L.A. Fashion Week Fall '05: Erica Rose
Erica Rose brought the sky and the ocean to her Fall 2005 runway show on March 15 as part of the P. Ka Bu series at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood. And treading lightly between the two elements was a woman modeled after pioneering aviator Amelia Earhart, who glided in silk dresses, cashmere sweaters and wide-leg trousers.
Rose immersed the 25 outfits in shades of blue and green, as well as a bit of purple and black. Her signature trousers featured broad waistbands adorned in floral upholstery, hand-stitched collages and lace. New in her collection, the silk dresses were spared from being too precious by the addition of jersey waistbands that balanced the keyhole necklines. Rose catered to the prevailing bohemian trend by including long gypsy skirts. Earhart’s aviator scarf also inspired a cashmere wrap sweater that tied in the back.
Rose, who studied sculpture in college and lives in Los Angeles’ Venice neighborhood, exemplified her hands-on approach to designing for the body by piecing together a black–and–sherbet green cashmere knit dress with frayed hems and asymmetrical panels. “It’s kind of the epitome of my sensibility—blending complete opposites,” Rose said.
She added that she liked the paradox that Earhart had embodied in the 1920s and 1930s. “She had to be as masculine as she could [in aviation]. But she’s beautiful.” —Khanh T.L. Tran
