It’s hard to believe that it’s been 10 years since Alexander Wang entered the fashion consciousness. The San Francisco native grew up in the industry, starting his eponymous line at the tender age of 21 with a few knit sweaters — which he intended to be a side project while he attended Parsons School of Design in New York — that became a full ready-to-wear line after two short years. Wang enlisted rappers and rock ‘n’ roll gods like Foxy Brown and Courtney Love to play his fetes, which made him catnip to celebrities who wanted to be part of his merry band of cool kids.
Though he’s grown up somewhat in the public eye, the essence of Wang’s brand never diluted. His signature line — which now reportedly pulls in an estimated $100 million a year — has evolved to include menswear, accessories, denim, and an auxiliary T-shirt line. Having been called the“most successful designer of his generation” by “The New York Times,” Wang has for the most part followed his instincts, and that has fared him well.
To mark his 10th anniversary bash, which he assures will be another “extravaganza” to remember, Wang brought back 10 archival pieces that were voted on via his website and Instagram, and he’s also designed two T-shirts and a hooded sweatshirt that will benefit DoSomething.org, a charity comprised of 4 million people dedicated to creating social change through volunteering and whose mantra is to “make the world suck less.” Wang enlisted 38 of his famous pals, from Kate Moss to Kim Kardashian, to sit for Steven Klein in the charitable garments. You can check them out here as well as head to the designer’s website.