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| Special Features >Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios in LA |
The Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios in Los Angeles is a wonderful venue for emerging designers to debut their collections (with a few exceptions, such as well established Custo Barcelona) twice a year. RAMI KASHOU When French-Canadian diva Morganne Picard entered the runway, we were in awe as she sang and performed with her sultry voice and exquisite '50’s style. Her magnificent opening set the tone for Kashou’s sumptuous “Smells Like Summer” spring 2005 collection full of rich textures, bright colors and feminine body-hugging evening gowns. Shades of mango, lime and raspberry looked divine on surprising “polished cotton that resembled leather.” Floral prints and intricate ruffled blouses added enchantment to a “summer day.” In addition, Rami introduced us to the “Lounge Suit,” a glamorous and sensuous swimsuit perfect for lounging by the pool with a cool summer cocktail. This was the only show that brought tears to my eyes, as a supreme creative force was evident in each of his designs. Rami Kashou’s collection was unrivaled at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week and the only one to merit the term “Haute Couture.” Seemingly effortless, he has demonstrated that he has the talent, drive and personal charm to reach the top and to be counted among the top designers of the world. SAJA This collection is all about the glamour it exudes. Designer, Yoo Lee, was inspired by the elegance of the 1920’s and '30’s fashion –“a time when women were elegant and mysterious.” Giving a nod to the well-renowned dressmaker, Madeleine Vionnet, Saja’s line is filled with quality even in the smallest, most minute detail, including French seams, silk lining, natural fabrics, hand embroidery and beading. “For Spring/Summer 2005, I was envisioning the “American Girl” traveling through Paris and Italy sometime in the late ’50 and early ‘60’s,” says Yoo Lee. “Carefree and light-hearted, she is a bohemian in spirit, ready to experience the treasures of Europe by herself. Her taste is eclectic, feminine and whimsical all her own. She’s never outlandish in her style, but she has specific touch that makes her look original.” “Whether she’s wandering through the canals of Venice, admiring the vistas along the Amalfi coast or strolling along the Sienne, she is traveling light but nevertheless like a “lady”, wearing her favorite open-toe-sandals, fitted cardigan sweaters, sun-dresses, delicate beaded tops and scarves. She has an effortless way of dressing that never looks contrived, with upswept hair and sun-kissed face, a truly “classic” beauty. She’s turning heads on the streets of Paris all the way to Rome.” COCO KLIKS From the time you entered the venue, you knew this designer and her collection was special. Guests were treated to pink cotton candy, a playful theme mixed with ‘50’s music, with a touch of your favorite ‘80’s rock band, The Scorpions' song, "Still Loving You" highlighted in the background. KEVAN HALL Kevan Hall knows glamour and elegance all too well; being the creative director for Halston one would learn a few things. The Detroit natives’ spring collection oozed old Hollywood glamour with colors that will make you banish your basic black dresses forever. From his striped taffeta shirtdress, mango plunge dress and yellow chiffon draped gown – one of his designs would make you stand out at your next evening gala celebration. His relaxed couture mentality lets day and evening glamour mix – melding simple elegance with a modern couture feel. ENYCE and LADY ENYCE For the third season at Mercedes-Benz LA Fashion Week, Encye/Lady Enyce was getting us ready for resort season! The runway has been recreated to look like the interior of an airplane. Models featured street-style takes on resort looks. Co-Founder Tony Shellman says that the inspiration came from the various travels of the ENYCE design team. “The Enyce customer has always been attuned to what’s happening on the streets, but our customer is also interested in what’s happening in the world,” Shellman says. “We wanted to reflect the fun and insight that we had gleaned through our experiences as travelers.” ELLA MOSS Ella Moss – the line: It’s hip, quirky and best known for those bright colored hues, simple shapes, soft wearable cottons and tonal stripes. The spring ’05 collection is based on the idea of fluidity and movement – a “flight of fancy,” notes Pamella Protzel. “It is the way things move in the afternoon breeze. It is about forgetting your cares. It is bohemian with a '70’s feel and chic with a bit of an edge. It is about running in the grass with your shoes off and then slipping on a pair of heels…or not…for cocktails.” “This season,” explains designer Pamella Protzel, “Ella has grown up. She is this wonderful, eclectic character who isn’t afraid to be bold and daring with just a bit of naiveté. Stripes have been a big part of the previous collections and this season I have recreated them and I have added beautiful knit jersey modal prints and a lot of playful crisp rayon color blocked pieces. Ella has been more of a daywear line and this season, I wanted to create pieces for the day that can easily be worn into the evening as well.” In her Spring 2005 show models trotted to high-energy music and all wore strappy Grecian sandals. In addition to her signature striped pieces, Pamella introduced some more sober color gowns in this show. These were fun contrasts of pastels and black, turquoise and browns and bright pinks and creams. Other highlights were her dreamy baby doll tops paired with hot pants as well as her wrap '70’s inspired paisley dresses and hippie-chic suede vests. This was a very wearable collection for the free spirited girl and it is certain to continue to succeed in the US market. BAT’S DAUGHTER “I absolutely love “old Hollywood” with the ideas of glamour, class and sophistication. Since I live in LA, I have taken my inspiration from the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Grace Kelly, Rita Hayworth and Veronica Lake,” says Angela Batinovich of her spring ’05 collection. It couldn’t be truer. Models strutted down the catwalk, and as they turned, their tee’s read “movie star” and “legend,” with a definite inspiration from old Hollywood. And, that wasn’t the only way the glamour of the Monroe’s, Kelly’s and Hayworth’s “in all of us” were channeled. Flowing