Eco-Ganik : Hello Green

A look back:
Mercedes Benz Los Angeles Fashion Week

Text: Casi Densmore-Koon

Images: Courtesy of Peter Tsai Photography
http://www.petertsaiphotography.com



When: October 15th, 2008
Where: Culver City, California
What: Eco-Ganik




FRESH NEW LOOK FOR THOSE WHO ARE ECO-CHIC

Defintion: eco-ga’nik (n.) : the fusion of fashionable design and eco-consciousness.



As we waited for the show to begin (a collection that seemed to impress everyone sitting in Stage One) we had a chance to chat with design director Hoda Mallone.

CK: What influenced you to use organic fabrics and become an eco-friendly designer?

I HAD BEEN INTERVIEWING AND FREELANCE DESIGNING FOR A WHILE AND WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY AT ECO-GANIK PRESENTED ITSELF, I JUMPED ON IT! I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED AND FACINATED BY ORGANIC FABRICS AS WELL AS ECO-FRIENDLY FABRICS. IT JUST MADE SENSE FOR DESIGNERS TO SEEK OUT COMPRABLE FABRICS THAT WERE ECO-FRIENDLY WHENEVER POSSIBLE, AT LEAST FOR ME ANYWAY. I THINK AS HUMAN BEINGS, WE SHOULD ALL DO WHAT WE CAN TO SPARE MOTHER EARTH ANY MORE HARM. I TRY TO CONDUCT MY LIFE IN THAT WAY AS WELL, BRINGING THAT INTO MY WORK WAS A NATURAL TRANSITION.

CK: We will be going to your show this week, what can we look forward to seeing? What inspired your collection?

THANK YOU FOR COMING! I HOPE YOU WILL ENJOY THE SHOW. I NAMED THIS COLLECTION “FRESH START” FOR MANY REASONS. WHEN I WAS BROUGHT ON TO DESIGN, PART OF THAT WAS TO REVAMP THE WHOLE BRAND. WE DESIGNED A NEW LOGO, A NEW MARKETING CAMPAIGN, NEW WEBSITE, AND A NEW LOOK. I WAS TOTALLY INSPIRED BY THAT, THE IDEA OF FRESHNESS! THE COLLECTION IS ALL ABOUT CLEAN LINES, VERSITILITY, AND LAYERING. I ENVISIONED THE “IT” GIRLS AND FASHIONABLE WOMEN WHO ARE AWARE OF THE ENVIORNMENTAL ISSUES IN THE WORLD, AND WHAT THEY WEAR, AND COMBINED THE TWO. I WANTED TO GIVE HER OPTIONS FOR ANY OCCASION IN HER LIFE. SHE IS ALL ABOUT VERSITILITY AND BEING ABLE TO THROUGH SOMETHING ON (OR AT LEAST APPEAR THAT WAY) AND RUN OUT THE DOOR.

THE COLOR PALLET IS ALSO REMINICENT OF FRESHNESS…COOL GREYS, YELLOWS, AND GREENS, WITH PUNCHES OF RASPBERRY AND A LAGOON BLUE. I’M VERY PROUD OF MY FIRST COLLECTION AND FEEL IT’S SETTING A FOUNDATION FOR THE ECO-GANIK TO COME.

CK: In comparing your line with others, the prices are fairly reasonable for an eco-friendly designer, was that your goal?

IT ABSOLUTELY WAS. I AM VERY AWARE OF PRICING. IT IS NOT EASY GETTING FABRICS THAT ARE REASONABLY PRICED, OR THAT ARE BEAUTIFUL, OR EASY TO USE IN THE ECO-FRIENDLY WORLD, BUT IT’S GETTING BETTER. I THINK IF YOU OFFER THE CUSTOMER A GARMENT THAT IS COMPRABLE, IN STYLING AND PRICE, TO SOMETHING THAT IS NOT ORGANIC OR ECO-FRIENDLY, THERE SHOULD BE NO QUESTION WHICH GARMENT TO BUY. ESPECIALLY NOW, IN THIS ECONOMY AND UNCERTAIN ECONOMIC TIMES AHEAD, A COMPANY COULD EASILY PRICE THEMSELVES OUT OF THE MARKET. ECO-FRIENDLY CLOTHING SHOULD BE A STAPLE, NOT A LUXURY. I DON’T THINK IT SHOULD BE MORE AVAILABLE.

