L.A. Fashion Week Spring '06: Morphine Generation
With guitars and a drum set providing a backdrop, it was no surprise that the Spring 2006 collection of Los Angeles–based Morphine Generation was highly influenced by rock music.
But it wasn’t the Woodstock generation’s version of rebellion that inspired Morphine designer Erik Hart. It’s the post-punk era of the late 1970s that was seen when the label put its 22 looks on display Oct. 22 at the Miauhaus photography studios in Los Angeles.
Like a good student of that era, Hart designed black T-shirts and shorts with skinny legs. But the designer also went beyond the often-monochromatic style of the time with colorful and whimsical pieces such as ballerina skirts, polo shirts bearing bright colors and even a T-shirt embellished with Swarovski crystals.
Styles that adhered more easily to Hart’s inspirations also included a peacoat- inspired blazer, a hoodie called the “Nihilist” bearing punk graphics, and a single-breasted blazer cast in a plain white.
The fashion show received a vote of confidence from rock stars such as Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Tim Armstrong of Rancid, who both attended the fashion show and later checked out Hart’s vibrant performance singing for rock band Suicide Club. —Andrew Asch
