Alexander Wang is in expansion mode again. The 25-year-old with the three-year-old brand and a pair of CFDA award nominations is opening a New York boutique before the end of 2010, and growing his Resort collection to two deliveries in the process.
At an informal presentation of the new lineup today, he said, "We've been feeling urban streetwear for a while. I wanted to take this in a direction that felt more unknown to us." "Plantations," "suburban," "organic," and "sheltered" were among his unexpected talking points, but don't be fooled; there was still plenty of Wang's signature edge. Mixed in among the nubby hand-knit half sweaters, asymmetrically pleated board shorts, and vacation-ready knit jacquard tube tops were patent-leather pea jackets and technical mesh cape/trench hybrids that wouldn't have been out of place on his Wall Street-inspired Fall runway.
As usual, outerwear was strong here. A slouchy "bathrobe trench" in synthetic twill is Wang's favorite piece in the collection, and will probably be a key look for buyers, too. In a savvy move designed to appeal to retailers, the designer is launching an "essentials" collection of jackets, blouses, and pants. It wouldn't surprise us if the stores ask him to add one of his Resort looks—a calf-length black slipdress worn with a machine-crocheted turtleneck—to that list. It had an understated appeal that felt timely and timeless in equal measure: yet more evidence that this young New Yorker is going places.
