Dancer wearing L.A. Spleen in a compartment above reception desk at The Standard.
Valerj Pobega Unveils L.A. Spleen
David Bowie has been a longtime muse for Valerj Pobega’s self-named art inspired line. But for her L.A. Spleen collection, she went farther back than Bowie’s Thin White Duke or Ziggy Stardust periods. She went positively Victorian.
Oscar Wilde, French poet Charles Baudelaire and other 19th century decadents informed the look of L.A. Spleen. A reception for the 7-piece collection was held Jan. 25 at The Standard Hotel in West Hollywood, Calif.
Instead of a runway, the show took place across The Standard's lobby. Instead of models, dancers did interpretive dances wearing L.A. Spleen pieces. They moved to 1970s glam rock, think T.Rex and Brian Eno, being played on the lobby's sound system. The tunes were curated by Pobega and played by photographer Kiino Villand.
Some of the fabric was taken from sheets made in the Victorian era. Other pieces featured elements of men's 19th century evening wear, and the puffy sleeves worn by women of that era. Pobega hand painted poetry on fabric for some L.A. Spleen pieces.
Inspired by Wilde’s novel on beauty and evil, Picture of Dorian Gray, dancers’ faces were painted like angels at one side of the face, the other side ugly.
Installations from the L.A. Spleen will run at The Standard until Feb. 22.
