The scene: A fashionable mix of designers, retailers, stylists and celebrities mingled in the cavernous Geffen Contemporary, the contemporary adjunct of the Museum of Contemporary Art in downtown Los Angeles. The occasion was “An Evening of 20th Century Glamour,” a fashion fund-raiser for MOCA and the launch event for Downtown L.A. Fashion Week, a new fashion event that aims to grow to encompass to become a multi-day event by next season.

For the launch, founder Leanna Lewis lined up a vintage runway show produced by Cameron Silver, the owner of upscale vintage boutiques Decades. In addition, the event saw the launch of Louver, the newest collection from Los Angeles designer Louis Verdad.

The two fashion presentations were polar opposite, with Silver’s vintage show a riot of color ranging from two 1960s Norman Norell mermaid dresses in a glittering red and violet sequins to a pair of Loris Azzaro dresses from the 1970s in purple and red. There was a 1980s Bob Mackie chiffon gown in electric blue and a Yves Saint Laurent gown from the same era in turquoise chiffon with a plunging back and a string of crystals traversing the small of the back. A 1950s Pierre Cardin gown featured a petal skirt in shades of pink. And a 1980s Valentino “Harem” gown came in purple with rainbow-striped trim.

On the other side of the spectrum was Verdad’s collection, which eschewed his signature 1940s look without abandoning his tailoring prowess. Louver featured beautifully tailored pants, skirts, crisp shirts and jackets in a palette of black, white and gray. Pieces were accented with heavy hardware, ranging from the chunky silver chain lacing the neckline of a bubble coat with reverse darts to the spiked studs that cascaded over the shoulder of a black knit dress.

The Louver collection was accompanied by 18-foot photos by August Bradley and a film about the designer by director Robertino Fonseca.

Prior to the show, Lewis told the California Apparel News she plans to expand her event to rival Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios, the fashion-week event that disbanded last year.

“We eventually envision this event to replace the annual Smashbox event,” she said.  “We are different in that we all come from monster-production backgrounds with the majors in fashion and entertainment from Gucci, Merv Griffin, the film studios and Victoria’s Secret. This event is setting the stage for our next slate of events in October.”

An event spokesperson said Lewis is planning on three Downtown L.A. Fashion Week events next October, including red-carpet, denim and international designs.—Alison A. Nieder

Photography by Volker Corell