California Apparel News

For those of you who think Fashion Week in Los Angeles is over, I have this to say to you: You have not been paying attention.

For those who thought Fashion Week started when IMG turned on the lights over at Smashbox Studios on opening day and ended five days later when they rolled up the carpet, I say this: you missed half the show.

To be sure, IMG’s presence in Los Angeles will be sorely missed. We will all miss the convenience of having so many shows in one place. We will miss the top-notch lighting that helped make our photos look so great and a professional—and unflappable—staff to turn to for help. And many will miss the IMG gift bag and the “angels” serving tequila.

But this season, the tents at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios were part of an 11-day run that stretched across the city.

Did you make it to either of Gen Art’s shows at the Petersen Automotive Museum? If you did, you would have caught some promising new designers—and, if you stuck around for the afterparties, you could have caught up with many of L.A.’s best-known designers.

Did you skip BoxEight? Now in its fourth season producing independent runway events, the photo studio in downtown Los Angeles took over an adjoining warehouse space to set up a cool fashion compound where fashion insiders and the simply fashionable got to hang out and see a 13-designer lineup that included some well-known faces and some promising newcomers.

There were also plenty of fabulous independent events around town from the Trovata dinner to the Katy Rodriguez installation in the Hollywood Hills, as well as runway shows, parties and happenings at many of the city’s boutiques.

And if you’ve written off the future of L.A. fashion week, you are not considering the clout and resources behind IDG World Expo, which is preparing to launch its Reveal Los Angeles fashion event in March ’09. So far, plans call for runway shows at L.A. Live and a trade expo at the California Market Center. IDG has kept a low profile so far and hasn’t revealed specifics about the event, but a group that can put on well-known trade shows like the Macworld Expo and the E3 Conference knows a thing or two about running events. I, for one, am looking forward to seeing how the organization plans to blend its technology expertise with L.A.’s unique take on fashion.

Those of you who’ve been doing this as long as I have, will remember a time when the city’s fashion industry raced around town to watch fashion events in architectural landmarks, empty warehouse spaces, tunnels, alleys and private homes.

It was a weeklong party that everyone attended—guests leaving one event would say “see you tomorrow” and if you missed an evening, people would ask where you’d been.

Those who’ve been doing this even longer than I remember press week in the ’80s and ’90s, when the national fashion industry descended upon Los Angeles to see the hot new Los Angeles brands showing in tents in downtown Los Angeles.

So while we wish IMG a fond farewell, it’s important to remember their departure is not the end of the story. I can’t wait for Los Angeles Fashion Week—the next chapter. And I hope to see you all there.