Yahoo Movies Jackson Wang on Design, Art and China
SHANGHAI — For Jackson Wang, the Hong Kong-born singer and director of fashion lifestyle label Team Wang Design, work and play blended in seamlessly this summer.
Upon releasing the capsule collection “Sparkles — Mudance” for his brand, Wang threw a “Human Remix” party at Singapore’s biggest nightclub, Marquee, to celebrate the launch and introduce new artists such as Laurie, Xenzu, Boytoy and local beatbox champion Dharni, under his record label.
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Jackys, the nickname for Wang’s fans, showed up in droves dressed in Mudance outfits. “It’s becoming a part of the culture at our brand. When we drop something in a region, we are going to throw a party,” Wang said.
It’s been a busy year for the 28-year-old Wang. In April, he made history by becoming the first Chinese solo artist to perform at Coachella as a part of 88rising’s showcase at the music festival. This month, Wang released “Cruel,” the second single from “Magic Man,” a solo album set to drop in September. In late August, Wang will headline 88rising‘s 2022 Head in the Clouds festival alongside Rich Brian and Niki in Pasadena, Calif.
“To me, this is making my history,” Wang said. “Not only the music, but I also want to bring all the things I do around the world. It is the same as creating Team Wang Design. We want to bring more values to the international level.”
For his fashion brand, which Wang launched with childhood friend Henry Cheung in Shanghai two years ago, Mudance is the first collection to get a global push. The capsule launched monthlong pop-up stores simultaneously at Chengdu’s popular shopping destination IFS, Bangkok’s landmark luxury shopping center Emquartier and Singapore’s premier shopping center Voco Orchard on Aug. 4.
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“We’re a Chinese brand, but that doesn’t mean we always have to stay home. The biggest part is sharing what we have and spreading our story. We gotta show people what we have,” Wang said.
Swapping out the brand’s signature black and white designs for a lively pastel pink palette, Mudance featured vibrant digital prints of the Chinese Peony Mudan, China‘s national flower. As a nod to the Year of the Tiger, Wang also added a wiggly tiger tail to the print design.
The 12-piece summer collection includes floral-printed bikini sets, Hawaiian shirts, beach towels and floaties. Popular items sold out almost immediately on Team Wang Design’s Wechat Mini Program and the brand’s official website.
“I’ve always wanted to do bikinis, which many people told me not to. Who cares? I’m just going to do it,” Wang said of one of his favorite products in the collection.
The design process for this collection was a deceptively quick one. “I thought of it within five minutes,” Wang said. “It doesn’t mean I don’t respect art. It just means that it just hit my head randomly and I trust that gut feeling.”
Trusting his gut feeling has become Wang’s motto, especially after the pandemic. He is open about the “negative moments” that consumed him in 2020, which changed his approach to work and life.
“Whoever I was, whatever I was, I just decided to drop it, I just wanted to start off by being who I really am, and I think it makes sense to be more honest to my audience,” he said. “People will like me, people will hate me, it happens and I accept it. But it’s okay as long as long as I’m me.”
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