L.A. Fashion Week Fall '04: 2 B Free
2B Free designers Yves and Cedric Benaroch make luxury sportswear with a few extras—extra embellishments, extra-sexy cuts and extra attitude. The brothers’ March 29 fashion show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios in Culver City marked their return to the Smashbox runway after their debut last season.
For their sophomore run, the two showed plenty of women’s cashmere track suits with low-rise bottoms, flirty minis, cropped jackets and hooded tops. Colors ranged from soft pinks and blues to bold oranges and yellows. Most designs were emblazoned with the 2 B Free logo in a spray-can graffiti print; embellished with “Love” patches; or embroidered with fleurs-de-lis, flowers and intricate geometric shapes. A few styles had reverse seams and contrast stitching. The fleur-delis pattern also turned up as a screen print on T-shirts and on denim and deniminspired styles as a back-pocket or pant-leg detail.
Many of the men’s styles included the same details as the women’s looks. Especially strong were cropped and embroidered pants topped with embellished hooded sweat shirts.
The collection is carried at boutiques such as M. Fredric in Los Angeles and appeals to “anyone from 15 to 50,” said an elated Cedric Benaroch after the show.
“It’s comfortable, cute and appealing to everyone,” he added. —A.A.N.
