Los Angeles Fashion Week is ready for its close-up
With the olive now firmly in the martini that is Paris Fashion Week, it’s L.A.’s turn to showcase style for the upcoming fall season. Notable additions to the calendar for this season’s Los Angeles Fashion Week include a 10-designer showcase organized by the Council of Fashion Designers of America and the U.S. debut of Istanbul-based designer Özgür Masur.
Most events are for the trade only, designed to allow designers to show their wares to store buyers and the media. First out of the gate is Style Fashion Week, which returns for its sophomore slate of shows at a new home (the event deck at L.A. Live), beginning Sunday at 6 p.m. for five nights of runway shows, presentations and installations. Of note: Michael Costello, an L.A.-based designer who recently made headlines for creating the sheer white floral lace gown Beyoncé wore at the Grammys, and Betsey Johnson, who is set to reprise the fall-winter collection she sent down the runway at New York Fashion Week last month.
The Los Angeles Fashion Council, which staged two days of high-profile tented shows at the Grove shopping center last season, is taking a comparatively low-key approach this time — partly because organizer Kelsi Smith and company are about to head to Tokyo to showcase local brands. The result: a dozen collections presented in an appointment-only showroom format Monday and Tuesday at the council’s offices, followed by a VIP and press-only event Wednesday. Participating designers include Rose La Grua, Linden, Odylyne, Stella Proseyn, Kristen Dorsey and Katharine Kidd.
Concept Los Angeles has a single (if long) day on Saturday that consists of five runway shows and six presentations taking place at Mack Sennett Studios. A notable development here is the new sponsorship of Turkish denim and textile firm ISKO, and an “Istanbul Designers” showcase. This season it’s a showcase of one — a runway show featuring the fall and winter collection of Masur — but a representative for the effort says the goal is to grow the number of Turkish brands in future seasons.
Perhaps the most promising addition is the announcement by the CFDA that the 10 up-and-coming brands in its Fashion Incubator business development program are coming to the West Coast en masse for the first time for a series of events that culminates in a one-day showcase for buyers, media, stylists and other fashion influencers on March 18 at the W Hotel Hollywood.
The brands include: Ari Dein, Burkman Bros., Daniel Vosovic, Emanuela Duca, Isaora, Jonathan Simkhai, Number:Lab, Reece Hudson, Timo Weiland and Whit.
Project Ethos’ emerging fashion, music and art showcase, one of the rare fashion-week-related events open to the ticket-buying public, returns to Avalon Hollywood on March 18 with a grab bag of activities including fashion showcases at 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. (Tickets, info: https://www.projectethos.tv.)
