Wooing Over Jason Wu for Target

By Laura Medina

Jason Wu Styles DJ Harley Viera-Newton for his Target Launch Party.

Celebrity fashion editors...in Manhattan...are wooed by Jason Wu's Target collection.

These girly but office-appropriate pieces are a great starter wardrobe for the newly hatched gallerina or gallery-assistant or a fashion editor's second assistant/intern.

What they are grooving is the price range. It fits comfortably within a starter's wallet.

Here are some backstage scoops...

Jason helped Harley get ready at the Target Studio. Polka-dotted prints and delicate designs popped against the all-white loft as Jason and Harley raided a rack of outfit options.

Jason Wu Styles DJ Harley Viera-Newton

Jason, how will you prep for that night’s event?
JW: I’ll work right until the last minute, and probably get ready in five minutes. It’s all about being a good host. I think it will be a lot of fun – I’m excited!

This night is sure to be memorable. Do you have a favorite fashion memory?
JW: When my mother gave me my first sewing machine when I was ten.

Harley, you’re spinning tonight. What is your ultimate pump-up song?
HVN: “Close to Me” by The Cure always works, and Frankie Valli “Oh, What a Night.”

Making a guest appearance as guest stylist, just for Jason Wu for Target, Marie Claire's fashion editor, Nina Garcia makes her picks then mixes them up for the young girls in the city...

Quintessential Jason Wu:

A playful print in posies and poppies gets toned down for more transitional wear in classic navy. Draw attention to the daisies by colorblocking with a bold Mossimo top in coral red.

The feminine frock on holiday:

I’m always impressed with Jason Wu’s ability to toe the girlish line. This dress is a perfect example: cap-sleeves, nipped-in waist, jeweled collar – with a little edge in the form of a dark, cartoonish print. Perfect when topped with a straw fedora by Mossimo

Ladylike meets biker chick:

Who says you have to be one or the other? Delicate lace gets grunge-cool when screen-printed on a tee and paired with Mossimo skinny jeans and moto boots (and a leather jacket, of course!).

Nina Garcia...

"His look is ladylike yet playful; his designs wise beyond his years, showcasing painstaking attention to detail and craftsmanship and an innate knowledge of what a woman wants.

A Jason Wu look is about well-place risks: a splash of citron, an illustrative print, a delicate fabric or an asymmetrical hem. One of the reasons I’m so drawn to his young talent is because he naturally understands balance in design: not too little, never too much."

"What especially excites me about Jason Wu’s designs (and this newest collection) are their versatility: each piece brings ladylike looks to women of all ages for outfits for all occasions. Whatever your style, a Jason Wu design can be the perfect part of your unique look, whether you choose to pair your Jason Wu dress with scuffed-up boots or a buttoned cardigan. And I hope that’s what 2012 will be all about: a brave, bold, fashion-forward you."-Nina Garcia.

Here are the key pieces that really impressed Ms. Garcia and why...

THE CLASSIC WHITE SHIRT:
Nothing stiff and starched about this look: using the shirt as a drawing board, cross Jason Wu’s ladylike pleats with punk moto boots

HiLo SKIRT:

Asymmetry adds instant interest — and the tapered hemline is surprisingly flattering. Add a bomber and booties for now; lose the layers come spring

KILLER HEELS:

A ladylike skirt packs a stronger punch when worn over a bold platform and a biker jacket.

PALAZZO PANTS:

Don’t be intimidated by this ’70s throwback! Pair this wide-leg shape with a nipped-in military jacket for a look at once retro-chic and fashion-forward.

Skirt Power:

A new study shows that women are seen as more confident and that they make more money when they wear skirts, not a pantsuit, to work. You don’t need to dress like a man to be taken seriously. Instead, be 100% positively, brilliantly, passionately you. It’s like they say: you go, girl.