Designer says doll play inspired Obama gown

Last updated 3-12-09 at 2:20 p.m.

HONG KONG (AP) — Fashion designer Jason Wu says his inspiration for the inauguration ball gown he designed for Michelle Obama grew out of his lifelong fascination with dolls.

In an interview with the South China Morning Post’s March 8 magazine, the Taiwan native said the design of the floor-length crystal-encrusted silk gown came from a tendency “to design clothes that have more to them than meets the eye.”

The 26-year-old said he garnered his skills in detailed embroidery work when “designing for dolls, where everything is so small.”

Wu, who set up his fashion label from the money he earned selling dolls, said he still makes them.
He said he has “always loved everything in miniature. It’s the attention to detail. It’s about creating a fantasy.”(end)

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