Gen Art's Newest Fresh Faces
In the final stretch of this L.A. Fashion Week Month filled with new fashion week players, Gen Art’s 12th annual “Fresh Faces in Fashion” at the Petersen Automotive Museum last night had a cool, familiar vibe. The hip and young crowd dressed in their best party outfits and Gen Art alum designers like Louis Verdad and Society for Rational Dress’ Corinne Grassini were in attendance.
The event, which packed in five clothing designers and four accessories lines, served as the kickoff party to Rock Fashion Week, the two-day event of fashion shows. Guests circled the accessories installation, where The Generic Man reinterpreted men’s oxfords in hued patent leather and two-tone colorations, as Stamp’d treated the standard high tops and cap toe sneakers with studs, prints and denim fabrics. CC Skye’s oversized bags in white croc-embossed leather and tough spiky rings, earrings and bracelets in rich shiny gold would be at home on the lithe bodies of West L.A. glam rocker starlets. Inspecting the jewelry by Ludevine that used real seahorses, shells and fossils as materials was like opening a cabinet of curiosities cast in gold. Attendees were invited to examine the specimens more closely with a provided magnifying glass.
From left, kicks by The Generic Man and Stamp'd
CC Skye's fringe and chain handbag
Ludevine's jewelry made from fossils
On the runway, Leyendecker by Jessica Moss and Lisa Guajardo, showed a “tribalism” melting pot of ikat prints, tie-dye prints, beaded collars and transparent genie harem pants. The duo used “primitive” techniques such as macramé and skirts that were wrapped and knotted with fringe belts.
Leyendecker
Seneca Rising's knits ranged from body-conscious fitted miniskirts to loose, billowing tanks that were often worn together. Woven cotton tops accented with lace and an oversized rose print had a washed out and faded finish, as if they were hung out to dry in the sun.
Seneca Rising
Erik Hart of Morphine Generation sent out his men’s contemporary line, MG Black Label, some of which was worn by women. The clean look of standard jacket shapes—the trench, blazer, bomber and anorak—were treated with wax coating, a “trash bag” nylon fabric and details like a black contrast zipper on a white jacket for a hint of edge.
MG Black Label
Valerj Pobega was a startling contrast to the night’s lighthearted women’s clothing. Lush silk kimono dresses were torn and tattered raw at the edges and Japanese fetish bondage rope wrapped around the models like harnesses. Hand-dyed gray streaks that ran down a beautiful silk charmeuse long cocoon coat looked like artfully dripping horror-movie blood.
Valerj Pobega
Rory Beca wrapped up the night with her super-wearable kicky dresses in novelty florals, hot pink, sequins and metallic foil that had an easy buy-now-wear-now feeling.
Rory Beca
In partnership with the sponsor, Plastics Make it Possible, Gen Art displayed designs by Costa Blanca (a division of the Canadian company Clothing for Modern Times that has a Los Angeles design studio) showcasing fabrics made with plastic-based fibers such as polyester, rayon jersey and plastic sequins. The display announced a contest inviting designers to submit two womenswear looks made from fabrics that include plastic-based fibers such as chiffon, rayon or microfiber. The winner of the contest will receive $10,000 price and a runway show at Gen Art’s Fresh Faces event at New York Fashion Week in February 2010.
