NYFW | Sally Wu Fall/Winter 2010 + Interview

For the debut collection, Sally Wu (who has trained under Karl Lagerfeld, Ralph Lauren, and Helmut Lang) has maintained a focused cohesive collection. She sticks with traditional colors for the fall, Black, Natural, Nude, Plum, and Peacock. The Shanghai-born designer incorporates a variety of fabrics for the collection, including wool, boucle, suede, cotton stretch jersey, silk, and satin. The pieces are bold, strong, and intelligent with signature detailing.

Here is a quick Q & A with Sally about her Fall/Winter 2010 Collection.

What is the inspiration behind your debut collection?
The idea that drives the Fall/Winter 2010 collection is “complicated simple.”
To be complicated is easy but to be simple is very complicated. It takes lots of thought processes and trials, revisions to get to simplicity.

What does the show’s title art + craft mean?
“Art + Craft” is my opening collection’s name. It grows out of my early training as a painter. It reflects my feeling that clothing should be an object of art and perfect craftsmanship. “Art + Craft” is what the collection is all about.

Who do you envision wearing your designs?
I am designing for a woman who has a clear sense of who she is —someone who is strong and con?dent however, she is also elegant and feminine at the same time.
She is a sophisticated woman who is well-informed just about everything. She appreciates affordable luxury and prizes unusual detailing, especially when it’s presented in an understated way.

How should clothes ?t the woman who wears your designs?
Clothes should look effortless. It should be easy to wear from day to night. I want to make the woman feel special by meticulous architectural construction and detailing. In my opinion, it’s just plain silly to show up in the office wearing a cocktail dress. However, she doesn’t have to wear a badly made T-shirt to “dress down” either. The woman should look natural, be herself and she should feel and look that she is wrapped in luxury.

What fabrics are you using for the collection?
The main fabrics for my FW10 collection are stretch wool, boucle, suede, cotton stretch jersey, silk, and satin. The colors are Black, Natural, Nude, Plum, and Peacock. The tone is rich without being showy.