Photo by John Eckmier.
RUNWAY
Maggie Barry Takes to the Street
Maggie Barry’s main gig is making custom clothes for rock stars ranging from Nicki Minaj to Van Halen, but occasionally her designs take center stage.
That happened on May 8, when her men’s streetwear line, M8Urban, took a bow in a courtyard outside the offices of stylists La Maison de Fashion on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood.
“I do a lot of custom,” Barry said. “I felt a need for something you could wear to a Lakers game. Something comfortable, something you can wear out.”
The 34 looks in her show featured drop-crotch pants that Barry called “swag” pants. Some of M8Urban’s lettermen’s jackets featured a gold metallic sheen. An array of sleeveless tank tops was detailed with glass-like pieces.
There also were styles made of ponte fabric and textured leather pieces along with some women’s looks from Barry’s custom line.
Barry’s manifesto for the line translated into the casting of the show. Reality-TV personality Courtney Stodden and drag-queen model Plastic Martyr walked the runway with more-conventional models. Also in the audience were designer Merlin Castell and La Maison de Fashion Chief Executive Officer Angelina Pitt.
M8Urban was designed as urban menswear, but the line is intended for a diverse crowd of people. “It’s not about one kind of person wearing it,” she said.
