This past Monday, the Asia Society threw their fifth annual gala at The Pierre Hotel in Manhattan, honoring fashion designer Jason Wu. Of the Asian fashion elite, guests included Jenny Shimizu, Shu Pei, and Anna Su, along with NY Projects owner Yung Hee Kim and publisher Chiu-Ti Jansen. THe event included a live auction, which took place in the hotel’s grand ballroom (covered in fuchsia!).
When he took his award, Wu stated: “When I grew up in Taiwan, it was very clear to me that I wasn’t going to be your average doctor, lawyer or accountant. In fact, I’d highly discourage myself from doing any of your taxes. But my parents encouraged me to do what I wanted to do. I wanted to acknowledge them because they couldn’t be here; they are in Taiwan. Because they think New York is too dirty. And it is a bit dirty, but I love it.”
Designer collborations are not coming to an end anytime soon: Lancôme announced that they have teamed up with Jason Wu for their next beauty designer collaboration. The collaboration will be out in September, but no other details about the line have been released yet. Of the upcoming makeup line, Jason Wu said “What was so intriguing about partnering with Lancôme, beyond the quality and luxury of their products, is the notion that the brand doesn’t impose a model of beauty but rather invites women to embrace themselves. This is the embodiment of a truly sexy, modern and confident woman, much like the women I design for.”
The First Lady and President at the Inauguration Ball (Source)
First Lady Michelle Obama graced the Inauguration Ball with the work of not only one, but two Asian designers. Mrs. Obama wore a ruby-red chiffon and velvet gown which was custom-made by designer Jason Wu. The delighted Wu was also the designer Obama chose back in 2009. Michelle Obama’s decision of Jason Wu was career-making and his work has since then been in collaboration with Target and Nordstrom.
2009 – Michelle Obama’ first Jason Wu gown. (Source)
You may also catch glimpses of the matching red shoes Mrs. Obama chose for the Inauguration. She decided to accessorize with Jimmy Choo shoes who’s founder is from Penang, Malaysia. The entire outfit has people raving that this First Lady has quite the eye for fashion.
Only two more days until Jason Wu for Target launches to the public! A few lucky ones were able to catch a glimpse of the collection beforehand at a private launch event on January 26th in New York City. The luckiest one of all though was DJ Harley Viera-Newton. Prior the event, she was personally styled by the man of the night in a peach shirt-dress that Jason describes as “fun, chic and feminine.” Harley “[loved] the color and the peter-pan collar” of the dress and said, “It’s very my style.”
Photo credit: A Bullseye View.
The pics are finally up! Target‘s latest collaboration is with mega designer Jason Wu (yup, the same one Michelle Obama wore for the inauguration), on sale February 5. Get going on your spring wardrobe with his feminine-chic looks. Check out the styles below:
Jason Wu styling one of his looks for his collaboration with Target.
Runway Rundown co-founder and Korean American stylista Kim Halzle is back with spring trends to cash in on now.
I’m back to give you the wrap up on a few more key trends for Spring. Still not sure about what key pieces to buy for a fresh new Spring look? Not sure how to utilize your existing wardrobe and
incorporate it with the new trends? Fret not! The exciting thing about fashion is that you can make it your own. Don’t be intimidated by expensive price tags and statement pieces that don’t seem fitting to
your lifestyle. Mix and match these trends at a researched and affordable price and you’ll be feeling and looking like a million bucks before the snow melts!
Trend 1: Stripes
A standout pattern amongst a crowd of notables for the season will be stripes. Bold, chunky, skinny, vibrant, this list goes on and the multiple ways they can be styled is endless. Another thing we love
about stripes for the season, as they are traditionally known to give off a nautical look this season finds them more youthful and artistic. Mix and match and show your stripes this season!
Inspired from the runway: Jason Wu, Jil Sander, Fendi
Living in America, we sometimes get so caught up in the lifestyle here that we forget about our own cultures. Or maybe we haven’t forgotten but can’t find enough opportunities to celebrate our cultural identities. On February 20, it’s your chance to reconnect with your heritage and embrace your inner Asian. This year, USC CASA (University of Southern California Chinese American Student Association) is putting on their 12th annual culture show, Legacy, to remind us of why we should never let go of our ancestral roots.
