Alexander Wang seems to be slowly returning to fashion’s good graces. Celebrities and high-profile editors attended Alexander Wang’s first runway show in New York City on February 8th, after 11 men accused him for sexual assault.
Wang hasn’t shown in New York, his home base for his eponymous brand since 2019, but he officially returned to runway in April to debut his Fall/Winter 2022 collection to a crowd that included Chloe Cherry and Gunna.
Alessandra Ambrosio and Adriana Lima were among the show’s A-list cast.
The designer’s return to the fold sent a clear signal: Celebrities were open to forgiving and forgetting Wang’s alleged misdeeds. When Owen Mooney, a model, accused Wang of groping her, the first allegations against Wang surfaced in December 2020. The New York Times reported that David Casavant, a stylist and fashion archivist, had a similar experience. Lisa Bloom, a victim’s rights lawyer, announced that she was representing 11 men facing allegations against the designer a week later.
Wang later released a statement denying any wrongdoing and promising that he would ” do better.” According to reports, he met with his accusers and Bloom said that he “acknowledge[d] Mr. Wang’s apology.” Bloom and her clients did not go to court and declined to comment about any financial settlements they might have made with Wang.
After the scandal, Wang’s marketing strategies changed. Campaigns that celebrated his Chinese identity replaced his brand’s sexy, moody imagery of old. The official Instagram account of the label featured posts that promoted AAPI-related causes were established. These included a relief fund for residents or businesses who were displaced by a fire at New York City’s Chinatown. These posts have since been deleted.
Wang used his FW22 runway show in Los Angeles’ Chinatown as a fundraiser to support the neighborhood’s preservation and maintenance efforts.
Some saw Wang’s sudden focus upon AAPI-focused initiatives as a way to distract people from his predatory behavior, and shift attention towards a cause that everyone can support: celebrating the Asian American community.
The designer continues to avoid accountability even though he has been in office for a year. His most recent show, which was held in Chinatown, according to a press release, saw Anna Wintour of Vogue, along with other editors-in chief, sit front row alongside many big-name guests like Maliibu Miitch and Ming Lee Simmons. Gabbriette, Julia Fox, and Sydney Carlson walked down the runway.
We’ve said it before and we’ll repeat it: While glitterati may not have remembered Wang’s predatory behaviour, convenient amnesia — a privilege that his accusers and all survivors and survivors of sexual assault — do not have.