skirts, frocks in shiny fabrics and classic, yet modern silhouettes took over the runway. HEIKE JARICK “In this collection “savage gypsies in the urban lagoon,” I was inspired by Victorian tailoring elements, which I combined with my signature ethereal bias and asymmetric cuts in fluid chiffons, washed satins and silk jerseys.. The multi colored African inspired cotton tapestries are sharply cut in the new Bolero jacket and the shredded flower embroidered in silk chiffons soften the edge in juxtaposition. These girls are wild, eclectic and full of surprises. I believe in a very vibrant color palette,” lagoon” being the predominant color interlaced with shades of roses, vibrant green, lime and orchid but I also feel for a strong neutral base of white, bamboo and celadon gray," says Heike Jarick. ARTHUR MENDONÇA Arthur Mendonça knows the meaning of “savoir faire” with his relaxed, yet sophisticated collection inspired by summer vacations in the Greek Isles. Toronto bred Arthur was born to Portuguese parents and was particularly influenced by his artist mother who encouraged him to take drawing classes. Gifted with European and Latin flair, his pieces were all about sensuous v-neck lines, see through airy fabrics and multi-layer flirtatious skirts. Triple belted suits, A-line skirts and '80’s reminiscent baggie pants were another common theme in his collection. His is the perfect look for the sexy as well as assertive and sophisticated woman. This is a designer with taste and artistic vision and is a pleasure to watch. PETRO ZILLIA In keeping up with her whimsical style, Noni Tochterman showed us a delightful spring collection. Think of fairy tales and Candytown. Her childlike mind opened up a world of peppermint stick stripes, dreamy floaty skirts and adorable bow details. Only Petro Zillia could make a grown-up woman look flirtatious and innocent at the same time as she masterfully combined bare mid-drift tops with ruffled skirts, vertical and parallel lines and multicolor striped gowns with shinning butterflies. Noni continues to amaze us with this brilliant free spirit collection and keeps us yearning for more. ASHLEY PAIGE In honor of her grandmother who raised her with “country music, biscuits and gravy,” Ashley gave us a fun and glamorous show. Her invitation’s heading, “The bikini show from the redneck Riviera,” set the tone for her spring 2005 collection. The models walked to country music while wearing cowboy boots and sexy knitted swimsuits in pastels, knee-high socks with swanky cowboy boots. She also showed us some minis and summer dresses that can easily complement her swimwear. However, the true stars of the show were our four legged friends who flattered the runway towards the end of the show. Ashley Paige, who is an animal lover, has been active in rescuing dogs and seized this opportunity to find them a new home. Kudos to her noble labor and her charming swimsuit collection. FRANKIE B. BY DANIELLA CLARKE Frankie B. was one of the few shows to receive a standing ovation at Smashbox Studios. “A bohemian honeymoon with an edge” was her inspiration and the audience grew quickly enamored with her sexy '70’s inspired collection. She showed us more of her trademark faded low-rise jeans as well as dungarees, denims with rhinestones appliqués and metallic floral print trousers which were quite a hit. Other highlights were the hippie-chic blouses, the paisley halter-tops and the fitted belted jackets paired with psychedelic print skirts. “A bohemian honeymoon with an edge”, Daniella Clarke coyly admits was the inspiration for the spring/summer 2005 collection. Clarke, best known for starting the “low-rise” hip hugging jean revolution proves herself and the Frankie B. collection to be the ultimate lifestyle brand. The crowd responded with gasps and applause at the sight of chiffon tunics with feminine flounces, silk beaded palazzo pants, higher rise jeans and innovative pocket stitching. Crowing moments included the launch of the swimwear collection and men’s collection. The audience went berserk when John Lennon’s “Love is real” played in the background, and to show their praise for the choice of music and fashion, they used their cell phones as lighters and followed with loud applause. In light of the overall theme of piece and love, all guests received a cool denim-shearling messenger bag by Frankie-B. and freebies from Shopping.com. Although each guest was given a gift bag, it certainly did not stop them for fighting for another… After the show, 200 taste-makers, celebrities and editors were invited to a private party where they rocked out as Clarke’s husband, Gilby Clarke (formerly of Guns N’ Roses) and rock n’ roll buddies, like Clem Burke of Blondie, jammed into the wee hours. Guests included : Macy Gray, Eliza Dushku, Samaire Armstrong, Jillian Barberie, Lisa Rinna, Jose Canseco, Carter Oosterhouse, Billy Morrison, Dave ‘Snake’ Sabo, Sean Stewart, Renee Olstead, Apollonia, Archbishop Don ‘Magic’ Juan, Lesa Amoore and Susan Holmes. JENNI KAYNE This young designer showed great promise with a brilliant spring 2005 collection inspired by the timeless film “The Great Gatsby.” The use of metallic details with solid white and orange fabrics was stunning and unprecedented and elegant clean lines were the order in all her pieces. Other impressive designs were her chiffon baby doll tops paired with pencil skirts, baggie shirts with loose cotton pants and military striped buttoned up jackets. Hers is a sophisticated style that is also trendy with a girlish touch. This collection is very “Pret-a-porter” and I foresee that it will do well in the Los Angeles as well as the international markets. ROJAS Inspired by the crystalline brilliance of quartz, Rojas will bring to life a kaleidoscope of colors and textures bursting with vibrancy. Rojas lends a new-age approach to an ethereal world of style without boundaries. Combining lavish silks dripping in ombre, crisp denim and marbleized cotton rib, Rojas introduces an array of diverse fabrics, all shining in whimsical colors of silver, aqua, lavender and deep purple. “Deconstructed polos and pleats are perfect for a space age prepster”, says Freddie Rojas, while other pieces wear with ease and fluidity. More runway shots from Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios ... More designer bio's from Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios... Designer Interviews with Factio Magazine |
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