On September 30 th 2016, Studio Blond & Bieber presented a unique, lyrical collection to a packed audience at LA Fashion Week. Curated by fashion journalist Quynh Tran, the collection was comprised of two looks each from Berlin’s top emerging talents, including Daid Tomaszewski, Hien Le, Michael Sontag, Perret Schaad, Schmidttakahashi, and Valdimir Karalev, which were reinterpreted by Studio Blond & Bieber using the dye techniques the duo has developed. The presentation artfully reflected the tenets of sustainability and interdisciplinary design that are pillars of Studio Blond & Bieber. Designers Essi Johanna Glomb and Rasa Weber brought thoughtful elements to every aspect of their presentation, which featured models criss-crossing the runway to perch in low, clear vases of black currant dye which left dip-dye impressions on the Trippen shoes they wore. Studio Blond & Bieber shot ‘Berlin Colors’ at the W Los Angeles while in Los Angeles. The images, lensed by Enrique Bautista, brilliantly reflect the LA influence in the collection, which includes a print inspired by the grid of swimming pools in LA’s neighborhoods.

Special thanks to the Goethe Institut of Los Angeles.     Photographer: Enrique Baustista     Model: Coura Fall       Makeup: Britt Kaye     Produced by: Landra Dulin       Special thank you to Amy and Mia at the W Los Angeles.

Words by; Priscilla Ortez

Here on the West Coast, everyone is self-made. A person’s fashion and lifestyle is a tell-all story of their lives, creating a population of intermixed cultures and attitudes. There is no simple way to pinpoint one style to represent the diversity of a city as diverse as Los Angeles. To the outside world, trying to define LA fashion trends brings stereotypical figures to mind: the underground punk scene, the art gallery goers, the entire cast of Clueless, the savvy street style chick, the hippie festival attendee, and the chic fashion lover.

In a city that at times does not even realize how fashion-focused it is, do we actually fit in to the stereotypes placed on us by newer LA residents and out-of-towners? Staple aspects of major cities’ lifestyles worldwide help us form mental images of their residents, and are they not usually accurate in terms of typical fashion? Let’s break down a few of the city’s style stereotypes with real LA socialites and their inspiration.

The California Cool Girl

When most people think of Southern California, sunny weather and relaxing beach days often come to mind. Spontaneous trips to Palm Springs and impromptu rooftop lounge days are all part of the getaway mentality that comes with the SoCal lifestyle.

Easy to spot shopping on Third Street Promenade, Mariah (@mariahnic0le) defines relaxed beach chic. To her, LA fashion is defined by the city itself. She says that living in LA has influenced her style by “always keeping me on trend and always inspiring me to step out of my comfort zone.” She continued to say that the city is “full of bold and daring fashion everywhere you turn” and that it inspires her to incorporate that into her everyday style. Constantly being near the water, her wardrobe is very laid back with a style that reflects her love of her favorite places to shop: Melrose Trading Post, the Rose Bowl Flea Market, and Urban Outfitters.

On December 13th, Not Just A Label hosted Authentic Radicalism: Redefining LA’s Place on the Fashion Axis at Nueue House in Hollywood. Moderated by Hollywood Reporter Fashion Editor Booth Moore, the event centered around an animated panel discussion on LA’s place in the global fashion ecosystem.

The city’s manufacturing capabilities were highlighted repeatedly, and rightfully so: LA boasts the largest manufacturing hub in the country, with over 12,000 manufacturers in apparel, aerospace, and tech sectors. The panelists, including the outspoken fashion author Rose Apodaca and industry heavyweights Andrea Lieberman and Iris Alonzo, weighed in on the unique attributes that set Los Angeles apart from its global counterparts. Andrienne Lingren brought a welcome dose of bureaucratic practicality to the discussion vis a vis her role as Business Development Manager for the City of Los Angeles, which has recently launched the ‘Make It In LA’ initiative to facilitate connections between local makers and the creative community.

A sense of cautious optimism and a focus on sustainability were recurring themes throughout the discussion. Los Angeles clearly holds a very dear place in the hearts of those who live and work here, and its reputation as the capital of the sunny work-life balance was reinforced by testimonials from designers Jessie Kamm and Andrea Lieberman, who seem to have infused their love for the city into very authentic brands.

The arrival of Not Just A Label, and inspiring panels such as this one, are positive indicators of LA’s increasingly important role in the global fashion ecosystem and we can’t wait to see what 2017 brings.

The LA Street Scene

Pulling inspiration from the street itself is an integral part of fashion specific to LA. Being the center of pop-up shops, shoe collection debuts, and having a significant relationship with the music industry makes Los Angeles a capital of streetwear branding and trends worldwide.

