Fashion Walk Off
In the spirit of underground DJ turntable battles and freestyle rapping battles, fashion lines Maggie Barry, Elijah Linh, San Paredes and Elmer Ave. threw down their latest creations on the runway for the first Fashion Walk Off, presented by TDink.com, David C. Lee and Niki Shadrow.
Over 600 of L.A.’s style setters turned out on Oct. 20 at the Submerged Art Gallery in Hollywood to see models meet in the middle of the runway to give each other their fiercest model stare and scissor walk.
Boys clad in Elmer Ave.’s spray-painted stencil-striped blazers and bomber jackets got the competitive spirit rolling with a choreographed “West Side Story”–like dance-off performance to Michael Jackson’s 1980s classic “Beat It.” The Elmer Ave. crew went fist to cuffs a second time in the evening, wearing a satin lapel blazer and an army jacket with the signature painted geometric stripes and skull stencils.
Comedian Andy Dick, who wore a jockstrap over his plaid Howe Couture suit, and freelance fashion journalist and stylist Niki Shadrow, in Lloyd Klein Couture, acted as hosts and ringmasters of the event. Dick’s fashion commentary kept the audience roaring and spurned middle fingers from the models with snippy remarks about the outrageous over-the-top styling, celebrities and pseudo-celebrity walkers.
Besides being a great, fun time, contrasting styles down the runway accentuated each designer’s personal voice. Maggie Barry’s sparkletastic party wear, such as a fringed romper with rhinestone trim and a leg-baring neon pink silk animal-print dress with a bedazzled lace midsection, was hyper daring next to Elijah Linh’s cool, white linen resort dresses with sweet lacey accents. The extravagance of Barry’s parachute skirts brought an appreciation to San Paredes’ dresses, created through just a pinch of sewing, artful toga draping, wrapping and ruching.
For the “celebrity” walk-off portion, Jason Davis poked fun at his own party-crashing ways by palming an empty liquor bottle in his showdown against the petite Matthew Fashion in a black ruched dress with rainbow floral appliqueacute;s. Model Lesa Amoore, actress Dominique Swain and “American Idol” contestant Kimberly Caldwell also made appearances on the runway. —Rhea Cortado
