Imperial China Stirs Jason Wu at New York Fashion Week

Designer Jason Wu brought the mystery of the Forbidden City to New York fashion week on Friday with a fall-winter collection inspired by his Chinese heritage and 1930s Hollywood glamor.

Born in Taiwan and raised in Canada and the United States, 29-year-old Wu famously designed the gown First Lady Michelle Obama wore to the January 2009 balls that accompanied the inauguration of her husband Barack Obama as president.


But his collection on day two of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week reflected a growing personal interest in his Chinese roots, with a touch of Marlene Dietrich in "Shanghai Express" thrown in for good measure.

He credited a voyage of discovery back to Asia with his father 18 months ago for stirring his imagination.

"I was born Chinese, but I had not been back in my country for so long," he told AFP backstage."My dad took me to see an exhibit on the Chinese Qing Dynasty warriors and I was so taken by the subject that I thought it was important for me to go back to my roots," he added.