A shift to big-city black and white

The silence backstage before the St. John show felt strange at Los Angeles Fashion Week, where the mood is usually light and the party hearty. But the stakes were high: the $400-million brand known for clothing Condoleezza Rice, Hillary Clinton and other political and business heavyweights, was about to join the world of actual fashion.

The Irvine-based company announced in August plans to overhaul its image, starting by replacing the longtime creative director and face of the brand, Kelly Gray. This fall’s ad campaign features Gisele Bundchen, the Brazilian Victoria’s Secret model who might play to the core customer like a younger second wife.

And that turned out to be only the beginning for St. John, a label known for softly tailored, if not matronly, knit suits. A new designer was hired, Tim Gardner from Calvin Klein, and Angelina Jolie was named the new face of the label, which commands respect in the fashion industry as a major advertiser in magazines and a cash cow for department stores. Jolie was reportedly paid $12 million for the multiyear contract, which if true would make the deal one of the largest in celebrity fashion endorsement history.

So naturally, the rumor mill was working overtime as the Fashion Week shows wound to a close at Smashbox Studios on Thursday. Would Gisele walk the runway? Or maybe Angelina? Would Angelina even come at all?

The answer was no, no and no, but St. John did bring in Carmen Kass and other top models from New York as well as seasoned stylist George Cortina, making the show the most professional Los Angeles Fashion Week has seen in its six seasons.

Now, Cortina is a guy who should have his own reality show. Backstage, he was cracking one-liners right and left. “Do it over,” he directed a makeup artist, gesturing toward a model’s blush-streaked face. “She looks like they did her at Woolworth’s.”

“Who are they?” Cortina asked a security guard, pointing at two scantily clad hangers-on with bad blond extensions loitering around the catering table. “Get them out of here. And if there’s a stylist here who’s not me, he can leave too.”

Outside in the front row, seats were not filled with the usual reality show stars, FODs (friends of designers) and model groupies. Instead, the crowd was professional and covered up. And if you thought L.A. models looked bad before, it was never so painfully obvious as when Kass swished down the runway with the perfect swivel in her hips.

While the collection was not a major departure, it did exude a new urban sophistication that was very different from the brand’s suburban conservatism. There was an emphasis on body skimming silhouettes, big-city black and white, shorter skirt lengths and more than a passing nod to fashion with a capital F. But they kept the man behind it all under wraps: Gardner didn’t even come out to take a bow.

The show hit on many of spring’s recurring themes, beginning with the focus on the waist. An ivory knit safari jacket was cinched over a curve-skimming pencil skirt, and another jacket with short sleeves was belted over cropped trousers. The shirtdress appeared in perfect, crisp white cotton and in turquoise silk georgette with baby ruffles down the front. Spring’s high-waist trousers came in black stretch cotton, worn with a sheer black tuxedo blouse, and the riding jacket was done over in St. John’s signature knit. Tailored yet soft, it was shaped in back with a fabric belt.

Cocktail looks were immensely wearable. A black chiffon sack dress with slash pockets was a safe experiment in spring’s new volume, worn under a cropped black cardigan edged in beads. And a superbly engineered black knit sheath cut low in back would take a woman anywhere.

This was not a design revolution, but the collection was different enough to make women take a second look. And ultimately, the best thing to recommend it is that without a gold button or cardinal red stitch in sight, nobody would know you were wearing St. John. In other words, these were fine basics.

What’s unclear is why St. John is making this move, because it already has a lock on one of the most underserved segments of the apparel market: the older, larger-sized woman. Although sales have been dipping slightly, this is an immensely successful brand. So why tinker with a winning formula? And why choose Jolie? Sure, she’s a U.N. ambassador, but right now she also has the reputation -- justified or not -- for being a husband-stealing, blood vial-wearing temptress. It all makes this one of the more interesting designer turnarounds to watch. One thing’s for sure: The strategy does have people talking about St. John. And that hasn’t happened in years.

Bradley Bayou recently completed a stint as head designer of New York-based Halston, the label that couldn’t make a turnaround if Mario Andretti himself were in the driver’s seat. Back in L.A. and showing under his own name for the first time in years, the teddy bear of a Texan presented a number of elegant red carpet looks. Streamers of ombre green ribbons rippled from the bodice of a boysenberry silk halter gown, while screen-printed Pop Art flowers gave a white, pleated chiffon gown its punch.

No jewelry would be necessary with Bayou’s pale blue pleated, silk chiffon goddess-style sparkler with bands of crystals or his mesh tank-top set with randomly placed semiprecious stones, worn over white leather pants. Though not a collection in the traditional sense that they were pieces that related to one another through fabric or theme, it was a beautiful assortment. (The Bayou collection is made to measure, so it will not be in stores.) There’s no doubt the Hollywood stylists in the audience are glad to see Bayou back at the top of his game.

