How Alexander Wang Went From Genius to Scandal
Summary
TLDRDie video fokus op die reis van 'n modeontwerper wat onlangs as die kreatiewe direkteur van 'n bekende handelsmerk aangestel is. Hy begin sy verhaal deur te verduidelik hoe hy in 2005 sy handelsmerk in New York begin het en hoe sy liefde vir mode afgespring het van sy vroeë invloede, insluitend sportmode en musiek. Deur die gesprek, deel hy sy unieke benadering tot modeontwerp, wat storietelling en die bou van 'n verbinding met sy kliënte insluit. Hy bespreek die belangrikheid van musiek binne sy werk, en hoe dit inspirerend is vir sy shows. Hy fokus ook op die uitdagings van die bedryf, die balans tussen kreatiwiteit en besigheid, en hoe sy ouers se emigrant agtergrond 'n groot invloed op sy werk gehad het. Hy deel sy beste herinneringe in die modebedryf en sy visie vir die toekoms om mode toegankelijk vir almal te maak.
Takeaways
- 🎉 Mode is altyd in verandering
- 📖 Storievertelling is die sleutel
- 🎨 Musiek inspireer ontwerpers
- 🧩 Balans tussen kreatiwiteit en besigheid is belangrik
- 🌍 Diversiteit in mode is noodsaaklik
- ✈️ Begin jou loopbaan met passie en dapperheid
- 🤝 Verbinding met jou kliënte is belangrik
- 🧵 Aandagtie aan materiaal en kwaliteit maak 'n verskil
- 💡 Wees voorbereid vir verandering
- 🎊 Geniet die reis en die herinneringe wat jy maak
Timeline
- 00:00:00 - 00:05:00
Die modebedryf verander voortdurend en die persoon met 'n mode-handelsmerk in New York beklemtoon die belangrikheid van stories en verbinding met klante. Die ontwerper se passie vir sportstyl en gemak is 'n deurlopende tema in sy werk, ongeag die seisoen se fokus, soos kuns of sport.
- 00:05:00 - 00:10:00
Die ontwerper se oorsprong is gekoppel aan herinneringe van sy ma en die gees van oorspronklikheid wat sy kreatiewe pad benewens die navorsing oor ontwerpeurs begin het. Die begeerte om in New York te werk, het gelei tot 'n organiese en spontane ontwerpproses, wat dikwels moed inspuit van hartsimpaties.
- 00:10:00 - 00:15:00
Die ontwikkeling van stowwe en die eksperimentering met unieke materiale speel 'n belangrike rol in die ontwerpproses van die ontwerper. Hy sien mode as 'n mengsel van artistieke invloede, insluitend musiek, wat 'n groot skeppende bron vir sy werk is, wat die styl van die aanbieding beïnvloed.
- 00:15:00 - 00:20:00
Die idee van 'n encore-performans tydens 'n modevertoning was inspirerend, aangesien dit 'n gevoel van opwinding en verwagting skep, terwyl die ontwerper nuwe sosiokulturele interaksies in die modebedryf bevorder. Hy benadruk die harde werksaspek van die bedryf, wat dikwels glamorisering met 'n gewaarwording van eie federatiewe prestasies vermeng.
- 00:20:00 - 00:25:00
Die ontwerper glo dat die werklike waarde van 'n produk nie net kennisgewing, maar ook 'n demokratiese benadering tot mode vereis. Hy het 'n unieke benadering om modemerke te bemark, terwyl die klem val op die todienste van klante, en dus die vervaardiging van toeganklike produkte bevorder.
- 00:25:00 - 00:30:00
Hy erken dat die ontwerpproses 'n voortdurende leerervaring is, wat refleksie en aanpassing vereis. Sy loopbaan het 'n reis na sukses geopper en snyk binne-in die agtergrond van die modelle en die posisie van die modebedryf, wat dringende en opwindende geleenthede ondersteun.
- 00:30:00 - 00:35:57
Die ontwerper se familie-erfdeel, met 'n fokus op immigrant-ervarings, vorm die kern van sy ontwerpe en verbind sy werke direk met kulturele erfenisse. Sy eerste poging om 'n besigheid te vestig het sy maatskaplike sentimente gewaarborg, gebaseer op werk, selfmotivering, en die lewens wat sy ouers deur 'n reeks uitdagings oorgestaan het.
Mind Map
Video Q&A
Wat is die ontwerper se benadering tot mode?
Die ontwerper fokus op storietelling en die opbou van 'n verbintenis met kliënte, met 'n klem op sportmode en gemak.
Hoe het die ontwerper in die modebedryf begin?
Hy het sy handelsmerk in 2005 begin terwyl hy nog studeer het en het sy passie vir mode tydens sy studies ontdek.
Wat is die rol van musiek in sy ontwerpproses?
Musiek is 'n groot inspirasie vir hom en speel 'n belangrike rol in sy mode shows en advelasies.
Hoe balanseer hy besigheid en kreatiwiteit?
Hy meng besigheidsbesluite met kreatiewe denkprosesse, altyd met die einddoel in gedagte.
Wat was 'n belangrike les wat hy geleer het in sy loopbaan?
Hy het geleer om nie ooit te dink dat hy alles verstaan nie; verandering is altyd 'n faktor.
Hoe belangrik is dit vir hom om inklusiewe mode te skep?
Hy het 'n passie om 'n wye verskeidenheid kliënte te dien en mode toeganklik te maak.
Wat was 'n van sy beste herinneringe in die modebedryf?
Hy praat oor sy eerste mode-show en die geleenthede wat gevolg het, insluitend werksverhoudinge met ikoniese modelle.
Wat het hom geïnspireer tot sy modeshows?
Hy is geïnspireer deur musiek, kuns en sy eie kultuur agtergrond.
Hoe het sy ouers se agtergrond hom beïnvloed?
Hy voel trots om 'n Asiërs-Amerikaanse modeontwerper te wees en gebruik sy platform om ander te inspireer.
Wat is sy visie vir die toekoms van sy handelsmerk?
Hy wil voortgaan om 'n merk te bou wat relevant en toeganklik is, met 'n fokus op diversiteit.
