Gregory Parkinson designs for the female focal point

There's a lot of social mileage to be had from a jaunt to India--especially in Los Angeles. Hasn't someone always just returned from Mumbai or Jaipur with exotic stories and a new collection of saris? The designer Gregory Parkinson seems to cater to this woman -- a modern day Peggy Guggenheim who swooned at her first glimpse of the Taj Mahal. She's smart, assured, laughs loud and knows how to tell a good story.

On Sunday night, Parkinson presented his Spring/Summer 2009 collection at the Honor Fraser gallery in Culver City. The installation--assorted mannequins in easy, confident poses--overtook almost half of the floor space.  The prints, buoyant and reminiscent of Ossie Clark, were varied in design (florals, paisleys, stripes and Rothko-esques color blocks) and the shapes segued from billowing a-line silk skirts to blouses with balloon sleeves. Parkinson's past seasonal offerings have included floral brocades and shifts with drop waists. His latest line looks more diaphanous and daring in the marriage of colors and textiles.

My only complaint? It would have been swell to see the new collection all a-swirl on guests like Rachel Griffiths (right, with the designer), Ione Skye, and Tracee Ellis Ross.-- Monica Corcoran

photos: WireImage

Anzevino and Florence show charms and challenges at BoxEight

Artsy L.A. brand Anzevino and Florence hit its stride a couple of years ago with its innovative, drapey jersey looks, including scarves with hoods and convertible dresses (now it's strapless, now it's sleeved). The brand's tradition of creating envelope-pushing looks continued on Saturday night — despite some missteps — when it opened the third night of BoxEight shows downtown.

The sparsely attended show (there were so many empty seats, I suspected fashion week fatigue) designers William Anzevino and Richard Florence showed smart baggy pants for men and women, tapered, cropped and rolled at the hem, a la Bananarama; great little empire-waist black dresses meant to loosely billow around the body (see photo, right); cream-hued T-shirts with marsupial-inspired front pockets; and cocoon-shaped jackets that ballooned dramatically around the models' lithe figures.

But the brand is steeped in casual wear and struggled to find its footing with more formal looks. A series of tiered, tricolored organza dresses and ruffled jersey separates (who's body is aided by ruffles around the waist?) looked fussy and handicraft-y compared with the collection's refined jackets and pants. And the fit of the dressier clothes, in some cases, was wonky (i.e. two identical organza dresses, shown in different color ways, fit the models completely differently — one was swimming in it, while the other filled it out).

The styling was as hot and cold. Models walked out barefoot, their feet wrapped in white and black tape, evoking professional dancers — a subtle, winsome detail. But the messy, bird's-nest coifs, dripping with huge live flowers, with the long stems still on, was overkill.

Despite the roller coaster ride, I plan on keeping my eyes on this out-of-the-box brand for the duration. My beloved hooded scarf demands it.

— Emili Vesilind

Photo: Anzevino and Florence

The green scene at L.A. Fashion Week

A show called the Green Initiative closed L.A. Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios on Thursday night. After starting an hour late, the show’s producer and creator walked on to the runway to address the crowd, thanking everyone from the hair stylists to the DJ.   

Four eco-friendly clothing designers showed their lines after a little video ran about who they are and how much they care about the environment.

Now, I am not a super eco-activist. I drive a Prius, recycle and do my part, but I’m wondering -- wouldn’t it be greener to not make these clothes at all?

The first collection, Emily Factor by Emily Factor, was several looks inspired by the ocean and mermaids. And as one show goer next to me put it - Ariel wouldn’t wear these frocks with endless prints and strips of fabric to a flamenco dance class.

Energetic break dancers danced their way down the runway to introduce the next line, M the Movement, a line of men’s clothing made of sustainable fabrics like bamboo and soy. Super-short ties on fitted polos and button-downs were good for the nerdy-preppy set and the cropped moto style jackets look like something most hipsters have hanging in their closet. The line is totally wearable and I’m guessing sellable, and the fact that it’s green is a bonus.   

