Wisconsin designer Yvonne Luong
With designs featured in Elle magazine and at New York Fashion Week, 22-year-old Wisconsin native Yvonne Luong is making waves in the fashion world.
At 22 years old, most of us were trying to existentially “find ourselves,” anxiously working to carve our own path in this chaotic world. A select few, like designer Wisconsin native Yvonne Luong, already seem to have figured it out. At 22, Yvonne has created successful collections, shown twice at this year’s New York Fashion Week, and is featured in the October issue of Elle magazine.
Even with all these accomplishments, Yvonne has just skimmed the surface of her career and talents. Although Yvonne has accomplished so much (more than some do in a lifetime), she continues to strive to learn, create and add beauty to the world through her designs. As a recent graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City, Yvonne has found success in creating detailed and elegant
evening wear for the modern woman. We wanted to learn more about Yvonne’s journey, her inspirations, and what she is looking forward to in the future as a designer.
She first knew that she wanted to become a designer far before she began at FIT. She first thought about fashion design as a possible career while in 6th grade, she said. Although she had a passion for fashion design, her mother worried that a career in the arts was too unpredictable as a lifestyle for her daughter. After watching Project Runway with her mother in high school, they both began to see fashion as a viable career option. Yvonne applied to FIT (which she knew as having a reputation for producing successful designers), and moved to New York City to start her career.
While in New York City, she learned more about the world of fashion through her college classes and various internships. Last summer, Yvonne interned at Marchesa, a high-end European fashion label where she learned much about the industry and construction. Her exceptional hand-dyeing skills (which have become a staple in her recent collections) began to be honed while working with Marchesa’s assistant designers. The experience reinvigorated her love for eveningwear and keen eye for details, which is made clear in her impeccable designs and latest collections.
During her senior year at FIT, Yvonne was selected as a finalist in the Elle’s Next Fashion competition. Along with 19 other budding designers, Yvonne was chosen to create original 
looks to be shown at New York Fashion Week, and voted on by Elle readers. From the competition, Yvonne crafted an exquisite and ethereal collection, focused on hand-dyed and immaculately sewn pastel gowns. Yvonne’s pieces manage to be unexpected while playing on more classic silhouettes. Her gowns are reminiscent of old Hollywood glamour, with more architectural lines and forms. It’s no wonder that Yvonne found inspiration for the collection from New York City buildings. Her collection for Elle centered on finding creative ways to mimic the architecture of the city without using hard fabrics. The experience opened up many doors for Yvonne – besides showing at New York Fashion Week this year, one of her gorgeous gowns is also shown in the October issue of Elle magazine (a huge accomplishment for any designer).
Although Yvonne has only just graduated from college, she is already looking to the future of her design journey. Yvonne hopes to continue studying fashion design by attending graduate school in the coming year at Central Saint Martins in England. She’s excited at the prospect of 
learning in Europe, and hopes the experience would introduce her to new interpretation and methods of fashion design. Whatever she chooses to do, it’s clear that she is going to be a trailblazer, creating incredible pieces that any women would love to wear.
Keep an eye out for this young designer; you’re bound to see her making big waves in the fashion world soon.
For more information and photos of Yvonne’s work, visit her website.