Master of trends is Ashira (@_ashiraprovost), who tells her story with every step she takes. She says that her style comes from the people that exist in the roots of city street style. On her major influences, she mentions that she “grew up around the skateboarding culture, so Vans has had a huge influence, it curated androgynous style for me at a young age.” I then asked her how LA serves as a major inspiration in her everyday styling. She stated that “Los Angeles is a melting pot for creatives all across the world” and continued on about the Arts Districts’ significance to her daily outfit inspiration – how she often catches herself taking notes on every outfit she comes across: “the color scheme, the contrasting textures or layers […] this may spark a concept for a shoot, or I may use the same color scheme and add my twist to it when choosing an outfit.” Catch her shopping at Sorella on Melrose or Proper in Long Beach!

Kanye West’s Fashion Through the Wire Years

By; Danielle Carlson

To celebrate Kanye’s release from UCLA Medical Center, LAFW has comprised some of our favorite looks Ye has rocked per era. Side note: Listening to my favorite Yeezy album, “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” while typing…let’s begin.

• The College Dropout

Okay so remember when Kanye wore Polos? I do.  “I even had the pink Polo, I thought I was Kanye”. But seriously the pastel preppy look Ye rocked was very avant-garde. However he did adhere to hip-hop trends at the time with baggy jeans and Nikes. Either way, I’m a fan.  

• Late Registration

After the success of College Dropout and Late Registration, Kanye West’s future was so bright he had to wear shades…. constantly. He wore a variety of sunglasses outdoors (and indoors) and paired them with fitted tuxedos and square-toed white shoes. Below Kanye is rocking one of my favorite looks from this era…those golfer gloves though.

• Graduation

Shutter shades, shutter shades, shutter shades. Is there anything else I remember from this era? No, how could I? They became a symbol for his new album. Although impractical I am guilty of buying knock-off shutter shades and wearing them in public…yikes.  

• 808 & Heartbreaks

Just like the album, Ye’s style during this time was extremely influential. No one could rock a white suit with sneakers like Kanye. His accessories and hair cut were always on point. My favorite look is the below. It is classic meets futuristic just like this album. And lets not forget that broken heart pinned to his suit to represent the album.  

• My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Kanye I’m going to let you finish but “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fanstasy” is your best album of all time!” No but honestly, this will forever be my favorite era of Yeezy. From the short film Runaway to his return to the public with his VH1 performance. Everything about this era gives me so much life. Maybe it’s all that red, but I can’t help but be blown away with this outfit.

• Yeezus

This era saw the introduction of Kanye’s fashion line Yeezy Season 1. The neutral tones and minimalistic approach towards fashion influenced street wear and changed the way the fashion world viewed “basic” clothing.

Honestly Yeezus was not my favorite album or era but can we TALK about this Givenchy mask?!!

• The Life of Pablo

As we transitioned from Yeezus to The Life of Pablo the minimalistic trend continued. Brands like Fear of God and Stampd were inspired by Kanye’s collection and produced neutral, minimalistic clothing too. The simple designs can even be seen on Yeezy’s clothing line to promote TLOP. Plain long sleeves, with lyrics from his albums can be seen on his clothing line.

Rave X Fashion

P.L.U.F (Peace. Love. Unity. & FASHION)

Eclectic, strange and bizarre…rave fashion is in a league of its own. Just like the high-energy dance music, rave fashion is constantly evolving making sure to reflect the type of EDM that’s popular at the time. Many believe that “rave-wear” doesn’t exist due to its inconsistency. I personally disagree. Fashion is a way of expression; it allows you to showcase your personality through clothing and rave wear does just that. It is not a trend; it’s an art form that captures the spirit of raves and your own individualism.

With the Halloween rave, Escape, finishing and Countdown, Beyond and EDC just around the corner it is time to start planning out your outfits with your rave fam. However, rave clothes weren’t always booty shorts, furries and pasties. In fact, it used to be vastly different, and by different I mean that ravers used to wear way more clothes (how they didn’t die of heat stroke is beyond me).

Late 80’s-Early 90’s

From jean overalls to high-end fashion brands, rave wear was anything but cohesive.  In England tie-dye shirts and big smiley face T-shirts were the norm when at famous rave spots.  Fashion inspired by the 70s brought out good vibes and feelings. Out west, color brands like Tide, 7-11 or Captain Crunch started to make appearances on graphic T’s in clever puns. A mix of hip-hop and skate grunge was very apparent in LA’s race scene.

Late 90’s- 2000’s

With the end of the 90’s and the start of the new millennium, rave wear took a turn towards the future. Futuristic robot wear mixed with bright neon colors ended the 90’s in a way that brought a sense of what the future of fashion would bring. Rave wear inspired by NASA, Star Wars and big bug eyed “alien” glasses brands were embracing trends that were out of this world. As the 90’s ended and the 2000’s began rave fashion took a turn. Say goodbye to eccentric colors and graphic T’s and say hello to minimalistic looks. Luckily “kandi” or beaded braces survived during this phase. Baggy, snowboarding pants and simple makeup made its appearance.

Rave fashion has seen an immense amount of change throughout the years. We have come a long way from denim and graphic T’s. However, the fashion never followed a certain trend or rules. Instead, it rolled to its own beat. Even though the fashion has constantly changed, one thing hasn’t: the feeling of being together and vibing with your rave fam. Rave wear is about feeling confident and having a lit a** time.

