L.A. Fashion Week Fall '05: Petro Zillia
Petro Zillia designer Nony Tochterman knows how to stage a fashion show. She first hinted at this season’s inspiration when she sent out invitations for her “Discoteque–Fall 2005” fashion show printed on 45 rpm records. On March 16 at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios in Culver City, she transformed the main tent into a 1970s-era disco, complete with glittering walls, a psychedelic-purple runway and a gold disco ball
But she didn’t stop there. Musical artists RA.W and Jewlaacute; from the Three Kings record label performed their mixture of hip-hop and disco beats, while “Solid Gold” dancers, choreographed by Paula Abdul, grooved in the background. One could picture Lauren Hutton and Bianca Jagger in the Euro disco club scene of the late 1970s and early 1980s, which inspired Tochterman’s look for Fall.
This season’s lineup had a harder edge than past collections, blending the sexy style of the 1970s, the bling of the 1980s and Tochterman’s sense of whimsy.
“I felt like going a little stronger,” the designer said. “I still think I kept my little girly edge, but it’s a little more tailored, with big notches and big lapels.”
Tochterman paired 1980s-style pleated baggy pants with shrunken jackets, smart argyle wool suits with groovy shirts in 1970s prints and sweet cardigan sweaters with edgy floral-print dresses. Tochterman concluded the show with evening gowns featuring clingy gold metallic knits and groovy leopard prints, as well as her signature colorful ruffled hems, bows and trims. —N. Jayne Seward
