Alexander Wang Spring/Summer 2017

In a world of Insta-gratification, where one technically speaking no longer needs to attend a show or visit a store to get a first glimpse at clothing, it’s the experience surrounding the clothes in retail and on the runway that now captures everyone’s attention, builds the brand story, and “sells” the image. Alexander Wang (like Tommy Hilfiger, Karl Lagerfeld, and Tom Ford before him) does this better than most. Wang has cultivated his particular brand of cool and honed his own hype so well that he has built his brand into a powerhouse. So what was his message this season? After flirting with Hot Topic in Fall, for Spring/Summer 2017 Wang’s chick was a surfer, skater, lifeguard, bike messenger, and sexy minx all rolled into one. There were ’80s-style neon nylon baseball caps with flipped up bills and tie dyed and beachy faded pink sweatshirts, which felt like a they were dug up from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air or Zack Morris’ closet. The cult classic skater film Lords of Dogtown was a reference cited by Wang…that plus 50 Shades of Grey, which showed up in lingerie-inspired pieces. My oh my, Wang does have a sense of humor.

Post-show guests were treated to a free-for-all of 7-Eleven fare (reminiscent of his Spring 2010 party at the old gas station by Milk Studios, where everything from a bag of chips and 5-Hour Energy bottles to a pack of Tylenol were up for grabs). But that’s not all! There was a McDonald’s stand serving up burgers and fries and other fast-food fare. “Everything is about the all day breakfast and McGriddle. It’s the perfect late night snack!” a party goer exclaimed. Plus, there was a truck serving up Slurpees, a claw machine where Nars products were the prize, and glowing straws topped off the drinks. Wang’s event planning team deserves a gold medal and a major vacation.

But wait, there’s more…the biggest news of all is that Wang also unveiled his collaboration with Adidas Originals featuring a lot of black athleisure pieces with upside-down Adidas logo. Expect this all to sell like hotcakes.

Oh, and Madonna and Lourdes Leon were among his front-row VIPs. Is there anything Wang can’t do? As Nicky Minaj summed it up before jetting out of the party, “Everything Alexander Wang does is epic!”