{"id":33836,"date":"2021-09-09T14:51:24","date_gmt":"2021-09-09T14:51:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/?post_type=articles&p=33836"},"modified":"2021-09-10T14:35:43","modified_gmt":"2021-09-10T14:35:43","slug":"showing-their-colors-jason-wu","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/showing-their-colors-jason-wu\/","title":{"rendered":"Showing Their Colors: Jason Wu"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Jason
From left: Sasha Pivovarova with Jason Wu; Jason Wu Collection dress, $5,295, available at Saks Fifth Avenue<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

BY TAYLOR HARRIS\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>
<\/span>PHOTOGRAPHED MENELIK PURYEAR
\n<\/strong><\/span><\/span>STYLING DAVID THIELEBEULE
\n<\/strong><\/span>HAIR\u00a0TSUKI\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>
\n<\/strong><\/span>MAKEUP KARAN FRANJOLA<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The shows will go on.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s the decree of the IMG Alliance, an initiative banding together 11 American designers in a collective pledge to show at New York Fashion Week for the next three seasons. \u201cWe\u2019re rebuilding the bedrock of New York Fashion Week,\u201d Noah Kozlowski,\u00a0director of\u00a0designer\u00a0relations for IMG,\u00a0tells\u00a0<\/span>Grazia\u00a0USA<\/span><\/i>. \u201cIn partnering with these designers through 2022, we\u2019re safely demonstrating the resilience and artistry of American fashion on a global stage.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In exchange for their commitment, each of the participating designers will receive funding from IMG to help finance their shows. \u201cThe designers who are showing here are, for the most part, independent and don\u2019t have the scale and level of support that some of their counterparts in Europe have,\u201d Kozlowski continued. \u201cSo, this initiative came about very organically, out of countless conversations we\u2019ve been having with designers over the past several months.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Pre-pandemic,\u00a0there were countless\u00a0conversations\u00a0of a different nature:\u00a0regarding\u00a0the relevance and ROI of the shows,\u00a0the breakneck pace of the fashion calendar, the implications\u2014environmental and otherwise\u2014of a six-collections-per-year output, the sheer volume of\u00a0<\/span>stuff\u00a0<\/span><\/i>created in the name of newness. Then,\u00a0the\u00a0pandemic\u00a0hit\u00a0and an industry\u00a0often\u00a0pushed into\u00a0hyperspeed\u00a0was stopped dead in its tracks.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Nearly two years\u00a0later,\u00a0we\u2019re picking up speed but\u00a0how it resumes\u00a0in earnest\u00a0remains to be seen.\u00a0For insight, we spoke with those who have their eyes on the horizon:\u00a0six designers taking part in fashion\u2019s great Reconstruction.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Jason
Jason Wu Collection dress, $1,695, jasonwustudio.com;<\/a> Shoes, her own.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Grazia Gazette<\/span><\/i>:\u00a0How is the collection coming along?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

JASON: It\u2019s starting to shape up. I mean, all the action really happens in the last two weeks. We started the collection in May, and until recently it was so much about fabric research, working with print artists, working with different mills….\u00a0And because we haven\u2019t been able to go to Italy, we\u00a0didn\u2019t even really\u00a0travel\u00a0this year, so we have a\u00a0lot\u00a0of\u00a0extra time.\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

GG<\/span>:\u00a0Do you miss traveling?\u00a0Did you mind being cooped up during the quarantine?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

JASON: No, I honestly\u00a0didn\u2019t mind. I usually have\u00a0such a\u00a0pressure to travel,\u00a0so I was very happy staying put.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

GG<\/span>:\u00a0Were there other things you couldn\u2019t do in terms of producing the collection? What is it like developing one during a pandemic?\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

JASON: In the past year, I\u2019ve\u00a0had to go back to my roots. I had to be much more hands-on. It was\u00a0really nice, actually. It reminded\u00a0me\u00a0of\u00a0when I started in fashion in 2007. It was like, just me. I\u2019m lucky now to have a team around me now, but I think this past year has really taught us to do more with less. And for me, it was very therapeutic. I really enjoyed getting scrappy again and just getting my hands dirty. In some ways, I would say 2020 and 2021, I felt like I was in startup mode again.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

GG<\/span>:\u00a0You\u00a0showed\u00a0last September and again\u00a0in\u00a0February. Why did you feel it was important to have live, in-person shows?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

JASON:\u00a0We all felt like it was very important for New York Fashion Week to continue to exist. And even though there were very few people showing the last two seasons, it was\u00a0really important\u00a0for us to keep the excitement of American fashion alive.\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