View more video summaries
- 00:00:07[Music]
- 00:00:14I think the great thing about fashion is
- 00:00:16that it's changing all the time and the
- 00:00:19people in the industry are just kind of
- 00:00:22crazy enough to kind of go along with
- 00:00:23the ride I have a brand here in New York
- 00:00:26and as of two months ago I was appointed
- 00:00:29creative director of Len Yaga I started
- 00:00:32my brand in
- 00:00:342005 I was in school at the time
- 00:00:37registered I should say it was my I just
- 00:00:40finished my sophomore year of college at
- 00:00:42Parson and I was at this moment when I
- 00:00:47felt that I was ready for a new
- 00:00:49challenge in a way and um I I just
- 00:00:54really wanted to kind of get out there
- 00:00:55and kind of get my hands dirty I guess
- 00:00:57to put in the simplest term the idea for
- 00:01:00me in the beginning was always two
- 00:01:02things it was always to tell a story and
- 00:01:06to build a connection with a customer
- 00:01:08and an audience I think if you don't
- 00:01:11have those two things for me in my
- 00:01:13opinion you know um it's not worth it
- 00:01:16there always has to be a reference to
- 00:01:18something that I feel there's a where
- 00:01:20there's a comfort level and and by that
- 00:01:22I mean you know um you know my roots and
- 00:01:25kind of pieces that I like are always
- 00:01:27very heavily rooted in sport sports wear
- 00:01:31and this idea of ease and this idea of
- 00:01:34items that people love to wear and can
- 00:01:36relate to and you know it doesn't matter
- 00:01:38if this season we're thinking about art
- 00:01:41deco or next season we're thinking about
- 00:01:43you know I don't know ice hockey each
- 00:01:47element kind of has to bring itself back
- 00:01:49into that idea of classic sportsware
- 00:01:51there's this idea of elevating the every
- 00:01:53day that I that I just I've always been
- 00:01:57attracted to the sweatshirt just iMed
- 00:01:59mediately kind of you know everyone you
- 00:02:01know when they think sweatshir they
- 00:02:02probably think for the majority you know
- 00:02:04they're sitting at home watching TV on
- 00:02:05their couch and throwing on their
- 00:02:07comfiest pair of sweatpants and
- 00:02:08sweatshirt you know but then you know
- 00:02:10the idea that you can take that item and
- 00:02:12that reference and apply to something
- 00:02:14completely abstract um but still have
- 00:02:17that connotation and that reference I
- 00:02:19think is uh I I don't know it's
- 00:02:21interesting you know I think a lot of
- 00:02:24people um look at me and you know look
- 00:02:27at my age and they have immediately this
- 00:02:29perception of the brand you know being
- 00:02:31you know what it is and sometimes our
- 00:02:33customer is a lot younger and sometimes
- 00:02:35our customer is a lot older and I think
- 00:02:38that's what's so great and what inspires
- 00:02:40me every day is that you know our brand
- 00:02:42really is much more about a sensibility
- 00:02:44and an attitude and you know it's not
- 00:02:47defined by where you live or how old you
- 00:02:50are or you know what your cultural
- 00:02:52background is um I think probably the
- 00:02:54first memories I have were probably just
- 00:02:57going with my mom to the hair salon and
- 00:02:58having to wait for her and and um you
- 00:03:01know sitting in the waiting area and
- 00:03:02then you know naturally you're just
- 00:03:04looking at magazines cuz that's all
- 00:03:06there is to do I just remember one time
- 00:03:08I I I took I I stole one of the
- 00:03:10magazines from the hair salon and
- 00:03:12brought it home with me and I just
- 00:03:13looked at it over and over and over
- 00:03:16again and I probably read that issue
- 00:03:18probably over a hundred times from that
- 00:03:20point on I would just start sketching
- 00:03:22and kind of I wanted to kind of recreate
- 00:03:25kind of the imagery that I saw and um
- 00:03:28and then from that point it kind of LED
- 00:03:30my interest to kind of do more research
- 00:03:31and see like you know what who were
- 00:03:33these designers you know where did they
- 00:03:35study what were they you know what were
- 00:03:37they doing and where were they designing
- 00:03:38and then I decided that New York was
- 00:03:41kind of going to be the place that was
- 00:03:42for me and that I was going to start and
- 00:03:43if it took me somewhere else EV then
- 00:03:45later on then you know great I wanted it
- 00:03:48to be my first stepping stone I would
- 00:03:50say I'm rarely the kind of designer that
- 00:03:52would say I'm going on this trip and
- 00:03:55this is going to be what I'm going to
- 00:03:57dedicate next season to and
- 00:04:00go from there um it usually starts with
- 00:04:04a very abstract feeling or reaction to
- 00:04:06kind of what we've done before or
- 00:04:09previously and then we build from there
- 00:04:11you know we come in every single day and
- 00:04:12the direction will change probably most
- 00:04:15likely and it'll say I saw this napkin
- 00:04:18and I love the way that it ripped and we
- 00:04:19should do that on a hem oh wait but I
- 00:04:21thought we were talking about very clean
- 00:04:22lines well you know then we need to make
- 00:04:25the clean line look like the rip lines
- 00:04:27um or it could be you know I could have
- 00:04:30this idea that I'm toly into I don't
- 00:04:33know electronic music and then I could
- 00:04:34go to this concert and then you know I
- 00:04:37don't know be completely enthralled and
- 00:04:40you know inspired by the opposite the
- 00:04:43the inspiration process is very organic
- 00:04:45and it's always a reaction and a
- 00:04:47dialogue with everyone that I'm working
- 00:04:48with that I think makes it interesting
- 00:04:50and then um you know and it pushes and
- 00:04:53pulls and it goes into a lot of
- 00:04:55different directions before it ends up
- 00:04:56on the runway we've always worked
- 00:04:58primarily with your up on getting our
- 00:05:01Fabrics we've taken a lot more of a um a
- 00:05:04customized approach to developing our
- 00:05:07fabrics and that process is so inspiring
- 00:05:12just the trial and the error aspect of
- 00:05:15having these very crazy abstract ideas
- 00:05:17of saying oh let's I don't know cut this
- 00:05:20up and re embroider it and put it
- 00:05:21together in a way that looks like hair
