Alexander Wang

Born in San Francisco to Taiwanese-American parents, Alexander Wang dropped out of Parsons after two years and launched his label in 2007 with a knitwear capsule. His downtown-cool New York aesthetic — model-off-duty leather, slouchy tailoring, the Rocco studded bag — made him CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year in 2010 at age 26. In 2012 Kering appointed him creative director of Balenciaga, where his three-year tenure modernised the house's accessories before he was succeeded by Demna in 2015. Wang returned full-time to his own brand, which weathered #MeToo allegations in 2020 and pivoted to direct-to-consumer drops and Asia-led activations. He remains one of the most commercially successful designers of his generation.