Letters: L.A.’s lackluster Fashion Week

I read your piece [“Fashion Weak?” Oct. 10] with real interest. I worked in “high” fashion in New York City in the late ‘90s (I was a seating consultant on over 40 shows). The organization, skill and pace that went behind creating these shows was astounding and highly professional. That said, I’ve watched with sadness as L.A. has produced mediocre shows (designers, locales, buzz). Sadly, I think a true fashion week in L.A. is like an actor getting an agent: You don’t get an agent until you have some work to show; you can’t get the work until you have an agent. The critical mass will be the thing.

Scott Fish

Mar Vista

In his somewhat scattered analysis of the weakness of Fashion Week, Adam Tschorn makes some valid points but seems to ignore the most important one. Great fashion designs by important designers make a compelling event. There has to be more visionary fashion to rally around. The logistics, the economics and the organizers all matter, of course, but what L.A. has lacked, in my opinion, is great fashion to see.

Two pages deeper into the same section, you have a spread on recent presentations by some of those “major designers.” Are any of them planning to be part of our own Fashion Week? I know this will seem to slight our local designers, but the reality is we don’t have the local players with exciting fashion to showcase. Sorry, but gowns and lackluster visions aren’t my idea of a thrilling runway experience.

It’s probably a Catch-22. The great designers won’t be here until we have a history of great designers showing strong fashion here. Instead of simply courting sponsors and venues, someone should figure out how to lure the major players to our place.

T.R. Jahns

Upland