Los Angeles Fashion Week Spring '05: Sew Down
In the dark, empty pool at the Hollywood Athletic Club, 15 up-and-coming designers strove to make a splash with their whimsical collections as part of Sew Down’s Spring 2005 fashion show.
Traveling from as far as Arkansas and New York, the designers staged a raucous finale to Los Angeles Fashion Week at the Nov. 7 event. In front of a crowd plied loose by booze and dance beats, the designers showed six to 12 outfits each. The looks ranged from track jackets and floral dresses to hemp bikinis and rhinestonefestooned jeans.
Show organizer Atousa G. said she “tried to cover all trends” when selecting participants. The Iranian-born designer presented her flirty dresses last in the show. Other designers exhibiting were Happy Campers, Michele Marcombe, So Sporty, Tiffani Elan, Nisa SF, Hi-Roller, Adriani Designs, Steelo, ChoCho Apparel, Planet USA, Sean Le Paul, Defile, Petro Montegos and DJ74.
One standout was ChoCho, designed by Los Angeles–based Erica Kurokawa, who was participating in her first fashion show. The scalloped edges on her denim skirts and capri pants suggested butterfly wings, which was apt because “ChoCho” means butterfly in Japanese. She also attached jersey shirts and dresses origami-style to cotton voile shawls.
On the balcony wrapped around the pool, the designers displayed their clothes for buyers. This year’s slate of Sew Down sponsors included URB magazine and Royal Elastics shoes. —Khanh T.L. Tran
