Hi Alexander, have you been working on your upcoming SS10 collection?

Alexander Wang: Yes it’s coming along well! We’re actually pretty far ahead so I’m happy. You try to get ahead and do as much as you can, but things always come up and distract you and you find new inspirations. My designs are always about moving my label forward, evolving and challenging myself - creating clothing that may not seem typically Alexander Wang at first glance. That is always when I feel I’ve done something successful, when I’ve challenged myself and taken a new direction and point of view – but always with the spirit of the Alexander Wang girl in mind, and soon to be boy…

Amazing – you’re launching a men’s line?

Wang: Yes we’re launching menswear for Spring/Summer 10. It’s been a long time in the making but I was waiting for the right time and opportunity to launch it. I think people will be surprised when they see it – this line isn’t about being a counterpart to the girl’s line, the men’s will not be a ‘fashion’ line. It’s really about easy, cool clothes that guys will feel confident and comfortable in – I think guys look their sexiest when they are dressed simply, not in a full look head to toe.

The fact that you’ll be able to wear all these clothes must be a perk…

Wang: (laughs) Yeah, I’ll be designing clothing that fits with how I dress and the way I think guys look their most attractive.

Your dark, structured Autumn/Winter 09 collection is a real departure from your Miami themed Spring look, what was the motivation?

Wang: For Autumn/Winter 09 I wanted to evolve and create a collection that felt a little more grown up. I wanted to show structure, very sharp clean lines - an almost austere aesthetic but with a youthful energy. I was visualising the girls as wild, untamed animals, and juxtaposed this crazy, wild, fearless energy of the girls with laced in and tight cuts, corsetry, armour-like and industrial detailing including rivets and studs. I also used fur for the first time, which was pretty exciting. I loved the white motorcycle jacket with white fur – it’s an item I’ve always loved and I enjoyed refreshing that classic piece. I also loved the big hooded leather jacket with fringing worn with suede Capri’s and combat boots – it’s how I would dress if I were a girl!

The reaction to your collections is always so positive – you’re clothing is that perfect mix of being special, at such an attainable price-point…

Wang: That is what I have strived for. When I started out it was with the intention of creating accessible but chic clothing at a time when fashion felt very safe and consistent – you would see the same thing in all the stores. You had to go to high-end designers for something that felt very new and fresh. I wanted to bring that energy into a younger, more affordable market. We’ve been very fortunate and lucky that in a difficult economy when most people are cutting back, we are evolving and growing exponentially.

You’re label has really become synonymous with New York Cool – how would you describe your aesthetic?

Wang: (laughs) That’s cool, but really I don’t think of myself as being only

about downtown New York style – we are sold all over the world and speak to so many different women. What matters to me more than aesthetics is the energy of the clothing, how it inspires girls to actually live. My style is about experimentation, being fearless, being at ease and effortless in a rough around the edges kind of way. A tomboy in heels – that’s how I would describe my girl. No matter what she wears she always feels like herself and looks like she got dressed in five minutes, but looks amazing.

So you have an idea in mind of who the Alexander Wang girl is?

Wang: Yes, in a general sense I always start my collections with a basic idea or narrative. Each season has evolved naturally from the core idea of reinventing classics and designing clothing that girls look cool in. For one collection, I was inspired by a girl I imagined crashing a party, then ditching it and walking home at 4am, getting messed up as she steps in puddles and scales scaffolding. There were rips and tears across prints and also in fabrics throughout the collection – I really like that juxtaposition… taking a flaw and making it into something beautiful. Each season it’s this kind of idea, I think about where my girl has been…

Was fashion always your calling?

Wang: Definitely. It began with playing dress ups, and watching my mum and sisters getting dressed to go out. I grew up in San Francisco, I knew I wanted to be a fashion designer, but there was a reality to this dream as well. I knew I’d have to find my voice and personality and hold onto them because if you don’t you can really get lost in this industry. Luckily it has all worked out, and I’m living my dream.

It must be pretty exciting when you see people out and about in your designs…

Wang: That’s really the cherry on top for me. When I see celebs or models in shoots in my clothing I know the history and reason for it, but when random people on the street are wearing my designs it means they bought it because they love it – and that means so much to me.