People who appreciate bold fashion styles are often daring and courageous, and the same can be said of Yuyao Wang, the fashion designer who is never afraid to express herself through her well-curated and bold outfit ideas. Tired of the so-called trends that everyone follows, Wang established her personal designer brand, Lis Yuyao Wang, which features vibrant colors and unique tailoring that showcase confidence, originality, and style.
Q: Would you briefly introduce yourself as well as your brand Lis Yuyao Wang?
A: My name is Yuyao Wang. I graduated from Pratt Institute in 2022, majoring in Fashion Design. Right now I’m a fashion design intern at Romeo Hunte, where I participated in customizing looks for Beyoncé. But I’ve planned to launch Lis Yuyao Wang as early as 2021, following a haute couture line. The latest collection I launched was the Winter Collection for 2022. I drew inspiration from my experience in 2019 when I found out I had some mild arthritis in my knees. I began to worry because standing for too long would cause me pain while working. The tailoring for this collection was designed to protect the joints of our bodies, using neat fabric to create a fluffy texture. I chose red because it’s the color of blood, reminding people to pay attention to their health while bringing warmth to my audience.
Q: How would you define your style?
A: My style is pretty bold. As a matter of fact, when I started to prepare my collection, a lot of pieces were recognized as incomplete. That’s because there were either too many exposed areas, or too artistic. Some of them may not fit the human body lines that well. So I think my style may be against the conventional definition of clothing in a way. But what my brand offers takes the route of comfortable wear, while not catering to the popular aesthetic orientation such as tank tops. In my opinion, fashion is meant to appreciate bodies, neither men’s nor women’s bodies.
Q: Why did you choose to be in the fashion industry?
A: I’ve always loved fashion since I was a kid. I am the kind of little girl who would like to steal mom’s clothes and use her lipsticks. When I was around 14 years old, I started to draw different types of dresses at school. At that time, I thought I might just like clothes a lot and wanted to design them by myself. What I did was just look through the old fashion magazines at home. I have a good friend whose mother was a fashion designer, so I showed her the pictures of the dresses that I drew. But what she said was quite hurtful. She didn’t think that I have any gift in designing because I didn’t have any basic drawing skills. But look at me now, a fashion designer who debuts her own brand.
Q: How was your internship experience in Product Marketing at ZARA?
A: I did this internship because there was a great opportunity and I had always wanted to be involved in the whole process of the fashion chain. Zara was the equivalent of standing at the forefront of the whole industry. I was learning to help the team prepare for next year’s seasonal collections. For example, if we found several items that were quite popular in the past, we would make similar plans for the coming season. What I found interesting is when I am a designer, I can design based on either my own preference or the needs of my clients. But when working in a retail environment, we need to look at not only the demand but also the data.
Q: Why did you decide to go with the haute couture routine instead of something like ZARA?
A: For me, having my own brand is something that I’m always passionate about. I’ve devoted all my heart to this career. Working in the fashion retail industry is more an assistance for me to understand the story behind the brand, so I can get more experience when running my own brand. In the meanwhile, the bold fashion that’s applied in my designs doesn’t really fit into the retail industry because what I’m presenting is beyond the common trends that most people are chasing. That’s what makes me stand out from the crowd, too.
Q: As a designer, what are some of your highlights?
A: One is definitely my internship at Romeo Hunte. It is such a great pleasure for me to be able to take part in customizing designs for a celebrity like Beyoncé. I am obtaining a lot of skills and it will definitely be one of the best experiences in my career. Another highlight is when the team of Grimes, the Canadian Musician, pulled clothes from me. I was really excited that my designs could get recognition and compliments from them. But all of these accomplishments come from the exposure brought by the opportunity provided by Pratt Institute to attend the runway show in 2022, which is something that I’m really grateful for.