At a lower price point, Sue Wong has been at the top of her game for a while now, with sales from her eveningwear labels approaching $40 million. This season’s show was her most successful because it was well edited and without campy staging. Wong crossed cultures with a thousand nights of dresses, including a silk sarong gown in a kaleidoscope of Caribbean colors with a shirred bodice and beaded accents, and a big-city ball gown in rose silk, with a dropped waist, pearl beading and a chiffon petal-covered skirt. She had a great idea of what to do with all the color-soaked, mirror-embellished Indian skirts from last summer -- turn them into sexy sundresses with scarf-point hems!

This season’s interpretations of the flapper dress, a Wong staple, were also lovely, particularly the one in mauve silk with all-over silver beading and a pointed panel skirt. But the wedding gowns were only for the bride who is willing to be worn by the dress. One style came with beaded scrollwork, silk rose appliques and lace, all in the color of cream frosting. And yes, that’s all on one dress.

Carlos Rosario is a name to watch. And this season, he seemed to be on the same wavelength as Yves Saint Laurent’s Stefano Pilati. The newcomer’s knockout collection took inspiration from childhood memories of summers in Spain. “My mother was really very conservative, but as a kid I had the impression that she had a big cleavage and wore high heels, so everything is sort of exaggerated,” he explained.

There were some fabulous pieces here, including a white organza bolero with ruffled epaulettes, a one-shouldered, asymmetrically ruffled white Swiss dot blouse, and a handsome pair of black silk toreador pants. Box pleats on the sides of a white silk linen skirt were bursting with pink polka-dot silk. Knits were also impressive, namely a long-sleeve silk jersey corset top that would flatter almost anyone.

Every piece had a thoughtful intimacy. Rosario’s black-and-white drawings of traditional Spanish costumes were reproduced on a silk crepe wrap dress. He even re-created his mother Mercedes’ wedding portrait on a black T-shirt, using 6,000 crystals.

Elsewhere on the runway, Desanka Fasiska offered some of the week’s most forward-looking daywear, including a rounded and cropped, palm print jacket worn with shorts that had slanted pockets and a pair of drapey linen pants that were a cross between a harem and cargo style. The layering looked fresh -- a jersey dress over a camisole, over leggings (oh, yes, they’re back).

Eduardo Lucero’s most formal evening looks were his best, including a white silk chiffon petal blouse worn with a full leg tuxedo trouser and a sexy, open knit white halter gown. But turquoise matte jersey dresses seemed haphazardly put together, and a salmon beaded minidress did not fit well. The sparkly pink bikini was cute, if brief, but should look great on client Eva Longoria.

Saja’s Yoo Lee tapped into spring’s penchant for pretty with sweet pintuck blouses, embroidered skirts and baby floral dresses that only occasionally resembled nightgowns.

Sheri Bodell hit on two spring trends (nude and lace) with a flesh-colored blouse in an intricate embroidered eyelet, paired with a crisp pair of shorts, a halter dress with rope trim, and another swinging fringe. It’s too bad her moaning soundtrack made one feel the need to take a shower (or smoke a cigarette) after the show.

There was a hyper sexual vibe during much of Los Angeles Fashion Week, from the bare breasts and pornographic styling at the Antik to the surfeit of flesh in every front row. “Then again, that’s L.A.,” said Michael Baruch, chief executive of Fred Segal Beauty, pointing out that this is the center of the porn and entertainment industries, which these days are drifting ever closer together. He’s right, but that doesn’t make it any less tiresome.

Which is why Petro Zillia’s show was so refreshing. After a long day at Smashbox, people were tired and cranky when they arrived at designer Nony Tochterman’s installation set up to mimic a photo shoot. The audience watched as models had false lashes, glitter makeup and even tiny playing cards applied to their faces, setting the stage for an “Alice in Wonderland” theme.

Davis Factor is a fashion photographer besides being the co-founder of Smashbox Studios, so he did the honors, snapping models in surreal scenes, with the digital pictures coming to life on a monitor before everyone’s eyes.

The models frolicked in a garden on a rope swing and posed in front of a “through the looking glass” set. They wore Tochterman’s colorful knits, including a space dyed, patchwork cardigan and a white skirt with a pink and red crocheted hem. Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee smiled in high-waist trousers with gold buttons, and sleeveless blouses with blue ribbon ties. And, of course, there was a Queen of Hearts holding court in a red chevron print gown with a crochet collar.

And although it took a while for everyone to settle into the fantasy, after a couple of cocktails, it seemed just fine to end the season looking at a different “pack of cards” than those typically seated around the runway.