Momo Wang, born Wang Tianmo (Chinese: 王天墨; born 1987), is a Chinese fashion designer.[1]

Biography

edit

Early life and education

edit

Wang was raised in Jinzhou, Liaoning, China.[2][3] Her father is a calligrapher and artist and her mother was a journalist who enjoys making clothes.[4] As a child, most of Wang's clothes were made by her mother.[2] She was dedicated to her schoolwork.[2]

Wang attended Peking University and studied intercultural communication.[2] There, she learned about Peking opera, calligraphy, and traditional Chinese art.[4] In her second year of university, Wang rented a basement studio in Beijing and purchased a sewing machine.[2] She developed an interest in sewing, making items such as bags and skirts.[2]

After a professor suggested she study fashion design, she applied to Central Saint Martins without any formal training[5] and was accepted to the fashion print course.[2] Wang moved to London in 2007.[2] While studying at Saint Martins, Wang supported herself by "selling handmade brooches and accessories from a stall in Brick Lane."[2] In her first term at the school, she found the coursework difficult and failed her first two projects; however, she practiced over the summer and went on to "excel."[6] Wang graduated in June 2011.[2] Her graduating collection included "folky hand-crafted peasant costumes from around the world, a riotous blend of colour, print and texture for which she was awarded joint second place in the L'Oréal Professionel Young Talent Award."[2] The show was titled I Love My Print Room and earned Wang three awards from Saint Martins.[7]

Career

edit

In 2012, Wang established a personal studio called Mending Point in London.[7] The same year, Wang designed the 12-piece Third Hand UpCycle collection.[6] The collection was designed using materials purchased from secondhand markets in Jinzhou.[8] The inspiration for the collection came from the French philosopher Derrida[6] and his "third hand" concept.[9] Eco Fashion Talk characterized the collection as a "wonderful, brilliantly colored creative experimentation in repurposing found materials."[6]

In 2013, Wang launched an independent fashion label called Museum of Friendship.[10]

For her debut at Shanghai Fashion Week, Wang showcased a collection titled After School.[7] That's Shanghai described the collection as "Harajaku-meets-Saved by the Bell".[7]

Personal life

edit

Wang currently lives and works in Los Angeles.[2]

References

edit
  1. ^ Hall, Casey. "Shanghai Fashion Week Shows Maturing Chinese Designers". WWD. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Chinese designers lead a sartorial revolution". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2012-03-20. Retrieved 2016-04-22.
  3. ^ "Hayward Gallery showcases fashion designer Momo Wang's creation at new China exhibition". Nee Hao Magazine. Retrieved 2016-04-22.
  4. ^ a b "Texprint alumna's story: Momo Wang, Museum of Friendship". Texprint. Archived from the original on 2016-08-07. Retrieved 2016-04-22.
  5. ^ "Momo Wang: China Upcycle Queen". Upcyclista. Retrieved 2016-04-22.
  6. ^ a b c d "Momo Wang". Eco Fashion Talk. Retrieved 2016-04-22.
  7. ^ a b c d "Eight Designers Who Stole Shanghai Fashion Week". That's Online. Retrieved 2016-04-22.
  8. ^ Karen. "Paying Fashion Forward: The UpCycle Collection from Momo Wang". www.notesontheroad.com. Retrieved 2016-04-22.
  9. ^ "Miss Moss · Momo Wang". Miss Moss. Retrieved 2016-04-22.
  10. ^ "上海时装周 | 栋梁-Museum of Friendship 2016SS". www.shanghaifashionweek.com. Retrieved 2016-04-22.