GG<\/span>:\u00a0How did you stimulate yourself creatively when we were in lockdown?\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

JASON: I started finding inspiration in other things. I started cooking a lot. I\u00a0actually cooked\u00a0every single day for\u00a0a period of time.\u00a0And\u00a0I\u2019ve\u00a0always loved it, but I almost never have three or four hours at night to\u00a0make\u00a0something. But it was\u00a0definitely a\u00a0creative outlet. And I would just do\u00a0Houseparty\u00a0every night when I was cooking. I remember Ivan Bart from IMG was calling me on it and then I invited Carolyn Murphy to\u00a0join\u00a0and I just\u00a0leave\u00a0the phone on and\u00a0cook. It was like a 2020 dinner party.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I also found myself on social media more. I\u2019m collaborating with this artist Cara Marie Piazza this season after I found her work on Instagram. She dyes fabric using natural dyes and flowers. And I found her work to be amazing.\u00a0So,\u00a0it\u2019s funny how many untraditional ways we can find inspiration when you\u00a0can\u2019t travel or go to museums, or even go to the Strand. I just moved and the Strand is around the corner from my\u00a0house\u00a0and I just love it.\u00a0But for\u00a0a period of\u00a0time\u00a0it was closed,\u00a0so\u00a0it\u00a0goes to show that there\u2019s inspiration to be had anywhere if you can think outside the box.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

GG<\/span>:\u00a0Have you noticed women dressing differently now than they did pre-pandemic? Do you think there\u2019s\u00a0a greater appreciation for getting dressed\u00a0up?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

JASON: I think people appreciate quality versus quantity more than ever. In the beginning of the pandemic, we were all doing the same thing. A lot of people did home improvement, a lot of people cleaned out their closet and really reevaluated what they need and what they don\u2019t. And\u00a0at a time when we were living in a world where there was a shortage\u00a0of\u00a0toilet paper and hand sanitizer, it really does make you appreciate living with less. And\u00a0so\u00a0I think going forward\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0about more thoughtful dressing and buying things that mean more to the customer than something that\u2019s just a novelty for a season. I think it\u2019s going to be a value that\u2019s being renewed now more than ever.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

GG<\/span>:\u00a0The idea of being more intentional and slowing down also translates to how clothes are produced\u2014certainly the cadence of the fashion cycle and the sheer volume of\u00a0<\/span>stuff\u00a0<\/span><\/i>is something we\u2019re all rethinking. Do you think the breakneck pace of fashion is a thing of the past?\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

JASON: I\u2019ve\u00a0never really been a designer\u00a0who\u00a0made trend-driven clothes, clothes of the season. My ethos has always been about timelessness and having something that could stand the test of time. And to me, sometimes fashion goes too quickly, especially now when there\u2019s a new trend almost every day. It\u2019s not like the way it was, where there\u2019s like one trend a season. Now it\u2019s a much\u00a0more noisy\u00a0world today through social media. And I think being able to do things on your own terms and at your own speed and having integrity is more important than ever before.\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

GG<\/span>:\u00a0We shot you in your new home\u2014I can\u2019t believe you moved during\u00a0COVID-19!\u2014with Sasha\u00a0Pivovarova. What about\u00a0her\u00a0do you find so inspiring?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She\u2019s as beautiful today as the day she started and, more importantly, she\u2019s genuinely a great person. There\u2019s just something about\u00a0her;\u00a0she\u00a0makes clothes come alive.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

\"Jason
Jason Wu Collection dress, $5,295, available at Saks Fifth Avenue<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"author":30655,"featured_media":33837,"template":"","format":"standard","categories":[17,16],"yoast_head":"\nShowing Their Colors: Jason Wu - Grazia USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/showing-their-colors-jason-wu\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Showing Their Colors: Jason Wu\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"BY TAYLOR HARRIS\u00a0\u00a0PHOTOGRAPHED MENELIK PURYEAR STYLING DAVID THIELEBEULE HAIR\u00a0TSUKI\u00a0 MAKEUP KARAN FRANJOLA The shows will go on.\u00a0\u00a0 It\u2019s the decree of the IMG Alliance, an initiative banding together 11 American designers in a collective pledge to show at New York Fashion Week for the next three seasons. \u201cWe\u2019re rebuilding the bedrock of New York Fashion...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/showing-their-colors-jason-wu\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Grazia USA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-09-10T14:35:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2021\/09\/JasonWu_featured.jpg?fit=1280%2C720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/showing-their-colors-jason-wu\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/showing-their-colors-jason-wu\/\",\"name\":\"Showing Their Colors: Jason Wu - 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