Till next time, peace.

 Welcome!

At the conclusion of our third season S/S 17 we are excited to launch the LA Fashion Week blog! As the official Fashion Week of the City of Los Angeles we are excited to give you an all access look to everything Fashion Week. Whether it’s our designers, events around the city or what’s happening in our office, we look forward to sharing it with you. We’ll be launching our monthly newsletter soon, check back on our website for details on how to sign up. As always, follow us our social media channels Instagram, Facebook, Twitter all /lafw and stay tuned for more updates!

Conversations with Fashionista Chris Han

With its third season in Los Angeles, LA fashion week launched its influencer program which included prominent men and women from the Los Angeles community. Chris Han, a local style blogger is here to tell you about her blog, personal style, and other tips and tricks to being a blogger and influencer.

Tell us about your style blog?

My blog (www.chrishanxoxo.com) shares wardrobe tips and beauty guide with international audience. My goal is to help women to discover their own personal styles and feel their beauty inside and out. Attending fashion weeks, I am bringing the latest trend from runway to street to make it wearable and versatile looks and make audience look great everyday. This style blog also shares my fashion week experience with like-minded people – highly educated, urban dwelling, social media-inspired women.

Who is your biggest inspiration when it comes to your personal style?

My mother. From an apparel manufacturer to a designer, she is always the fashion icon, who influenced me since I was little. Her early style was toward romantic Parisian and later she fell in love with classic silhouettes. I was very conservative about what I wore. My mother encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone to go bold and to try something new.

Boho-chic is my favorite. Boho chic is an unconventional fashion between bohemian and urban chicness. Opening my wardrobe, I have lots of floral dresses, oversized shirts, ripped jeans and rompers. I just can’t have enough of these.

What rules do you break when it comes to style and fashion?

I don’t believe in “less is more”. For street style, “more is more” if all the items I wear coordinate with each other well. Layered pieces with lavish amount of accessories are more wearable and fashionable. Mix-and-match with lace, velvet and suede is always a fun thing to do.

Where do you shop in LA?

Shopping is almost my job. For shopping fashion items, there is nothing I don’t like about LA. Most fast fashion and designer brands have stores within a few miles from West Hollywood. Melrose Ave. and Robertson Blvd. are my all-time favorite. A lot of my favorite boutiques are now available online. I recently bought a lot from Revolve and Gilt.

Favorite place to travel?

Italy. I can’t help loving the romantic Florence, magnificent Rome, stylish Milan and mysterious Venice. I travelled to these amazing cities a few years ago and it will be my honeymoon destination next year.

Any upcoming projects we should keep an eye out for?

Coming from Shanghai Fashion Week, I notice that independent designers from China and other Asian countries are very interested in the US market. A lot are looking at LAFW like Ms. Cindy Zhang from this season. LAFW will be a perfect place for these Asian designers to debut in the US.

What advice do you have for upcoming bloggers?

Every single blogger is unique. Don’t try to be someone else. Such uniqueness would attract different audience so basically there is no rule. Looking for your own style is the first thing to do and then play with it to the fullest. For example, I personally like to wear one-piece dresses and jumpers, particularly boho-chic and Parisian styles. People who like such style would follow me on my social media channels. I am trying to bring value to the audience with strong relevance and consistency of style.

RIGEL GEMINI INTERVIEWS TRANS MODEL ISIS KING

By Rigel Gemini  www.rigelgemini.com for the full story!

I am so honored to speak with Isis and Benjamin for this post. We are in a time where it’s crucial to put transgender voices front and center. In fashion, we have the opportunity to celebrate beauty in so many ways. And as a creative industry, we must push forward – far ahead of the rest of society.

It was also interesting, during research for this post, to recognize that not all transgender models want to be visible or open about their gender history. There are many amazing transgender models who are simply that, amazing models. And there are many trans models who will choose never to talk about their gender history – which is their right. It’s not the duty of all transgender individuals to be activists. And there’s power in just being and living your truth.

I also want to keep in mind that advocacy by and for the transgender community goes far beyond fashion. In 2016, there have been more than 21 transgender people killed in the United States. Transgender people are the most targeted group according to reported hate crimes, and trans people of color are the most heavily targeted in particular. That has to end.

When I spoke to Nick at GLAAD, he made the great point that reality television can be an important educational vehicle to show the world transgender people as their authentic selves and speaking in their own words. Shows like Strut, and all the people featured on I Am Cait (Cait Jenner’s reality show), show the rest of America who transgender people are. Similarly, showing amazing transgender individuals in major advertising campaigns can shape our culture’s mind.

I personally identified with these perspectives because I am not strictly gender conforming myself. In my speech, mannerisms, fashion, personality, and interests, I am a mixture of masculine and feminine qualities. But more on that in another post.

Now take a break and check out the preview for Strut, the amazing show that addresses all of this head-on!