L.A. Fashion Week Fall '04: P. Ka Bu
P. Ka Bu presented a plethora of classic and edgy fashions from eight emerging Los Angeles designers on April 3–4 at the Bliss Penthouse in Beverly Hills.
“It’s the underground designers coming together as a community. We like the intimacy of it,” explained Los Angeles designer Joseacute; Angel, who produced the shows.
Monica Osorio’s Szulika line started off with a blend of femme fatale looks and classic styles. Osorio highlighted bomber jackets over black poly-satin tops, trousers and skirts. She also included a number of brushed jerseys, tweed skirts and stretch-corduroy pieces.
Tod Waters and Giuliana Mayo provided plenty of sex, leather and rock ’n’ roll, showing the latest from Juuml;nker Designs, which the pair has been selling to many celebrity customers. The designers reworked vintage leather into handpainted biker jackets, vests and revealing bodices with leather side stitching. They also highlighted punk looks with short plaid skirts and made “Wonder Woman” suits out of Dixie flags.
Orange County designer Amy Parris’ Aimisu collection featured an eclectic mix of girly looks with a touch of glam. It’s “Paris Hilton meets Prince,” Parris said.
There were baby-doll dresses and short cocktail dresses with lace, as well as a smattering of retro halters and velvet blazers in emerald and other smashing colors, all lined in raw silk.
Headliner Maggie Barry concluded the first night of P. Ka Bu with the debut of her Barrymoore menswear collection, which is available for the first time to the trade. Barry, who designs the line with stylist Lee Moore, offered tailored stretch suits, tuxedo shirts and printed tees. Her Maggie Barry women’s line featured punkish sets, such as a pleated skirt with a mesh top bearing peace-sign appliqueacute;s. Her evening set included metallic suits, stretch-satin bustiers and dresses with tuxedo-stripe details.
Mell 2608 showed plenty of attitude with a tamale-red one-shoulder shirt worn with a white faux-fur miniskirt, as well as a white V-neck tunic and red leather corset paired with trousers and a studded belt.
Uriel Saenz used Italian baroque-print upholstery fabric to make elegantly draped skirts that he held in place with antique-looking jeweled hardware. The highly resourceful designer also crafted a Mexican-style poncho using ivoryand- gray chevron carpet. Another look was a black tube top with angora trim paired with a beige pleated miniskirt.
Erica Rose’s retooled vintage looks—which included a brown silk floral-print skirt, a georgette blouse over a turquoise camisole with lace trim, a rose-print circle skirt and an embroidered brown wool sweater—were feminine classics with a bohemian feel.
Deborah Lindquist used vintage sari and kimono fabrics to design bustiers, skirts and dresses and embellished the pieces with semiprecious beads. The designer also incorporated a Western theme by using leather on several silhouettes, including cashmere sweaters with Georgia O’Keeffe–inspired steer-head appliqueacute;s. —R.M. and C.F.
