Alexander Wang is a fashion designer.

Wang began his Alexander Wang fashion brand in 2005 and came to prominence after being awarded the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund in 2008.

From November 2012 through July 2015, Wang was creative director at Balenciaga.

Wang is known for his urban-inspired designs and use of black.

Early life

Wang was born in San Francisco in 1983.

At age 18, Wang moved to New York City to attend Parsons School of Design. He left his program after two years to begin his professional career and did not graduate.

Career

In 2005, after two years at Parsons, Wang decided to pursue the launch of his own fashion label, which began with a predominantly knitwear collection. In Fall 2007, Wang presented a complete women’s ready-to-wear collection on the New York catwalk for the first time, to critical acclaim. He won the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund in 2008.

Wang’s first flagship store opened in SoHo, Lower Manhattan, in 2011.

In 2012, Wang was named creative director at Balenciaga after Nicolas Ghesquière’s departure from the French design house. As the creative director, Wang oversaw the women’s and men’s ready-to-wear and accessories lines. His debut Fall–Winter 2013 Balenciaga collection was shown in February 2013 at the Balenciaga salons in Paris at 10 avenue George V.

Wang left Balenciaga in 2015. He subsequently established his own company.

Personal life

Wang speaks publicly about his sexuality and is a prominent member of the LGBTQ community.