- 00:05:23you know seeing that come back and
- 00:05:25sometimes it's the most horrendous thing
- 00:05:28and sometimes it's the most um inspiring
- 00:05:31and beautiful thing and or sometimes
- 00:05:33it's such an ugly thing that we want to
- 00:05:34make it beautiful the fashion is very um
- 00:05:38is very much like a Melting Pot that is
- 00:05:40looking at music a lot more it's looking
- 00:05:43at art a lot more it's looking at you
- 00:05:45know theater music and musicians are
- 00:05:47probably one of the most inspiring
- 00:05:48things for me I think so much of what
- 00:05:52has happened in fashion can be and
- 00:05:54should be attributed to music Punk
- 00:05:57grunge Glam Rock pop you know all of
- 00:06:01these style movements I start from music
- 00:06:05I'm So Into so many different kinds of
- 00:06:07music and genres of music that um in my
- 00:06:11shows it always kind of plays a very
- 00:06:13important part it can kind of completely
- 00:06:16change the way that you perceive a show
- 00:06:19or a an ad campaign or you know whatever
- 00:06:23yeah in that sense it's it's it's been a
- 00:06:25it's been one of the most important
- 00:06:26things for me the idea of an encore
- 00:06:28performance
- 00:06:30um was really you know interesting to me
- 00:06:33you know I love when you go to a concert
- 00:06:35and you know you're so revved up by the
- 00:06:37music and the you know the art the
- 00:06:39musician is kind of going going and then
- 00:06:41the show ends and then everyone you know
- 00:06:42you hear everyone cheering and it's like
- 00:06:44this like great moment that this energy
- 00:06:46in the room you know and then they come
- 00:06:48back and they say their their best for
- 00:06:50last wanted to take that concept and
- 00:06:52kind of put it into show for fashion
- 00:06:54show format so we had you know our show
- 00:06:58and the 35 looks or whatever and um it
- 00:07:02ended and everyone thought it was an end
- 00:07:04and we had Jazelle and Shalom and
- 00:07:06Frankie and all of them come out and it
- 00:07:08was a it was a different and it was kind
- 00:07:09of you know the Encore performance I've
- 00:07:11always wanted to work with them and I've
- 00:07:12always wanted to kind of bring back that
- 00:07:14moment when they used to do shows
- 00:07:16together um cuz I remember watching
- 00:07:18backstage videos and you know seeing
- 00:07:20backstage photos where they would just
- 00:07:21be hanging out and you know and just
- 00:07:23being themselves I think that's what I
- 00:07:25miss a lot sometimes I don't know you
- 00:07:27know it it still happens but you know
- 00:07:29kind of seeing that and you know
- 00:07:31recognizing those those very authentic
- 00:07:33relationships um that was kind of really
- 00:07:37where it came from you know I think a
- 00:07:38lot of people see the industry as
- 00:07:39something that is very glamorized it's a
- 00:07:42lot of hard work it's a lot of behind
- 00:07:44the scenes that you know until you're
- 00:07:46working in it you don't realize it takes
- 00:07:48a lot of people and a lot of work to
- 00:07:50create what it is you know whatever it
- 00:07:53is a fashion show of an image a magazine
- 00:07:56you know and it takes a lot of long
- 00:07:58hours there's a lot more of a
- 00:08:02opportunity to put a designer aesthetic
- 00:08:06into different price points now because
- 00:08:09the way that the fashion industry has
- 00:08:11really kind of opened up and grown and
- 00:08:14um for me it's always been about that
- 00:08:16it's always been about this is the kind
- 00:08:18of product that I want to design and
- 00:08:20this is who I want to wear it and if
- 00:08:23they can't afford it then it's not doing
- 00:08:26anything it's you know it's sitting in
- 00:08:28my showroom
- 00:08:30so and it really comes down to Fabrics
- 00:08:32really and the the embroideries and
- 00:08:34treatments of things cuz you can do
- 00:08:37something that's very forward and very
- 00:08:39has a very strong point of view with an
- 00:08:41aesthetic and um find out ways to kind
- 00:08:44of you know deliver it at a very
- 00:08:47accessible price point I think really
- 00:08:49the only thing that really separates
- 00:08:51them now are our stores in away this
- 00:08:54price point being on this floor and that
- 00:08:55price point being on that floor but I
- 00:08:56think they're also very much changing um
- 00:08:59the way that they look at things and
- 00:09:00they look at Brands and it's much more
- 00:09:02about pairing and aesthetic than it is
- 00:09:05about you know price I was more
- 00:09:08interested about seeing people on the
- 00:09:09street wearing my clothes and when I
- 00:09:11when I saw that that was the thing that
- 00:09:13made me the most happy um but there was
- 00:09:17you know I think you're immediately
- 00:09:19thrown into that ball game of you know
- 00:09:23okay you're showing on a Runway and
- 00:09:25you're showing next to this designer and
- 00:09:26that Designer so the expectations from
- 00:09:29critics are as of the same in a certain
- 00:09:32way it's pushed me to do a lot of
- 00:09:34different things that I probably
- 00:09:34wouldn't have thought of you know uh as
- 00:09:37I wanted to progress the fashion shows
- 00:09:39and evolve the fashion show and the
- 00:09:40collection for main Seasons it's enabled
- 00:09:43me to kind of think about my business in
- 00:09:45a different way and say okay what are
- 00:09:47the what are the core elements what are
- 00:09:48these pieces that I very much still
- 00:09:51believe in and that maybe shouldn't be
- 00:09:52put on a run way but the customer needs
- 00:09:55and in that te was born it's not a
- 00:09:57diffusion line you know it's it's a
- 00:09:59representative of kind of these everyday
- 00:10:02Basics that um have the ease of a
- 00:10:04T-shirt and it started with just cut and
- 00:10:06so Jersey and now it has it's a full
- 00:10:08collection it has leather it has
- 00:10:10tailoring it has knits um has swim
- 00:10:13having that element in my business
- 00:10:15enabled me to kind of push the product
- 00:10:17that I do show on the runway much more
- 00:10:20forward I'm proud of all the work that
- 00:10:22I've done you know cuz it's it's led me
- 00:10:24to where I am now um it's it's humorous
- 00:10:27to me when I see kind of the things that