On with the show:

We never realized how cute you can look while helping save the earth - it was all about being eco-chic at the Eco-Ganik Spring 2009 Collection. A collection where the models could walk right off the runway and gain many compliments on what they are wearing. It was the first collection of organic fabrics that were reasonably priced, trendy and fashion forward; giving any consumer a reason to go green. It was a versatile and stylish line that is basic and contemporary. Organic cotton, bamboo and denim, along with natural materials such as shells, woods and nuts are used to balance the eco-conscious theme.

The olive bow tie top, tier tube dress, grey jumpsuit, dark denim wide leg jean, long striped sweater and halter dress with pockets showed us just how up on the trends Eco-Ganik really is. The muted colors; white, yellow, burgundy and urban print went perfect with this collection. Feminine ruffles is something every girl loves, along with silhouettes to show off your shape. The high waisted pant with wide cuff is one piece everyone should own. The braided belts, gladiator sandals, and long necklaces completed the LA CHIC look in which many are trying to achieve this season.

For those interested in innovative hip styling and is interested in eco-conscious living visit Eco-Ganiks website, www.ecog
anik.com

The JULIA CLANCEY Spring 2009 Presentation at Smashbox Studios

Text, Casi Densmore-Koon
Edited by Vivian G. Kelly
http://www.thefashionexaminer.blogspot.com/
Images, courtesy of Ming Han Chung

DATE:
Monday October 13th @ 6pm
Day Two of LA Fashion Week

We sat elbow to elbow in the hottest tent in Smashbox Studios listening to jazz waiting for the "Un Petit quelque chose" Collection to go off. Finally, forty five minutes later the British Opera Star, Summer, started the show.

SHOW THEME
" This selection of desirables takes one from the marina of St.Tropez, the red carpet of Cannes and sunset cocktails of Muscat…”

ABOUT THE DESIGNER
Julia Clancey is a London based designer who established her name as a stylist prior to starting her own label. Her signature style is an iconic blend of classic glamour and glitz.
Her style was evident throughout a collection of designs that were about empowered femininity and classic elegance.

The collection touched on styles from the forties to the seventies We loved the modernized flapper silhouette – a drop waist cocktail dresses with satin sash belts and short hemlines. The kaftans were delicately embroidered and trimmed in gold and silver and can effortlessly flatter anyone. The brighter palette consists of tropical turquoise, papaya, jade and strawberry.

OF SPECIAL NOTE:

Swarovski Studded Mini Shifts
- Low plunging neckline gowns
- Dramatic billowing sleeves
- The Accessories! There were big Sunglasses, signature beaded belts, oversized sash bows, & even a bejeweled mask

To learn more about Julia Clancey, visit the website, www.juliaclancey.com

THE KEVAN HALL Spring 2009 Collection Show

Text, Casi Densmore-Koon
Edited by Vivian G. Kelly (http://www.thefashionexaminer.blogspot.com/)

Images, Dan Lecca, courtesy of Mercedes Benz

When: October 12th, 2008
Time: 4pm
Where: Smashbox Studios, Culver City California, Main Tent

"Quiet on the Set as we peer through the looking glass of timeless American design" - Kevan Hall

Kevan Hall started out Mercedes Benz Fashion Week LA with lots of glamour. Looking on front row was Brent Bolthouse from Bolthouse Production [Heidi’s former boss on “The Hills”] and Dana Delany from “Desperate Housewives”.
Each design was put into a collection of five scenes.

Scene I – a capsule collection of collection of chic attention grabbing white and black ensembles.

We loved Mr. Hall’s fluid yet structured silk dupioni over sized gingham in voluminous shapes. The gingham Bacall rehearsal blouse in black and white silk gingham shantung with black pencil pant was cinched with a silk and cotton notched black patent leather corset belt.

