L.A. Fashion Week Spring '06: Directives West
Simply put, denim, feminine and ethnic looks will be among the most important fashion trends for Spring ’06, according to retail consulting firm Directives West.
The Los Angeles–based Directives West showed the myriad different ways these trends could be interpreted in its 136-look runway show, “First Stop Los Angeles,” held Oct. 20 at the California Market Center.
The first part of the show was dedicated to denim. More than 15 different brands were featured, and many of them were labels that had been introduced in 2005, such as Antik Denim, William Rast and CBGB. While a cleaner look in denim has increased in popularity in the past year, the wide range between the heavily detailed Antik Denim and the relatively simple look of CBGB proved how many different ways clean style in denim can be interpreted.
The second section of the show was dedicated to feminine looks, dominated by ruffles, lace and inspiration from Victoriana. Designers included were Trina Turk, Michelle Roy and Chan Luu.
The final section of the show was inspired by Los Angeles designers interpreting the costumes of the world and ranged from the streetwear of Da-Nang to some of the evening-friendly clothes of Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent. The section featured fashions with Mexican style embroidery, African prints and South Asian peasant inspired looks by Los Angeles-based label A Common Thread.
The show also packed some surprises. Niki Taylor, a supermodel of the 1990s, walked the stage twice. Grammy Award–winning soul singer Macy Gray also walked the runway to debut her new line, Natalie Hinds. —Andrew Asch
