Alexander Wang gives his first interview since misconduct allegations

In the late days of 2020, British model Owen Mooney alleged that Alexander Wang had grabbed his crotch at a CupcakKe gig in 2017. He accused the designer of being a “massive sexual predator” who deserved to be “cancelled”, and, in the days that followed, further claims of sexual misconduct were beamed across Shit Model Management’s Instagram account from a plethora of anonymous sources. The designer – whose namesake brand was so successful that he was inserted at the helm of Balenciaga in 2012 – categorically denied those claims and subsequently retired from the spotlight.

The apology he broadcasted – where the designer said “I regret acting in a way that caused them pain” and “I will do better” – after meeting with 11 of his accusers, did little to curry favour, but his profits were scarcely affected. With the backing of two Chinese conglomerates, Wang launched a not-so-quiet comeback last spring with a star-studded AW22 collection in Los Angeles. At the same time, his former adherents were photographed in his designs, including Rihanna and the Kardashian-Jenners. While the mainstream press began to pore over his return, some critics were outraged at fashion’s collective amnesia, which seemed to disregard the severity of Mooney’s allegations. “I really struggled with how to address the situation collectively because it started as one individual and then there were more, but each one had their own story,” the designer told Puck journalist Lauren Sherman in his first candid interview since the sexual assault claims were levelled against him.

“One of my biggest regrets was not reaching out to the individuals and being able to listen to them earlier on. The statement that was put out came from a place of anger and it came from a place of confusion. These relationships and encounters had spanned so many different time periods. Some were casual encounters. Others were people who I’d seen for years. And some I don’t recollect meeting,” he continued. “Only over time did I realise that I could have had more empathy and sensitivity and understanding of each person’s experience with it. And the role that I held in creating these hedonistic environments.” Of course, glamorous afterparties were a lodestone of the Alexander Wang brand, and there are plenty of examples within fashion where blurred, drunken boundaries are transgressed by those with the power to do so.

“My lifestyle wasn’t hospitable to real intimacy and didn’t allow room for deeper connections. Even though I was in these situations where I felt like it was casual, we’re having fun, but that might not be the feeling of someone else,” Wang said of his years on the New York party scene. “Developing that empathetic side is something I’ve worked a lot on, even prior to the allegations coming out.” Since Mooney’s claims came to the surface, neither Wang nor his accusers have acknowledged if there was a formal settlement. Sherman said that many of them just wanted the designer to take accountability for what had happened. Whether fashion observers will take Wang’s interview as a sufficient apology, the designer continues to build on his brand, generating more than $200 million in annual sales. Head over to Puck to read Sherman’s interview in full.