Fashion Week LA 2007: Gen Art’s New Garde

Past my initial disappointment that there were no new tie designs for fall 2007, Fashion Week LA has been interesting to say the least. In the fashion world, LA has been relegated to be the bastard red-headed step child.; despite our tantrums we only get bemused scoffs and patronizing pats on the heads.

Kicking off fashion week was Gen Art’s New Garde show at Ivar Studios in Hollywood. Gen Art has been the vanguard of emerging fashion talent, and this time around was no exception. Showing their wares were three up and coming talents Alms, Mintee and Hazel Brown. Giving a synopsis of the fashion front will be Ensign Lisa. Ensign Lisa is a new recruit in my fleet, as her skills to take a burlap sack and wear it like a Galliano gown are know the Empire over.

Enter Ensign Lisa:

Saturday march 17th was the Fashion week kick-off at GenArts : New Garde , a traveling showcase dedicated to emerging talent in the fashion industry. More installation than runway, the event attracted many Los Angeleno fashiontas/ fashionistos alike to survey the fresh talents.

Mintee. Feminine and boudoir-esque collection. Strong influences from Balenciaga’s bubble silhouette with touches of Lavin elegance. Overall collection was a tad too trendy and haughty for my taste.

Alms. High street contemporary casual. The pieces were very wearable yet edgy. They were versatile enough for work, day/night play, or casual outings. Excellent attention to subtle details and materials awareness. Minimal complexity. It was not about the theatrics with this collection, but rather a play on volume, form and how it drapes on the body.

Hazel Brown. Laura Ingals gone goth. The craft meets Little Women. Overall collection was very organic and tactile. The concept I got was “mousy hard working woman whose handiwork and craftsmanship has paid off”. It felt like I was in a NIN music video and Christina would burst through the doors showing these girls how to work the über macabre ingénue angle.

End Report.

Thank you Ensign Lisa, your report is to be commended in the next review.
A highlight of the evening was when a random drunk girl thought it would be funny to walk on one of the installation catwalks and take a picture as if she were a model. Like a slumbering ED-209, the adjacent model wakes from sentry mode and, with efficiency and elegance, bats the girl of the stage, turning to her victim only to give a menacing hiss.

The girl got off easy; I’m surprised the model didn’t do more damage.

After Gen Arts, Losanjealous was invited to a few other “after parties” through out the week. Most were generic Hollywood fare, though my exciting moment being possibly meeting Brad Dourif. His fur vest was amazing. Oh, and being constantly asked, “Don’t you know who I am?” Note to fledging celebrities: this is possibly the worst way to get your picture taken.