September 22, 2021
Updated:
Original:

Jason Wu Spring 2012: Pop Art, Peplum, and Pink

Jason Wu likes a little bit of juxtaposition in his collections, mixing chic glamor with very subtle elements of subversion. This season it’s a print collaboration with a street artist, mixed with peplum and haute couture shapes. Throw in some Pop Art, neon, and chiffon windbreakers and you’ve got Wu’s vision of spring 2012. It’s a vision that worked. The prints, conceived in collaboration with the artist KAWS--who’s best known for warping street advertisements and beloved cartoon characters--did a subtle cartoon-y hand print behind a more classic Wu petal print. This print appeared on pants, blouses, and dresses. Dresses, as befits a Wu lady, were generally belted with fuller skirts to the knee. After a few black and grey looks, the clouds parted and out came the big gun color, continuing the neon theme he hinted at in his resort collection.
Author:

Jason Wu likes a little bit of juxtaposition in his collections, mixing chic glamor with very subtle elements of subversion. This season it’s a print collaboration with a street artist, mixed with peplum and haute couture shapes. Throw in some Pop Art, neon, and chiffon windbreakers and you’ve got

I had the chance to go backstage, which is a pleasure, because Jason Wu likes to play around with his beauty looks. Plus, you get to see goddesses like Arizona Muse and Lindsey Wixson looking human--just like you and me!

The makeup look was matchy-matchy and ladylike, a trend we started seeing last season on runways. Diane Kendal and her MAC team used a scarlet lipstick topped with neon orange loose pigment. (The message overall: Neon is not dead yet.) The rest of the face was clean and glowing. Wu, who’s worked for several seasons with CND (even doing a nail polish line with them) surprised everyone by choosing OPI for nails this season. The nail color, Monsooner or Later, was a poppy red that was a dead ringer for the lips. Hair, which is always interesting at a Jason Wu show, was pulled back into a messy updo and threaded through with small black feathers.

Jason Wu wants you to be a lady, but you better have a sneaky tough side, too.

Recommended Articles

**Runway photos: Imaxtree

Related Stories

Style

Project Runway Finale Spring 2012 : Um, What's the Theme?

Do people still say "hot mess" anymore? If not, it should be resurrected for the purposes of reviewing the Project Runway season nine finale show I saw yesterday. But the collections are not really why one attends Project Runway shows, is it? Of course not...it's for seeing Michael Kors, and all the random celebs who show up. This year delivered Jennifer Love Hewitt, wearing an unfortunate orange bandage dress, and Andie MacDowell, looking rather radiant and sure of herself. It's always fun to see who they dig up as a guest judge, with Jessica Simpson--clothing line doyenne and worst-dressed list inhabitant--doing the honors last year. This year they went with an actual designer, the amazonian L'Wren Scott, who makes me want to wear even higher heels. And then there was Heidi, who was completely stunning in a sparkly, backless black jumpsuit.

Style

Jason Wu Spring 2013

We're predicting an early trend of harness elements for spring--should we blame Fifty Shades? For spring 2013 Wu was inspired by the "erotically charged" images of Helmut Newton and the "dream-like" photos of Lillian Bassman.

Fashion Week

New York Fashion Week Spring 2012 Beauty: Best Nail Art

What we actually want to wear on our nails and what we just like to look at on other people's nails are two very different things sometimes. The nail artistry at this week's New York fashion week actually veered both ways for us this season. While nudes are still a thing, and orangey poppy reds (see Jason Wu) had a strong showing, there were a few surprises, too. Manicurist Jin Soon Choi told us backstage at Alexander Wang to watch for super dark colors (not very spring-like) mixed with brights--for example a mixed mani/pedi. She also said that bright colors with a 70s feeling like purple and turquoise would be big come spring. The established designers went fairly minimal with makeup and nails this season, but we love that indie designers (and Betsey Johnson, of course!) are still taking nail risks.

Style

Jason Wu Fall 2012: China Three Ways

Jason Wu is obviously a hot commodity right now because of his Target collection; his name-recognition is at a high point. But let's not forget what he does best: He makes uber-luxurious clothes. Yesterday's show may been one of Jason Wu's strongest shows, both literally and figuratively. I heard over and over about how the Jason Wu girl is "strong" this season. The high ponytails (secured with bondage tape procured from a sex shop, no less) were meant to look like a horse's tail. Lead hair stylist Odile Gilbert said, "It's a very strong ponytail because the girl at Jason Wu is a fighter." The runway show confirmed the suspicions I had backstage that she could definitely kick my ass, and look chic doing it. (We hope Shailene Woodley, sitting front row with the Elle team, was paying attention. She needs a victory on the red carpet.) The show started with drum beats and a huge red door, meant to look like the door of the Forbidden City.