Logomania at Alexander Wang

Last season, Alexander Wang showed his eponymous collection mere weeks before he was due to make his much-buzzed-about Balenciaga debut. The posh collection was somewhat of a departure for him, and many reviewers noticed it was more than liberally sprinkled with Balenciaga references. But Wang's Spring 2014 collection, which he showed yesterday at his usual venue at Pier 94, was pure Alexander Wang. It was one of the strongest and, indeed, most Alexander Wang-y, collections he's shown in many seasons.
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Last season, Alexander Wang showed

The logos, in addition to being a nod to the commercial '90s, could also serve to separate Wang and his namesake label from the other house he designs for--a little place called Balenciaga. (This idea came up during an email discussion I had with Leah after the show--she was supposed to go, but got stuck in horrid traffic and since I was lurking around backstage, I got to cover Wang for one more season. #sorrynotsorry.) The set, which was a geometric maze punctuated by tubular sculptures, was reminiscent of his store, further adding to the theory that he's doing a little branding reinforcement. And to hammer home the message that he's still Alexander "I Design for Cool Downtown Girls" Wang, model Erin Wasson--his long-time muse and collaborator who styled many of his early shows--closed the show.

But lest you think this was a total throwback collection, it wasn't necessarily. There were tons of modern elements, and his sexy separates constructed of menswear shirting and plaids were standouts. And let's not forget about accessories. Yes, there were mary janes, but they weren't the flat clunky ones of yore. These were elevated on a platform with a sculputural heel and pointier toe, and finished in white and pink patent leather. And one of those large, boxy, baby pink bags is going on my spring wish list for sure. As long as it's not covered in logos.

Photos: IMAXtree

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We are voting for this collection as one of the best Alexander Wang's done in several seasons. He took leather garments, seemingly cut them in many pieces, then sewed the pieces loosely back together with some sort of magical invisible thread that left strips of skin peeking through--the line notes kept referring to it as a "suspended" detail. It was a technique that almost made the leather flowy; it moved in a way that leather usually doesn't. Everything was black and white, with the occasional nude tone thrown in. White pieces were crisp and looked clinical, like lab coats. Tanks that were designed like one giant, twisted cable knit were striking, especially look 14 as worn by Jourdan Dunn. For the finale, a group of platinum-coiffed models all in white stood still in the middle of the room. The lights went down and then their outfits--swear to god--glowed in the dark.