Interview with Dena Burton at LAFW in Hollywood

Tonight was the second day of LAFW in Hollywood. I loved all the fun collections of the night and one of my favorites was Dena Burton a local LA designer who presented an amazing collection with faux fur designs for Fall. I went backstage to interview Dena about her collection and her inspiration. Dena is originally from Chicago and her parents traveled out to see her show. She wanted to design clothes that would empower the women on the runway and that could be wearable for all women. Her collection was definitely wearable and still high fashion. I loved the faux fur accents and coats for Fall and the neutral colors would make a great central piece to any fall wardrobe. Dana felt her show at LAFW was a success and is excited about showcasing her new collection. The clothes were well made with a great fit and I thought they had a fresh take on Fall with the lighter neutral color palette. One of my favorites was the whit dress with fur cuffs pictured below. I also liked the capes and fur wraps. They could be worn over any outfit to add a layer of warmth in the winter. Dena is all about designing clothes for women living busy lives and wants to make high fashion clothes that are powerful and fun for women to wear. Keep an eye out for this designer Dena Burton because she will definitely be around!

CdM One to watch from FWLA: exclusive interview with Gilles Bendenoun of Robin's Jeans

My favorite collection from the evening shows at FWLA Day 1 was Robins Jeans. I spoke to the marketing Director about their latest collection. The fun and stylish denim brand is designed and manufactured right here in Los Angeles. The Robins Jeans brand is all about style and the collection of denim looks included mens and womenswear. I loved the added sparkle on the jeans and their amazing jean jackets. These well designed pieces had an amazing fit and didn't look confining or stiff on the runway. I loved the Los Angeles look and mix of casual and dressy denim in this collection. According to Bendenoun Robins Jeans are made right here in downtown LA and they currently have 15 retail locations. I love discovering new boutiques and can't wait to check them out! Robins Jeans is breaking all the rules and not just with their edgy designs. When I asked about the trends from the runway collection Bendenoun explained that the designer always designs what he feels because the brand isn't subject to department store trends since they have their own stores. I could tell that the collection was full of creativity and loved the play on colors and styles. The brand is able to produce the collection and ship it to their stores easily since they are local one of the benefits of being LA made. The brand has a culture and large following around the country. Popular artist Fetty Wap is a customer of the brand and even sings about them in his song Remy Boyz 679. I would definitely wear this collection and can't wait to see more from this up and coming brand!

Exclusive Interview David Shamouelien CEO of Romeo + Juliet Couture

At the opening of LAFW Romeo and Juliet couture presented their Fall 2016 collection on the runway for the first time in the historic downtown Union Station. This was the first time the Los Angeles based brand had shown at LAFW and the crowd loved the fun and edgy collection. I interviewed David Shoumalien CEO of Romeo + Juliet before the show and got all the details on their latest collection. David has been at Romeo and Juliet for 11 years and he was excited to present the collection to FWLA attendees. Romeo and Juliet is a California lifestyle brand that brings haute couture trends from the runway to their stylish customers at an affordable price. The latest collection was inspired by 80s styles according to David. He explained that this collection focused on the richness of the designs and included luxurious details such as leather and embroidery.

The collection retained the brands romantic California style while incorporating fun pops of color into the 80s theme like this blue dress.

The designs were made from diversified materials and elegant details such as this bow from one of my favorite looks.

The collection had everything from outfits for going out to the perfect items for festival season such as this fun wrap.

I loved the lace detailing on the bottom of the skirts and how the designers played with texture in this outfit.

The clothes were fun and trendy but individual pieces could be worn on any occasion. This collection is definitely on the forefront of trends for next Fall so go check it out!

Tortilla Republic: Melrose Avenue

Today I went down to Melrose Avenue one of my favorite shopping spots in LA and went out to lunch a few streets away from where I was going to fashion week in Hollywood. I wandered up and down the streets and found this cute Mexican cafe called Tortilla Republic on the corner of Robertson and Melrose. This restaurant was extremely convenient because they had great parking and were located right next to some fun shops on Melrose. I checked out the menu and decided on a breakfast burrito. The restaurant had a great atmosphere and seemed popular on a Saturday afternoon. I loved the modern decor and my seat right next to the window where I could people watch on the street. My breakfast burrito came and was a pretty big portion but was delicious. They also have fresh tortillas and chips and salsa. I would definitely come back to this fun restaurant as they had great service and were a quick and easy stop. It was definitely a trendy place and full of young fashion forward crowds.

After I finished at Tortilla Republic I realized I had a little extra time and stopped at the Aroma bar and Grill on Sunset Boulevard for a dessert. I was able to find street parking quickly and enjoyed tasting their creme brulee to satisfy my sweet tooth.