- 00:10:29I used to do our very first item that
- 00:10:31create that we created was a sweater
- 00:10:34with a anaria on the back of a girl's
- 00:10:37face
- 00:10:39smoking which probably wasn't the best
- 00:10:41message to put out there on every single
- 00:10:43sweater and I really thought that was
- 00:10:45going to be our our piece you know that
- 00:10:47was going to be like that's our that's
- 00:10:49what people recognize the brand for and
- 00:10:51it lasted two
- 00:10:54seasons and uh it is no longer in the
- 00:10:56collection but other than that I look at
- 00:10:59the collection today and almost every
- 00:11:02piece that was in my first ready to wear
- 00:11:04collection is in the collection today in
- 00:11:07some way shape or form I'm always
- 00:11:09thinking okay what is the end objective
- 00:11:10you know what are we trying to create
- 00:11:11what's the concept who's the customer
- 00:11:14profile what's the price point I'm not
- 00:11:15just being like okay I'm going to design
- 00:11:17this t-shirt and then I'm going to give
- 00:11:18it to them and like have them figure it
- 00:11:20out how do you know how to balance like
- 00:11:24your time and your energy into the
- 00:11:27business side of things with the cre
- 00:11:29side of things how do you figure that
- 00:11:30out you know it's funny you asked that
- 00:11:32because I was thinking about this and I
- 00:11:34don't know if it's just being Chinese
- 00:11:37not saying that but like I always really
- 00:11:40think about the business aspect tied
- 00:11:42into the creative decisions you know I
- 00:11:44always say to my team you know we as a
- 00:11:47Brandon in our culture we always try to
- 00:11:49apply creative thinking to business
- 00:11:51decisions and business acument to kind
- 00:11:53of creative you know creative you know
- 00:11:55process and I really flip that back and
- 00:11:58forth in every every project that I work
- 00:12:01on you know I think about the big
- 00:12:02picture you know when I work on a
- 00:12:04collaboration or I work on you know any
- 00:12:06kind of partnership I'm always thinking
- 00:12:08okay what is the end objective you know
- 00:12:09what are we trying to create what's the
- 00:12:10concept who's the customer profile
- 00:12:12what's the price point what's the
- 00:12:14distribution model you know what I mean
- 00:12:15I'm not just being like okay I'm going
- 00:12:17to design this t-shirt and then I'm
- 00:12:18going to give it to them and like have
- 00:12:19them figure it out that's never been the
- 00:12:21way that I work and I think that was
- 00:12:22probably also one of the reasons why my
- 00:12:25time in Paris was difficult because in
- 00:12:27those kind of structures you put a bit
- 00:12:29into a box you know um where I was not
- 00:12:33used to being in a box I was very much
- 00:12:34used to being part of the whole
- 00:12:36conversation and so uh
- 00:12:40before I knew anything so we're going to
- 00:12:43do a little trip down memory lane right
- 00:12:45now and uh we'll see if I remember
- 00:12:48everything now this is why I hate
- 00:12:51YouTube cuz there's videos that you just
- 00:12:54kind of wish would disappear and they're
- 00:12:56forever locked on the internet and will
- 00:12:59ever be cemented as part of my history
- 00:13:03but this was my first presentation and I
- 00:13:05remember gosh I don't know what I was
- 00:13:07thinking that trucker hat is horrendous
- 00:13:10uh my outfit is
- 00:13:12horrendous but you know what it was fun
- 00:13:14I remember backstage we were all eating
- 00:13:17pizza and my casting director was
- 00:13:19freaking out because she was like the
- 00:13:21models are eating pizza and their
- 00:13:22outfits and then you know she's told
- 00:13:24some going to go find me and then like
- 00:13:26someone found me and then came over and
- 00:13:27be like wait but Alex is eating pizza
- 00:13:29with the models in their clothes in the
- 00:13:31lineup um obviously a lot has changed
- 00:13:34since then probably my first
- 00:13:36presentation during Fashion Week this
- 00:13:38was at the Afterparty that we had at the
- 00:13:41abandoned shopping mall one year um
- 00:13:44Nicki Minaj performed and this is
- 00:13:47obviously Rihanna needs probably no
- 00:13:49introduction we showed up that night and
- 00:13:51I remember you know my team being like
- 00:13:54Oh Rihanna's coming um we're going to go
- 00:13:56get her downstairs and she literally
- 00:13:58just pulled up in a card and have any
- 00:13:59security with her she so down to earth
- 00:14:01and just walked in by herself and I can
- 00:14:03tell in my the redness in my face that
- 00:14:06this was probably earlier on in the
- 00:14:08night H this was such a fun party this
- 00:14:12was probably one of the first uh bigger
- 00:14:15After parties that we did I remember we
- 00:14:17had ABC home um sponsor the Afterparty
- 00:14:21and I think they thought it was going to
- 00:14:22be some really Chic apartment set up so
- 00:14:25they lent all this furniture and kind of
- 00:14:28set it out this basement that uh was
- 00:14:32essentially in our in our office
- 00:14:33building that we are at now and we had
- 00:14:36Foxy Brown there and it was so hot
- 00:14:38everyone's sweating people are like
- 00:14:39dancing on top of all the furniture it
- 00:14:41was just such a good vibe it's kind of I
- 00:14:44think this is probably what really
- 00:14:45kicked off our reputation for having
- 00:14:48parties and what kind of ended up
- 00:14:50escalating essentially into wangfest but
- 00:14:52this was a awesome awesome year we went
- 00:14:55to Hooters uh after the show before we
- 00:14:57went to the afterparty and um they
- 00:15:01actually didn't acknowledge our
- 00:15:03reservation and wouldn't take us so we
- 00:15:07left and but we kept the t-shirts this
- 00:15:10is a picture obviously of Madonna I
- 00:15:13don't know why I'm biting her this was
- 00:15:16at our Afterparty after the Adidas
- 00:15:18introduction this was like right
- 00:15:20afterwards she came back to say hi we're
- 00:15:22hanging out backstage I guess I just
- 00:15:24went in for the kill and decided to take
- 00:15:26a bite out of her shoulder oh gosh
- 00:15:29this video well this was you know
- 00:15:32definitely in the early years was the
- 00:15:33first show I did with Aaron Watson and I
- 00:15:36was so excited cuz she was someone that
