Concept 3rd Night (Jen Awad & MILA)
The last night of Concept LAFW, I had the opportunity to see the collections of Jen Awad and MILA (I unfortunately didn’t make the Bryan Hearns show). Jen’s collection was titled, “Dolls After Dark”- a fairytale dream of dolls and playing dress-up. The models played up the part while boasting Lady Gaga shades. Jen’s signature visible stitching was evident in most of the looks, as well as the bustier and sweetheart necklines. Her logo even made an appearance on a dress and top. My favorite looks were the lavender sparkly dress, the skirts with the flirty draping and ruffles and the short and longer pleated dresses with circles at the bust. MILA designer Mila Hermanovski (and Project Runway season 7 finalist) titled her collection, “Rutilated.” She was inspired by her fascination with mineral formations and the layers of opacities and textures at which they grow and appear. She used mostly all natural silks, cottons and leathers in her collection. “The play of scale and print, in addition, add a surreal touch and refer to the other side of the paradox which is the man-made object that attempts to look natural.” I loved the loose, flowy fit of some of the dresses, along with the geometric prints. The accessories also were very earthy and geometric and worked well with the collection and did I mention that I want a pair of the cute leggings in my closet?!
The installations that night were Katie Kay, Curly-V with Mercura NY sunglasses, Poly Chic and Kao Pao Shu. Curly -V’s installation indeed brought a smile to my face. This was his first collection since working with Jeremy Scott. His designs were bold and unique. My favorite piece-a dress that had yellow hearts with smiley faces on them. “Curly-V is for the dreamers of the world- it represents the beauty of the people and their unrelenting spirit to follow their dreams…” For orders or lookbook inquiries: curly.v.apparel@gmail.com. Curly-V was also helping with the small Mercura NY sunglasses display. Designed by Rachel Cohen-Lunning and Merrilee Lichtenstein Cohen of NY, these haute sunnies can be seen on celebrities and in a lot of editorials. Designer Ela Acosta presented some looks from her “Poly-Chic” (short for Polyurethane-Chic) collection. I loved the futuristic looks (especially the blue draped skirt) and I loved how she was able to play with and manipulate the fabrics and plastic. To learn more about her vision and concept of her “Poly-Chic” collection, check out her site. Kao Pao Shu’s Naida Begeta presented her latest collection: “Draw Yourself Up.” This collection is more ready-to-wear for any occasion. The pieces have screen prints of Naida’s drawings and abstract art concepts. According to the press release: Each exclusive drawing is transferred onto fully constructed pieces of clothing, instead of rolls of fabrics, to be sewed together in a second moment. This allows the eye to receive a different image and impression based on how the piece is worn… I must say, Naida has done it again! She is very talented in that she makes couture-like pieces made of ribbons and seat belts to making these carefully constructed pieces with her own drawings that are screen printed on them, and the image is different every time, depending on how the individual wears it. I would also like to give loads of credit to Naida’s husband and photographer- Marco for the lovely display of the photos he shot of the models at the last KPS event. They were stunning! For more on KPS, check out the site or my other article here.
Special Thanks: J, Mike Vensel, Jen Awad, Mila Hermanovski, Francesca Albanese- Marketing Manager at Kao Pao Shu, Naida Begeta, Photographer- Marco Schillaci, the volunteers and staff of Concept, models, designers.
It is an honor to be in your article with all those gorgeous pictures. We do not see our work…