She goes on to point out how the investment taught her “all the knowledge about different yarns, different machines, all the steps from the start to the finishing of a garment. It was really amazing for me to be able to see and learn the whole process.”
     Indeed, what the young designer learned during her ‘factory days’ became instrumental in developing and personalizing her own unique knitting techniques, which she employs to great visual effect. This is what distinguishes Uma Wang’s work from the pack. Her pieces have tremendous presence. A sense of whimsy underscores even the boldest, simplest silhouettes – and a keen eye for turning unlikely fabric combinations into textural landscapes that manage to communicate both strength and fragility in the same breath is where she excels. Working primarily in top-grade cashmere yarns and other such high-end materials sourced from various textile fairs around the world is another point of difference. All work is done in-house at the designer’s Xintiandi district atelier in Shanghai, where a single piece may take several days to complete.
     China has yet to shake its stereotype for poor quality/fast turnaround fashion, and Wang seems determined to change that. After last month’s win of Audi’s Progressive Designer Award for 2011, all bets are on Wang to become China’s first major fashion designer of international caliber. If the success of last year’s award recipient, Phillip Lim, offers up any clues, get ready to start hearing – and seeing – a lot more from this incredibly talented designer.