L.A. Fashion Week Spring '09: Idol Radec
A nostalgic trip down memory lane inspired the Idol Radec Spring ’09 collection, shown Oct. 16 at BoxEight in Los Angeles. Nick Thomas said he and partners Scott Barclay and David Hickman looked through old pictures in their family albums and drew from the lifestyles of their past to design the collection. They were inspired by the retro sensibility of their parents and grandparents vacationing in Palm Springs, Calif.; Lake Tahoe, Calif.; and Florida from the 1950s through the ’70s.
“Back then, you’d go on vacation, but you wouldn’t relax completely,” Thomas said. “You would still dress up and go to dinners, and you would go to the poolside wearing a blazer. We wanted to portray that look.”
Think casual country-club sophistication that mixes East Coast preppy with a relaxed California attitude. It was retro Americana with traditional blazers paired with khakis, gingham shirts and shorts, as well as smart lightweight suits worn with silk ties. The look was updated by using high-tech fabrics and styling the collection with a hip, modern aesthetic. —N. Jayne Seward
