By Xinhua writers Wang Wen and Zhang Mocheng
NEW YORK, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- When Chinese designer Wang Tao debuted her new collection Saturday at the ongoing New York Fashion Week, front-row celebrities cheered the designs showcasing her signature note of sophisticated minimalism.
Tiffany Trump, U.S. President Donald Trump's younger daughter, was among the celebrities.
The way Wang incorporates sophistication and a feminine edge into her clothes "is absolutely amazing," said the 24-year-old first daughter, who was wearing a Taoray Wang baby-blue dress with ruffles at the waist. Taoray Wang is Wang's professional name.
"I have realized that this new generation's women leaders are not afraid of standing out in a crowd," Wang told Xinhua on the sidelines of the Taoray Wang runway show. "And they can mix femininity with their serious career-oriented lifestyle."
In her fall collection, titled "Bloom", Wang, known for her flair in using basic colors such as grey, white and black to create elegant and confident looks for career women, changed her tack, using a bold palette of pinks and blues, reportedly after being asked by her clients to design more colorful clothes.
Another inspiration came from the BBC mystery drama "Picnic at Hanging Rock". The Victorian style and the delicate touch in the clothes in this remake of an iconic Australian novel are a feast for the eye, she said.
Amy Zhang, senior vice president of Fred Alger Management, a private investment company, called the combination of pink and navy or pink and black both powerful and elegant. "I feel every piece can be worn to the office," she said.
Zhang, a long-time client of Wang, was wearing a Taoray Wang suit from last season. She said she especially loved the detailing in the sleeves, where a touch of red Chinese silk had been added to create fluidity.
"She's truly an artist who bridges the East and the West," Zhang said.
Wang, a graduate of East China Normal University in Shanghai, has grown from an aspiring designer to one of Asia's most successful female entrepreneurs. Since her brand made its debut in the fall of 2014, she has become a regular at the New York Fashion Week.
Held in February and September, the semi-annual event is one of the four major fashion weeks in the world, collectively known as the "Big Four," along with the Paris, London and Milan fashion weeks.
(Xinhua correspondent Chang Yuan contributed to this report.)
