L.A. Fashion Week Fall '10: Project Ethos

Project Ethos returned to the Los Angeles Fashion Week lineup for the second season with its March 19 show at the Music Box at the Fonda theater in Hollywood.

Musicians Bruno Mars and Love Grenades bookended the fashion show, which featured 10 collections, including headliners Goga by Gordana and Haus of Estrada. Goga by Gordana is designed by Gordana Gehlhausen, a contestant on the sixth season of “Project Runway” who has relocated to Los Angeles. Haus of Estrada is designed by Jesus Estrada, who is based in San Diego and a contestant on the current season of “Project Runway.”

Also appearing on the runway was Seth Wellington, the menswear line designed by Seth Nobmann.

Looks also included boho-chic fashions by Love Child, designed by Rachael Feigelson, and color-blocked dresses and gowns by Fulani, designed by Omatu Gottschlich and Sandra Sturm. EMEL by Michelle Liu featured complicated inset strapping details and origami-like embellishment, and Devious Damzels by Maria Peralta showed plenty of flirty, easy tees, dresses and leggings. RumbleMunkeh, by Rochelle Corino, featured drapey sweaters and tees over sexy skirts or party dresses and gowns. Among Marialia Pacitto’s dresses for her Marialia collection was a a black-and-white color blocked dress with a heart appliqueacute;. Shant Der Ashodian showed men’s graphic T-shirts for his ARKA Clothing label.

Estrada’s looks were a departure from the traditional gowns he designed on “Project Runway.” Instead, he offered Goth men’s and women’s looks, including a men’s open-weave sweater with a cross design and a women’s short dress with an overskirt in a diaphanous material that resembled a spider web. More tailored pieces were embellished with spikes or screen-printed with bones. And the designer had some fun with the accessories, sending his models out with crystal-encrusted headphones.

Gehlhausen’s collection ranged from clean, modern silhouettes in stark black and white ormore-whimsical pieces embellished with ribbons or made from tie-dyed pointelle knit.

The party continued upstairs after the runway show with a rooftop art gallery featuring work by Amy Bernays, Lea Barozzi, Michael Pukec, Jennifer Gutierrez Morgan, Claire Cetera, Arnold Randall, Nan Lawson, Jeremy Asher Lynch, Shane Pollard, Erin Hammond and Tom Howarth.

The evening also featured a charitable angle. Love Cures Cancer (www.lovecurescancer.com), which works to help children with cancer, was named the event’s charitable beneficiary.—Alison A. Nieder