Ladies of the Canyon Mix Fashion and Fund Raising
Hollywood starlets flocked to the L Salon and Beauty Lounge on Dec. 1 for a fashion fund-raiser that featured the first runway show for Los Angeles line Ladies of the Canyon.
Designers Jessie Gainsley and Vanessa Vazquez presented their signature hearts and stripes in a new lingerie line at the event, hosted by socialite Irena Medavoy and actress Natasha Henstridge.
On a runway slicing diagonally across the packed hair salon, models squeezed into mini-dresses, walking shorts and jumpsuits made of a clingy cotton/polyester jersey blend for the Spring/Summer 2005 collection, titled “The Bubblegum Explosion.” The designers showed staple items such as ballet- pinch V-neck cap-sleeve shirts and halter tops, both of which were cut long for layering over leggings, boy briefs and other bottoms.
“All girls want to feel young and cute and sexy,” said Gainsley, who was inspired by Walter Keane’s paintings of big-eyed dolls.
The color palette ranged from subtle baby pink to bold fuchsia and turquoise. Color blocking of clashing tints such as purple and coral was common. Vazquez said she and Gainsley, who met after college in an illustration class at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, make prints for the fabrics, which are woven in Australia.
The lingerie line, dubbed “The Intimate Ladies,” featured six styles, including V-neck shirts and tie-on bras, all made of a gauze-like cotton/polyester blend.
Proceeds from the event benefited Cedars-Sinai Medical Center’s C.O.A.C.H. for Kids and Their Families.
—Khanh T.L. Tran
