October 2009 - LAFashionsnob.com

Falling Whistles Installation @ Fred Segal

Oct 29 2009

I had mentioned in my article about Falling Whistles (spotlight on…) that they were going to be selling the whistles at Fred Segal. Well, last Thursday (10/22), it finally happened. Falling Whistles had their pop-up installation at Fred Segal in Santa Monica. I got there early and there was already a good group of people there and buying the whistles.

The installation was somewhat small and narrow, but it worked for the purpose it was serving. Silver whistles hung from tree branches and there were pictures of the people of Congo and of course, the story behind Falling Whistles. Also on display were whistles from the collaboration of Lizzie Fortunato and FW. The chains were elaborately decorated with Acholi beads and Fortunato jewels and ranged from $80- 200.

I spoke briefly with Sean and asked what the next step for FW was. There were going to be more installations in Portland, New York and so on… As well as continuing the effort to raise money for the people of Congo. (After the event, Sean told me that 179 whistles were sold, which is quite impressive and I only hope that that number continues to grow as more and more people are becoming aware or as FW would say, “becoming whistle-blowers for peace”.)

Special Thanks: Falling Whistles, Fred Segal-Santa Monica, J, Rochelle Carino of Rumple Munkeh for lending me the fabulous kimono-inspired dress from her “Geisha” collection for the event and my co-worker, Noellia for styling my hair.

Fashion Week @ the Palooza

Oct 19 2009

What better way to kick off the start of LA Fashion Week than an exclusive fashion show featuring Cowgirl Heaven, Lola Summers, Rumple Munkeh and Leondra Renee. The event kicked off with a red carpet and some light refreshments (the fashion theme was in play for the gingerbread cookies and the mini shrimp were simply delicious). The actual presentation started PROMPTLY at 9pm and this is a rare moment in the fashion industry…. the shows never start on time! But Houstina Summers, who put the show together, along with her hubby, Michael Wellington and assistant Richauna Colston managed to pull it off on time without a hitch! And I applaud her for that! First off, there was a musical performance by country singer, Amanda Marsh and her brother, Travis and then the fashion festivities began…

First, a collection of classic dresses by Trail Angel walked the runway. The designer, Lola Summers (mother of Houstina) has been designing for 25 years. After re-starting her fashion career from being on hiatus, she was inspired by Houstina to be in the show. Her theme for her collection was “Classic Couture” and is based on the look of Old Hollywood and the feel of the ‘modern woman’. You can contact Lola at www.trailangel.etsy.com.

Japan decided to invade Santa Monica with the kimono inspired looks by Rumple Munkeh. Rochelle Carino paired her love of the Asian culture with “Memoirs of a Geisha” to create beautiful dresses and rompers in bold solids and prints. As an added bonus, the models even carried Asian fans and parasols. For more info, check out www.rumplemunkeh.com.

The city of Santa Barbara was the inspiration of Leondra Renee’s collection of shirts, skirts and dresses. She credits the city with its ocean views and the splashes of blues, greens and purples she saw and how windy it was during her visit, that helped her come up with the theme “Beauty in the Breeze”. Leondra Renee hopes to continue to provide draped, stylish and sometimes one-of-a-kind pieces to young professional women. For more info, check out www.leondrarenee.com!

There was a intermission between collections. Singer Destenee performed a few singles from her album. She has worn CG Heaven in her past music videos and it was only appropriate that she wore a dress from Houstina’s collection that evening.

Which brings me to the last collection by Cowgirl Heaven. Love was in the air when Houstina Summers designed her collection, ironically themed, “Pure Love.” I recognized most of the pieces from previous shows, but the head pieces worn on the models were new, along with some long dresses, which caught my attention right away. When asked what her inspiration was involving the line, Houstina gave me these words, “I just love being in love and I just wanted to show that through my designs.” And yes, her love and passion has indeed shined through her designs. After her initial presentation, models from Runway Rhythm took center stage and performed their dance routines for the audience.

It was certainly an evening filled with friends, red carpets, fashion, music and dance and an excellent start to LA Fashion Week!!!

SPECIAL THANKS: Houstina Summers (www.cowgirlheaven.blogspot.com & Etsy), Michael Wellington, Richauna Colston, realTVfilms, Lousine Karibian, Parris Harris, Aspic Studio, Taylr’z Joynt, Brittany Dixon Photography, Beauty Tech Studios, biatta intimates, Krystle PR Company, J, Runway Rhythm (www.runwayrhythm.com), designers and the models…

Moonfest Fashion Show

Oct 08 2009

This past weekend, the Asian community of the City of Industry held their 12th annual Asian Moon Festival in the parking lot of the Puente Hills Mall. The festival also featured a fashion show that was put on to showcase the creativity and energy of the community’s youth.

The event, sponsored by Yes Marketing Group, coordinated by Helen Wang and assisted by my friend, Cathy Lin (who graciously told me about this event and who modeled one of my designs) showcased ten children, ten female and four male models who sported one garment in casual and formal wear.

Cathy’s casual wear of choice was Hawaiian-themed…Orange tank top, a purple tie-dyed mini skirt, purple heels, long necklaces with a bright pink lei attached to the bottom and worn at the hip and a fun, croqueted beanie cap with a tropical flower pinned at the side. She wanted her ensemble to represent an outgoing, fashionable beach girl, with a “Just relax (as you’re taking a vacation) attitude. Her formal wear was one of my designs, my “famous” ‘BMW Dress’, which she styled with a black belt, high black boots, sunglasses and leopard-print crop jacket. She wanted to represent a high-class and high-fashion girl with a “I am who I wear” attitude.

The show went smoothly. The kids went first, followed by the adults and then the guys. It was very well-choreographed and did, indeed show their sense of style and creativity….

SPECIAL THANKS: The make-up team (shout-out to Angel and Yo-Yo) at ABC Alhambra Beauty College **Contact Jennifer Hong at (626)282-7765, 200 W. Main St. Alhambra, CA 91801; Walnut City Chinese American Students Parents Association (Helen Wang- Fashion Show Coordinator and Cathy Lin- Assistant Fashion Show Coordinator); Yes Marketing Group *www.yesmarketinggroup.com* for sponsoring the event; the models ; J; Puente Hills Mall

NOTE: Assistant Fashion Show Coordinator Cathy Lin, mentioned that “everyone worked so hard. It was an excellent show.” She would like to thank all the models because they deserve a big applause.

Female models: Cathy Lin, Cynthia Wu, Diana Wang, Diana Wu, Jade Chen, Christine Pen, Jennifer Liu, Karishma Mehta, Kavita Mehta, Veronica Chen, Vivian Wu

Male models: Brandon Wang, Eddie Shih, Howard Tang, Justin Yoo

Child models: Claire Ku, Erika Chen, Florrie Chen, Gabriel Voss, Julia Kan, Krysty Law, Laura Zhang, Niu-Niu Tang, Tony Voss

Archive - October 2009