Everyone who’s been in touch with mass culture during the 80s and 90s has undoubtedly seen a Herb Ritts photograph. Between the hundreds of magazine covers, music videos, TV commercials, fashion photographs, and celebrity portraits, his ubiquitous iconic images and commercials have been interwoven into our culture.

When you think of fashion, you think of Dior, Gucci, DKNY. You think of brands; you think of lights flashing . . . camera, action . . . What’s interesting to note, however, is that many of the people contributing the most to what you see out there on red carpets and runways are working behind the scenes and rarely seen or heard.

Julienne Johnson’s latest body of work, “Touch Me, Touch You,” that opened at TAG Gallery on July 17, 2011, revolves around the idea of Connection, as the central theme: her direct connection to the canvas as she paints with her hands; the connection of the works to her life story (past, present, and future); and our connection to each other as part of a multi-cultural, global community, in a world where casual interactions made possible by technology impart a false sense of connection.

I started Ghettogloss because I needed to have a studio for myself to work out of, but also because I wanted to put quality cutting edge art in movies, TV, and commercials. By cutting edge, I mean street art, graffiti, art that was pushing boundaries.

Since runway shows for men’s collections are so few and far between, the Madison Park Collective show was a welcomed departure from the usual. The collection, designed by a showroom owner Trey Alligood III, whose experience and direct contact with retail buyers undoubtedly gives the market what it needs, did not overwhelm.

For a mainstream casual line distributed in many of the major retailers, most of the XCVI knits, jersey separates, and accessories had just enough of that little detail that managed to push them across the line from basic & boring to interesting.

During Style Fashion Week LA, Alicia Estrada’s fall 2012 collection was one of vintage-inspired dresses. This line continues to channel vintage into easy, ready-to-wear pieces that would turn any tomboy surfer chick into a 40’s hourglass-curved vixen, without breaking a girl’s piggy-bank.

This Bosnian-born designer and FIDM graduate has definitely embraced the glitz and glamour of L.A., here in her new hometown. Ina Soltani is still loyal to leather, as seen by the body-conscious shift dresses, fitted pants, halter tops, and jackets in black, orange, white, and metallic leathers.

Octavio Carlin’s Fall/Winter 2012 runway show at Vibiana maintained his trademark feminine, classic vibe, but added enough “Hollywood” and quirky touches to keep it interesting.

Johnny Cota successfully delivered another installment of his own special brand of chic that artfully blends tailored leather with knits, stretch fabrics, fur, and softer, gauzy materials, for a “future is here and now” look that has become Skingraft’s trademark.  The mesh-like head-pieces and crisp tailoring brought to mind fencing gear, but only for a quick second, before we were transported into the futuristic rock-and-roll moto chic world of Skingraft.  Black was still the dominant color, in all its textures.  However, this collection was softened […]