14 Things You Didn’t Know About Alexander Wang

NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 06: Designer Alexander Wang appears on the runway at the Alexander Wang fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring 2015 at Pier 94 on September 6, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Peter Michael Dills/Getty Images)

With a glass of rosé in hand, Alexander Wang was ready to dish on all-things business, skincare, partying, and beyond, as he took the stage for a Q&A with Fern Mallis at the 92nd Street Y. While the designer wasn’t allowed to shoot free T-shirts into the packed crowd (we’re not kidding, he wanted to), there was no shortage of fun facts, stories, and news revealed by the 32-year-old legend. Below, 14 of the most interesting things we learned about Wang. 

1. He worked in the stockroom of Barneys’ shoe department before starting at Parsons School of Design. “I would clean up shoes after people tried them on, but I would also have to record what shoes were sold out, and send those records to the assistant buyers. Seeing those analytics was fascinating and so important for my education.”
2.  Diane von Furstenberg wanted him to work for her. “She offered me a job on her design team after my first season launched. It was exciting, but I’d just made a huge commitment to my family and we were in this together. Later she became my mentor when I won the CFDA Fashion Fund Award, and I was like, ‘Oh, sh*t.’ But of course she was great about it.”
3.  His sport is dancing.
4.  “I like to go places I don’t know where I’ll end up.”
5.  He entertains his way. “I like to order really good takeout and serve it in plastic cups, sit on the floor and watch reality TV. I love Shark Tank and The Profit.”
6. “Music is probably the biggest inspiration for me. Musicians specifically—their artistry, what they do, and what they make themselves look like…they carry their own.”
7. He just moved out of his Tribeca apartment and is moving to Chelsea. “I’ve been waiting [for my apartment] for nine months!”
8. He reads his horoscope every day on DailyHoroscope.com.
9. He loves to party! “Partying is mental. If you go out and think, ‘I’m going to be so hungover tomorrow!’ as you’re drinking, that’s what’s going to kill you. If you think, ‘I’m gonna drink tonight, make it work tomorrow, and just suck it in,’ you’ll be fine.”
10. He’s skin care-obsessed. “I’m a diva when it comes to skin care. I use a lot of placenta and a lot of stuff that smells like it shouldn’t be put on your face—things that really burn your face, things that make your face really red, but then you wake up the next morning and you’re like, ‘Okay, I look amazing.'”
11. If you want to know who is facialist is, it’s Georgia Louise. He loves skin care so much that an expansion into beauty could be in the designer’s future…
12. Wang was recently named CEO of his company. “I felt like now was the right time for me to be more educated in all aspects of the company, so that when we take the next step, we know what we’re looking for. You have to understand where your strengths and your weaknesses are so that you can find the right people.”
13. His finale sprints aren’t as easy as they look. “It’s really dangerous actually for me because I just get such an adrenaline rush and every time I’m running back it’s complete darkness, because I’m always like, ‘I don’t want to see that back wall!’ when I’m doing the pre-rehearsal…then I realize that sometimes I’m running and I run into the wall.”
14. More Alexander Wang x Adidas is coming! “The second drop is going to come in January, but then there will be another drop in February of season one, and one in March, and then we’ll start season two later on.”