  Then came the zoo and a collection called EcoSkin by Sandy Skinner.  During her video Skinner spoke about her passion for the environment and her love of animals. Cut to 20 seconds later, when her first model came out holding a wolf on choke chain. The poor beast was bewildered by the crowd, lights and loud music and the model was tugging him to stay on the runway. Model No. 3 came out with a monkey or lemur-looking critter sitting on her shoulders -- he also looked petrified. Model 5 was holding a gigantic yellow snake on her shoulders a la Britney.  That snake must have weighed more than her. The animals were shocking but not the only reason I don’t remember the clothes.

The last line, Lilikoi, looked like cotton jersey, but green of course. Colorful short skirts, beachy cover ups and T-shirts, some with flower graphics -- most were plain.

OK. Just because the method and fabrics used to make the clothing are green doesn’t literally mean the clothes need to be the color green or there needs to be pictures of flowers and trees on them or an animal needs to be riding your back to show that you like animals. Love them by leaving them in their home.

-- Melissa Magsaysay

Photos by Melissa Magsaysay

L.A. Fashion Week's most dedicated follower

Among the chaotic crowd of L.A. Fashion Week revelers who run around air kissing, swigging free booze and rummaging under seats for unclaimed gift bags, is an out-of-place-looking little man who sits quietly through every show during the week.      

    

He may not fit in, but he certainly knows more about clothing and construction than some of the designers showing on the runway.  Nondas Keramitsis spent 36 years as the head tailor to James Galanos and now he faithfully attends the shows at Smashbox because he likes to see the clothes.

The 84-year-old moved to Los Angeles from his native Greece to make women’s clothing.  He had heard about Galanos, who is of Greek descent, through relatives and soon started working with him in his Los Angeles studio.

Back in those days, Keramitsis and a crew of about 22 tailors he oversaw made everything by hand, a method that he wishes more designers today would incorporate into their clothing. 

“I don’t like modern clothes,” says Keramitsis with a heavy Greek accent. “Designers are not interested in the quality of the clothes. It’s not the same.”

He worked on many of Galanos’ famous creations, including coats for Nancy Regan. “I would study the sketches of Galanos for three or four days and then start to drape in muslin.” Says Keramitsis, “Fabric houses in England, Paris and Italy would make the best textiles especially for Galanos. Today there is no such fabric.  Everything is plain and flat.”

The shows at L.A. Fashion Week are a far cry from the Galanos gowns he knows, but he just loves seeing the silhouettes go down the runway. He has been at every show since Sunday, and this is his third year attending the event at Smashbox.  Keramitsis does not have an invitation to any of the shows, but he manages to make his way into each venue, often finding a seat near or in the front row. His interest and passion for clothing rivals that of a young fashion school student sneaking into the tents at Bryant Park in New York hoping to catch a glimpse of the event they hope to someday be a part of.

It's refreshing to see a loyal show attendee who is after something other than a couple of free Peronis or a chance to be on a cable-access channel no one has ever heard of. Keramitsis genuinely enjoys the shows and appreciates fashion, though he does have his reservations.  “I like the idea (of L.A. Fashion Week), but it could better, of course.” Amen.

-- Melissa Magsaysay

Photo: Nondas Keramitsis among the L.A. Fashion Week crowd. Credit: Melissa Magsaysay / Los Angeles Times

Minkoff meets her L.A. fans

“I was inspired by rock 'n' roll”  bicoastal bag designer Rebecca Minkoff said of her Spring 2009 collection, which she previewed at a casual cocktail party inside the West Hollywood boutique Beckley on Wednesday night. The event drew plenty of her fans who slipped various styles onto their shoulders with giddiness. 

The San Diego native who splits her time between New York and L.A. infused her popular line of purses with a rock edge, including gold circle-shaped studs, chunky hardware and even neon trim on a few shapes. She is also doing a faux ostrich skin in bright yellow, which might sound wrong, but it’s actually cute, the skin looks authentic and it’s only about a third the price of the real thing. 

She’s also doing several smaller shapes with a long strap option, which are perfect for throwing across the body and being hands-free when going out at night.