- 00:15:39I was just so inspired by found out that
- 00:15:41we lived in the same building this year
- 00:15:44and you know I just kind of like asked
- 00:15:46her if she wanted to stle the show and
- 00:15:48she graciously said yes yeah these are
- 00:15:50this is a great memory and I loved
- 00:15:52working with Aaron and um it's just been
- 00:15:56you know great memories ah one of my
- 00:15:59favorite parties actually this is our 10
- 00:16:01year anniversary this was the year that
- 00:16:04after the show ended the wall open and
- 00:16:07we kind of created this
- 00:16:09nightclub um with all of these amazing
- 00:16:12pole dancers we had ludicrous perform we
- 00:16:14had Lil Wayne perform we had Tanashi
- 00:16:17perform I remember we almost didn't get
- 00:16:19ludicrous or L Wayne cuz it was like
- 00:16:21thunderstorms that night one of my
- 00:16:23favorite memories was all of these
- 00:16:25people just started I remember it was at
- 00:16:26the pier and uh all of these these
- 00:16:29people would just start rushing in as
- 00:16:31soon as the gate would open and they
- 00:16:32essentially just like knocked down all
- 00:16:34of the security and the pr people and
- 00:16:37then just people would just come in
- 00:16:38rushes and it was essentially
- 00:16:40pandemonium but I L I loved it I was
- 00:16:43like let them in let everyone in and it
- 00:16:46was just uh great energy and it went
- 00:16:49until like 4:00 a.m. oh this was a
- 00:16:51really um special show it was the year
- 00:16:54that we decided we wanted to do
- 00:16:56essentially an encore to our fashion
- 00:16:59show cuz I was really inspired by you
- 00:17:00know every time we go to these music
- 00:17:02shows or you know concerts you know
- 00:17:04there's always some sort of Encore
- 00:17:06performance and you know you kind of
- 00:17:08have this incredible high after a show
- 00:17:11ends you know with the finale that I was
- 00:17:12like oh my gosh we should kind of like
- 00:17:13come back at the very end with super
- 00:17:15models and the first person I asked and
- 00:17:18I knew was a dream to work with um who I
- 00:17:21was always obsessed with growing up was
- 00:17:23Jazelle and when she said yes I was like
- 00:17:25freaking out I didn't even know real
- 00:17:28realiz how you know um that came to be
- 00:17:31and then once it was Jazelle I was like
- 00:17:33we got to get Carmen we got to get
- 00:17:34Frankie we got to get Shalom and kind of
- 00:17:36all of these models that I grew up
- 00:17:37idolizing and so that was a really uh
- 00:17:41great year and we shot some really great
- 00:17:44pictures at the end all of the girls in
- 00:17:47this room with all these like huge oil
- 00:17:49tanks and um was probably yeah one of my
- 00:17:52favorite collections oh gosh this year
- 00:17:56oh there I am with one of my best
- 00:17:58friends Mike riding on someone's
- 00:18:00shoulder spraying beer into the audience
- 00:18:02typical uh we decided to have a carnival
- 00:18:05over on the West Side Highway underneath
- 00:18:08what is now a apartment building but
- 00:18:10used to be an empty parking lot across
- 00:18:12the street from Avenue you know what the
- 00:18:15things that we were able to do back then
- 00:18:17gosh this was a great year we had like
- 00:18:19carnival rides uh Mia was there um I
- 00:18:24can't remember oh yeah I think she was
- 00:18:25supposed to perform something happened
- 00:18:27this was the last valenciaga show uh I
- 00:18:30remember I wanted to do an all-white
- 00:18:32show and the whole inspiration was kind
- 00:18:36of really a love letter I wanted it to
- 00:18:40be super sensual super romantic
- 00:18:42something that people probably weren't
- 00:18:44expecting from me we invited a bunch of
- 00:18:47girls that were models as well as like
- 00:18:49young actresses um young Hollywood to
- 00:18:52Paris to walk the show my dear friend
- 00:18:54zoeo um in the show she would close it
- 00:18:57but she was in the show and it was just
- 00:18:59a really special show cuz it was my last
- 00:19:00season it was like a great moment
- 00:19:02because we had the way that we opened
- 00:19:04the show was with Biggie and um puff
- 00:19:08song Going Back to Cali and it was
- 00:19:10probably one of my favorite soundtracks
- 00:19:11that I actually got to work on and yeah
- 00:19:13it was a really happy moment and I
- 00:19:16wanted it to be really uplifting and I
- 00:19:18really enjoyed my time in Paris but it
- 00:19:19was time to go back to New York it was
- 00:19:20time to focus on my own brand and so
- 00:19:23yeah there it goes this was our last
- 00:19:25show at Rockefeller Center it was a
- 00:19:26really big deal cuz I've always wanted
- 00:19:27to have a show there it was an amazing
- 00:19:29location because it was right where the
- 00:19:30ice skating rink was and I knew I wanted
- 00:19:32to do something that was public facing
- 00:19:33as well as having somewhere where the
- 00:19:35industry and the editors still felt like
- 00:19:38you know they um you know had their
- 00:19:40moment you know learning my lesson from
- 00:19:42previous Seasons it was a really special
- 00:19:45show cuz I brought also my mom and dad
- 00:19:47out at the very end and it was really a
- 00:19:49tribute to the pioneers of American
- 00:19:51fashion
- 00:19:53before I knew
- 00:19:56anything and uh this was my my very
- 00:19:59first season that I launched full
- 00:20:01collection and I wore very low tank tops
- 00:20:04and always seemed to have a baseball cap
- 00:20:07on tilted up Spring 2004 or seven oh
- 00:20:12this is ISA who's my niece this was the
- 00:20:14first time she came to one of our shows
- 00:20:17and you know so funny because it came
- 00:20:19became such a thing and we weren't even
- 00:20:21thinking really it was just more like
- 00:20:23hey you know like my I worked with my
- 00:20:25family I always wanted my family to be a
- 00:20:26part of every moment and Milestone and
- 00:20:29so uh you know we just kind of like
- 00:20:31found this well not we didn't find this
- 00:20:33outfit we actually made her this little
- 00:20:35coat and um I found this little vintage
- 00:20:38Chanel bag that was just really cute and
- 00:20:39I gave it to her and my sister-in-law
- 00:20:41was like oh should she just wear this to
- 00:20:42the show and so we did and like I think
- 00:20:44after that she came for a few seasons
