Designer among few from China at New York Fashion Week

Renowned Chinese fashion designer Wang Tao on Tuesday showcased her fall/winter 2020 collection at the ongoing New York Fashion Week, stressing women's power with the theme "coffee at dawn in Paris".

Some 36 looks in the latest collection embodied Wang's signature note of sophisticated minimalism and sent out a clear message: women can be feminine and powerful at the same time.

By using colors such as dawn gray and various shades of coffee, Wang sought to reinvent the scene where a woman sits at an outdoor cafe at dawn in Paris, taking time to drink her cup before diving into work.

"I enjoyed doing so every time I went on a business trip to Paris," says Wang, adding that professional women should also be able to stop and smell the flowers.

Apart from her usual use of cashmere and wool for outwear, the designer used silk for blouses to add a touch of briskness. The carefully chosen materials show Wang's brand spirit that women can be soft outside and strong inside.

It was the 12th time that Wang brought her namesake brand Taoray Wang to the fashion week, and also the most difficult one.

The designer's team in Shanghai could not come to the fashion week because the United States banned the entry of foreigners who have traveled to China in the past 14 days.

Wang went through difficulty in assembling a temporary team to prepare for the runway show and transporting clothes and accessories from Shanghai to New York.

She says she's one of the few representatives of China's fashion industry who managed to release a new collection in a professional way at the New York Fashion Week.

"I want to show the world that we Chinese always keep our promises and will never give up."

At a time when China is fighting the coronavirus outbreak, the designer says people from different industries are all making contributions in their own way. Many of Wang's clients applauded her for making her show happen.

She empowers women through her designs, and tells people to stay positive and strong in this difficult time by presenting an amazing show, says Amy Zhang, a longtime client of Taoray Wang.

"You can do anything that you set your mind to. And she proves that," says Zhang, executive vice-president and portfolio manager of Fred Alger Management.

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.