A lot of polish on L.A.’s runway
In the city that invented rear-end cleavage, there was nary a crack in the runways as Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week opened Wednesday at Smashbox Studios. So far, most of the collections have been polished, professional and covered up, with an emphasis on workmanship that hasn’t always been present here in the capital of jeans and sweats. Several designers seem to have gotten the same memo for fall: Menswear styling for women is in, along with the requisite high-waisted and pleated pants, pinstripes, houndstooth checks and tweeds.
There are a few notable designer names missing from the 32 scheduled shows at the Culver City studio that continue through Sunday (Rami Kashou is busy with his newly opened studio and Corey Lynn Calter recently had her first child, Sadie Jane). But there are comebacks too. Magda Berliner, Michelle Mason and Grey Ant’s Grant Krajecki will return to the runway after skipping several seasons.
Petro Zillia’s Nony Tochterman knows the secret to a successful show is making it an event. So this season she teamed with Paula Abdul, who choreographed an opening number for five dancers in gold Lurex that was straight out of one of her 1980s music videos. Pop singers Jewla and RAW, who were recently signed by record label Three Kings, delivered the beat, performing under a whirring disco ball. And the result was a rocking good time.
Tochterman proved why she is a leader here with a collection that was sophisticated and sexy enough to fit into fashion’s current mood but also true to her signature craftsy, thrift-store aesthetic.
Inspired by the 1970s and 1980s Euro club scene and scenesters Bianca Jagger and Lauren Hutton (with a dash of today’s style icon Gwen Stefani, no doubt), the clothes played off the notion of hard and soft. There were plenty of Tochterman’s zany crochets and knits, but the news was the new menswear-inspired silhouette -- fabulous full-pleated herringbone trousers worn with silk animal-print blouses left unbuttoned to reveal ropes of Run-DMC chunky gold-chain necklaces.
She opened with a gray plaid jacket with lapels rounded like Mickey Mouse ears and a pleated skirt, both shadow-printed with blue argyle. A plaid pencil skirt followed, shadow-printed with big gray polka dots and paired with a striped metallic knit turtleneck that laced up in back. A pink leopard-print silk dress was topped by a mustard crochet sweater coat and worn with fishnet knee-highs and wood platform sandals with hearts carved into the heels.
For evening, there were sparkly knits to light up the dance floor, including a gold wrap-front gown with bands of colored Lurex around the bottom, and another body-hugging style with a soupcon of blue ruffles peeking out from underneath the fishtail hem.
Eduardo Lucero rediscovered his edge in a show that mixed punk rock with a heady dose of Helmut Newton, right down to the models’ pale faces, ruby red lips and pincushion hairstyles. “It was about not being afraid of your sexuality,” the designer said afterward. “We’ve been seeing 1950s ladylike for a while and I got sick of it.”
Styled by Djak Azran, who has worked with John Galliano and Valentino, the moody show was 180 degrees from where Lucero has been for the past few seasons. His dark vision began with a raw-edged leather coat, worn over a black jersey dress with a silver stud starburst on the side. The all-important men’s trousers -- here in a great sparkly black wool -- were paired with a black tank top covered in silver grommets that slid suggestively off one shoulder, or a pearl satin corset.
Only once did he carry the theme too far, with a black spider-web top that brought to mind a Halloween costume. Gowns were resplendent in autumnal velvets, even if the fit wasn’t always perfect. The highlight was a halter style in a burgundy burnout velvet.
Kevan Hall has become the go-to guy in L.A. for the red carpet, having dressed a slew of celebrities recently. For fall, he had musical inspiration in the form of opera diva Maria Callas. As always, his gowns were lovely, with the potential to flatter all ages, and his color sense impeccable. A draped silk crepe dress came in an intriguing shade of rouge, while another style with spaghetti straps, a subtly sequined bodice and a diamond-faceted silk chiffon skirt was described as “blond.” But Hall’s foray into heavier fabrics -- a belted frock in an oversized green houndstooth, and a pair of high-waisted pants made of a beaded and woven leather -- looked cumbersome.
Pegah Anvarian continued her journey in jersey, offering drapey, featherweight silk cashmere halter tops and sail-back dresses in smoky shades of lavender, gray and rose, accented with woven details. One of her most inventive looks, unfortunately made only for the show, was a plum jersey dress with a hand-woven bodice, worn under a bolero made from twisted braids of jersey. It was nice also to see the designer push herself into new territory, fashioning a comfy-looking suit out of black jersey with skinny stovepipe pants and a shirt jacket, and giving a black-and-white houndstooth coat a twist with sweater knit sleeves. Her attempt at silk chiffon gowns was uneven, however. The most polished style came in emerald green with a deep-V front, lettuce edges and a ruffle rosette at the small of the back.
Designed by Otis College of Art and Design grad Yoo Lee, the Saja collection was playing on the male-female theme as well. A sweet beaded brown velvet cap-sleeve jacket topped a pair of “Hepburn trousers,” while a delicate orange crepe cami was layered over a chocolate crochet sweater and a brown tweed skirt. A burgundy tiered tea gown with rivulets of tiny pleats was trying to be French romantic but didn’t seem that special.
Unfortunately, Jacqueline Love’s Shakti collection read like little more than a vanity project, from the green floral puffer pencil skirt and jacket (for lunching in Aspen?) through to the unflattering multicolored boucle miniskirts with leather insets or flaps of fabric buttoned in back over the bum.
Infinitely more interesting was watching the designer’s husband, music legend Mike Love, sporting a Beach Boys cap, bling-bling rings and manicured nails buffed shiny as mirrors. He smiled and clapped his way through the entire show. Now that’s love indeed.
