Los Angeles Fashion Collective
Los Angeles Fashion Week may be over, but Fall 2011 fashion presentations continue, thanks to the Los Angeles Fashion Collective, which celebrated the season with a cocktail party and designer presentation.
Held April 20 at the Stone Rose Lounge at the Sofitel Hotel, the event featured several local labels in an informal installation setting. Guests sipped special Los Angeles Fashion Collective cocktails as they watched designers Katie May, Alexx Jae & Milk and Pleasure Doing Business present looks throughout the evening.
For Katie May Neu, Fall 2011 was a mixture of glamour and sophistication. The designer created classic designs with modern fits and fabrication for her namesake Katie May line. Key looks included a red silk blazer and short short, a chic, nude off-the-shoulder dress, and a red-and-black coat paired with a wide-leg trouser. She focused on construction and chic silhouettes that incorporated feminine details, such as the ruffle, on the waistband of pants. For Neu, creating stylish, contemporary but affordable pieces is key. “I want people [to feel] confident in their wardrobes again. I want them to be excited about dressing. I want them to know that they can find something really beautiful and not break their budget,” Neu said.
Simone Gonzalez created her Fall 2011 Pleasure Doing Business collection by creating new silhouettes and imagining what she wanted in her wardrobe next season. The designer said she didn’t have a specific theme for the season but created the collection out of organic inspiration. “I pretty much go with what I see in my head,” she said. “And I’ve tried to get out the visions that I’ve had through each collection.” In addition to her trademark elastic fabrics, she experimented with new fabrics such as plastic, straw, cotton and spandex. Key pieces included a long ethnic-print dress, a feminine off-the-shoulder top and skirt, and a sexy but sweet lace top with large bell sleeves and an intricately seamed high-waist short.
Alexx Jae & Milk is the brainchild of designer Alexx Jae Monkarsh and Milk boutique owner Bari Milken Bernstein. The pair decided to collaborate to create a line that made sense on two fronts. “We can be fashionable but not limited to resources,” Milken Berstein said. “It can be economical and eco-friendly.” The collection, made from overstock fabrics, is their answer to eco. “We had a whole idea of recycling and reusing and keeping our footprint really small and not sacrificing touch and feel,” Monkarsh explained. Fabrics include silks and cottons as well as recycled leather for shoes and fur made from recycled bottle caps. For Fall 2011, inspiration came from imagining the story of a 1930s heroine—such as Katharine Hepburn—on a safari, in a hipster sort of way. Key pieces included a faux-fur vest paired with drawstring harem pants, a knit tank and leather shorts, and a leather tunic dress.—N. Jayne Seward
