Dressed in a rumpled plaid shirt, skinny black jeans and chunky biker boots, Alexander Wang looks more like a downtown Manhattan child than a successful designer doing interviews at Harvey Nichols in Hong Kong.
'I'm 23,' says the fresh-faced Wang. It's remarkable when you consider he's already a favourite of many fashion editors and celebrities.
Since launching his eponymous label for women in 2004, Wang's nonchalantly chic creations have graced the pages of magazines such as Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and Elle and have been worn by Hollywood stars such as Kirsten Dunst, Lindsay Lohan and the Olsen twins.
Despite his youth, he seems to have taken his new-found fame in his stride. His eyes light up when he talks about his love of fashion. He had an early start in the industry with a passion for fashion that began when he was growing up in San Francisco.
Often accompanying his mother while she shopped, Wang quickly realised the importance of cut, fit and fabric, elements that would later become integral to his designs. He credits his family for their support from the outset, in particular his sister-in-law Aimie, who entrusted Wang to design her wedding gown when he was just 15.
'My family gave me my first sewing machine when I was just a teenager and that's how I began making my first pieces of clothing,' he says. 'I did feel a lot of pressure designing her dress since it was for such an important occasion but I think she was very happy with how it came out.'