L.A. Style Meets London Tradition
Young Los Angeles–based designer Corinne Grassini is no stranger to accolades. Her line, Society for Rational Dress, debuted in 2004 at Gen Art’s Spring ’05 show, “The New Garde,” during Los Angeles Fashion Week and made an appearance at Gen Art’s Fall 2005 show in New York. The line, which pairs worn-leather harnesses with flowing silks and functional straps with draped cotton, has been hailed by local and national press as a harbinger of things to come in Los Angeles fashion.
But Grassini’s muse is hardly the typical L.A. girl. “I design for a worldly girl,” she said, “a girl who is interested in art and music and culture. She’s very unique, she’s like my friends.” Grassini’s edgy clothes are carried by hip boutiques such as Naked, Scout and Diavolina in Los Angeles and Lobby in Japan. And when her line was shown to buyers in Paris earlier this year, Society for Rational Dress shared rack space with designers including Anna Sui, As Four and Vivienne Tam.
With so much momentum carrying her forward, it may seem a little surprising that the 28-year-old designer up and left Los Angeles this summer to go back to school—and overseas, no less. For four months Grassini studied innovative patternmaking at London’s Central St. Martin’s College of Art & Design.
“I wanted to learn a more intricate and more tailored approach to design,” Grassini said shortly after her return. “I think L.A. has a tendency to look for tailoring that’s convenient to mass produce. I wanted to go to Europe to study the way they produce patterns. It seems they know how to inject more creativity and thought into their patternmaking.”
The intensive course was challenging, Grassini said, and she learned the exacting craft from a slew of designers who’ve worked with Givenchy and Vivienne Westwood. “All we focused on was fit, down to one-eighth of a centimeter,” she said. “Now I can’t get it out of my mind.”
The designer, whose clothes often walk the line between avant-garde and traditional, is looking forward to using her new skills. “I think it has brought out another level with my work,” Grassini said.
Back in town and back at work, she’s hoping that her growing legion of fans will appreciate the minute details, meticulous tailoring and quirky flourishes that she’s planning for her Fall ’06 collection.
“Unlike a lot of new designers, she has an understanding of all the mechanics and architecture in a piece of clothing that allow her reserved color palette and accessories and shoes to seamlessly make a complete, wearable look,” said Greg Armas, co-owner of Los Angeles–based Scout, one of the first boutiques to carry Society for Rational Dress.
For more information, visit societyforrationaldress.com or call (212) 643-4810.
