Jason Wu Spring/Summer 2024
Jason Wu Spring/Summer 2024
By: Brooklyn Hoffmann
Jason Wu’s Spring/Summer 2024 runway show wowed the masses as he played with the paradoxical aspects of grit and glamor. Wu was born in Taiwan and raised in Vancouver before going on to study fashion design at Parsons School of Design. Wu learned how to sew by freelance designing doll clothing for Integrity Toys. Using the money from these designs, Wu’s debut fashion collection was launched in 2006 and he quickly gained recognition after working with prominent figures like Ivanka Trump, January Jones, and RuPaul. Wu even designed the dresses Michelle Obama wore during the first and second inauguration of President Barack Obama. Along with clothing, Wu launched a line of makeup and skincare products in 2022 under the label Jason Wu Beauty.
This year’s show at New York Fashion Week was an ode to his evolution as a designer and the ever-changing fashion world. He expressed his thoughts backstage before his Sunday show, saying, “I don’t know what the future holds because it’s all shifting. We’re trying to keep the art. New York has always been known as commercial, but what’s commercial is shifting.” Wu’s choice of show venue on 28 Liberty Street – formerly known as One Chase Manhattan Plaza – is now owned by consumer goods group Fosun. The tower’s plaza encases a landmark-status sunken Japanese garden that is currently undergoing construction in order to house a dining hall. Wu picked the construction zone due to its resemblance to the HBO drama “The Last of Us.” The symbolism of this is that Wu believes he is one of the last nonconforming artists, saying “I don’t think there are many of us left, the independents.”
The collection intertwined delicacy and violence by shredding an ivory jacquard skirt and hand-destroying a red sweater. Wu played with transparency with mesh designs and layering, including skirts over pants and bias-cut dresses. Denim and leather were feminized as they were delicately designed into gowns. Wu showcased his pure duality as an artist, using juxtaposition to create a whimsical and sultry collection.
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