Jason Wu’s Pre-Fall lineup touches on several of the trends that define the season. Like most designers, Wu presented this pre-collection back in January, before Fall hit the runway, but he’s only releasing images now that the clothes have arrived in stores, the thinking being that the element of surprise will seduce his customers. Wu’s got stripes in the form of pinstriped tailoring, he’s got pleating on plissé lamé evening separates à la Fortuny, and he’s got Fall flowers decorating midi- and floor-length dresses. But the idea that really dominates the new collection is asymmetry.
With few exceptions, his hems are handkerchief, necklines are graphic and irregular, and piped seams twist around the torso and hips of dresses. The overall effect is one of relaxed languidness. These are dressy clothes in keeping with what Wu usually does, but they have an appealing informality. Even the pinstriped suiting seems to have a softness. “What’s important today is the sense of ease that women are looking for,” Wu said. “Clothes have to be multi-seasonal and multi-occasional; no one’s changing several times a day.” Wu relied on corsetry lacing and small silver grommets to give individual pieces an edge; a strappy-shouldered black number with laces gripping the midriff looks sexier than his typical fare while retaining a certain chill spirit.
