ChangReyes Breaks Out

For about three and a half years, they’ve crafted and tailored high-end clothing for private clientele—including Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow, Deborah Messing and Kevin Spacey—in their Wilshire Boulevard studio and boutique, De Lui, in Beverly Hills. Now ChangReyes, the design duo of Steven Chang and Miguel Reyes, wants a bigger piece of the fashion spotlight. They unveiled their Spring 2003 collection Dec. 12 at their work space in front of 100 friends and family members, featuring a neutral palette with elegant lines and lush fabrics in silk, chiffon and jersey. “Our goal is to create a wardrobe for the Westside woman and her lifestyle,” said Chang, a former apprentice to Los Angeles designer Richard Tyler. “She doesn’t have to be slouchy, sloppy. But, she can look striking whether she’s going to Ralphs, swinging over to Barneys or heading to the Peninsula [Hotel].” Should the Westside woman seek an evening outfit from ChangReyes, she may opt for the ’40s glamour–inspired halter top and silk shantung cream skirt or the one-shoulder leather top worn with black pants accented with cascading side ruffles. There’s also the jersey dress with the plunging neckline ending in a twisted knot or the silk metallic skirt paired with an off-the-shoulder white blouse. For a day of shopping, she may opt for the spaghetti-strap tunic and palazzo pant set or the black silk satin suit with pin tucks and peekaboo red lining. (The grocery store ensemble was hard to pin down.) Either way, the fashions, sold only at the ChangReyes studio, don’t come cheap. Suits range from $1,000 to $1,800 and gowns cost $1,000 on up to $15,000 for a silk metallic jumpsuit. — Nola Sarkisian-Miller