Jason Wu Reveals the Inspiration Behind His "Tropical Paradise" Runway Show at New York Fashion Week
Jason Wu's New York Fashion Week show provided a sweet escape from life in the COVID era.
Forget staring at the same wall for another day and turn your eyes to Jason's spring 2021 runway show set on the beaches of Tulum, Mexico! Or at least pretend that's the case.
In reality, Jason Wu, the Council of Fashion Designers of America and IGM were able to create a tropical oasis on the rooftop of one of New York City's high rise buildings. All it took to bring Jason's vision to life was an array of palm trees, a boardwalk and 12,000 pounds of sand, which was all well-worth it for the designer.
In an exclusive interview with E! News' fashion expert, Zanna Rossi, Jason said that ahead of the show he told all the models, "'I want you to forget that we have all these problems—we're in a tropical paradise.'"
The exotic background also was a sweet ode to his 2016 wedding to husband Gustavo Rangel. "We're escaping to Tulum because that's where I got married and I wanted it in the city." He quipped, "If I can't go, it's coming to me."
And Jason said that's what he hopes others feel when they see the collection.
"I'm really thrilled because for just seven and a half, eight minutes we forget about all the troubles we have to face and continue to face. And that's what fashion is about. It's not about vanity only, it's about bringing imagination and beauty to the world," he explained.
Plus, all of the trees and sand, which were donated by Lowes, will go back to the New York community. Jason said that all of the foliage used on the set have already been donated to a small business in Brooklyn, which will find new homes for the plants.
Additionally, the seating and other decor will be taken to the Gay Men's Health Crisis center in the city. Jason shared, "I'm going to give the community center where a lot of kids or patients hang out, we're going to give it a beautiful makeover."
To see which stars are attending this season's unique New York Fashion Week, check out the gallery above!