This student-run production takes us onto the journey of a contemporary young man, Jason Wu, from Los Angeles who one day finds himself in Imperial China, struggling through the unfamiliar land to find his way back home. However, trouble strikes upon the dynasty and to break the commotion, our hero must go face-to-face with history. The time travel theme may be cliché, but his search to reconnect with this Asian roots makes it a meaningful watch. Not only can you expect to see talented acting, you can also anticipate guest performances such as hip-hop dance and martial arts. Joseph Vincent has confirmed to be on the show as their special guest as well, and to be able to see a YouTube hottie live is always a plus!
Speaking from personal experience, I have thoroughly enjoyed last year’s culture show that also touched on the issue of identity crisis. I am not just saying this because I am a proud sister of last year’s CASA culture show director, but because it is amazing how the art of performance can always remind us to never lose track of who we are.
Please show your support for the college Asian community and honor your Asian identities! It’s FREE! For more information, visit their official website or their facebook event page.
Here’s a teaser video for you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aUCNyJNf7I
DETAILS
Date: Sunday, February 20, 2011
Time: Doors open at 6:30pm; Show starts at 7pm
Venue: USC Bovard Auditorium
3551 Trousdale Parkway, Los Angeles, CA 90089
Cost: FREE admission, but be sure to pick up a ticket before they run out by contacting Cathy Liu (cathyliu@usc.edu) or by making a reservation here
With the year winding down, Audrey Magazine has narrowed down some greats of 2010.
It’s been a big year in fashion. Not only did the supremacy of Asians and Asian Americans in fashion get the official CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund stamp of approval (Richard Chai, Alexander Wang and Jason Wu all won this year; Prabal Gurung was a runner up for the Fashion Fund), but Wu, Gurung, Thai American designer Thakoon, and Indian designer Naeem Khan were all First Lady picks for important events.
Jason Wu, Richard Chai, and Alexander Wang, winners of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund 2010. Photo courtesy of The New York Times.
MIchelle Obama in Thakoon at the White House, May 2010.
Relative newcomer Joseph Altuzarra may have been beat by Jason Wu for the Swarovski Award for Womenswear, but the French designer (his mother is Asian American, his father is French) is getting major buzz, especially with his recent appearance in Vogue‘s November issue. (Hello cutie!)
Joseph Altuzarra and model Joan Small in Vogue's November 2010 issue.
As for the women, Anna Sui had a big anniversary (the big 3-0), releasing her first ever retrospective coffee table book. Vera Wang celebrated her 20th anniversary with the release of a special fragrance, Vera Wang Anniversary. Designer milliner Eugenia Kim hit the big time with her hat collection collaboration with Target. And Chinese-Brit Alexa Chung became fashion’s It girl, launching her own collection for Madewell and single-handedly bringing prep back into the fashion lexicon.
Anna Sui, the retrospective book.
Internationally, Jakarta Fashion Week joined the slew of Asian cities showing off their sartorial talent, including Seoul, Beijing, Tokyo, Bangkok, New Delhi, Mumbai and Shanghai. Korean designers are particularly catching the industry’s attention, with Concept Korea showing at New York Fashion Week for Spring 2011, and Korean designer Lee Jean Youn winning international label Mango’s second annual Fashion Awards.
A look from Jakarta Fashion Week, courtesy of Image.net.
Designer Lee Jean Youn and his winning collection for Mango in Barcelona.
And it doesn’t look like the Asian fashion invasion is gonna slow down any time soon. A whole slew of Asian and Asian American designers are being tapped for collaborations and to head major fashion houses, including:
* Filipino American handbag and shoe designer Rafe Totengco, known for his line Rafe New York, has been appointed creative director of handbags at Jones Apparel Group, Inc., a mega-company whose brands include Nine West, Stuart Weitzman, Anne Klein, Jones New York, among others. (He just received the Presidential Award from Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III last week.)
