Alexander Wang
Bare midriffs, black chokers and velvet may conjure cringe-worthy thoughts of the mid-90s, but Alexander Wang’s take was decidedly more sophisticated than your average Contempo Casuals offering. Fresh off his Swiss Textiles Award win and supported by Saga Furs, Wang saw fit to experiment with a variety of fabrics, not limited to wool, peluche and mink. Even that pillow-protector favorite, chenille, made a comeback in the form of black bandeaus, exposed beneath chalk-striped cropped jackets. Amid the thigh-highs, school-girl skirts and mock turtlenecks were a few amazing dresses, unlike anything we donned at junior prom. Wang closed with two panne velvet knockouts, one a long-sleeved, bustier-ed beauty, the other partially fashioned from chiffon and featuring a mini-cape. But it was the backpacks that were all the rage. Wang’s were wool, pinstriped or black, and oversized. All the better to fit that cassette single and Sony Walkman.