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Alexander Wang is arguably the major designer responsible for killing '90s logomania in the aughts with his nameless, basic-yet-luxe T-shirt dressing. But with yesterday's spring 2014 collection, he's on the forefront of the logo's return. Behold: Wang has emblazoned his name and brand into a laser-cut pattern on dresses, jackets, belts, even gloves. They're the most obvious of a slew of other '90s references, like the makeup, which recalls, "that moment in the late nineties when the glam girls got a bit grungy," according to Guido Palau backstage. Aaliyah's beats preceded the models down the runway.
Although tweaked a bit, the logo callback is intentional, and in that intentionality lies the "wit" and "humor" and not serious fashion Wang told Style.com he's trying to resuscitate. Basically, in order to speak to, represent, and sell to the girl on the street in 2013/'14, he has to appropriate the look of his (our) youth(s) with a wink. The layer of meta is the perfect thumb-on-the-zeitgeist move that makes the designer more than just relevant; he's the voice of right now. Count the '90s references in the GIF above; we're going to go listen to "One In A Million" on repeat.
· All NYFW Spring 2014 Coverage [Racked]