Fashion designer Alexander Wang is everywhere.
Besides having a critically acclaimed and commercially successful eponymous label, this 25-year-old New York-based Chinese-American wunderkind has also designed capsule collections for high-street labels like Gap and Uniqlo that flew off the shelves.
The winner of the prestigious CDFA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award last year is set to make waves in the beauty world next, with his range of make-up for Maquillage.
For the Shiseido-owned brand's fall 2009 collection, Wang has created a range of earthy and plum-toned eyeshadow palettes, lipsticks and lipglosses.
There are four shades of lipgloss ($39 each), six shades of lipstick ($49 each), and two eyeshadow palettes ($69 each) in the collection.
The colours complement his clothing designs. Wang is often credited as turning the 'model-off-duty' look into an art form.
The now-ubiquitous outfit of a boyfriend blazer paired with a worn-in T-shirt, ripped leggings and boots - yes, that came from him. His clothes have been spotted on the most sartorially discerning celebrities, including actresses Diane Kruger and Sarah Jessica Parker.
'Anyone can get all dressed up and glamorous, but it is how people dress on their days off that is the most intriguing,' he has said.
The son of Taiwanese immigrants, Wang was born and raised in San Francisco.
He moved to New York City where he attended Parsons The New School for Design and later launched his eponymous label as an 18-year-old sophomore student.
He considers this make-up collection a way for him to its 'reach a much wider audience', he tells Urban in a phone interview from Tokyo, where he attended the press launch of the make-up collection in May.
This is Maquillage's second designer collaboration. Last year, they released a collection with Scottish designer Christopher Kane, which was a hit with beauty junkies and fashion lovers alike. Judging by Wang's red-hot status as the It designer of the moment, chances are his make-up collection will be as popular as his clothes.
Urban asks him about the inspiration behind his make-up magic.
Describe your inspiration for this collection.
I worked with the natural hues that you would find in your regular facial colouring.
When Maquillage and I started this collaboration, we had just finished my spring/summer 2009 fashion show, so a lot of inspiration came from the beach and from working out, which were also what my fashion show was inspired by.
Getting flushed tones from running around and being really active was the starting point for these colours.
What is it about make-up you enjoy?
It is definitely the finishing touch.
From working with Dick Page - the artistic director of Shiseido - at my fashion shows, I've learnt that make-up is something you use to enhance what you already have, rather than something you use to cover things up.
Hair and make-up are the finishing touches for my shows, so I always try to set a strong direction for these elements as well.
Working on this make-up line, deciding the colours and the names of the products, has been a fun project for me.
What kind of woman do you envision using your make-up?
A girl that uses make-up not to cover up but to enhance herself and look natural. She doesn't try to paint on her make-up but uses it as an added bonus.
Is this the same girl who would wear Alexander Wang clothes?
Definitely, to keep the synergy between my clothes and the make-up, everything does tie in together.
Is there a difference between designing make-up and clothes?
There are definitely certain differences. For make-up, I work only with colours.
But there are also similarities. We appreciate clothes that are very versatile and that can stand strong when worn individually, instead of as an entire outfit as seen in fashion shows.
I tried to bring that concept into make-up.
When you use all the products from this make-up collection at the same time, they form a good palette (of colours), but you can use just a lipstick or a lipgloss, too.
This article was first published in Urban, The Straits Times.
