L.A. Fashion Week Fall '08: IMASU by Kelly Nishimoto
Designer Kelly Nishimoto claims there’s a lot of craziness going on in her head. But when her designs came out on the runway at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios in Culver City, Calif., on March 9, they came out as structured craziness with a flair.
This was the fourth appearance for Nishimoto at the semi-annual fashion event. When she first showed on the runway, her collection was heavy on comfy loungewear made of flowing knits.
For her Fall/Winter/Holiday 2008 collection, the fabrics grew heavier and glitzier. There was lots of velvet, silk satins and chiffons that came in bold colors such as fuchsia, teals, blues and burgundies. Sequined material made an appearance, too.
For the Holiday collection, black was everywhere even though Nishimoto, who grew up in Macon, Ga., vowed she’d never gravitate toward that hue.
Each season was distinct in style and color. Fall was casual with jewel tones and prints, Winter had more textures and Holiday was sophisticated.
Nishimoto employed more ruffles than in the past, using the detail on pockets, skirts and pants. Big bows accented dress waistlines. Pants came in two silhouettes: straight-legged with zippers up the side and wide-legged. Dresses were fun but sophisticated, ranging from bright cocktail dresses to sweeping evening dresses.
Said Nishimoto: “I love the ’20s and the future, and I tried to put those two together but keep it current and fashion-forward.” —Deborah Belgum
