LAFW Returns With a Focus on Diversity on the Runway

After a long hiatus during the Covid pandemic LAFW has officially returned with in person shows this October at the Peterson Automotive museum. With a line up of exciting up and coming talent as well as some established Hollywood names the runway shows this year are making a splash in the LAFW comeback season. This season the runway also has a special focus on diversity with the, LAFW Diversity & Disability initiative. This year's events feature current and former Paralympians and athletes who will be closing out the season with an exclusive runway sports show unlike any other. Led by Disability & Diversity Advocate Steven Tingus, this promises to be a highlight of the entire season. 

 "LA has become the streetwear & Red-carpet fashion capital of the world. As part of this cultural renaissance, we're excited to be leaders behind this movement into a premier hub for fashion, art, design and entertainment. That's why the event has become more experiential than ever before," says Arthur Chipman, Executive Producer of LAFW.

The season promises to be an exciting return to in person events with partners such as Stella Artois, L'Oreal, and held at the iconic Peterson Automotive Museum. You can find out more at www.lafw.net

 

Closing Night of LAFW at the Petersen Automotive Museum

This year LAFW held their Spring/Summer 2019 showcase at the Petersen Automotive museum. I attended closing night to see their all star lineup of designers including Irina Malchuk, Irish Latina, Nor, and Bohemian Society. The runway was on the second floor of the msueum and models walked down the catwalk with the amazing vintage cars and specialty models from brands like Porsche, Ford, and Infiniti in the background. I headed to the lounge where there were so many high fashion photo ops and fun displays.

They even had a makeup station where guests could do touch ups to look runway ready and I loved using my new Shiseido lipstick in my favorite fuschia shade that matched my dress perfectly for the night! 
 I loved this garden inspired art by XO Bloom.



I also got to attend with my friend the owner of Rsolute Boutique who came all the way to LA from Alaska! It was so much fun showing her fashion week! The star studded guest list for LA fashion week included Elie Madi who recieved the Moss Adams design award and has designed for A-list celebrities such as JLo, Gwen Stefani and Katy Perry. Former NBA player Kibwe Khari and an America’s Next Top model contestant were also in the front row right next to yours truly!

The first show of the night, Irinia Malchuk kicked things off with a glittery 70s inspired collection. The runway really had a shine to it with these beautiful gowns and fun flirty styles. This pair of lace boots was a crowd favorite and totally unique.

Next, Irish Latina, an eco-friendly brand made of recycled t-shirts kicked things up with an exotic dance performance right on the runway. The models followed strutting down the catwalk in the flouncy and brightly colored designs. Each design had a fun style on the back such as bows or lace up corsets. The collection had a hint of retro style to it as well. I loved all the bright colors and feminine details from this collection.

Then we got a special treat from Nor, a brand from Norway that brought beautiful simple Nordic designs to the runway. My favorite was this simple yet elegant blue dress. The fabric was draped in the middle to form a snowflake pattern and the dress reminded me of something from the Frozen movie!

Finally the show closed with a rockin performance from Bohemian Lifestyle, a fun and loud brand with an artistic flair. The show was also designed to be a story in itself and each model played a character. There were so many interesting things to watch including a model who even skateboarded down the runway! There were also models who took pictures of the audience. The surrealist quality of the show made an artistic statement about the current state of the fashion industry. The reversal of roles from the audience taking pictures to now having the models take pictures of the audience was a reminder about our social media obsessed society. The audience loved it and everyone participated posing and photo bombing the pictures. There was also a set of models coming down the runway posing and shooting like in a photo session. The models looked like they could be acting out the life of a blogger or influencer and made an important statement about the changing fashion marketing trends today. The model and photographer looked like they were almost in their own world and moved seamlessly down the runway changing angels and poses as they walked. There were also several other talented models on the runway including a set of dancers who gave a beautiful performance in matching turquoise dresses that flowed with the dance. 

All in all it was a great show and a fun night with friends and amazing designs!

