A graduate of Barnard College, a women's college in New York, Chang animatedly pointed out that many of the spies hailed from Barnard, which added to her interest in exploring a contemporary version of "secret spy" wear for the cool, independent jet-setting woman that Chang sees as her customer.
"They were worldly, they knew different languages, they were independent and they had travelled," said Chang about why so many Barnard students were recruited during the war.
In some pieces, Chang's collection incorporates technology developed by the military, such as a linen jacket lined with a silver anti-microbial fabric. In the army, Chang said, socks are made out of the same silver thread, making them odor-free.
"Silver acts like a bandage," said Chang, explaining how silver in army clothing can prevent potential wounds from getting infected. "And metal has cooling properties." Making it an ideal fabric for a spring collection, in other words. Other fabrics in the collection have incredible wicking properties, making sweat virtually non-existent.