L.A. Fashion Week Fall '07: As Is by Alvin Valley
New York–based Alvin Valley’s hobby of taking flying lessons in a little plane led him to the inspiration for his As Is by Alvin Valley Fall 2007 collection: Harriet Quimby, the first licensed female pilot in the United States. For his diffusion collection, shown March 20 at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios in Culver City, Calif., the designer appropriated an image he found of the stylishly dressed Quimby from around 1911 into modern bomber-style jackets and cropped coats in herringbone, plaid and leather.
The empowered woman aviator’s outerwear was complemented with a feminine whim such as a silk jersey draped dress in a hybrid lemonlime citrus color. Ladylike silk blouses with pintuck details, “wild berry” printed tops and relaxed cashmere sweaters were coupled with Valley’s signature tailored pants in styles ranging from sophisticated wide-legged pleated trousers to a high-waist corset pant. Slim trousers with a sporty suede yoke and stovepipe-leg trousers in a “sharkskin” fabric that had a waxed-looking sheen could effortlessly translate to everyday wear, which was the intent of Valley’s As Is contemporary line. He described the diffusion line as impulsive fashion items that girls want to wear “as is” and right now. —Rhea Cortado
