L.A. Fashion Week Fall '05: AndraeGonzalo LosAngeles
Designer Andrae Gonzalo took a nostalgic turn when he staged his AndraeGonzalo LosAngeles show on March 12 as part of Focus Syndicate, the monthly fashion and music event held in downtown Los Angeles.
The show, held at the Studio Imago Architectural Design Space in the shadow of the First Street bridge, featured dresses and separates in jewel-toned satin and velvet and a gold-printed paisley fabric. Gonzalo said he was inspired by “the three Graces: Grace Kelly, Grace Jones and Grace Slick.”
Among the best looks were liquid satin dresses with high necklines and plunging backs in teal, slate and mauve. Silhouettes were severe, with broad shoulders, nipped waists, and skirts and cropped pants that wrapped into petal-like folds or were tied with a twisted oversize bow.
The draped and wrapped pieces were showcased individually on three platforms on the stage. The models each struck a pose for a pair of fashion illustrators seated in the front row. Guests craned their necks to watch the illustrators work as a video projected the works in progress on a screen behind the stage. The designer said he chose the unorthodox presentation to highlight both his draped designs and the art of illustration.
“Fashion illustration is a dying art, just like making clothes like this is a dying art,” he said. “There was a time before photography, when this was the way you would sell a dress.” —Alison A. Nieder
