Urban/Suburban on the Runway
Street and urban fashions ruled the runway at the first annual Urban/Suburban fashion show, held in the California Market Center fashion theater during the Oct. 13–15 run of the Urban/Suburban trade show in Los Angeles.
The six-segment show featured lines including Meoshe Clothing, Southpole, Fila, Mecca, Apple Bottoms, Avirex and Royal Blunts.
Trends for menswear included the proliferation of embellishments such as patches, which covered shirts, outerwear and jeans. Women’s lines such as Lady Royalty, Chica and J.Lo had a sexy edge with body-skimming styles, flirty minis and plunging necklines. Punk influences such as zippers and straps on items by The Source Girl and Sinful showed a new direction for urban womenswear.
Broader appeal and greater sophistication is the next stage in the evolution of urban apparel, said veteran Los Angeles designer Karl Kani, who showed his new lines Live by Karl Kani and Life by Karl Kani. “The market has grown,” he said. “It’s expanded to suits and shoes and different divisions; it used to be just Tshirts and jeans. Urban apparel is a worldwide thing now.”
—Christian M. Chensvold