With her bag business being such a hit, especially among West Coast women, Minkoff has her sights set on growing her line and may open an L.A. store by sometime next year.

But for now, her fall line is available at the Beckley Boutique, 8620 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood.

-- Melissa Magsaysay

Photos: Rebecca Minkoff and one of her bags. Photo credit: Melissa Magsaysay / Los Angeles Times

Heidi Klum, canary in the Fashion Week coal mine

One of the challenges of going to runway shows and presentations off the "official" Fashion Week calendar -- no matter how loosely scheduled it may seem -- is that there will inevitably be a situation in which one feels the need to be in two places at the same time. That was the situation we found ourselves in last night, nervously checking our watches and cooling our heels in David Arquette and Courtney Cox's Beverly Hills backyard waiting to catch a glimpse of Propr, a new menswear line by David Arquette, musician Ben Harper and David Bedwell.

It was scheduled to show at 8 p.m., precisely the same time Christian Audigier's show was supposed to drop at Smashbox Studios nearly seven L.A. surface-street miles due south. Our original plan was to linger at the Arquette manse (apparently open for a quasi-public event like this for the first time ever) no later than 7:30. Then, among the celebrity scrum that included (in no particular order) Jamie Lee Curtis, David Spade, Garry Shandling, Cindy Crawford, Rande Gerber, Rosanna Arquette, Laura Dern and Jennifer Aniston, we spotted supermodel/"Project Runway" host Heidi Klum.

Klum, you see, happened to be one of the bold-faced names included on the celeb-obsessed Audigier's front-row press alert, and we knew there was no way in Hades the show would start without the leggy German model in the house. As long as she was tromping through the same yard as we were, we wouldn't miss a beat.

At about 7:53 p.m., with the Propr show yet to start, we caught Klum and company angling for the exit, so we headed for the valet parking line, where before she stepped into her chauffeured car, graciously offered to give us a lift to the tents -- an offer we were compelled to decline (less out of journalistic integrity than in concern for our car which appeared to be lost in valet limbo).

We sped down the hill, rolling up to the tents at approximately 8:21 p.m. and into our seats about five minutes later where we could see Klum across the sod-covered runway in a halo of flashbulbs.

When the show (dubbed "America Lord" and showcasing his eponymous crest-encrusted line rather than the Ed Hardy line he showed two nights earlier) got underway a few minutes later, it was classic Audigier showmanship  -- opened by break-dancing British Beefeaters and black-leather-clad cheerleaders backed by a live band fronted by former Eurythmic Dave Stewart, followed by a platoon of punk and plaid pieces in every possible permutation; leggings, suit jackets, feather pied-piper hats, essentially a grab-bag of well-worn street influences that mined several decades and two continents; a snatch of Johnny Rotten here, a soupcon of Comme des Garcons seasons past there, smothered in a whole lot of red and black plaid scarves and skirts.

We thought Audigier had topped out in the self-aggrandizement department with the black and white punky designs on jacket backs that spelled out "American Lord" (though as far as we know, the Frenchman is neither)  under a photo of him. Until he came to take a final bow. As Dave Stewart and company started singing a version of  the Chapman/Knight tune "Best," as Audigier strolled down the runway and planted a big kiss on Heidi Klum.

"Simply the best, better than all the rest...." Wow.  Maybe Audigier should figure out a way to package and sell that ego.

Wait, I guess he already has ....

-- Adam Tschorn

Photos from top: Heidi Klum in the front row at Christian Audigier's "American Lord" show on Oct. 15, by Jesse Grant / Getty Images for IMG; A women's look from the Christian Audigier Spring 2009 collection, by Chris Pizzello / Associated Press; A men's look from the same show, by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for IMG; Detail of jacket-back design featuring a picture of the designer and the words "American Lord," by Adam Tschorn.