- 00:20:46and we started making her custom outfits
- 00:20:48and yeah it was a really it was a really
- 00:20:50special moment and I remember Kanye
- 00:20:52would email me and be like yo who's
- 00:20:54styling your knees oh gosh so this
- 00:20:57is this is my mom and uh I gave her this
- 00:21:01pimp cup essentially that my sister gave
- 00:21:04me for one of my birthdays like 10 years
- 00:21:06ago and um I don't I still think to this
- 00:21:09day my mom doesn't know what it meant
- 00:21:10but I just told her to hold it and uh
- 00:21:13this is ho for show and uh just a very
- 00:21:16cute moment this is a picture of one of
- 00:21:19the first fashion shows that I did in
- 00:21:21San Francisco as you can see I'm very
- 00:21:24much an amateur and I just started
- 00:21:26cutting up fabric and you know scraps
- 00:21:29and things that I would find you know in
- 00:21:31bins at fabric stores and uh this
- 00:21:34actually happened at one of my brother's
- 00:21:36parties in San Francisco he used to
- 00:21:38throw parties um with my sister-in-law
- 00:21:41and um I would ask some of my friends
- 00:21:43you know some of his friends some of my
- 00:21:45friends and I remember you know some of
- 00:21:47them were under 18 and it was like a
- 00:21:48nightclub so we had to like sneak my
- 00:21:50friends in and kind of like you know get
- 00:21:51them dressed you know um backstage have
- 00:21:54them do the fashion and then have them
- 00:21:55sneak out through the back door again
- 00:21:57but it was really fun this is Met Gala
- 00:21:59with Amy Schumer obviously you know
- 00:22:01every year I'm always just like who am I
- 00:22:03going to have the most fun with and Amy
- 00:22:06for sure was someone that you know I was
- 00:22:07a huge fan of and it was her first Met
- 00:22:10Gala and we had a great time she was an
- 00:22:13amazing date she just you know just made
- 00:22:15me feel really comfortable and you know
- 00:22:17I tried to make her feel as comfortable
- 00:22:19as she could you know the red was a
- 00:22:20really beautiful choice and um yeah it
- 00:22:24was a fun year this was one of the first
- 00:22:26shoots not first shoot but kind of like
- 00:22:28big editorials that we got um as a brand
- 00:22:30and this was an interview magazine it
- 00:22:32was done with Carl temper and Michael
- 00:22:34yansen and I remember Carl just being
- 00:22:36like you know buch a bunch of your
- 00:22:37friend invite a bunch of your friends
- 00:22:39and you know whoever you know you know
- 00:22:42you want to be part of it and I was like
- 00:22:43wow this is so cool and you know of
- 00:22:45course Aaron and Alice Dalal were in it
- 00:22:48as well as a few of the models from the
- 00:22:50show like Mira who we introduced That
- 00:22:52season and then a lot of my close
- 00:22:54friends like Ryan Corbin and Daniel
- 00:22:57Packer came in he just like turned on
- 00:22:59music and he's like okay you guys just
- 00:23:00dance and Natasha vavic started taking
- 00:23:03her top off and other people just like
- 00:23:04it became this Mosh Pit but it was a
- 00:23:07really fun fun photo shoot and the
- 00:23:10energy was just so high and uh it's kind
- 00:23:13of one of those pictures that I think
- 00:23:15still feel very resonant to um or you
- 00:23:19know to the brand today and you know
- 00:23:21just kind of really have capture the
- 00:23:23energy of something that will'll always
- 00:23:24stand for which is just to be very um
- 00:23:28kind of rebellious Spirit but yeah so
- 00:23:32this was a video that we did with bong
- 00:23:33qu who again I was a huge fan of and you
- 00:23:37know at the time it was just funny
- 00:23:38because well yes it was funny but not
- 00:23:40the pun in the sense that you know
- 00:23:42people would say like oh you know wanted
- 00:23:44to make all these videos with people
- 00:23:45that weren't traditionally accepted in
- 00:23:48fashion or you know wasn't and I just
- 00:23:51thought like I just wanted to bring
- 00:23:52people in that I enjoyed you know on a
- 00:23:56personal level um that I thought thought
- 00:23:58you know just were really interesting
- 00:24:01and you know especially in this case
- 00:24:03humorous and uh to be able to play with
- 00:24:07fashion and humor in a way that wasn't
- 00:24:09traditionally kind of explored and so we
- 00:24:12made this really kind of fun short
- 00:24:14comedic skit um with bqu where she was
- 00:24:17working at our store just being kind of
- 00:24:18like the worst employee ever and uh she
- 00:24:22did such an amazing job I think it was
- 00:24:23one of my favorite um video campaigns
- 00:24:26that we did Rocky was in it and is this
- 00:24:29kind of like a great mashup I decided I
- 00:24:31wanted to do a secret event and I wanted
- 00:24:34to kind of send out this invite that
- 00:24:35everyone was invited um you know we kind
- 00:24:38of just all did all this advertising on
- 00:24:41the street we sent out like an invite on
- 00:24:43Instagram and we essentially invited
- 00:24:45everyone to this undisclosed location in
- 00:24:47the me packing district and we basically
- 00:24:50just put a bunch of free merchandise and
- 00:24:54inventory in this warehouse and people
- 00:24:56didn't know what they were coming to
- 00:24:57some people thought it was like a Jay-Z
- 00:24:59concert and other people thought it was
- 00:25:00like a photo shoot or a casting call and
- 00:25:04when they walked in we played this kind
- 00:25:06of um projection of myself introducing
- 00:25:09to them to the space and then like told
- 00:25:11them they had like essentially 10
- 00:25:12minutes to take everything that they um
- 00:25:15could and it was really fun and I
- 00:25:19remember everyone at the end like were
- 00:25:20just like they had all this like product
- 00:25:23in their hands that they couldn't even
- 00:25:24hold they were kind of like stumbling
- 00:25:25out into the street and it became this
- 00:25:26kind of like trade
- 00:25:29moment where they were you know oh you
- 00:25:31got 10 of those I want one of these and
- 00:25:33it was a really kind of yeah fun little
- 00:25:36video campaign that we did and um
- 00:25:39hopefully I get to do more of those this
- 00:25:41was a head shot that I don't know how
- 00:25:43old was I here probably like six when I
- 00:25:47thought I wanted to be a child actor I
- 00:25:49actually don't even remember taking the
