L.A. Fashion Week Fall '05: Morgane Le Fay
The look was subtle, sophisticated and a bit moody at the Morgane Le Fay show, held March 17 at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios in Culver City.
Designer Liliana Casabal presented sculptural elements such as origami-like skirts with asymmetrical pleated panels and jackets and skirts with darts that wrapped around the body. She also updated traditional tweeds, plaids, jerseys and chiffons in unorthodox shapes, such as a plaid A-line skirt with pleated panels set in the side seam. But there was a homespun simplicity to her T-shirt appliqueacute;d with blue flowers and her velvet vests worn under short, fitted jackets. Colors included somber black, navy and gray accented with white slate and a teal shade that Casabal called “lagoon.”
Although this was Casabal’s Los Angeles runway debut, the label has been a fixture in Southern California’s retail community for more than a decade. Casabal, who founded her New York company 23 years ago, has for years operated stores on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica and in Beverly Hills.
“L.A. is very inspiring for me,” she said. “I’ve had my store on Montana for 12 years, and I’ve seen the transformation of the style in L.A., which has been very dramatic. L.A. is as ready as Paris or any other fashion capital for my clothes.” —Alison A. Nieder
