L.A. Fashion Week Fall '04: Corey Lynn Calter

Corey Lynn Calter cranked open her fabric closet and came up with some stunning prints that became the foundation of her Fall/Winter 2004 collection, shown on April 1 at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios in Culver City.

There were zebra prints, whimsical chicken prints and Volkswagen Beetle cars on cotton. There were also giant-houndstooth wools and rose-print silks.

Colors were strong, too, with hearty purples, deep olive greens and bright yellows paired with sunburst reds.

“My inspiration was a specific girl, somebody who is bigger than fashion, who is interested in all things,” said Calter, who won last year’s Moss Adams Fashion Innovator Award. “It is about someone who has diverse interests. She is a very eclectic girl just putting her wardrobe together in her own way.”

But this was also a feminine girl. The silhouettes were slim and flirty. Slip dresses were wispy and light. Jackets were cinched at the waist. Sleeveless vests with an eagle motif lent an Americana air to the collection. —D.B.