- 00:25:51picture but I remember I went on a few
- 00:25:52auditions did not go well did not get me
- 00:25:54any jobs thank God that period of my
- 00:25:56life was a very short-lived one
- 00:25:58but we're moving on now I don't even
- 00:26:01know how old I am here but I was in
- 00:26:02boarding school we had a dance recital
- 00:26:05every year and I used to always try out
- 00:26:06for the hip-hop um the hip-hop routine
- 00:26:09and I would never get it it was like the
- 00:26:11one that everyone always wanted and I
- 00:26:12never get it I was always really
- 00:26:14depressed but I did make the modern Jazz
- 00:26:17routine and I was the only one who
- 00:26:19didn't have a partner apparently so
- 00:26:22there you go Jess okay hands the pock
- 00:26:25thumb to have you back it try to pull it
- 00:26:28up high powerful strong walk okay mean
- 00:26:32know it's a constant learning experience
- 00:26:34for me and in that I have this
- 00:26:36incredible curiosity to always evolve
- 00:26:40and to you know see how far the story
- 00:26:44and the creative process that I have in
- 00:26:45my head can extend and Inc that the live
- 00:26:49stream yes the live stream so good right
- 00:26:52you twerking so hard what it is it is I
- 00:26:56like she twerking so hard her lays in
- 00:26:57the back well we started really having a
- 00:27:00lot of conversations internally about
- 00:27:02how we could service our customers
- 00:27:05better how we could simplify our process
- 00:27:07how we could just be more efficient in
- 00:27:09terms of how we think about the process
- 00:27:12hi are you how are you doing good all
- 00:27:15right want really powerful hard fast
- 00:27:19walk
- 00:27:20like okay even when you think it's fast
- 00:27:22enough go faster okay Simon can we do
- 00:27:26something can we put the real ones on un
- 00:27:28the earrings these are the ones that
- 00:27:30made last minute you know what I mean
- 00:27:31switch it with some another girl Hi how
- 00:27:33are you doing good good you excited I
- 00:27:37See You Beautiful cuz even with un's
- 00:27:40hair the blonde the first one I kind of
- 00:27:42feel like should it be like a little bit
- 00:27:43like messy yeah messy right do that
- 00:27:46spray you know we'll do that spray thing
- 00:27:48we'll do that spray thing together we
- 00:27:50really tried to make the show visually
- 00:27:52impactful and the content that we create
- 00:27:55around the whole experience whether you
- 00:27:56were there or watching it through the
- 00:27:57live stream or on social media that you
- 00:28:00felt like you were there and that it
- 00:28:02could universally be a shared experience
- 00:28:04is that it's the sickest thing I've ever
- 00:28:07seen I I leave tomorrow but um Europe I
- 00:28:11go to Mexico for a day and then I come
- 00:28:15back for a day foror then I go to Korea
- 00:28:17I feel like you're always in Asia I am
- 00:28:20so fortunate and so lucky to work with
- 00:28:22people that I can call my friends and
- 00:28:24people that again really inspire me and
- 00:28:26that I've watched them since their very
- 00:28:29first season you know coming in you know
- 00:28:31not knowing anything about fashion or
- 00:28:33the fashion industry and you know being
- 00:28:35so nervous to seeing them become super
- 00:28:38models oh he's right
- 00:28:43here sorry I'm so sorry let me see if we
- 00:28:46have a cat for you it's over here in my
- 00:28:48office in my office my Green Room idea
- 00:28:51was really immigrant Americana so it's
- 00:28:54actually our pre-collection delivery
- 00:28:58calar for the first time never asked my
- 00:29:00parents about their story when they
- 00:29:02moved here the idea of taking that and
- 00:29:03really expressing it through what I
- 00:29:05understood to be Americana and kind of
- 00:29:07the pop culture references of American
- 00:29:09Sports and rock and roll music and take
- 00:29:13that and kind of fuse it with my
- 00:29:15cultural background and then we kind of
- 00:29:17removed all the idea of seasonality so
- 00:29:19won't be using the seasonal names
- 00:29:21anymore exactly wonderful okay let me
- 00:29:24get let me make sure she got you your
- 00:29:26jacket yes Anna
- 00:29:28so all these safety pin embroider tops
- 00:29:31and then we have a new logo we're
- 00:29:33debuting a new logo show yes I've never
- 00:29:37liked to categorize like saying like oh
- 00:29:40we're high-end designer luxury or we're
- 00:29:42street wear or we're contemporary you
- 00:29:44know there's been a lot of labels that I
- 00:29:46just feel that the brand has a lot of
- 00:29:48elasticity and DNA to be able to be both
- 00:29:52you know making a t-shirt for $150 and a
- 00:29:55dress that's $5,000 you know that's I I
- 00:29:58think today if the product speaks for
- 00:30:00itself and you can understand the value
- 00:30:01and the make and the craftsmanship and
- 00:30:03the design Integrity you know I just say
- 00:30:06we're we're weang okay go
- 00:30:12ahead here why don't we do a little test
- 00:30:14walk and see if the wind wind oh I see
- 00:30:17you know what I mean you see what I mean
- 00:30:18no what is this stuck right there okay
- 00:30:22let's leave it like that just kill it
- 00:30:23out there no one's not even going to
- 00:30:24notice it cuz you're just going to kill
- 00:30:25you know you're okay a bottle of water
- 00:30:28worthy backstage right before the show
- 00:30:31starts I'm usually kind of I'm always
- 00:30:34torn because I want to watch the screen
- 00:30:36and then at the same time I want to like
- 00:30:37be the last one that like touches the
- 00:30:39model right before she walks out of the
- 00:30:41walks out onto the runway we're ready
- 00:30:43let's go we can stop my parents moved
- 00:30:45here in 1973 who didn't you know speak a
- 00:30:49stitch of English and didn't even know
- 00:30:51how to buy groceries and how to kind of
- 00:30:52start their way from you know being a
- 00:30:54construction worker to working at a
- 00:30:55grocery store to you know doing kind of
- 00:30:57every job under the table possible to
- 00:31:00where they are now like something that I
- 00:31:02feel incredibly incredibly proud to kind
- 00:31:04of like lead the torch and say Hey you
- 00:31:06know I am an Asian-American working in
- 00:31:08fashion I have this incredible platform
- 00:31:09to do things that can you know encourage
