Jason Wu, one of New York’s finest fashion designers, has collaborated with The Woolmark Company in creating his ultra comfy and luxe Spring/Summer 2017 collection.
Two months before Jason Wu’s Spring/Summer 2017 (SS 17) collection was sent down the runway at New York Fashion Week, the New York-based fashion designer was in Australia visiting the source of Merino wool – a natural, renewable and biodegradable fibre which lies at the heart of his latest collection.
The trip was part of the designer’s recent partnership with The Woolmark Company, with Jason Wu appointed as an ambassador for the global authority on wool. Visiting a wool-producing property in Marulan, New South Wales, he was able to experience the fibre first-hand as he travelled through the heart of the wool-growing country.
“Merino wool has always played an integral role in my designs,” explained Wu. “Yet partnering with The Woolmark Company really allowed me to further explore and develop wool for summer. What my Spring/Summer 17 collection does is push the boundaries with conventional seasons, creating year-round luxurious pieces, which I could achieve by working with wool.”
With wishes to produce a timeless and classically sophisticated collection for SS17, Wu created a wool-rich collection with many pieces gaining a Woolmark certification. Breathable, next-to-skin softness with superb handle and drape, Merino wool provided Jason Wu with a blank canvas for his collection.
The move to include an increased number of Merino wool garments highlights Wu’s desire to create trans-seasonal apparel, unrestricted by the limits of the four seasons. The collection’s knitwear pieces use fine Merino wool yarns in a combination of deep, saturated and vibrant hues.
For the woven pieces, Wu has used a fabric with a burnout technique creating a subtle and delicate dotted pattern in the fabric. He has also used a lightweight tailoring fabric with mild structure and modern hand. A third woven wool fabric is a very soft, open weave gauze printed in a faint coloration of his graphic for the season.
Through his multi-cultural heritage and independent spirit, Wu used his diverse background and experience to become one of the big boys in American fashion. Dedicated to creating luxurious, sensual and feminine collections that continue to push the boundaries of refined craftsmanship, Jason Wu is renowned for his masterful use of colour and embellishments with a spin on American sportswear with a couture sensibility.
“We are thrilled to announce the partnership between Jason Wu and The Woolmark Company,” said The Woolmark Company Managing Director Stuart McCullough. “Jason’s meticulous attention to detail and innovative vision makes him a perfect partner to demonstrate the timelessness and versatility of Australian Merino wool. We have already seen Wu’s unique take on wool in his Fall/Winter 2016 collection, where the tidy parameters of his brand unveiled a serious wardrobe with a luxurious overlay.”
This partnership with a high-profile designer further positions Merino wool as the premier component luxury apparel which in turns educates consumers on the benefits of the fibre, ultimately influencing their conscience in making purchasing decisions.
Wu’s designs have been worn by First Lady Michelle Obama, Reese Witherspoon, Julianne Moore, Diane Kruger and Kerry Washington, among others. For more information on the collaboration, visit Jason Wu’s Facebook page or The Woolmark Company’s Facebook page. Alternatively, join in on the conversation by searching #woolmark.