Scene II –color! Shades of taupe, azure, sage, and white accented with silver metallics.
We loved the sage/aqua ombre silk chiffon dress with rosette straps.

Scene III: "Think Pink"
Fluid gowns in a brighter palette; citrine, apple, amber, turquoise and marigold.
Here were silhouettes that Harlow and Dietrich would wear, interpreted in a modern way.
This spring look on the red carpets for Kevan’s pink criss cross crinkled silk chiffon goddess gown and pink graduated taffeta jazz dress.

Scene IV: the new "Dinner Dress". A chic palette of black and navy combination in chiffon, taffeta, and embroideries received a standing ovation.

A MOMENT WITH KEVAN HALL:

CK: Now that IMG has pulled of Los Angles Fashion Week, will we see you at Bryant Park?

KH: I would love to show my Fall 09 collection at Bryant Park. Perhaps I will do both NYC and something intimate for my LA clients.

CK: What influences do you draw upon in your designs?

KH: I love all things beautiful. A collection could be inspired by the richness of the sea or the distinctive people of the tribes in Africa. The Spring 2009 collection dresses my muse from rehearsal, lunch, dinner to the red carpet.

CK: What inspired this collection?

KH: The great costumer designer Andrian who created the images of style icons Joan Crawford, Marlene Dietrich and Norma Shearer.

CK: Anyone you would love to wear your gown?

KH: Michelle Obama to the Inaugural in 2009.

We hope he gets to do just that!

For more about Kevan Hall and his designs, you can visit his website - www.kevanhalldesigns.com

The BEACH BUNNY SWIMWEAR spring 2009 collection at LA Fashion Week

Text, Casi Densmore-Koon
Edited by Vivian G. Kelly http://www.thefashionexaminer.blogspot.com/
Images Coutsey of Peter Tsai
Photography
www.pertersaiphotography.com


Beach Bunny Swimwear is West Coast Love!

What: Beach Bunny Swimwear Spring 2009 Collection
Time: 7:00pm
Where: The Lightbox, Smashbox Studios, Culver City, CA

Model gone designer, Angela Chittenden is known for her bathing suits being classy sexy styles and inspired by lingerie. Seen on some of Hollywood’s hottest stars; Heidi Klum, Eva Longoria, Petra Nemcova, Britney Spears, and Jessica Alba. For this collection her inspiration was Malibu Barbie Meets Hollywood and that's exactly what she gave us.

Looking on were Karissa and Kristina Shannon, Hugh Heffner’s new twin girlfriends sitting front row as Saleisha Cycle 9 winner of Americans Next Top model strutted down the runway. Songs like Britney Spears "Gimmie More", and Pussycat Dolls played while models showed off suits with names like “Fantastic Voyage”, “Suicide Blonde” and “Viva La Vida” helping make for a truly fun show. The front row could hardly sit still has they danced to the beat and clapped over their favorites.

A FEW WORTH NOTING:
Out of the sixty looks our favorites were the baby doll dresses and rompers. The “Hot in Here” navy anchor print off the shoulder dress could easily be worn off the beach, along with “Burning Up” fuchsia terry jumper with ruffle detail and gold buttons at center front.

TREND ALERT:
*It’s all about THE ROMPER this season. The cover ups can take you from LA to Miami. As for the swim suits, we have never seen what is called “trapezoid” - it was a one shoulder bikini, known as “Can’t Buy me Love”, in bright colors, fuchsia and aqua with a jewel encrusted detail.
* CROC will also be seen this season – The “Paint it Black” black croc bandeau with necklace detail showed this trend off to perfection. The suits were styled with big hats, gloves, fish nets, berets, and bangles.

THE VERDICT: If you don’t mind showing a little bit of skin off in the sun, you are sure to love this collection.

