Designer Sally Wu is the founder of Act 1, a contemporary women's collection of day and evening attire that blends uptown elegance with downtown cool. Born and raised in Shanghai, Wu was trained as a traditional calligrapher and painter during childhood.

Prior to launching Act 1 in New York, she held executive positions at New York fashion houses such as Karl Lagerfeld, Ralph Lauren, and Helmut Lang.

Actively involved in the contemporary art scene, Wu has curated exhibitions — such as H2O at the Beijing Center for Art in 2010 and Ai Want to Love at BoConcept in New York in 2009 — and worked on documentary films such as A Workshop for Peace.

Her interest in architectural design has influenced her approach to garment construction, while contemporary art and artists have inspired much of her work.