Revelers Compile Data at the Lab

Like it or not, Orange County is not the conservative enclave it pretends to be. The proof was on parade Saturday when the Lab, the celebrated Costa Mesa anti-mall, reveled in its first year anniversary.

Several hundred colorful folks hung out in the courtyard, crashed on the eclectic furniture or leaned on the rusted concrete walls. Also participating were 20ish and 30ish owners and designers of businesses that cater to this exploding alternative market.

They all mingled against a backdrop of music from the Neptunas, Super Nova, Throw Rag and Sugar Ray. One boy, nearly 3, was decked out in a knit cap, a flannel shirt that was tied at the waist and a tiny biker jacket with the words “Bad to the Bone” scrawled on the back.

A fashion show (which started 45 minutes late) by Axcess Magazine presented goods from Lab shops that at times competed with clothing displayed off the runway. Surfers found comfort in the Department of Water & Power, and the casual beach aesthetic continued with natural wear from CP Shades.

NaNa, Urban Outfitters and the newest Lab addition, Chemistry, provided the edge with gear for skaters, riot grrls, glam queens and guys with a flair for ‘40s gangster ease. Chemistry dished out the theater like an atomic bomb with its wildly made-up models in all sorts of plastic and Lycra club gear. With their toy ray guns and tall silver platforms, they looked plucked out of a B-movie--and that’s the point.