• Alexander Wang wears all-black outfits everywhere – work, meetings, the gym, even on the red carpet.
• Black has been a cornerstone of his brand and personal style.
• He tells us why the colour is so versatile and how to put together an all-black outfit using textures, proportions, and accessories.
• Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian, and Kylie Jenner have all worn Alexander Wang, making him one of the most iconic fashion designers of this generation.
• Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

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Following is a transcript of the video.

Alexander Wang: I don’t think there is any occasion that all black isn’t appropriate for. Like, if there is, I don’t go to it.

Narrator: Today we’re talking to Alexander Wang about styling all-black outfits. We’ll be talking about the textures, proportions, and accessories that keep all-black fits interesting. Black has been a cornerstone of Alexander Wang’s brand and personal style. So, Alex, why the black?

Wang: In my personal style, I’d say that it’s just, it’s easy, it’s versatile. Whether I’m going to work or I’m going to the gym or I’m going out right after work, or, you know, I’m going to another kind of meeting, I think a black T-shirt and a black pair of jeans kind of really, essentially, you can kind of win in any situation with that. Most situations. I think in work as well, it just creates this attitude, immediate attitude, you know, when I look at something in black, and I think it’s also kind of like a blank slate. When I do use colour or print, things like that, there has to be a really strong purpose and reason and story why I’m using fuchsia or turquoise. We’re not a colourful brand. With black, it’s kind of like the canvas. It’s just, you know, it’s kind of what really wraps up the entire kind of emotionality around what our brand stands for. I think the best way to wear all black is to really mix up your textures and your proportions.

Narrator: So what are textures, and how do you pair them?

Wang: Texture. I mean, I’m wearing black jersey and black denim and charcoal socks right now. Today I did decide to wear leopard pony-hair shoes. Usually I’m wearing kind of, like, black sneakers or things like that. It’s not that I always feel like there has to be an injection of something of a print or something humorous, or, you know, unexpected in that kind of outside of black, but I do think it really is about how you wear it. I think a good pair of black jeans, you know, are really important and kind of a great, kind of universal piece to have.

Narrator: And the proportions, how about those?

Wang: I mean, obviously it applies differently for each person. I think it’s really about knowing your body type and kind of how to wear certain kinds of archetypes or materials that kind of exemplify your attitude and your sensibility. I tend to wear things a little bit looser, a little bit more oversized, ’cause I do like things that feel a little bit more offbeat, a little bit more casual, in every situation. So even my blazers are a bit more unstructured, you know, my pants are a little bit looser, the crotch is a little bit more dropped. I think it really depends who the person is. Sometimes black can feel very strict, very buttoned-up, you know, whether you’re wearing a tight black turtleneck and kind of leggings, and things like that, which is also something that we’ve done in the brand, but kind of how you layer it up and, you know, throwing kind of a big sweater or a big kind of, you know, cardigan or a jacket over it really kind of changes that attitude immediately. I never like to dictate, because I just don’t think there’s any rules anymore. You know, there really aren’t. You know, I might say that right now and somebody might come in in a skin-tight black outfit, and I’d be like, “Oh, [bleep], she looks great.”

Narrator: So how do you accessorize?

Wang: I’m really into gold. I was a very, a silver person. Now I’m very into gold as I get older. So maybe that’s it. Evolution of myself. Honestly, there’s never been an occasion where I felt like, oh my gosh, you know, like, is all black too much? I didn’t follow the instructions today, by the way. They told me specifically not to wear black, and of course just by default I threw on black and came here, and someone on my team reminded me that I didn’t listen.

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