L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: Sterling Capricio

Los Angeles–based urban-couture designer Sterling Capricio launched his Spring 2004 “Hollywood Rocks” collection in a fashion show and party on Oct. 27 at the Forbidden City nightclub in Hollywood.

After designing a heavily layered, man-tailored look inspired by Billie Holiday in his runway debut last season, Capricio proved his muse was still in tune with music by drawing inspiration from French rock ’n’ roll starlets and the psychedelic ’60s style of Jimi Hendrix.

Capricio constructed a very body-conscious, feminine silhouette with an emphasis on the female figure. An empire-waist dress had a belt that tied in the front, and lingerie-like dresses in sheer, ruffled fabrications came corseted. The designer also introduced zippered looks, including a white plisseacute; zipper gown and several polished cotton denim jackets with contouring zippers.

Although black and white prevailed in Capricio’s Spring palette, his exotic, bold prints with just a jolt of lilac, fuchsia and orange were also prominent.

“I wanted to use prints and colors that worked around the weight and texture of the silk jerseys and re-embroidered denim,” Capricio said. “The graphic-but-soft colors were a good combination and formed a nice foreground for the mainly black-and-white collection.” —Mark Pagaduan