The Bohemian Society
Designer Victor Wilde of The Bohemian Society, a Los Angeles–based brand, likes the authoritative nature of military-inspired clothes—and it shows. His Fall 2006 collections for men and women were riddled with soldierly flourishes such as sashes and AK- 47 graphics in a color palette that included gunmetal gray, Army green and navy blue.
The May 13 show at the MJ Higgins Gallery in downtown Los Angeles included musical performances by The Peasants, MC Sweet T and Ten G Bob, and drew a crowd of young creative types.
For men, Wilde showed his trademark customized knit vests, pinstriped trousers, screen-printed T-shirts and a tuxedo jacket with pink piping. Anarchistic cheek was evident in jailhouse stripes on T-shirts accented with red handprints. Blazers were bleached or distressed and featured built-in hoods lined with red satin.
The Bohemian Society women’s collection combined flirtatious hemlines with a street sensibility. Screen-printed hoodies doubled as mini dresses and a sequined tube skirt was paired with an unstructured shell for a mod-meets-’80s feel. Tops featured enormous gold screen-printed military crests.
Wilde showed more of his mix-and-match aesthetic, layering a large-scale mesh top over a cropped hoodie and swing skirt. Rips, tears and tortured embroidery kept skirts and suiting pieces from looking austere. —Erin Barajas
