Ladies Who Lunch: Help the Earthquake Victims with a Japan Relief Tote

The Earthquake and Tsunami has devastated Japan.  They need assistance to get their country and their lives back together.

With the help of family and friends, Helene Ige of IGE Design has designed a tote for Japan Relief.  The fashionable tote is only $20 and 100% of the proceeds go to the Japanese Red Cross to help in the effort to alleviate the suffering in Japan.

They also make great gifts!  Buy one today and tell everyone you know so that they can lend a hand as well!!

You can find the tote at:

http://www.shop.igedesign.com/product.sc?productId=34&categoryId=9


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Ladies Who Lunch: LAVUK Fall 2011

Presented at the ACE Gallery as part of Concept LA Fashion Week. the LAVUK Fall 2011 Collection by designer Natasha Gindin was received by an enthusiastic packed house.

Born in the former Yugoslavia and growing up in cities all over the world, Natasha Gindin brings the diversity of her upbringing to her designs.  Calling her LAVUK Fall 2011 Collection “Infinity”, she attempts to capture the present and move into the future at the same time.  Classic sportswear silhouettes were transformed into a line that is about being contemporary and easy to wear, while still making a fashion statement.

The color story is based on shades of grey with a reddish-orange and purple mixing in as full garments or as accents.  With silhouettes that are a bit deco inspired in their sharpness of line and the exploration of lines extending out into “Infinity”, the collection expresses a modernity that is futuristic and a bit reminiscent of 1960’s Pierre Cardin.  Some of the highlights of the collection are modern coats with contrast details and detailed seaming, dresses and tops with cut-outs that reveal contrast fabric beneath, a modern take on the shirt dress, and tops that play with cowl drapes.

The LAVUK line is created using eco-friendly sustainable fabrics and is made sweatshop-free locally in Los Angeles.  Additionally, a tree is planted through American Forests as part of the California Wildfire Releaf Program for every garment purchased.

Fashion with a conscience.  Becoming more of a concern to LA designers, LAVUK is one of the leaders of this movement like fellow designer Averi Bell of Chemline.  We can only hope that more will follow.

Video by Omri Escalante

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Ladies Who Lunch: Chemline Fall 2011

LA Fashion Week began with a weekend of runway shows and fashion/art installations hosted by Concept LA Fashion Week at the ACE Gallery in the Mid-Wilshire district.  Housed in an historic Art Deco building, the ACE Gallery is an interesting venue for shows, with its wide open spaces and attempt to mix fashion and art together.  To get to the runway space, you first had to pass through the gallery and make your way through art installations and performance artists, giving a buildup to the runway shows that would ensue.

The first show that I took in at Concept LA Fashion Week was designer Averi Bell’s Fall 2011 Chemline Collection.  A former costume designer for LA’s film community, Ms. Bell launched Chemline in the Fall of 2007.  Chemline is an apparel line that is inspired by Ms. Bell’s love for storytelling, combined with a love for the craftsmanship of garments.

Placing an emphasis on using materials that are eco-friendly and sustainable, the Fall 2011 Chemline fabrics are hemp, hemp silks, yak hemp blends and recycled poly with an emphasis on texture. The color palette for the collection was primarily black, white, grey, and shades of cream/off white, with a shot of a vibrant emerald green in the mix for a few outfits and as an accent on a black hooded jacket.

Silhouettes are sleek and modern with a remarkable attention to construction and details.  A very lady-like collection with scalloped hemlines, meticulous tailoring and the mixing of matte and shine fabrics give Chemline a sophistication that makes it stand out among other LA fashion lines.  A few pieces of note are the structured vests over blouses, a black cocktail dress with fabric streamers that connect to the ankles and a belted black gown with white shoulder accents and white godets at the hem.

Averi Bell’s Chemline Fall 2011 Collection accomplishes what she set out to do: tell a story.  And liking the story that was told, I will look forward to more of her storytelling in the future.

Video by Omri Escalante

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Ladies Who Lunch: Future Heretics Fall 2011

Style Fashion Week LA hosted the Future Heretics Fall 2011 show in the middle of a week of presentations that were as diverse as is the city of Los Angeles.

Future Heretics describes itself as a “premium-denim based street-wear line”.  But as the Fall 2011 Collection proved, the company has become more than that.  Talking about who his customer is, designer Brydon Lando says that there is something for everyone in this line and I agree.  If you pull individual pieces out of the line, they are very wearable and will appeal to a mass audience with nicely styled sportswear including jackets, knitwear, and outerwear pieces.

As shown on the runway, the line will especially appeal to a customer who is a little more cutting edge and particularly favors a rock star look.  The line has a decided edginess to it, giving it a character that sets it apart from other denim lines.  Mr. Lando said that a big inspiration for this collection was the idea of a gothic take on an explorer and this inspiration was evident in the styling of the garments.  Keeping with the gothic inspiration, colors for the line are  dark, favoring blacks and greys, with the occasional muted brown or maroon.  A few of my favorite pieces were made with denim changeant fabric, giving the line a muted, but noticeable shine.

