ALEXANDER WANG’S FALL 2022 FASHION SHOW: A REBIRTH OR A REVERSAL?

Following several sexual assault allegations and full-fledged media scandals, designer Alexander Wang returns to the runway for the Alexander Wang Fall 2022 fashion show. 

He staged a comeback attempt following his radio silence after the domino sexual assault allegations, which surfaced periodically over the years but reached a climax in the August of 2020.

Wang initially called the allegations “atrocious, baseless, and grotesquely false,” but later contradicted himself in a statement posted on Instagram in which he didn’t apologize outright but said he will “do better” in the future. So much for “atrocious” and “baseless”. Lisa Bloom, the attorney who represented Wang’s 11 alleged victims, also took to Twitter to say, “We acknowledge Mr Wang’s apology and we are moving forward.”

It appears that the fashion industry is gradually moving forward as well, waving goodbye to the cancel culture in this case, as Baby Phat designer Kimora Simmons, Victoria’s Secret Angel Behati Prinsloo, and K-pop rapper CL graced the show as VIP guests. While Wang isn’t our favourite person right now, he does have a couple of solid friends on his side who don’t seem to mind being associated with someone with his reputation. But kudos to Wang! After all, everyone needs someone, don’t they?

Perhaps to keep his promise to “do better,” there was no after-party for the show, which is unusual for the designer and his brand in general. This doesn’t appear to be a problem, as Wang brought his A-game to the main fashion show. Such is expected of the designer, who is known for his inventiveness, but it is even more so now, given his circumstances.

The show, which he titled “Fortune City”, celebrated Asian-American culture inclined toward Wang’s Chinese background. True to the theme, it was held in Chinatown Los Angeles which is different from his usual New York crowd. Regardless of the need for change in other aspects of the designer’s life, his style did not, as the show began with pieces that are recognized as staples of what the Alexander Wang brand represents in the fashion world. The Alexander Wang style was unmistakable, with large denim shorts over pants, leather coats, and ruched boots.

The clothes were not the only thing that stood out on the runway; more of Wang’s friends graciously strutted down it. Soo Joo Park and a very pregnant Adriana Lima, who pranced around the runway with her bump exposed, are among them. This immediately reminded me of Rihanna in Alexander Wang.

Despite Wang thinking that the break he took would cause the whole scandal to blow over, we wouldn’t be forgetting those allegations anytime soon. This does not mean he is not the brilliant designer he has always been, as evidenced by the cheers, applause, and flashing phone camera lights at the end of his show.

In our opinion, he made a total comeback. Will it stick? We’d just have to wait and see.