CdM Exclusive: FWLA announces brand new location in downtown Los Angeles

FWLA is the next Los Angeles fashion week event I'll be attending this season from October 15-19 and I can't wait to see what amazing designers they will have lined up for this season. Check out my articles from last season to read exclusive interviews with designers such as Cynthia Rowley here. FWLA is a unique event during Los Angeles fashion week because this event not only focuses on showcasing talented designers but also holds panels and networking events for fashion industry professionals attracting everyone from buyers to startups. This industry focused event is a great place to hear about the exciting up and coming direction and opportunities of the Los Angeles fashion industry. I got an exclusive update on some exciting news for FWLA today. According to Executive Producer Gio Ferrigno FWLA will be announcing a new 4 year partnership with the Ratkovich company to host fashion week in the heart of the LA fashion district at 700 West 7th street in downtown Los Angeles on Monday. FWLA is looking forward to this exciting new deal because according to Ferrigno the street has just undergone several million dollars in remodeling and is establishing itself as a cross between world famous fashion destinations such as Le Bon Marche, Avenue Montaigne, and Calle Serrano. Ferrigno also shared that FWLA will be hosting over 30 designers in less than 4 hours at their new location on Monday October 17th and Tuesday October 18th making it the most efficient runway show format. I am looking forward to the event and can't wait to see what they will do with the new space! Don't forget to follow Cerisesdumatin on Instagram and Snapchat for live updates from the events!

Exclusive interview with Alex Bolen Executive Director of Oscar de la Renta

                                  Image courtesy http://www.oscardelarenta.com/runway/spring-2017/

On Monday September 12 Oscar de la Renta brightened NYFW with glamorous designs and intricate detailing. The dresses uphold the telltale fit and elegance of Oscar de la Renta; this uniqueness is something easy to see, but harder to define. Today I had the chance to interview Alex Bolen, executive director of Oscar de la Renta, just a few days after the company presented their SS17 collection at NYFW. I was able to ask Alex about the show as well as the announcement of their new co-creative directors. We also talked about his not so traditional route to Executive director of a major fashion house and his advice for young fashion industry hopefuls!

The Oscar de la Renta SS17 collection debuted at the Morgan Library and Museum to an audience filled with the traditional fashion heavyweights as well as bloggers, influencers, and celebrities on Monday. I asked Alex how he thought social media has influenced their show in recent years. He explained that, while the collection itself wasn't necessarily influenced, the way they look at the room and the types of photographers and diversified types of media professionals they invite has definitely changed. Currently their shows include digital media reporters and bloggers, as well as the typical media representatives.  According to Alex, the company is cognizant of the power of social media and is always looking for intelligent ways to tell the world who they are. They believe it is important to know how other people perceive the brand and they adapt their message to each different platform.

Oscar de la Renta announced new co-creative directors Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia. I asked about the direction of the new creators and Alex expressed his excitement to see them take on this role. He knows them both extremely well and told me that they had worked closely alongside Oscar for many years. He said that while he likes to think he is a good business person, they were the dreamers.  He said that, while he doesn't know what this transition is going to look like yet, he is very excited to see how they will interpret Oscar's designs for their younger and more contemporary customer as well as their core customer. I am very excited to see what they will have in store for their younger customers!

After talking about all the new and exciting changes at the company I asked Alex if there was anything he felt that Oscar de la Renta had stayed true to over the years and today. He told me what Oscar himself used to say when asked about his inspiration for his current collection. Oscar de la Renta said that his inspiration was always to make women look and feel great with his designs. According to Alex this is something that the fashion house is sticking by.

Another thing that Alex believes is unique to the company and that they have stayed true to over the years is the company culture. Alex described that Oscar de la Renta ran his design studio so that anyone could express their opinion. According to Alex, while it's not a democracy, at Oscar de la Renta if you want to be an expert in something you can come to the company and do that with hard work and dedication. He also said that it is still a family owned business at its core and that even though not everyone is related many people have spent 30 or more years with the company and many had worked closely with Oscar for that time. They want to keep that spirit in the company.

Finally I asked Alex about his background in fashion and what his advice would be to someone looking to get into the industry. He explained that he came to Oscar de la Renta about 15 years ago from a background in finance.  He transitioned to the company since his wife Eliza is Oscar's daughter-in-law and has worked at the company for many years. He said that he believes there is no traditional career path in the fashion industry. He referenced Oscar de la Renta's background as an architectural student in Madrid who got into fashion after taking a job sketching to earn extra money. Oscar then got hired on at the design house as an entry level worker with a small job. Even though it was a small job Oscar became very good at it and was able to move up from there. That lesson is something he brought with him to his own design house and that the company still believes in today. Alex gave the example of Laura Kim who started out as an intern and quickly became a resident expert on buttons and trims. While seemingly a small part of the design process this important piece allowed Laura to work closely with Oscar and learn about his design process which will be valuable in her new position. Alex's advice is that if you are passionate about something no matter how small, you can make yourself indispensable and get noticed.

