfect!”
“Jason Wu, incredible show, what I thought was actually a more grownup show, in a really amazing way. Sexy, feminine, loose, chic. I love that he kind of let go of the structure he’s known for in a lot of his clothes and had this lingerie-inspired looseness that felt very glamorous and very now,” summed up editor Mary Alice Stephenson.
