To Build A Legacy

Multi-hyphenate JACKSON WANG knows exactly who he is and he's not afraid to share that with the world

- FARISIA THANG

When Jackson Wang says he wants to make history, what he means is that he wants to go where no one else has gone before. The notion might be ambiguous, but the intention is clear-cut and straightforward. "Let's make history" was a phrase that the artiste co-opted when he founded his record label TEAM WANG, but it's now also become his motto, a guiding principle of sorts, as Wang continues to build a name (and legacy) for himself.

There are many conventional ideas about what it takes to achieve success but the 28-year-old has never been one to abide by tradition, or do things a certain way just because it's always been done so. He shares, "There's this saying in Chinese, 不听老人言,吃亏在眼前.” It's an idiom used as a warning - ignore your elders at your peril. It tells you to take note of those who have come before you, and that you'd do well to learn from them. "I understand it and I respect it, but I don't feel like that's the only way." Just as he doesn't follow traditions for the sake of doing as the crowd does, he also eschews following trends. "You just never know what's next. Rather than going for what's trendy, I want to stick to whatever I believe in." He goes on to add, "There's risk to it, of course. You might succeed or you might fail, but I stand by this philosophy."

"This philosophy" has gotten him far. Aside from a record label, he also has his own fashion brand - TEAM WANG design and he sits as designer and creative director. It was an endeavour that took three years to get off the ground - it just didn't feel ready for release until 2020. Wang explains, "I just wanted to be well prepared so I could give everyone the best that we have to offer."