text: Famed and acclaimed Taiwanese American designer, Jason Wu, is showcasing his new extravagant Fall 2013 Collection! For the first time ever, he will be presenting in the Bay Area.
  Date: Thursday, March 21, 2013
  Location: San Francisco City Hall
  Address: 1 Dr. Carlton B Goodlett, San Francisco, CA
  Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/198733836939701/
  The magnificent San Francisco City Hall, a national historic landmark, will be the dramatic backdrop for a runway show highlighting Jason Wu’s Fall 2013 Collection.
  Born in Taipei, Jason Wu has emerged as one of the leading global talents in the fashion world. The 30 year-old designer’s unique and distinctive esthetic blends American sportswear with old world sophistication and couture quality craftsmanship. His exquisitely feminine and modern gowns and dresses have captured the enthusiastic support of some of the leading women in the nation.
  The exclusive evening begins at 6:00 p.m. with an elegant champagne reception in the Rotunda. Guests will then enjoy the runway show in the North Light Court, followed by cocktails and a festive buffet supper created by McCalls Catering and Events in the Rotunda, and dancing in the South Light Court. Mr. Wu will also host a special VIP reception on the Mayor’s Balcony for patrons purchasing tickets at the Grand Benefactor and Benefactor levels.
  Proceeds from the event benefit San Francisco Opera Guild’s award-winning music education programs, which have served children in Bay Area schools for 70 years. Annually, more than 50,000 students in over 200 schools throughout Northern California receive the benefits of arts education as only opera can deliver them.
  Tickets for The Art of Fashion: Jason Wu include the champagne reception, runway show seating, cocktails/buffet supper and dancing:
  $375 (1 ticket)
  $575 (1 ticket)
  $1,500 (includes 2 tickets with preferred fashion show seating)
  $2,500/Benefactor Level (includes 2 tickets with premium front row fashion show seating (limited availability) and special invitation to exclusive VIP reception with Jason Wu)
  $5,000/Grand Benefactor Level (includes 2 tickets with premier center front row fashion show seating (limited availability) and special invitation to exclusive VIP reception with Jason Wu)
  To purchase tickets and for more information, visit https://sfopera.ejoinme.org/JasonWu or phone (415) 565-3204.
  Donations are also being accepted to benefit the San Francisco Opera Guild’s award-winning music education programs.
  About Jason Wu
  Jason Wu debuted his first Ready-to-Wear Collection in 2006 with a unique and distinctive esthetic. Through merging American sportswear with old world sophistication he established a supremely feminine and modern sensibility. With the focus on couture quality craftsmanship, over 85% of the Jason Wu Collection is manufactured in New York City’s Garment District. He is influenced by many sources including the classic photography of Richard Avedon, the works of Charles James and Jacques Fath. He also finds inspiration on his travels to Asia, Europe and Latin America as well as an eclectic array of artists including Beatriz Milhazes, Rene Gruau and Barnett Newman.
  Wu’s family moved to Vancouver when he was nine, where he began learning how to sew, draft patterns, and sketch in fashion proportions by using dolls as mannequins. At the age of 14, he studied sculpture in Tokyo and then spent his senior year of high school in Paris, where he decided to become a fashion designer. Wu then moved to New York City and enrolled in the prestigious Parsons School of Design.
  Although only 30, the precocious designer has already achieved many of his aspirations. He has emerged as one of the leading global talents based in NYC but continues to evolve and grow as a designer. Wu continues to receive accolades including being named one of the finalists in the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund in July 2008. In June 2010 he won the Swarovski Award for Womenswear at the CFDA Fashion Awards and in April 2011 he was nominated for the CFDA/Swarovski Award for Accessory Design. In 2012 he launched the Jason Wu for Target limited-edition collection of women’s ready-to-wear and accessories, and in January 2013 launched his contemporary label Miss Wu.
  Visit Jason Wu’s website for more of his collections: http://www.jasonwustudio.com/