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LASplash.com: Style and Fashion Gen Art's The New Garde - BOTOX Presents 2008 LA Fashion Week By MANOJ GERA
Gen Art marked the beginning of Fall 2008 LA Fashion Week with the 5TH annual presentation of " The New Garde", which was billed as "A Celebration of Innovative Los Angeles Fashion." For those who might have blinked, fashion is making a concentrated effort to make Los Angeles a notable hub once again. Anytime Los Angeles can give New York a not-so-subtle nudge in any cultural arena, it's most welcome.
Presented by BOTOX, the evening featured three new LA designers: JMary, Jesse Kamm and Le Sang des Betes by Trang Chau. Each was presented in "Installation Presentations". The location was the Park Plaza Hotel in downtown Los Angeles; Koreatown if you want to be specific.
The traditional runway fashion show was put on the backburner at this year’s New Garde. The "installation presentation" for JMARY featured models on a "lazy susan" type of stand that twirled as the models posed and the audience watched the merry-go- round of models. This was not necessarily a good thing as the models seemed more like mannequins, inaccessible and above the crowd. It was evident that re-birth of fashion in Los Angeles will not be without its expected labor pains.
The models for Jesse Kamm were under a Safari tent and the viewers looked at them not unlike they were hunting game out in the wild. However, this game would not have been as easy to catch.
The models and designs for Trang Chau were presented, appropriately in front of large architectural pieces.
JMary is described as a couture label designed by Los Angeles based artist Jennifer Mary. The hand-made fashions include women's coats, blouses and suits.
The Jesse Kamm selection was more of a safari type collection. It should be noted that Jesse designs the garments and creates all of the drawings that make up the textile designs.
Each piece is hand printed and numbered as a part of a limited collection. It is clear that the inspiration comes for from the sub-Saharan Africa and is well put together with a European sensibility.
In this day and age of copycat designs and mass marketed clothing, inimitability is nothing to sneeze at and consequently nor will be the price of such exclusivity, as most of these designers will be doing their business at high end boutiques around the city.
Les des betes is created by Trang Chau and is described on Chau's website as a "corporeal design and the structural environment through the means of garment construction." The artist is based in Los Angeles, with training in sculptures and classical training in music. The architectural background in Chau’s design is manifested in sharp angles and what appears to be impeccable tailoring.
The evening featured two levels of entertainment for its guests. Guests were naturally, seeing as we live in Los Angeles, invited to partake in free Botox injections by a licensed physician.
Drinks were served all night on both floors and the fashion presentations were followed by an after-party at the same location with Music by DJ Whiteshadow and The Schoenecker Brothers.
Published Mar 28, 2008 © Copyright 2003-2004 by LA Splash.com |
