Attire to Inspire featuring Yotam Solomon, Moods of Norway and VBN
Designer Yotam Solomon unveiled the first men’s looks of his career at a March 8 event at the Conga Room nightclub in downtown Los Angeles. Moods of Norway and VBN brands also produced their first runway shows at the event, which was a fund-raiser for Breathe LA, a nonprofit devoted to raising awareness for air quality and lung health.
For Solomon, the crowd was hip enough to debut his first two avant-garde-style men’s jackets. One was a blazer, which would probably be acceptable wear for a formal restaurant, but it defied expectations with its construction. It was made out of black Pima denim, and it also featured an extension strap around the belt area of the jacket. Solomon said the strap could be tied up and styled in any number of ways.
He also showed men’s pants that stopped short at being formal black attire with their inspiration of bondage looks and stitched leather panels.
Moods of Norway showed 15 looks from its Fall 2012 collection, named “Cocktail Mountaineering” and featuring a palette of oranges and maroons. Also on display were his and her suits in a matching dark floral design. Men’s line VBN also showed its Fall 2012 looks. VBN Creative Director Kirk Heifner said the goal of the line was to mix different classic looks. A jacket mixed the slim fit of a motorcycle jacket with the buttons and lapels of a peacoat. Another look mixed the body of a Henley shirt with a hood from the popular hooded sweater. Along with form-fitting chinos and loose-fitting sweaters, Heifner strived to make knits with a distressed look and a unique specialized stitch. —Andrew Asch
