Does Alex Wang’s Pre-Fall Hint At His New Direction For Balenciaga?

We can assume that Alexander Wang was at least putting the final touches on his pre-fall '13 collection when he accepted the new position at Balenciaga. Whether or not the latter affected the former can't really be determined until February, but after taking the whole trajectory of Wang's collections into consideration, we think the designer is finally primed for the spaceman-meets-workingwoman sophistication of Balenciaga. This current pre-fall collection showed off Wang's more grown-up approach to dressing. Gone are the days of the downtown girl who's never held a job because she's too busy slinking around nightclubs — though, don't expect the 2013 Wang-ite to be at a normal job. Slick "work" backpacks, Prada-esque suit layering, and vests-as-dresses would never fly with a corporate HR (thank goodness), and we're glad to see that his commitment to making sweatpants-at-the-office happen hasn't eased up (it gives a whole new meaning to the sweatsuit).