Los Angeles Fashion Week Fall '09: The Battalion

Sisters Chrys and Linda Wong believe in comfort but not at the cost of fashion.

In 2006, they launched their line, The Battalion, using eco cotton and bamboo fabrics and taking a humane approach to leather, choosing veggie leather for their jackets and pants. They employed all these elements in their Fall ’09 runway show, held March 15 at BOXeight Fashion Week.

The theme was America’s new frontier, starting with the heritage of the Native American, shown in fringed frocks, and continuing to the libertine, seen in edgy, slashed pants and biker jackets.

In between, they took on influences from explorers Lewis and Clark, seen in safari-looking outfits, and the French soldiers who fought alongside the American revolutionaries, seen in bright-red military jackets.

“We felt the country was in a dark mood these days and wanted to do something that would put people in high spirits,” said Chrys, who has a degree in economics from the University of California, Los Angeles. Her sister studied at the Otis College of Art & Design. “We started thinking about the discovery of America and what it meant.”

One outstanding feature throughout the show was an array of heavy-weight leggings that looked more like slim-cut riding pants with pockets and studs. Other easy-to-wear elements included capes and jackets made of organic fabrics. Red plaid shirts reminiscent of lumberjacks stood out on the runway. —Deborah Belgum