Wing Yau is a New York-based designer born in the Pacific Northwest. Hailing from a background in sculpture at Rhode Island School of Design, she assisted NYC artists and galleries before falling into design. After making a series of necklaces based on textile sculptures, Yau developed WWAKE in 2012 with the intention of merging art with the intimacy of jewelry.

In 2013, she launched her first fine jewelry collection, for which the brand is known for today.