A lot has changed since designer Alexander Wang’s last NYFW runway extravaganza, once considered one of the most anticipated, “must see” events, but in some ways, a lot has stayed the same. For years, the club-hopping designer was the subject of rumors and accusations of sexual assault, which reached a boiling point early in 2021, when both The New York Times and The Cut published accounts of alleged nonconsensual encounters with the designer, and eleven individuals retained the services of civil-rights attorney Lisa Bloom.
As reported by Fashionista, in his formal statements, Wang initially dismissed the claims as false, but later said that he “regret(s) acting in a way that caused them pain,” and that “while we disagree on some of the details of these personal interactions, I will set a better example and use my visibility and influence to encourage others to recognize harmful behaviors.” Bloom responded to the second statement on Twitter, sharing that her clients “had the opportunity to speak their truth to him and expressed their pain and hurt,” and concluding: “We acknowledge Mr. Wang’s apology and we are moving forward.”
Boom, done. Alexander Wang, the brand, went on to maintain a presence on social media, in top retailers and on celebrities like Rihanna, Kylie Jenner, Julia Fox, CL and Lucy Liu. (The latter starred in one of its recent campaigns.) Wang, the person, meanwhile, avoided the spotlight and the runway — until this month, when the New York designer staged “Fortune City,” his first live event since 2019, in the Chinatown neighborhood of Los Angeles, featuring a runway show, party and night market.
Once again, everyone was talking about an Alexander Wang event, but instead of excitement, there was more of a burning curiosity: Was Wang leaning back into the hard-partying image that ultimately got him in trouble? Would he give interviews? Would his usual crew of supermodels and celebrity pals show up? Would anyone show up? Was he officially “back”?
There were no interviews, and the event — billed as a “multi-layered event and runway show celebrating Asian American culture, food and music” — appeared to be alcohol-free. Despite being open to the public and even advertised with a billboard, entry to the event, held outdoors, wasn’t as chaotic as the brand’s previous open-to-the-public events. There was a separate entrance for invited guests, and a small group of famous pals did show up just before the runway show began, including Erika Jayne, CL, Chloe Cherry, Gunna, Noah Beck, Simi & Haze and Lisa Rinna.
Rinna’s daughter, Amelia Gray Hamlin, walked the runway, as did veteran models Adriana Lima (her toned baby bump displayed through a ruffled cut-out), Candice Swanepoel and Alessandra Ambrosio. Given the many members of Wang’s model crew who didn’t appear, their presence felt like a particularly bold show of support in the face of the public backlash that inevitably bubbles up on social media when one associates with a “cancelled” entity. (And that it did.)
It’s clear that not everyone is ready to forgive Wang, but also that he’s not going to disappear. The designer still consistently sells out at top retail chains, has plans to expand into China, and now a new collection with commercial appeal and a solid (if smaller) cohort of celebrities happy to wear it, all which seem to bode well for the brand’s future.
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