Los Angeles Fashion Week spring 2014: Stella Proseyn review
The Los Angeles Fashion Council’s two-day showcase of local emerging labels kicked off on Wednesday with a runway show by Stella Proseyn in the open park space of the Grove shopping center -- and under a tent -- thanks to a rare day of L.A. rain.
The inspiration: Launched in 2012 by former Orange County Register reporter and art gallery director Debbie Talanian, Stella Proseyn’s spring 2014 manifesto, as described in the show notes, reads: “This collection is about personal exploration. It’s about asking questions, then pushing forward without waiting for the answers, It’s about doubting everything but yourself.”
The look: A casual collection of women’s trousers, shorts and tops in a color palette of blue hues and a muted orange plaid, both alone and in mixed-fabrication pieces. Standouts included a plaid skirt notched at the sides to look like the hem of a short dress, and color-blocked clam-digger pants.
The first pair of long-leg/short-leg trousers to hit the catwalk seemed like a novel exercise in a playing-with-proportion kind of way, but similar pieces -- including a short/skort combination and a long-pant/black skirt split take only made one wonder all the more on what occasions such garments might practically be worn.
The scene: Just as many drizzle-dappled passersby watched and snapped photos from outside the tent as watched from the 61 seats inside. As far as exposure for designers and fashion-show cred for the Grove goes, the LAFC/Grove partnership seemed like a stroke of genius right out of the gate.
Verdict: An enthusiastic debut from a youthful label worth keeping in mind -- especially if you think you might be chosen to run in the three-legged race at next summer’s company picnic.
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New Men’s Fashion Week announces venue, dates
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Grove to host Los Angeles Fashion Council shows Oct. 9-10
