Is Alexander Wang the new Marc Jacobs? (And does that makes Marc Jacob the new Oscar de la Renta? The possibilities are dizzying.) The madness before his show suggested as much. A natural disaster in the first row could have cleared out much of the industry: Inez and Vinoodh, Terry Richardson, Fabien Baron, Julia Restoin-Roitfeld, Erin Wasson and the guy she was tongue-wrestling with at her party. And that was just opposite the other front row, manned by Anna Wintour and Diane von Furstenberg. The spectacle gave me social vertigo.

The collection played with notions of early 90s sportswear as a basis for a contemporary look. It was a little Helmut Lang, but also Gap, Adidas, maybe even Abercrombie collegiate wear—all sexed up, Wang-style. The pièce de résistance was what I can only describe as a female jockstrap. And it worked; the kid can do no wrong. 

After the show I asked DFV about Alex, but she gave me her usual spiel: he’s a star, special, etc., etc. When asked about her favorite Wang pieces, she looked at me blankly and I scurried away. More obliging was Liya Kabede: “I love everything he does. It’s cool and comfortable. I could live in this leather jacket!”