Oscar de la Renta has continued to honor the great designers legacy at the company and on the runway and I’m looking forward to seeing what they have in store for us next season!

Exclusive Interview Jessica Farrugia designer for Cynthia Rowley

Today was the first day of FWLA in downtown Los Angeles at union station. The headlining collection Cynthia Rowley was the most anticipated show at the event. I went backstage to interview womenswear designer at Cynthia Rowley Jessica Farrugia about the collection. Jessica has a job that many young designers dream of so I asked her how she got her start in the fashion industry. She started out at FIT in New York and received an internship working with Cynthia Rowley and has been there ever since. The young designer wearing a brightly colored tweed jacket prepped the clothes backstage before the show as we talked. This is the first time Cynthia Rowley has presented at FWLA and according to Jessica they decided to come out to the west coast to present their athleisure collection. They were excited to come to the LA market as it is a new adventure for them and felt their new collection went well with the LA lifestyle. One look came down th e runway with a colorful signature surfboard showing the California inspiration. Cynthia Rowley is known for being sporty and pretty and Jessica wanted to translate that into the sportswear and swimwear collection as well saying, "why shouldn't it be pretty?" The collection was the perfect combination of the two with floral patterns and bright colors throughout and one of my favorite looks this sparkle jacket!

 According to Jessica the Cynthia Rowley brand doesn't focus on just one age for their customer and the collection had pieces for all ages. I asked Jessica about the brand's social media presence and she believes it is very important to connect with the customer. Cynthia Rowley has a large following on Instagram and their feed is filled with fun shots as well as snapshots of designer and owner Cynthia Rowley. The show was a success and the crowd enjoyed the amazing collection which incorporated classic Cynthia Rowley style such as these fun shoes as well as new trends in the athleisure market.

I loved all the bright colors and accessories such as this cute backpack.

These clothes were perfect for the California lifestyle and were very fun and functional. I loved this cute wetsuit and these leggings.

I have always loved the Cynthia Rowley brand and am so excited to see west coast style from this New York based brand. The collection captured the surfing in the morning and skiing in the afternoon lifestyle of the golden state.

 I can't wait to start wearing these fun pieces ans I'm sure they will be very popular in the Los Angeles market!

The internship files Day 5

My bags in the fashion show at Factory Direct

Today was a crazy day at FBI. This morning I helped prepare for the back to back seminars they had going for LA textile week. As I walked int he building this morning the place was already buzzing and people were browsing the textile displays in the lobby. When I tried to go up the escalator a guard stopped me and asked me for a badge. During LA textile week the building adds extra  security. Well being an intern, I didn't have a badge so, I had to explain at the front desk where I work. Ahh, the life of an intern. Next I had to head over to the factory direct tradeshow across the street at the NewMart building. I was in charge of manning the FBI booth at the tradeshow as well as helping with the fashion show they were sponsoring at 4;30. I quickly rushed over to get the booth all set up since FBI was short staffed and, I was the only one there. It was really fun to introduce the company to people and I ended up getting a few people to sign up on the email list as well! I also helped out with planning the fashion show and, got to show my original line of Sierra Clair accessories at the end of the show. I also got to mingle with the attendees of the show including the tradeshow organizer David. He also plays beach volleyball and it turns out we know some of the same people. While getting ready for the fashion show Parris the show coordinator did a photo shoot of my totes and t shirts on the models. I also helped time the show and directed the models when they should walk which was a great experience for me because I learned about the timing of a fashion show and the rhythm of the catwalk. Then at the end I had a few models show my bags and I even got to walk out on the runway at the end as a professional designer. I stayed for the after party to network and the showroom owner I met through FBI a few months ago got to see my bags on the runway and he really liked them. So all my hard work really paid off. Today was a long but great day! Check back to see what I'm up to tomorrow at the booth for Design Options at the LA textile show in the California Market Center.