The line was accessorized with jewelry by M. Cohen Design.  M. Cohen jewelry mixes metals, wire, and stones for a look that is perfectly in sync with the Future Heretics line, especially when they are layered.  Quickly becoming a favorite with celebrities like Johnny Depp, Mr. Cohen’s designs work well as individual pieces, but really gain full impact when worn in layered combinations.

The success of Future Heretics Fall 2011 line lies in its ability to provide key pieces with broad appeal, while maintaining an aura of rocker rebelliousness.  Myself not really the rocker type, I still was able to find numerous pieces that I would love to add to my closet.

Video by Omri Escalante

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Ladies Who Lunch: Gypsy 05 Fall 2011

Launched in 2005 by sister/brother team Osi and Dotan Shoham, Gypsy 05 has become a line favored by celebrities like Kare Hudson, Jessica Alba, Amanda Seyfried and Miley Cyrus.  And, Gypsy 05 is not just for the girls, with a line for men that has been well received.  Their Fall 2011 line was attended by quite a few celebs, including Glee cast members Darren Criss and Dot-Marie Jones.

Epitomizing the Los Angeles life style, Gypsy 05 has gained wide appeal as a line that is easy-to-wear, comfortable and still extremely fashionable.  With an emphasis on being eco-friendly, the company produces a line of organic and natural fabrics uniquely dyed in their own dye house.

Showing at Style Fashion Week LA, Gypsy 05’s Collection has a definite bohemian feel to it.  Flowing maxi dresses, reminiscent of the hippie culture of the 60’s, mixed together with their personal styling of classic sportswear pieces for men and women, from chinos and unstructured jackets to chunky sweaters and lace tops.  Modern takes on tie-dye highlight the collection as do ombré dyed sweaters and silks.  Silhouettes are relaxed and casual with an emphasis on layering with contrasting colors and prints.  The must have accessories of the collection are the richly dyed scarves, shown layered on both men and women.

This season’s show proved that Osi and Dotan Shoham continue to mature as designers, taking the line to the next level.  It also reminds us that Gypsy 05 is a line to keep one’s eye on!

Video by Omri Escalante

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Ladies Who Lunch: Ina Soltani Fall 2011

After a successful first season in Los Angeles, Style Fashion Week LA ended the week with couture designer Ina Soltani.

Ina Soltanii has already made her mark on Hollywood with her creations appearing countless times on the red carpets of the Academy Awards, the Emmys and many other events.  A native of Bosnia, Ms. Soltani settled in Los Angeles, where she has created a line of couture eveningwear, full of the drama a town like LA demands.

For Fall 2011, Ms. Soltani delivered on the drama, with her collection shown to the music of her Bosnian homeland.  While the designer admittedly went darker in colors than she has in the past, showing a fair amount of black and more muted colors, she balanced it nicely with shimmering metallics and vibrant reds.  Fabrics ranged from chiffons worked into pleats and three dimensional forms to laces, satins, taffetas and even some velvet.  The collection was also embellished dramatically with feathers, stones, and sequins.

Presenting a full collection of cocktail dresses and gowns, Ina Soltani showed a range of silhouettes.  With a collection that has both body revealing sleek pieces and flowing drapey pieces, there is something for everyone and sure to please the red carpet crowd.

Video by Omri Escalante

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Ladies Who Lunch: Balenciaga and Spain Exhibit

Last November when I was in New York, I learned of a Balenciaga exhibit that was opening at the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute.  Being a major fan of Balenciaga, I was undeniably excited to attend.  Then I realized that it was opening the day after I was leaving New York.  Disappointed, I consoled myself with the news that the exhibit would then travel to San Francisco in March of 2011.  And who doesn’t love an excuse to go to San Francisco? So that was my plan.

However, when I was in New York for Fashion week in February, I realized that I could catch the last day of the exhibit in New York.  Sure I could wait until March, but I could  see it in New York and also go to San Francisco for a revisit.  Especially since it was promised that the exhibit would be greatly expanded when it hit the West Coast!

Curated by Vogue’s Hamish Bowles, Balenciaga and Spain is a study of the master couturier and the influence his native Spain had on his work.  Balenciaga’s genius is demonstrated in the exhibit, showing how he drew inspiration from Spanish peasant outfits, matador uniforms, Goya paintings and even the vestments of the Catholic Church in Spain.  Although he lived and worked in Paris, it is obvious that his homeland was deeply rooted in his soul and remained the greatest inspiration throughout his career.

Also of note as part of the exhibit, archival films of Balenciaga’s salon presentations in the 1960’s are shown, giving a rare glimpse into the designer’s collections from an era that is long gone.

Whether you are a slave to Couture as I am or just a Fashionista that can’t get enough of beautiful fashion, this exhibit is a must go to.  Luckily for the West Coast peeps, Balenciaga and Spain will be at the DeYoung Fine Arts Museum in San Francisco from March 26 - July 4, 2011.  And yes, I will make the trip to SF to see it again! :)

Photos by Ritika Wahal and Mariana Leung

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