Even for a multitasker as prodigious as Jason Wu, 2026 has been a wild ride. Not only did the designer create mannequins and help put together the “Fashioning Chinese Women: Empire to Modernity” exhibition at LACMA, but this August in Taiwan he opened “Common Threads,” a show in which Robert Rauschenberg originals are displayed next to the Wu dresses they inspired. “I love the runway, there’s no energy like it, but we need to recharge,” said the designer who presented his spring collection, called Salon, one-on-one. “It’s about building a really chic wardrobe with really beautiful fabrics,” he explained.
To wit: there was a luscious quilted jacquard that had flowers floating on what looked like a liquid metal surface. Like most of the collection, it was offered in pink or black. The corset cut in the latter and shown with pants was pretty irresistible. The designer is partial to a bit of deconstruction, and, thus, jacquards featured raw edges; elsewhere, lace was sewn into the side seam of a strappy dress so that it was suspended in air, creating a sort of outline around the figure. Fanciest were evening looks featuring elaborate embroideries done in India. The craftsmanship was incredible; the looks classic fare. More unexpected because they were a shade less ladylike than is typical of Wu, was a snug, shrunken cardigan with lace trim exposing the midriff. Also of interest was a tulle blouse with a ruff-like collar and the lookd crafted from organza. The fabric was used to encase a print in one case, and worn sheer over mango-y satin lingerie in another. “I just wanted the collection to feel really feminine and a little bit juicy,” Wu said.
