Chinese designer brings color to NY Fashion Week

NEW YORK — When Chinese designer Wang Tao — known by her professional name Taoray Wang — debuted her new collection on Sept 8 at New York Fashion Week, front-row celebrities applauded the designs showcasing her signature style of sophisticated minimalism.

Tiffany Trump, the younger daughter of US President Donald Trump, was among those watching the show.

The way Wang incorporates sophistication and a feminine edge into her clothes “is absolutely amazing”, said the 24-year-old first daughter, who was wearing one of the designer’s pieces — a babyblue dress with ruffles at the waist.

“I have realized that this new generation of female leaders is not afraid to stand out from the crowd,” Wang told Xinhua on the sidelines of the Taoray Wang runway show.

“They can mix femininity with their serious career-oriented lifestyle.”

In her fall collection, titled Bloom, Wang, known for her flair for using basic monochromes such as gray, white and black to create elegant and confident looks for career women, changed tack, using a bold palette of pinks and blues, reportedly after being asked by her clients to design more colorful clothes.

She also took inspiration from the BBC mystery drama Picnic at Hanging Rock.

The Victorian style and the delicate details in the clothes in the remake of the iconic Australian novel are a feast for the eyes, she said.

Amy Zhang, senior vicepresident of Fred Alger Management, a private investment company, called the combinations of pink with navy and black both powerful and elegant.

“I feel like every piece can be worn to the office,” she said.

Zhang, a long-time client of Wang, was wearing a suit from the designer’s previous collection.

Zhang said she especially loved the detailing in the sleeves, where a touch of red Chinese silk had been added to create fluidity.

“She’s truly an artist who bridges the gap between East and West,” Zhang said.

Wang, a graduate of East China Normal University in Shanghai, has grown from an aspiring designer to one of Asia’s most successful female entrepreneurs.

Since her brand made its debut in the fall of 2014, she has become a regular at New York Fashion Week.

Held in February and September, the biannual event is one of the world’s major fashion events, collectively known as the “Big Four”, alongside the Paris, London and Milan fashion weeks.

VCG With his fluent command of Mandarin and Chinese songs, American Slater Rhea has won over many Chinese fans.

VCG Above: Chinese designer Wang Tao thanks the audience at the recent New York Fashion Week. Left and right: Models walk on the runway to showcase the sophisticated minimalism of Wang’s garments.