5 Things You Need to Know About Alexander Wang

USMagazine, Saturday, February 11, 2012, 8:31am (PST)

He may share the same surname and industry as the famed Vera Wang, but Alexander Wang (unrelated to Vera) is a breakout fashion designer on his own. Besides boasting a celebrity fan base like Mary-Kate Olsen and Gwyneth Paltrow, the 28-year-old has seen the success of his line skyrocket to popularity in just four years. Here's what you need to know about the Californian-born style star.

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He's a college dropout. After moving to NYC to attend the prestigious Parsons The New School for Design, Wang began to ditch classes and officially withdrew from the college his sophomore year. Just two years later, he launched his first women's collection, Alexander Wang, in 2007. (His diffusion line, T by Alexander Wang, hit stores in 2009.)

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He is a Council of Fashion Designers of America winner. Following in the footsteps of designers including Zac Posen and Proenza Schouler, Wang was the recipient of the 2008 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, where he received $200,000 to expand his line, which now includes womenswear, menswear, shoes and accessories.

He's BFFs with Zoe Kravitz. The daughter of rocker Lenny Kravitz has been spotted front row at Wang's runway shows in addition to stepping out in his edgy, fashion-forward designs on a regular basis.

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He finds inspiration in imperfections. Wang once told Teen Vogue that among the things that make his work interesting are the slip-ups. "Mistakes! You can't anticipate them, and I love the challenge of resolving something from the unexpected," he explained.

He boasts a very A-list celebrity following. Wang's roster of star fans include the likes of Paltrow, Olsen, Megan Fox, Nicole Richie, and recently, Stacy Keibler.

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