L.A. Fashion Week Fall '07: Octavio Carlin
Octavio Carlin made a splash when he designed red-carpet gowns for his debut collection in March 2006. But he switched gears for his Fall 2007 collection. Instead of bright, formal gowns, the collection concentrates on cocktail dresses washed with dark colors. His 24-look Fall 2007 collection debuted on March 17 at Kitten Fashion Week at The Standard Downtown.
The Mexican-born designer said that the clean lines of architect Richard Neutra were one of the inspirations for his Fall 2007 collection. Another inspiration was the burgeoning business of his self-named boutique, located on 1720 N. Vermont Ave. in Los Angeles.
After he opened the atelier on Dec. 8, his customers requested cocktail dresses more frequently than glamorous red-carpet gowns. With their requests on his mind, Carlin’s Fall collection offered garments such as “The Doris,” a tuxedo dress covered in a midnight-blue color. Another dress is “The Kalia,” a gray-colored long-sleeved lace and stretch-jersey dress.
Retail price points for his short jersey dresses are $500. Yet Carlin did not ignore the red carpet with his Fall collection.
The last piece in the fashion show, “The Jacaranda,” has a retail price point of $3,000. The brown chiffon ombreacute; gathered step dress features bright pops of turquoise and other hues. For Holiday 2007, Carlin said he would debut a wedding-dress line. —Andrew Asch
