The high-flying West Coast fashion phenomenon continued last night at the ever-popular Los Angeles Fashion Weekend celebrations.
A-list celebrity guests – such as Chelsea Lately (perky talk-show host) and Christina Milian (singer/songwriter) – trotted down the red carpet to pose for frenzied paparazzi before alighting in their folding chairs ringside to catch the scintillating runway shows featuring a smattering of swimwear designs that dazzled the packed house.
Although the Los Angeles Fashion Weekend is a highlight of the fall season, to New Yorkers, the City of Angels is often viewed as a cultural wasteland.
What is the general consensus?
The fashionistas here can’t compete with the couture house aficionados in Paris, Milan, and NYC.
In spite of the criticisms, though, the rag trade has flourished in recent years – in part due to the fact – that designers have gone their own way.
No doubt, the artsy-fartsy visionaries have been inspired by the glamor of Hollywood and the dream factory.
The West Coast climate figures in, too.
“I prefer the four distinct seasons,” one actress at the after-party wailed last night.
“Me, too,” I fessed up.
“I like the cable-knit sweaters, the luxurious topcoats, and elegant scarves and accessories that the fall and winter seasons inspire.”
The charming gal laughed when I joked:
“If you’re a clotheshorse in Los Angeles, it’s sad. Everything is geared towards the weather, not flair or individual style.”
Like the tourists in Las Vegas, folks in Los Angeles are often the butt of unkind jokes.
“Their fashion sense is up the wazoo,” I overheard one fashion editor lament.
But, thanks to Los Angeles Fashion Weekend the image of Los Angelenos residents is being transformed.
And, celebrities – who flog a brand – have a lot to do with that turn-around.
I was surprised to hear from the owner of the Los Angeles Fashion Magazine (just yesterday) that the Los Angeles garment district is the largest in the country.
“More top designers are moving here,” he noted for the record.
Last year, I penned an article on the Magazine when it first launched. Since that time, the slick glossy publication has skyrocketed in hard-copy sales and web site hits.
Curiously, Los Angeles Fashion Magazine boasts the same demographic as The Tattler. The readership largely consists of young women (24 – 34) who are single, working, and college-educated.
Uh-huh!
These gals are spending their salaries on cosmetics, fashion, and entertainment (and out trolling for a decent man!).
And, there were a bevy of bodacious babes in that demographic at the chic upbeat soiree last night at Sunset Gower Studios.
Fashionable women turned out in splashy eye-catching cocktail dresses, for instance, while men on the prowl tended to turn out in smartly tailored suits (though a few peacocks in the room managed to blaze a trail for the male animal at-the-ready to develop his own sense of ubiquitous style this fall).
At one point, the buzz was so loud in the tent that it was difficult to engage in any meaningful dialogue.
Meanwhile, the paparazzi had a field day capturing all the “color” on film.
At the after-party later (down the street in Hollywood just off the walk of fame) party animals chatted each other up ‘til well after the witching hour.
Although high-fashion is often considered to be a snobby realm in social circles here and on the East Coast, I have found that guests at Los Angeles Fashion Weekend are pretty friendly, down-to-earth, and anxious to strike up a conversation.
Last night, I laid a solid foundation for a couple of new friendships, for instance.
As I prepare to trot over to Sunset Gower Studios for the runway shows tonight featuring women’s fashion, I can’t help but ponder what fate has in store for me once again.
To date, the week-long fashion extravaganza has been thrilling, after all.
See ‘ya there!
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