To view more looks from the collection, visit
www.beachbunnyswimwear.com

Lana Fuchs’ “Rhapsody in Bloom” Spring 2009 Collection

Text, Casi Densmore- Koon
Edited by Vivian G. Kelly http://www.thefashionexaminer.blogspot.com/

Images, Ming Han Chung, Peter Tsai and Casi Densmore-Koon

Time & Place:
Day 3 of LA Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios
Tuesday October 14th @ 4pm

Where: The Main Tent

Lana Fuchs debuted her couture collection as the 1st Las Vegas based designer to show at Mercedes Benz 7th Annual Fashion Week in Los Angles. Showcasing more than 50 looks she pays close attention to detail with her vibrant color, ultra feminine silhouettes and day to evening elegant dresses - even a wedding gown. The hand made embellishments got everyone's attention and made a lasting impression.

We were able to briefly catch up with her backstage before the show as she beamed with excitement holding her daughters hand, her "mini-me" before she took to the runway.

CK: How does it feel being the first Las Vegas based designer to participate in IMG Mercedes Benz Fashion Week?

LANA: It is a huge honor!. Despite the fact that we do not have many resources for our industry here in Vegas, I love this city and hope that some day we will have our own Garment District, Fashion Mart and our very own LV Fashion Week.

CK: What is your signature style?

My signature style would be best described as timely and timeless elegance, consisting of dresses in seductively feminine silhouettes and luxurious fabrics. These are pieces designed for women who collect beautiful clothes, not just buy them. Each Lana Fuchs Couture dress will hopefully be passed down as a family heirloom from one generation of women to the next.

CK: How do you balance designing in addition to being a CEO for Billionaire Mafia?

It is certainly a challenge to wear so many hats, but I believe I have an advantage because I am also a mom, which means that early on, I learned how to juggle my responsibilities and budget my time, as all moms do. I try to adhere to a schedule, wherein one half of my day, usually mornings are spent on management and the afternoons, and very often evenings are dedicated to the love of my life, which is design. I also use the weekends to have some "quiet time" and work on my designs when my husband and kids have their own activities scheduled.

CK: What was your inspiration for "Rhapsody in Bloom"?

I was inspired to use stunning floral prints after an unforgettable walk through the gardens of Claude Monet in Giverny, France. While traveling from Udaipur to Jaipur, I fell in love with the vivid colored saris, which inspired my spring color palette. Thus, Rhapsody in Bloom came to life in rich silks, delicate chiffons and embroidered lace, with delicious accents of handcrafted embellishments.

CK: What can we really look forward to in this collection?

LANA: My debut collection for Spring 2009 is splashed with exuberant colors and prints, and is entitled, "Rhapsody In Bloom," It features elegant dresses from day to evening in an array of ultra feminine silhouettes. These timeless pieces are designed to enhance and adorn the beauty and femininity of the woman who wears them.

THE SHOW

The silk and hand embellished gowns and dresses showed of the exquisite detail of her collection. Here are a few we just couldn't help by mention because of their unique touches.

"Capri" - HAND PAINTED devore satin empire baby doll dress in aqua
" Madame Butterfly" - Silk Chiffon HAND PLEATED wrap dress in a white butterfly print
"Debutante" - Brocade butterfly V-NECK CUT OUT SLEEVE flared dress in black
"Ivy" - Organdy applique and chiffon halter BRAIDED empire dress in black/white
"Stella" - FEATHERED mesh halter shift dress in gray
"GiGi" - Feathered mesh and silk chiffon HAND EMBELLISHED empire dress in gray
" Angelique" - Silk Jersey braided tulip sleeve dress in black

For those planning to take a walk down the red carpet, three of the four finale gowns would be perfect choice. We couldn’t stop taking pictures backstage of the taffeta hand embellished mermaid gown in pink.

End note: Lana Fuch's debut received a standing ovation and the support of celebrities; Joel Madden, LA Laker Lamar Odom, Angela Simmons, Vanessa Simmons and stylist George Blodwell. Add to that America’s Next Top Model winners Nicole Linkletter and Salesha Stowers were among models that presented this very talked about collection on the runway.

For more information, visit www.lanafuchs.com
or www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyTrHCj96e4&feature=email
to watch the runway show.

