“The big question is, ‘What is China?’ ” No kidding. It feels like everyone in fashion is talking about China or opening stores in China or investing in China or trying to figure out what women in China want to wear. For Jason Wu, who was born in Taiwan but has spent most of his life living elsewhere, the question is a little more personal. Because although he’s an Asian-American designer, he’s yet to consciously reference the country in his collection. “I guess it’s just so obvious to me because I grew up with it,” he said a few days before his fall show. But when he returned to Taiwan recently, for the first time in five years, he started thinking about it in relation to his work. Or as he puts it, “How would a Chinese designer do Chinese?” The complete answer won’t be revealed until tomorrow, but here are Wu’s three starting points: Chinese military (so think rigid lines and army green), the Qing Dynasty (elaborate brocades and ornamentation), and movies like 1932’s Shanghai Express, which Wu acknowledges wasn’t very Chinese at all, but he’s interested in how the culture was reflected (or refracted) through Hollywood’s lens.”

Preview of Jason Wu F/W 12.13 in New York via vogue.