While Los Angeles may get a bit of flak for not getting Fashion Week right, we definitely know how to throw a party. Stores here hold hip events that combine runway shows with a club-like atmosphere, complete with free drinks, fabulous good bags and incredible style. This past week was the launch party/fashion event for one of my all time favorite Online stores, Label Los Angeles (www.label-la.com), which was held at Cinespace in Hollywood and included red carpet, a ton of paparazzi and fabulous new pieces from some of the city's best lines. Here is what was seen:
Porridge has caught my eye at a few of the high end boutiques around town because of its soft, but incredibly stylish basics - think tissues soft thermal pants and tops with pretty prints, the type of stuff you feel hip and cool in even if you've just rolled out of bed. At this past week's event, however, I found the line also has a ton of absolutely adorable dresses and tops that play on the same soft, pretty theme but in smooth cottons - just gorgeous. I am obsessed with the house dress on Label LA's site, as well as the drawstring pants and long sleeve top. Very cool. One of the best dressed women at the party had on something from the line in red/white print over jeans - it was so cute, I stopped her to find out who the designer was. Definitely one of my new favorite lines coming out of LA and something I'll be adding to my closet soon. It was awesome!
I also really loved the handbags from Lesa Wallace, which were carried by a few of the models during the show and had bold colors combined with cute, funky details like ties at the shoulder, fringe, etc. I especially like the Arcadia bag (see Label-la.com for photos) which comes in a bold green, teal or purple. Yum!
Szulika showed a new cropped halter jumpsuit in double layer sheer jersey that was incredibly simple but very sexy - the type of thing you could easily pair up with heels for night or flip flops during the day and look amazing. They showed it with a pair of heels and a bright blue Lesa Wallace clutch - very cute. I am in love with the Sheer Wrap top on the label-L.A. site - it's a bit like a kimono style but paired down with a bold, pretty trim. This is a line that gained a lot of attention with it's simple strapless ruched waist dress last season - I found it when it first came out at Diane Merrick and it was a staple all year (see "New Outfits archive for photos). It was a great buy!
Another great top that caught our eye at the show was the Airline Blouse by Kween. Label-LA showed it paired up with Red Engine jeans and a bunch of Kimberly Faith jewlery, but it would look adorable with loose trousers or a pencil skirt - just a great, workable piece. My favorite was the La Fem blouse, which had a 1950s feel and cute puffy detailing at the shoulder, available in either solid or print. They're a limited edition but are available, along with the Airline blouse, on the Label-LA site.
Last, there was a very pretty dress (see photo above) by Notice which combined simple styling with cute details - very workable and wearable but still a bit dressy for going out, dinners, etc. I love the designer's cute cotton camisoles and halter tops - they're fun and very flattering, easy to wear but still a bit detailed and stylish. I love the Graphic Cami and Girly Girl Halter - both would be great alone or as layering pieces.
From a trends standpoint, seeing lots of clothes that are still incredibly simple and comfortable, yet this time around instead of pop-art colors and terry cloth fabrics, it's all in little details - puffy shoulders, unique embroidery and cut-outs, pretty prints. It's great because everything is incredibly wearable but not so casual that you look like you're heading to grab coffee or hit the gym - much more workable for work, date night, etc (which a lot of the older casual basic stuff just didn't offer). I especially like the new stuff coming in from JeLee, which builds on this same idea but is still very easy to wear and breezy. Label-LA will start carrying this line very soon!
Without question, tons of adorable goods shown both off and on the runway - owners Emily Heintz and Katie Bogue definitely know how to pick great lines (and throw a killer party!). The site is great for finding small and indie designers based out of Los Angeles, including both those that are well known (Kimberly Faith, Ella Moss, Emerge) as well as a few great up and coming lines (Bluebird, SAY, Meghan). It was great to get a sneak peek!
Outfits seen: Definitely lots of great style on hand, ranging from super casual to dressy. A good friend had on an adorable cropped aviator style jump suit from Marc by Marc Jacobs, which she reworked to remove all the rope ties and closures and paired up with the new pink/gold skimmer from the 2005 collection. Another girl had on just a simple pair of low rise black dress pants with a pretty black halter and bold jewelry - very understated, but cute in an ocean of sexy silky tops and jeans, which lots of girls were wearing. I especially loved the dresses worn by owners Emily and Katie (see bottom right) - Emily's was a satin with lace detailing, while Emily had a deep v-style that closed with a big butterfly closure on the front - hard to describe but very cute!