Rafe Totengco, far right, receiving the Presidential Award from His Excellency, President Benigno S. Aquino III. (PRNewsFoto/The Jones Group Inc.)
Ming Xi models some Peter Som prints in his spring 2011 show.
* Luxury linens company SFERRA is collaborating with Peter Som to create a luxury home collection. Inspired by his signature prints from his runway collections, Som’s collection will encompass everything from bedding to tabletop. The collection will debut in January.
* Richard Chai has been tapped to create an exclusive, limited-edition menswear collection for Original Penguin, to debut in February. The full Richard Chai for Original Penguin line will debut for fall 2011.
* Target’s Go International Designer Collective, which will launch March 13, features designs by Richard Chai and Thakoon, among other past Target collaborators.
The fashion forecast for Asian representation in 2011? So on trend.
Glee’s second episode of the season is on tonight! And this being the Britney episode, we know it’s going to be a good one.
However, it was last week’s episode that was an unforgettable one to our writer, Camelia.
Here are her thoughts.
As an admitted gleek I had been waiting all summer for last week’s season two premiere of the Fox hit show Glee. As a Filipina American I was eagerly anticipating seeing 18-year-old singing sensation Charice belt her heart out for the world to hear. Charice’s appearance on Glee is a huge deal for the Filipino/Filipino American communities, but it is also a huge deal for the Asian/Asian American communities as a whole because she is continuing to put Asians/Asian Americans on the map in big ways.
The fact that Charice landed a role on an über popular primetime television show is a big deal to me, personally, because I grew up rarely seeing any Asian Americans on TV. However, when I did see an Asian American they were usually the bad guys beating people up with their karate moves; the nerdy guy or girl in the background; or the outcast foreigner with a thick accent and only speak broken English. What’s even more exciting to me is that on Glee Charice, a girl born and raised in the Philippines is playing the role of a Filipina girl born and raised in the Philippines who “totally” speaks English, as she told Rachel Berry.
As soon as Charice’s character Sunshine Corazon began singing her breathtaking version of “Listen” from Dreamgirls, tweets about Charice exploded on Twitter and people immediately updated their Facebook statuses to praise the young vocal prodigy. YouTube star AJ Rafael tweeted to the singer, “Charice, I love you. You make us singers proud. And most importantly you make us Filipinos proud.” Hundreds of Filipinos instantaneously retweeted Rafael’s message in support of their fellow Filipino.
The fact that individuals like Charice, Harry Shum, Jr., Jason Wu, AJ Rafael and Manny Pacquiao can become household names here in the U.S. shows the positive shift going on in our society right now. More and more people are recognizing the talents of Asian Americans and are no longer limiting them to just being intelligent and hard working. We’re slowly moving away from further perpetuating stereotypes about Asians such as being the “model minority” and it is FREAKING AWESOME. It’s awesome that young Asian Americans growing up right now can look up to musicians, dancers, fashion designers and athletes who may have similar backgrounds to theirs and look like them.
Glee airs on FOX Tuesdays at 9PM.
Model Liu Wen in Oscar De La Renta, Spring/Summer 2011 show.
It’s an exciting time for Asian Americans in the fashion industry. At the Council of Fashion Designers of America early this year, all three awards for the best new designers of the year were awarded to Asian American men; Richard Chai for men’s wear, Jason Wu for women’s wear and Alexander Wang for accessories. The New York Times wrote an article about Asian Americans climbing the fashion industry ladder. And it just warms our hearts to see the influx in fashionable Asians at New York’s Fashion Week.
Audrey contributor Tamae Ishii scoped out the scene in NY earlier this month and brought to us a bevy of beautiful and stylish people, even writing a piece on the Oscar De La Renta show (pictured above).
Below find more of some of fashion’s fashionable elites including Kelly Choi and Joe Zee of Elle. (Click on shots for closeups).
Even though fashion week is over, you can still get your fix for fashionable Asians at Audrey’s Night Out 2010. Only two more days until show time. Buy your tickets now!
