Alexander Wang
Alexander Wang Woman Spring Summer 2017 –Revered for his unique, west coast meets New York cool girl style, Alexander Wang presented an appropriately fresh take on the sleepwear trend that has been so popular of late. This season his show opened with a messy-haired model, her abdomen wrapped in a pale violet ribbon, bared between striped shorts that looked cut straight from a pair of pajamas, and a cropped white button-down. Stripes endured, changing from pale to navy pinstripes and back, before the patterns turned to thorns and roses, cheetah print and those flame prints so memorable from your middle-school years.
At last year’s spring summer presentation, Wang stated that there was, “No concept,” to the show. “We’re always asking ourselves what’s modern,” he continued. “Well, what’s modern is what’s right in front of us.” This season was a completely different story – beyond the recognizable skater-style, neon surfer themes were brought to the forefront, from wetsuit-mimicking dresses, to lacy, neon lingerie with drawstring waists. Bright sweatshirts featuring the slogan “Mind Detergent,” and the reoccurring theme of tropical postcards, some featuring “miami,” others dolphins, and yet more the backs of models in thongs. Glamorous satin looks, long lapelled jackets and sequined dresses brought up the end of the show.
Triangle tops, wide-ankle bracelets and studded purses accessorised the looks. Flip flops and moccasins adorned the models feet, while bracelets chained mini bucket bags to models wrists like surfboard leashes. Nostalgia has rung loud and clear through fashion and culture of late, and while this collection is not untouched, a unique take is offered, recalling the west coast’s neon-fascination with surf and skate style, whether the wearer partook of the sport or not.
Wang took his show as an opportunity to also preview his collaboration with Adidas, an 84-piece, unisex collection. “Originals is such an iconic brand, with instantly recognizable symbols and trademarks. It’s both grounded in heritage and also completely modern,” the designer told Vogue via email. “With this collection, the idea was to take the codes and iconography of the Adidas Originals brand and look at what their symbols mean and turn them on their head, to invert what’s on the surface and add a layer of subversion; also to toy with the idea of what’s authentic and what’s fake, and how a certain setting can change perception entirely.” And this is exactly what he did – the familiar black and white tracksuits featured inverted logos. While the collection as a whole is unavailable until next spring, a nine-piece capsule collection will be available at three pop-up stores tomorrow only. Photographed by Jeurgen Teller, the capsule collection features pieces including a t-shirt, shorts, a hoodies and track pants, as well as a long parka, and prominently featured footwear. The models photographed in the capsule collection are pictured holding, dragging, pulling and leaning on a half-full garbage bag, in differing New York street scenes. The imagery seems to emphasize the streetwear status of the brand, especially when tweaked by a designer notorious for his elevated level of streetwear cool.
Alexander Wang Woman Spring Summer 2017