- 00:31:12people to also do the same to
- 00:31:13participate to engage to you know um
- 00:31:18influence 10 years in business what does
- 00:31:20the Milestone mean to you I can't
- 00:31:22believe 10 years has gone by because you
- 00:31:24know it does seem like I remember just
- 00:31:27like yesterday I was was in know my dorm
- 00:31:29room having this idea talking about it
- 00:31:31over the phone with my mom flying back
- 00:31:33to San Francisco and having my
- 00:31:35sister-in-law being like yeah I'm in
- 00:31:37between jobs you know why don't I help
- 00:31:38you me and my sister-in-law just working
- 00:31:40together and doing everything ourselves
- 00:31:42so now today like having whole teams and
- 00:31:44people that we work with and
- 00:31:46collaborations it's really been much
- 00:31:48less about me and much more about the
- 00:31:51brand as an organization to create
- 00:31:53something together tell me a little bit
- 00:31:55about that initial conversation with
- 00:31:57your sister-in-law I was very nervous
- 00:32:00cuz you know I had to tell first of all
- 00:32:01my family that I wanted to leave school
- 00:32:03and how did that go over I it you know
- 00:32:05what surprisingly it wasn't it wasn't
- 00:32:08like an immediate no it was kind of like
- 00:32:10a okay my mom I think comes from a place
- 00:32:12where she's been very entrepreneurial in
- 00:32:14her life and she understands when you
- 00:32:16have an idea and you feel very convinced
- 00:32:18by it and you feel like you have to
- 00:32:20really go at it you know and so she was
- 00:32:23very supportive of of me leaving school
- 00:32:25on the terms that I really had a plan
- 00:32:27even if I didn't really know at least I
- 00:32:30had you know thought of course we ran
- 00:32:32into many obstacles and many you know
- 00:32:35rejections and nose and things like that
- 00:32:37were there rejections and nose the
- 00:32:38perception is that you were an instant
- 00:32:40success a lot of people paid so much
- 00:32:42attention to each season and kind of
- 00:32:44what we were doing until we kind of had
- 00:32:45our first presentation show had a couple
- 00:32:48Seasons under our belt to kind of say
- 00:32:50okay well figuring out what a line sheet
- 00:32:51was how to get our deliveries on track I
- 00:32:53remember like calling a bunch of shows
- 00:32:54no one would take us and then we ended
- 00:32:57up having to go to the trade show
- 00:32:58ourselves that first day you know we had
- 00:33:00all the buyers come and every you know
- 00:33:01everyone was really excited about the
- 00:33:02product and one of the showrooms that
- 00:33:04had not called us back kind of came over
- 00:33:06and gave us this card are you as
- 00:33:09comfortable designing men's wear as
- 00:33:10women's wear there's the whole gender
- 00:33:11discussion today how does that play into
- 00:33:13your work you're working be androgynous
- 00:33:14to begin with you know I definitely have
- 00:33:16to say you know women's wear was you
- 00:33:17know always you know my first kind of
- 00:33:19venture and the men's side for me is
- 00:33:20like you know because I feel like what I
- 00:33:22wear and what I like is is very specific
- 00:33:25to certain things it felt a bit more
- 00:33:27limiting it's taking me a while to
- 00:33:29really kind of think like okay how else
- 00:33:31do I express my brand besides just me I
- 00:33:34feel like with women's where there's
- 00:33:35definitely a little bit more of a
- 00:33:36fantasy and a you know a way that I kind
- 00:33:38of might think of other women and you
- 00:33:40know different backgrounds and friends
- 00:33:41or families or people that I don't know
- 00:33:43that talk about the H&M thing a little
- 00:33:45bit more because that was such an
- 00:33:46extravaganza talk about you know
- 00:33:49collaborations in general and the high
- 00:33:50low aspect and what that does for you
- 00:33:53same reason why I wanted to work at
- 00:33:56blago when the opportunity became is the
- 00:33:58same reason why I wanted to do H&M when
- 00:34:00the opportunity arose I felt that's very
- 00:34:02interesting same reasons the same
- 00:34:05attraction same reason same attractions
- 00:34:07to a certain extent and of course
- 00:34:09different resources different
- 00:34:11infrastructure um but I wanted to see
- 00:34:13how I might be able to communicate with
- 00:34:16an audience that I had never maybe
- 00:34:18touched or communicated with before so I
- 00:34:21thought well I've always loved
- 00:34:22performance wear and AC ofwar I it's a
- 00:34:24completely different ball game you know
- 00:34:26in terms of material and all it's much
- 00:34:28more advanced and Technical so I said
- 00:34:30would be the perfect place to really you
- 00:34:32know have that infrastructure but then
- 00:34:34it doesn't matter if you're luxury
- 00:34:35consumer or a mass consumer if you go to
- 00:34:37the gym if you work out you're buying
- 00:34:39$69 leggings and a $50 tank top or
- 00:34:42sports bra that's a perfect thing that
- 00:34:44feels very authentic to price point it's
- 00:34:45not about making something cheaper or
- 00:34:47diluting something for the masses can
- 00:34:50you remember identify articulate the
- 00:34:53single biggest lesson of the past 10
- 00:34:55years I think the single biggest lesson
- 00:34:57is to never feel like you figured it out
- 00:35:01every single time I feel like okay it's
- 00:35:04oh we got that under the belt or that's
- 00:35:06it's going to be exactly like that
- 00:35:08something always changes whether it's in
- 00:35:10sales and press and you know building a
- 00:35:12store a timeline whatever it may be you
- 00:35:14always have to be prepared for Change
- 00:35:17and for something to go wrong the single
- 00:35:18biggest
- 00:35:20surprise my agility to move
- 00:35:23on whenever I feel like the worst thing
- 00:35:25has happened something didn't go as I
- 00:35:27thought I'd go the next day or you know
- 00:35:29I say you know the show's got to move on
- 00:35:31you got to you know that what's what's
- 00:35:33next you know let's come up with option
- 00:35:35two let's let's move on to the next
- 00:35:36thing I really surprised myself on being
- 00:35:38able to move on when things don't go the
- 00:35:41way that you perceive
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