L.A. Fashion Week Spring '09: Katy Rodriguez
Katy Rodriguez created a voyeur experience for her Spring ’09 presentation. The vintage retailer turned designer presented her collection on Oct. 12 at her business partner Mark Haddaway’s Lautner home off Mulholland Drive, high in the hills above Los Angeles. Haddaway and Rodriguez co-own the high-end vintage boutique Resurrection. Guests—including Jeremy Scott, Brent Bolthouse, Jared Leto and Arianne Phillips—mingled on the pool deck while viewing the models through the glass walls of the mid-century modern home. “We came up with the idea of the living tableau and the women being able to have a party within the party,” Rodriguez said. “We thought it would be a really dynamic, beautiful experience,” she added. Rodriguez, who is of Spanish descent, was inspired by a trip to Mexico to create dresses and party frocks with a Mexican bourgeoisie flair. Think modern-day Frida Kahlo wearing an ultra-chic, low-cut party dress with a short frilly skirt. Rodriguez also looked to traditional and indigenous clothing and translated them for today. Peasant skirts were turned into wrap dresses, and traditional folk items were shrunken to chic silhouettes. Rodriguez used ethnic striped fabrics and layered a gorgeous long black gown with lace. There were also plenty of chic little black-and-white dresses to complete the collection. —N. Jayne Seward