Eco-Ganik pulls off sustainable style

Just when I was about to throw in the towel on eco-friendly clothing lines -- sustainability and style aren't mutually exclusive, but they seem to rarely meet (boo) -- I sat in on the chic Eco-Ganik runway show Wednesday night. No, the day dresses, unadorned jeans and feminine blouses weren't earth-shatteringly original, but the spare, casual collection was supremely wearable -- a rarity in a week filled with trashy street wear and amateur dress collections. Standout looks included a ruffle-necked burgundy tank top; a hooded blue knit vest, at right; a silky short-sleeved azure minidress that would be perfect for the office or drinks with friends; and terrific dark-wash, slightly wide-leg blue jeans devoid of any labels or embellishment. Yes, a few dresses jumped onto the Eileen Fisher/matronly train, but then came the piece de resistance: a light gray silk pants jumpsuit with fluttery sleeves that fit like a dream. It's heartening to see some green threads that could actually elicit envy. -- Emili Vesilind Photo credits: Frazer Harrison / Getty Images for IMG

Smart shopper: designer deals for men

What: Online designer clearinghouse Haute Look now offers its sample sales to gents too.

What: Sign up for free and the site sends you a daily bulletin reminder that announces that day's sale. Clothes and accessories typically sell for 40% or more off.

When: Today, great looks from posh Melrose Boulevard consigner Decades Two for guys from Miu Miu, DSquared and Prada -- among others -- hit the site at 8:00 a.m.

Why: Sample sale sites have long been catering to women, but men have largely been neglected so expect solid deals. -- Monica Corcoran

photo: Haute Look

Crispin & Basilio -- a promising new contemporary line

Crispin & Basilio designer Donny Barrios has got the L.A. girl pegged. The inspiration for his Spring/Summer '09 collection was "the blurred lines between relaxed and dressed up," which perfectly  describes the majority of women’s wardrobes in this city.

Barrios’ direction may not be unique, but he still managed to keep the look fresh and inspiring. Beige and ivory chiffon blouses and short dresses were pulled together with navy blue linen vests and dull gold cotton canvas skirts. His final dress, a long silver gown with cascading ruffles down the front, worn with a textured cropped leather jacket was the most impressive ensemble and looked to require more skill than the simple airy tops and loose vests.

The show was a nice, tight 21 looks -- all of which showed that Barrios is only doing what he can do well, not diluting a collection by throwing anything and everything on a runway, something more of this week’s designers should learn to do. 

Barrios’ has a good start to what shows a lot of potential for being a solid contemporary label. And it won’t be a surprise if his clothes soon make it onto the backs of young Hollywood and into the closets of normal, everyday L.A. girls.

-- Melissa Magsaysay

Photos: Crispin & Basilio Spring 2009 collection. Credit: Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times

Lauren Conrad show rivals traffic school for sheer excitement

I have one question for Lauren Conrad: How many jersey dresses and tops do you think we need? The perky star of "The Hills" has moved on from early-2000s jersey dressing in her own wardrobe (she's been spotted recently in young Hollywood's latest uniform: ripped jeans, stilettos and a button-down shirt). Yet her spring collection, which she rolled out at Smashbox Studios on Tuesday night, offered the same milquetoast jersey pieces we've seen from her past collections.

Models sashayed down the runway to Goldfrapp and Feist, wearing Carrie Bradshaw-style silk flowers -- attached to thin headbands -- on their foreheads. Hair was long, loose and wavy (just like a certain top-grossing reality star's we know of). There were long strapless jersey column dresses in muted brown and cornflower blue; butt-grazing long-sleeved jersey tunics; and sleeveless jersey babydoll tops worn over black leggings. And for the second season in a row, as a counterpoint to all the solid-colored jerseys, Conrad showcased a single print -- this time a bold rose graphic -- on a series of tailored pieces, including a variation on the tulip skirt, wrought in the white, blue and black printed cotton.

Conrad's fans, for the most part, are teens and tweens, so it makes sense for her to shy away from scary-forward fashion. But these days, we can get more directional looks at Target. As one top Hollywood stylist sitting ringside muttered, "I'm so bored."

-- Emili Vesilind

Photos, from top: Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times; Gabriel Bouys / AFP / Getty Images; Chris Pizzello / AP