Wang(is)over: Alexander Wang, Your Party is Over

What Sexual Assault Accusations towards Alexander Wang Reveal about the Fashion Industry

by Jessica Shuran Yu

graphic by sydney ling

At its best, a model is a muse, a blank canvas for artistic expression, a vehicle for designs to come to life. At its worst, a model’s body is a vulnerable corpse, something to be taken advantage of, something to be abused. But the choice isn’t theirs. The ugly truth about an industry built on the fragile utterance of beauty, is that in order to become and stay successful as a model, your body is no longer yours. Neither is your voice.

The good news: often with something as monstrous as abuse, all it takes is a single voice to empower hundreds of silenced victims. One brave individual to take the first step and in doing so, reassuring victims that their pain is valid.

The bad news: as revealed by the cascade of voices, abuse isn’t a stroke of bad luck, but a systemic problem.

Earlier in December of 2020, male model Owen Mooney came forward on social media, accusing designer Alexander Wang of sexual assault. In a TikTok video, Mooney described an incident which unfolded back in 2017, when he was at a crowded New York City nightclub. He said, “This guy next to me obviously took advantage of the fact that no one could fucking move,” and that the man (Wang) “started touching me up, like, fully up my leg, in my crotch.” Mooney goes on to say that when he turned his head, he realized his assaulter was a famous fashion designer.

In the original video, Mooney did not reveal the designer’s name. But when one of his followers accurately guessed, Mooney made a follow-up video. In it, he explains that since releasing the initial video, he concluded that Alexander Wang is “a massive sexual predator”, and that “there’s been a load of people that he’s done this to. So, in that case, he needs to be exposed.”

original video linked

follow-up video linked

On December 28, the Instagram account Shit Model Management(@shitmodelmgmt), which has long been posting memes and known for “exposing the truth” about the model industry according to their bio, posted a thread of anonymous allegations similar to Mooney’s. 

One allegation claimed that Alexander Wang forced drinks onto a model at a party and “the next thing he remembers is being in a room with Alexander Wang and he had taken off his pants.” The designer then tried to force the model to perform oral sex on him despite the model repeatedly telling Wang that he was straight. 

Multiple anonymous individuals also claimed that Wang gave them water laced with MDMA, which they were not aware of. In one of these incidents, the victim was dragged into a taxi. They said, “I can’t remember anything else from the night but remember waking up in his bed being so confused and he had taken my pants off and had his head down there.” 

Another allegation was brief, claiming that Wang had raped a friend of theirs. 

link to original post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CJXEfCDlQzm/

Later, Instagram fashion watchdogs Diet Prada(@dietprada) shared a collective post with a number of posts, including Mooney’s and Shit Model Management’s, and now has an Instagram Story highlight, “Wangover,” with screenshots of numerous accusations towards Wang.

It may be getting media attention now, but accusations against the designer are nothing new. Back in 2019, artist Azealia Banks shared anonymous confessions that had been sent to her on Instagram. These stories aligned with one another, from Alexander Wang pressuring drinks onto victims, drugging them with molly water, or making forceful and unwanted sexual advances onto them. Not only were male models assaulted, but the designer had a record of  attacking several trans women by groping them or exposing their genitals without consent.

Following days of hiding from the press and refusing to respond to these bold claims, Alexander Wang finally put out a statement on December 31st. In a written statement for The New York Times, the designer said, “Over the last few days, I have been on the receiving end of baseless and grotesquely false accusations. These claims have been wrongfully amplified by social media accounts infamous for posting defamatory material from undisclosed and/or anonymous sources with zero evidence or any fact-checking whatsoever.” 

The Instagram account, Model Alliance(@modelallianceny), which labels itself as a  “research, policy & advocacy” organization for those “working in the fashion industry,” addressed these allegations in a statement they posted standing in solidarity with Wang’s accusers. The post read, “Let’s be clear: The fashion industry’s lack of transparency and accountability leaves all models vulnerable to abuse, regardless of their sex or gender identity.” 

Anyone with even surface knowledge of the fashion industry is aware of the long history of mistreatment models are subjected to. Exploiting minors, encouraging eating disorders, promoting Eurocentric beauty standards, failing to provide adequate changing rooms, forcing insane weather conditions onto models’ bodies… and, of course, sexual assault. The list goes on, and there are countless allegations of sexual assault, whether from male, female, or gender nonconforming models.

Part of this pattern lies in the reality that models are seen simply as disposable mannequins. They are recognized for what is on the outside, not merely as much as what is on the inside. Designers, stylists, agents, and every other member of the industry, all of whom have more power than models, often glaze over the fact that they are still working with humans, not dolls. Models are never paid to think, speak, nor advocate for anything. They stand to be visually appealing and walk to sell the clothes pinned to their bodies.

The rapid growth of the age of social media and Instagram influencers have alleviated some issues and enabled models to regain their voices through their platforms. More and more, they are expected to show their lives and share their personalities through posts. But it was not long ago that these very models had almost nothing to promote themselves. Today, even with large scale platforms like Instagram and TikTok, they are typically only followed for their physical traits, and nothing else. But just because they are not paid to think does not mean they do not think.

Beneath their glowing skin and hourglass bodies are human beings with dreams, opinions, and most importantly, the right to own their body. 

The pressure of the industry also forces models into overcompliance to their authorities. When harassed by photographers, agents, or designers, most choose to ignore the violence and remain silent for the sake of keeping their already unstable career. This explains why so many of the allegations against Alexander Wang remain anonymous. Many fear that if their name were attached to such allegations, they would never be able to book a job again. 

Abusers are predominantly those in power. Power is what prompts the abuse. And those in power always have others in power protecting them. 

Models are much more vulnerable. Even when they do have the courage to come forward, they have to face belittlement. They have to face being accused of lying. They have to face gaslighting and victim-blaming, often by their own agencies. 

How many Me Too movements do we need to have before enough is enough? Apparently, too many. The fashion industry must re-evaluate and mend its systemic culture of abuse. They must understand that when someone publicly speaks out about a traumatic experience on social media, it is not for attention. It is never for attention. Accusations arise when individuals have been pushed to their limits; they surface when silence will no longer suffice. 

News like this breaks out when victims finally choose to share their story, rather than keeping it buried. What you are reading from these models are once suppressed memories ignited with anger, pain, and trauma. Unfortunately, the normalization of abuse is much stronger than just a few voices. Silence will only further this normalization. So, a few voices is a start. However, it is up to those in power to stop protecting abusers and start holding them accountable.

Alexander Wang, your time is up.