NY Fashion Week 2011: Jason Wu's Fall/Winter 2011 Collection (Exclusive with Video)
A highlight of Fashion Week is the Fall/Winter 2011 Collection created by Fashion Designer Jason Wu before a packed house during New York's Fashion Week this afternoon. Anna Wintour, the British-born Editor-in-Chief of Vogue, was seated in the front row along with Hamish Bowles, the European Editor at Large for Vogue (see photo gallery below). Jason Wu was the designer of the white ballgown worn by Michelle Obama to the inauguration festivities.
"I aim to make clothes that look great on women and make them feel beautiful," Wu told Luxist. "They are timeless. These are wardrobe pieces. These are pieces that can be kept for a lifetime. And that is always the way I have done it. I have never been the trendy person. I really want to make clothes that are truly desirable for women."
For his Fall/Winter 2011 Collection, Wu told Luxist he was inspired by the beautiful photos taken by Robert Polidori in his book, "Parcours Museologique Revister", which documented the detailed restoration process of Versailles over a period of 25 years. The theme of contrast runs through the photos and the collection.
Wu explained to Luxist (see video below) that the juxtaposition between the rough undersurface revealed during renovation and the opulence of the decor inspired a mixture of luxuriously embellished fabrics with his signature American sportswear elements. The collection included sharp tailored pants, ascot shirts and charcoal flannel coats. Accents included colorful embroidered Swarovski elements, burned out features and lace detailing. The color palette was restrained with lots of black, white and nude throughput the collection highlighted by shots of bold colors including cerise pink, chartreuse, ultra violet and antique gold.
"This season the color choices was really about working with a restrained color palette," Wu told Luxist. "It is an austere mood that is brightened up by these embroideries and the embellishments and details that were so delightful to me and such a joy to work on."
"I found inspiration and ideas from taking something apart and putting it back together," Wu told Luxist. "And how it is always a little bit different when you put things back together. You always have to be a little bit creative. So I took laces apart, I re-embroidered them on fabrics that have jacquard patterns on them. It was really about working with precious things in a new way."
His inspiration was evident throughout the evening wear, as Wu played with dissecting classic materials, from whimsically scattered colorful jewel embroideries on coats, dresses, skirts and blouses to delicately falling leaf motif lace embroidered onto day and evening pieces.
The collection features more than 15 different types of laces show on many looks from a gilded lace gown with black and white "gear" palettes, trimmed anoraks, embroidered on blouses, skirts and dresses. Wu took classic couture shapes and sculpted them to create controlled volume in sportswear and evening wear. The sculpted lace was very elegant.
Accessories were detailed as well. A grey flannel clutch was embroidered with Swarovski elements. Jewel-tone satin clutches were shown in royal blue, Bordeaux and teal. A new shoulder clutch was shown, as well as a Doctor's bag, and a cross body tote (in ivory and Bordeaux leather). The Miss Wu bag was shown in new colors including a high shine mauve leather and Bordeaux.
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