The Tulle & Cloth Logic Adore Vintage Spring 2009 Fashion Show

Text, Casi Densmore-Koon
Edited by Vivian G. Kelly (http://www.thefashionexaminer.blogspot.com/)
Images, Dan Lecca, courtesy of Mercedes-Benz

TIME & PLACE: October 16th @ 4pm,
LA Fashion Week at Smash box, Studios, the spring 2009 collection.

The tulle women's collection was conceived by design duo JENNIFER SMITH and AMOUSHKA SCOTT. The women were brought together by the desire to preserve past trends and by their love of travel.

WHAT THEY SHOWED: pants, tops, skirts and dresses, outwear & chic separates.

DESIGN INSPIRATIONS
Vintage fashion, flowers, architecture, as well as indie art shows and local boutiques.

THE DESIGNER INTERVIEW

CK: Can you tell us a little bit about your inspiration for the Spring 2009 Collection?

TULLE: We were inspired by images of vintage bicycles, boats, and the idea of spring fever and love at first sight.

CLOTH LOGIC: It was inspired in part by launch of Cloth Logic and Spring fever in the Ivy League school campus of Boston. I was really taken back by a picture I saw of a couple walking, holding hands through a Boston school campus after a spring rain. In the background architectural elements of the old brick, ornately detailed buildings were so rich with hues of wet red brick and deep grays, the blue sky, with slight passing gray clouds and the lush green of new grass and blooming green and brown buds of trees waking from a winter sleep. I incorporated all those colors into this collection.The blue and deep taupe gray I used on preppy bodies of hooded windbreakers and waterproof poplin trenches and baracuda jackets, again with striped accents under collar and pockets. I used cool vintage geometric prints for the linings.

CK: What can we look forward to in this collection? Who do you see wearing it?

TULLE: We are known for our bold usage of color and vintage inspired aesthetic. For spring 09, we brought a modern edge to the collection with pops of orange, yellow, fuchsia, and teal. We loved the high waist for short, flirty skirts, tulip and paper bag shapes, and cropped stovepipe pants.

The Tulle girl is confident, intelligent and creative. She expresses herself through her own personal style. She appreciates quality and detail, but doesn't necessarily want to spend a fortune to get what she wants.

CLOTH LOGIC: We're targeting a young creative professional, age ranging between 18-30.
The Cloth Logic guy likes and appreciates good design and is attentive to details, but does not have a lot of money to buy expensive clothes. OUR retail prices range between $50-$80.00 for sweaters and $65-$110.00 for jackets. To give you an example our woolen coats retail for $130.00

CK: What influenced you to bring in menswear to the collection?

TULLE: Men deserve to express themselves through clothing just as much as women do, but there aren't really a lot of affordable options out there.

CLOTH LOGIC: Tulle's success inspired us to follow a similar philosophy for Cloth Logic - to bring high quality design with an affordable price tag. Cloth Logic is designed by Leon Shpayer.

PRICE POINTS & WHERE TO BUY
Retail prices range from around $40-$60 for a top to around $100 for a wool coat.
The Line is now being sold in boutiques all over the world, some of the LA boutiques include UnaMae's, Clover and Ananda.

PROJECTS IN DEVELOPMENT
They’ve recently launched a new lower priced line called TULLETTE- she is the slightly younger, more playful and girly kid sister of Tulle.

Also in the works - extensive development of organic and recycled fabrics ranging from wools, cottons, bamboo, polyester etc. They're integrating domestic production and eco-friendly fabrics into both lines Some manufacturing will be domestic as well, “made in LA”.

THE RUNWAY SHOW

The palette; avocado, sangria, blush, marigold, pearl, lagoon and scarlet. A high point in the collection: the jackets that were beautifully executed to perfection, such as a short Navy Trench, the Capes, and a Black Barracuda Jacket, to name just a few.

Some favorites in the women’s line:
Exit #1: The "marina pant" which channeled Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn and the fist 8 looks of the show, which was very strong.
THE VERDICT This collection offered the perfect blend of vintage chic and is effortlessly cohesive.

END NOTE: We were able to get a few vintage inspired "Happy Days" long sleeve 3 button sweaters that seemed to be unisex and a few marigold seamless camis from their new collection. Both can easily be paired with jeans for a relaxed chic look.