Designer of the Moment: Jason Wu

Jason Wu became an instant sensation in the fashion world after First Lady Michelle Obama wore one of his creations at Tuesday night’s Inauguration ball. The off-the-shoulder white dress he designed featured delicate embellishment details of white organza flowers and Swarovski crystals. As per tradition the dress will be donated to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., where it will eventually be displayed next to other inaugural gowns. When asked by Women’s Wear Daily about his thoughts on Mrs. Obama wearing one of his designs, Jason Wu humbly responded, “It was very emotional. It was the ultimate validation for me as a designer.”

So just who is Jason Wu? Well for starters, he was born and raised in Taipei and despite his ripe age of 26, he’s surprisingly well-traveled. At the age of nine he began learning how to sew and continued to pursue design throughout his adolescent years. He went on to study at Parsons School of Design in New York and before he launched his own line of clothing he was an intern for designer Narciso Rodriguez. His collection can be found at over 30 retailers including Bergdorf Goodman, Net-a-porter.com, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Ikram in Chicago.

Jason Wu’s media coverage rivals, or perhaps even surpasses, fellow young designer Zac Posen. He has been featured in numerous fashion magazines including Vogue, W, Harpers Bazaar, InStyle and Marie Claire and his name continues to be somewhat of a buzz word all over Seventh Avenue. New York Magazine reports that Jason Wu’s website received over 4 million hits yesterday alone and the party isn’t over yet.

Currently, Wu is working on wrapping up his Fall 2009 collection which will debut at New York Fashion Week in February. His Spring 2009 Ready-to-Wear Collection can be found online at Style.com