Alexander Wang: Spring / Summer 2008 Collection

Alexander Wang is a young designer who is trying to make a name for himself in the world of fashion. But his latest collection was not well received. Vogue Magazine described his inspiration as being a group of models that found clothing that had been discarded in 1987, and raided it. But this is not an era or a look that most people remember fondly. Here are the details of what went wrong with this collection, and what he should do to get back on track next season.

Many of Wang's pieces have a menswear look. His best piece is a light blue jacket with scrunched up sleeves, paired with a white top and shredded jean shorts. While the look is his best, from more experienced designers would probably be their worst offering. Another outfit has a grid pattern on the fabric, which is used on a sleeveless shirtdress. The fabric looks extremely poor quality, and the dress is very simple. In short, there is nothing to distinguish it from something that a student in a home economics class would make.

Another thing he seems fond of is using metallic fabrics. These are not fabrics which have a slightly silver cast to them, but fabrics that look like they are made from aluminum foil. One dress looks as though it will remain creased if someone were to accidentally fold it. And another silver shirt is heavy and bulky across the shoulders, in a design that almost certainly contains shoulder pads.

All throughout the collection, the pieces are simple. Whether it is a shirtdress, a jacket, or a dress, the cut of the clothing seems to be the most simplistic cut possible. This is not a problem in other collections that might feature simple styles, because they usually have an interesting pattern or fabric which adds a new aspect to the garment. But Alexander Wang's Spring/Summer 2008 collection is lacking almost anything in the way of fascinating details. Fashion thrives on innovation, and there is almost nothing innovative about Wang's designs.

Alexander Wang attended the Parson's School of Design, and interned at Derek Lam, Marc Jacobs, and Vogue. But after only a few short years, he left school and began his own line. Unfortunately, the time could have been better spent in school. His latest collection is too simple, and suffers from a serious lack of innovation. The fabric used is a poor quality with undesirable patterns, and the cut of the clothing is overly simplistic. Wang describes his clothing as, "clean and pure in aesthetic, yet layered in complexities, with an approach towards the imperfect." But there is no room for imperfection on the runway, and his Spring/Summer 2008 collection is not inspiring. Celebrities are typically the first people to find a new designer, but Alexander Wang has not yet found any die-hard followers. Fortunately for him, he is still young and has time to recover from this season, but only with hard work and an eye for the small details.