Chemline's grand finale at Ace Gallery
Fall/Winter Fashion Week in Los Angeles doesn’t have a home any more– it has several, ranging from an ultra-hip mid-Wilshire art gallery to a former cathedral downtown to a well-known postproduction facility in Hollywood.
Gone are the days when most of the runway shows were at Smashbox Studios in Culver City. Whether you liked that place or not, and we did, it was centrally located and pretty much one-stop shopping to see a slew of up-and-coming and better known LA designers.
But the current incarnation brings a lot of creative freedom and a different vibe at the various venues. Ace Gallery on Wilshire Boulevard near LACMA (not the Beverly Hills location on Wilshire) was the site of what it called Concept Fashion Week for four days, including shows from Chemline Sustainable Apparel (www.chemlineapparel.com) , which showcased beveled skirts and jumpsuits, column jackets and cots and dresses and trousers made of materials including silk, hemp, organic wool and recycled polyester. Many of the trendy getups were accessorized with Gaspar gloves.
Another well received collection at Ace: Lavuk (www.mylavuk.com) , whose fall line is entitled “Infinity,” influenced by the linear symmetry and crisp angles of the Art Deco movement in colors ranging from orange, deep purple to gold.
A line called Skingraft based in downtown LA (www.skingraftdesigns.com) took over one of the mini-galleries at Ace for a standing presentation, rather than a runway show. Designer Jonny Cota says he takes his inspiration from the grace of death and dying and the inevitable ashes that we will become and translates it into a vision of dark luxury with sharply structured shoulders, fine unique wools and exaggerated collars–and lots of black leather.
Vibiana downtown is hosting other shows this week and come the weekend, the runway action will shift to Sunset Gower Studios in Hollywood.
Los Angeles-based designer Sue Wong, known for her beautiful beaded gowns and red carpet dresses, is doing her own thing again, as she has for several seasons since Smashbox closed down, hosting a lunchtime event at her Los Feliz-area home with models showing off the latest from her line.
