Runway Rundown – Fall 2006 Mercedes Benz Fashion Week
It’s impossible to make it to every show during LA Fashion Week at Smashbox. Regular attendees know that. And in “regular,” I don’t mean the celebrities that can saunter in VIP-status with seats held and fluffed down in the front row. As for regular, I mean industry folks like myself who depend on invitations and RSVP lists just as we depend on our audio recorders and lined notepads. With parking crises, valet lines, check-in waits, and schedule changes, etc., making it to every show with a decent view while noting the designer’s vision and execution is not always a cinch. But happily, I was able to sit down and soak up some of the most anticipated runway shows this season.
Designer Erik Hart of Morphine Generation created the beauty of punk rock mayhem through his own take of fashion through black hooded capes, skinny jeans, tattered vintage tees, red plaid capelets, and a show splattered with faded shades of grays and black. As frontman to post-punk, Goth group Suicide Club, Hart blurred the line between fashion and music in his first clothing line. And when it comes to rock on the runway, what was up with the solo guitarist opening the Antik Denim show? What started off as a cool onstage introduction turned into about 15 minutes of pure noise–and I wasn’t the only one who noticed it either. “Enough already!” and “Start the show!” sentiments yelled out from the crowd prior to the first model stomping ground. But the show turned out to be hot: sexy mini-skirts, fabulous signature stitching on the slouchy, extremely low pockets, tons of leather, fishnet, chains, and all other details that personified the underground movement of fashion, yet with a kid model thrown in here and there.
But there were definitely no tykes onstage at the burlesque-drivenAgent Provacateur lingerie show in the Main Tent. It was totally risqué with semi-nude models adorned with bows, garter belts, lace, and everything that’s most coveted behind closed doors. A-listers galore showed up, anticipating this season’s desirable designs: Courtney Love, Kimberly Stewart, Carmen Electra, and Christina Aguilera, just to name a few.
As for international inspirations, Sue Wong delivered an interesting production. With themed chapters by cities and countries, her ethnic designs and use of bold color were no doubt beautiful, but the snake-arm-Egyptian-like movements from the models didn’t turn over well in my book. A cute idea, but some of them were struggling with doing so and walking the runway at the same time, making it look just plain silly. But a few hours prior was the Alan Del Rosario show, an enlightening experience into the world of gypsies, flamenco fashion, and powerful women. With male models following the females down the catwalk and sensual styles in blacks, grays, whites, and reds, this Filipino designer is headed in a luxurious direction with the debut of his self-titled collection.
And as everyone has his/her favorite designers to flock to or look forward to discovering for the first time, LA Fashion Week is an awesome time to check out the scene. You can people watch, chit-chat in between shows while making new connections in the process, and breathe in a fresh season of trends, making me realize over and over again that the real show is the waiting room.
Written by Elana Pruitt
