WOO’ED BY WU
Adrian Wu Spring 2012
Designer Adrian Wu, who, at 21, is the youngest showing at LG Fashion Week, opened the last day with a bang. His avant-garde concepts were as unique as the designer himself, launching himself as an up-an-coming sensation in the national fashion market. His looks contrasted the other shows in every way, including his approach to high-fashion with innovative textures and shapes that gave him a superior edge.
“I think theres a lot of concentration on the buyers, or, the market,” Wu told us. “I think that I’m still young and I can take those risks. And I think that’s what I want to bring now. [Bustle designer] Shawn Hewson was like, ‘if you’re gonna come out of the gates, come out of the gates hard.’ So, I think I tried my best.”
Most garments began with solid-coloured bases enhanced with highly stylized adornments, including paper lanterns encased in delicate fabrics. The palette was muted and soft, which was complemented by Wu’s fashion-forward shoe designs, attesting to his love of height.
“I spend more researching time than actually designing,” said Wu. “I think the concepts are very much my own ideas of what fashion should be, but at the same time what hasn’t been done.” A string quartet sat central in the studio space with abstractly placed, colourful carpet dots in red, blue and green and though Wu’s collection was womenswear, he included male models to represent his own sense of androgyny. ”It’s something that’s a part of me and it goes back to putting myself into my work.”
Photography by Laura Berry.
