Oscar Wang has made a name for himself in the fashion space since coming onto the scene in 2018. The 30-year-old interdisciplinary artist is the founder of Open Work Studio, a space that connects creatives around the world by transforming ideas and thoughts into concepts through digital products and processes.
While some may know of him as the son of acclaimed actress and director Sylvia Chang, Wang is most recognised for his works with Fendi and Stella McCartney. He created the Fendidi family, a quartet of pandas for Fendi, in 2019, and Stella Friends, a cartoon series of endangered animal species, in 2021.
Describes Wang of his studio: “OpenWork Studio is a physical manifestation of my thought process.” While the phrase ‘open work’ is an architectural term about looking within empty spaces, to Wang it is a form of looking at the world thoroughly from a deeper perspective.
Down Memory Lane
In December 2018, Fendi and Wang first came together to work on a project for the 10-year anniversary of the house’s iconic Peekaboo bag, showcased later that month at global design fair Design Miami.
When asked about his experience in the world of fashion since then and what sparked his interest, Wang replies: “I’ve always been a big fashion lover. The fascination for me lies in how they create an immersive experience, where different objects and uniforms come together to craft a status symbol or a character.”
When conceptualising a new digital project and character, Wang begins with envisioning how the end product will look and the feelings it would invoke for consumers when they see or purchase it. “Then we work backwards to build the wire frame and construct the figure,” he adds.
Looking to the future
While little can be shared about his current project with Fendi, what’s known for now is that it is a holiday campaign set to launch towards the end of November. The campaign will see an array of emoticons and stickers on WeChat, Line and Kakao, along with a video game. An exclusive Fendidi holiday animation will be available to customers, too. Wang mentions his excitement for the latest collaboration, and has his eyes set on bringing the Fendidi family to further heights. He explains that it will provide consumers with a more interactive experience with the luxury brand, and that “it will really change the way luxury fashion houses communicate with their younger customer base”.
Wang states that it is important that more brands look toward collaborating with young local creatives as they are able to create a more innovative dialogue beyond basic marketing and advertising tactics. This would also provide opportunities for local art and fashion scenes to grow. For his next project, Wang plans to link it to his Asian roots. “I’m looking to release a series of collectibles with a leading international artist, which continues this conversation between how we can create at the intersection of eastern and western cultures.”
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