L.A. Fashion Week Fall 2002: Richard Tyler
Richard Tyler’s edgy, rock-n-chic looks used to maddeningly spurn the wallet of the typical shopper. No more. The Australia-born designer, who heeded the plebeian pleas for more affordable clothing, debuted his secondary collection, known as Tyler, to a fawning audience April 12.
Set in a cavernous creative office space in Culver City, the event attracted more than 500 buyers and guests, including celebrities Natasha Wagner, Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon, Anika Poitier and Bai Ling, who watched the 20-minute show punctuated with denim, corduroy pants and shirts, velvet striped pants, silk chiffon dresses and hoodie sweaters. Along with co-designer Erica Davies, Tyler kicked off the affair with a boy-meets-girl tone with a racy, red leather zip-front vest paired with brick chevron belted pants, which led to looks including an orange-and-brown knit zip-up jacket matched with a cotton/Lycra suede-trimmed lace-up skirt and a fitted blazer worn with a silk chiffon, hooded top and boy-seamed pants.
Easy-fitting jersey and chiffon dresses and skirts were another hallmark of the lineup, including a plum-colored silk chiffon dress with lace lining, an olive wool jersey strapless open-back dress, and a black crepe jersey draped-back dress. Tyler also manipulated high-end fabrics into new looks including distressed velveteen leather-trimmed pants; a black suede, cutout spaghetti strap dress; and a wool trenchcoat with leather trim.
Tyler said he’s received interest from Fred Segal, Barneys New York, Neiman Marcus and Henri Bendel to carry the line, 50 percent of which he plans to allocate to boutiques. The Los Angeles-based designer said response is strong, and he’s never been happier. “I’m having more fun doing this line than I’ve had in 20 years,” he said. —Nola Sarkisian-Miller
