Let’s play a game of “I SPY“:
I’m sure that it’s no secret that the hottest celebrities are huge fans of fashion. A few notable faces graced LA Fashion week to get a peek at what Spring ‘09 had to offer. During the opening and closing events, I saw Garcelle Beauvais, Tia Mowry, Gina Torres, Rachel Griffiths, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Terry Crews, Jennifer Nicole Freeman, Page Kennedy, Dana Delaney, and the Mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa. This list may pale in comparison to other fashion events, but that doesn’t mean that other celebs didn’t slip through the cracks.
Walking the RUNWAY:
Disclaimer: I’m a crappy photographer so please disregard the bodyguards. This is as close as they would let me get…..you get the gist!)
Well readers, I’m going to take you through a journey of catwalk supremacy. All of these designers achieved excellence in their unique, special way, but Kevan Hall’s collection had me at “hello!“ His vision was to create dresses of timeless design, in which he used bold embroideries, alluring colors, and fluid, feminine materials. The musical selection set the mood of this dramatic display. The models exuded a quiet confidence that commanded our focus, as they regally strolled down the catwalk. His pieces were truly amazing! Each subsequent design was more exquisite than the next. His acuity for color and regard to detail left me slack-jawed throughout the entire show. I had too many favorites to specify. He set the barometer at an all time high.
The next designer on tap was Suh-tan….Who?…..you heard me SUH-TAN! Her designs were extremely unique, and so was the backdrop. All of the walls were illuminated with hues of turquoise, teal, blue, and green. It looked like the ocean., which coincidentally was the underlying theme of her designs. I love the fact that her inspiration was drawn from a jellyfish. Thus, she wanted to show the construction in the garments, using light colors and materials that represent California’s style and freedom. For those of you that need a visual, think Cyndi Lauper meets surfer dude. For those of you that want to rock a casual retro vibe, Suh-Tan is the designer for you!
The hair stylist for Suh-Tan’s collection, Jen Candelaria, who has been working professionally as a stylist for five years, did a remarkable job at making these models look like mermaids. She wanted to give the models a “beachy” look, in which she describes as looking like they just walked straight out of the water. There hair was brushed back, then finger tousled with pomade. She also added that she used a styling gel to make the ends of their hair look like the water was dripping off the ends. I thought this information would noteworthy for readers that want to achieve that “water goddess” look.
Fortunately, I was able to catch the Green Initiative Humanitarian Fashion Show, which started off with a BANG….literally! The banging of drums were heard as the lights rise upon explosive drummers and jubilant, expressive dancers, courtesy of an African dance troupe. Another segment opened with, Native American dancers, a model walking a dog, another with an albino python, and the designer holding a monkey. For a moment, I thought I was at an “environmentally friendly” zoo.
On the subject of oddities, the models were blazing the runway with a swagger. They displayed a fun, sexy, flirtatious demeanor. It was very intriguing to watch. All five designers, Ecoskin, Emily factor, Lilikoi, M the Movement, and Smartglass, brought their “A” game when creating their “Green” designs. The woman of the hour was none other than Mikey Koffman, the activist of The Gallery Los Angeles that was credited for banding these five designers together to promote eco-friendly clothing. Get in on this trend while it’s HOT! I actually believe this premise of design will be the blueprint in which garments are engineered, for years to come.
