Carole Wang, Down to the Buttons and Fibers

Designer Carole Wang flew in from New York City last week to meet some of her fans at a cocktail party held at At-Ease Women’s and Home Store in Fashion Island Newport Beach.

Dressed up and down in vivid red, Wang epitomized today’s fire-hot look by blending elegant Chinese fabrics with a modern silhouette. She wore a short jacket of imported Chinese silk over a form-fitting knit dress. Both were accented with gold.

Wang, 39, came to the United States from China 14 years ago with $75 in her pocket. The women’s wear line that bears her name will reach sales of close to $5 million this year by offering a classic line of fitted tunic dresses, skirts, vests, leggings and jacket-length sweaters.

Wovens are her signature material; she makes her own yarns to customize the texture. Her spring collection offers lightweight, high-quality chenille in mostly black and cream ($150 to $600). She pays special attention to buttons. Her sweaters with leopard- and zebra-print collars sport buttons displaying a matching animal face with rhinestone eyes.

Wang’s impression of the county? “I love it. Orange County is very tasteful. Everyone should be so lucky to live in such a high-class area.”

The event at At-Ease, the only Southern California boutique to carry Wang’s entire collection, benefited the Orange County division of the Children’s Bureau Foundation and its upcoming fund-raiser, the Mighty Rubber Ducky Derby, where thousands of rubber ducks will be released into Wild Rivers in Irvine. The foundation, founded in Anaheim in 1993, aids abused and neglected children.