Los Angeles Fashion Week Spring '05: Rojas

Styles from the New Age and the Reagan era usually conflict, but they shared space at the Rojas runway show, held Oct. 28 at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios in Culver City.

Designer Freddie Rojas’ major inspirations for his Spring 2005 line were the New Age qualities of the purple-colored quartz mineral.

“They’re holistic, natural and organic,” he said of the stones.

Rojas melded the Aquarian Age quartz motif into 1980s preppy designs and clothes with a science-fiction twist. But men’s and women’s apparel from this 32-look line could fit in anywhere.

The designer put his unique stamp on the collection with quartz shapes on T-shirts and a preference for the color purple. He also took preppy to an avant-garde extreme, sewing shoulder- sized versions of the Izod alligator, that 1980s icon, onto polo dresses and polo shirts.

Lurex knit jumpers and hooded sweat jackets with silver leather elbow patches helped compose Rojas’ science-fiction look. Quartz made an appearance here, too, as inlay on several belts. —A.A.