L.A. Fashion Week Fall '08: Alexis Lamontagna
In the backstage frenzy before the Alexis Lamontagna show on March 10 at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios in Culver City, Calif., a member of the production team snagged her stockings on a roller bag, tearing a gaping hole in her fishnets. “I’m kind of glad. It’s so Alexis Lamontagna,” she said to the designer, who described her debut collection as “Gothic glamour.”
Inspired by a diverse group of real and fictitious women, including Dita Von Teese, Morticia Addams, Jean Harlow and Mary Poppins, Lamontagna’s collection was a study in architectural lines, sexy silhouettes and a palette of mainly black, white, navy and red.
On the sexy side, the Los Angeles–based designer offered a pencil skirt in nylon/Lycra knit with a row of kick pleats in the back and the “Racing Dress,” a second-skin black micro-mini dress with a red strip up the back. The “Poncho Villa” hooded cashmere top was a nod to Harlow, while the high-waist shorts in red-and-black striped denim was more Von Teese. A red wool gabardine skirt with a high waist and a body-skimming shape was called the “Morticia Skirt.”
The belted “Riding Hood Cape” in navy alpaca wool with a red silk lining was a winner, as was the navy alpaca “Motorcycle Coat,” which blended details of a classic motorcycle jacket with the fabric and silhouette of a peacoat.
The red-and-black denim was also used for a pair of high-waist ultra-skinny jeans and in the finale look: a strapless gown with a sweetheart neckline with a bustle and corset lacing in the back.—Alison A. Nieder
