Simplicity's Virtues
Diane Medak has dressed such red-carpet regulars as Paris Hilton and Peneacute;lope Cruz, but when she threw a party on Aug. 11 to debut her Fall 2004 line at her namesake store on Third Street in Los Angeles, she stressed simplicity.
Action was limited to walking to the back of the store for a glass of wine, making idle chatter with the other guests or trying on certain pieces of the new line.
Medak’s designs, also sold in Horn on Robertson Boulevard and Twilight at Fred Segal Santa Monica, experiment with stripes in chocolate and steel hues.
“I wanted something [that was] comfortable, flattering and versatile,” Medak said. “That’s what I try to do with all of my stuff.”
Frocks include a ruched halter dress ($60 wholesale), tube dresses ($56) and a mini-wrap dress ($60). Popular tops include a tank with a lined bust ($26), a ruched T-shirt ($46) and a kimono with an open-back top ($44).
The most popular seller in store, which Medak opened in June of last year, is the “#202 Cami,” which the designer has been making since she debuted the collection in 1999. “The bust is lined; it’s easy to wear with a bra or without and flattering for most body types,” she said. —Andrew Asch
