Gen Art makes a return to the runway

Gen Art, the organization known for fostering new talent in fashion and film, stopped operations 18 months ago, but this season it made an impressive return to the L.A Fashion Week lineup.  

Held at the former cathedral of St. Vibiana in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday night, the event drew a slew of excited guests including a solid group of media and buyers to the gaggle of goody-bag-toting revelers who seem to pop up at every fashion-related event this time of year.   

Zoe Saldana played host for the evening, mentioning in a pre-show chat that she is a huge supporter of new designers and is always on the lookout for new talent, not only to wear, but also for her website My Fashion Database (an “IMDb for fashion” she launched two years ago with her boyfriend Keith Britton).

“We want to continue to affiliate ourselves with organizations that support young, up-and-coming talent,” said Saldana, clad in an Antonio Berardi cocktail dress and Giuseppe Zanotti peep-toe pumps. “Everybody starts somewhere.”

For a few of the lines that showed Saturday evening, the runway that sliced through the middle of the former cathedral might be that “somewhere.” 

The lines that showed at this season’s Gen Art Fresh Faces in Fashion were: We are Handsome, Dear Creatures, Odylyne, Chambers, 71 Stanton, Funktional, Stand and Deliver, as well as accessory lines Sticks and Stones, Iman Toloui, Plomo and Tomtom.

Standouts included a menswear line called Chambers that had a heavily grunge feel throughout seen mainly in varsity style jackets with leather sleeves and flannel button-downs tied around the waist of wax-coated skinny jeans. The medley of Nirvana songs that served as a soundtrack helped drive the early-'90s sentiment home. Contemporary women’s label 71 Stanton sent out a sporty lineup of racerback tanks, sheer paneled hooded jackets and paper bag waist shorts in summery colors like melon and off white. There was a simple ease to the entire line but a fresh and sporty twist that made it stand apart from the typical contemporary collection. 

Stand and Deliver didn’t deliver the most original collection (a lot of black leather, spikes, studs and a dash of S&M) that carried the moody influence of Gareth Pugh mixed with the more youthful and darkly bedazzled look of Balmain. They even staged a mosh-pit fight between two male models, adding a punk attitude to the already overt rebellious references. 

In the leafy courtyard of the space, several accessory lines presented their spring/summer 2012 collections. Each was impressive for their strong direction, focused and well-edited collections and understated approach to design. A Portland-based jewelry line called Sticks and Stones used natural materials like fossilized deer mandibles and woolly mammoth ivory to create cuff links, tie bars and pendants (which were hung on contrasting recycled red chain; some of the fancier pendants were speckled with tiny black diamonds). The pieces make as much sense for a department store as they would for an Exploratorium gift shop. “I’m a bit of a science nerd,” said Sticks and Stones designer Stephan Alexander. No kidding. 

A locally based and made bag line called Iman Toloui showed just a few styles, including a satchel style bag and tote. The line is super simple, offering each style in just straightforward black or brown leathers, minimal hardware and easy, classic shapes.

Also L.A. based, Tomtom jewelry is made by architect-turned-designer Elena Coleman Howell who applies her architectural design skills to accessories. The result is angular pieces like triangle (shark tooth-shaped) pendants made from blue agate and hung on a bronze chain and rough cut crystals encased in chevron-shaped bronze.

It was nice to see Gen Art back on the scene, curating a solid lineup of promising talent and giving them somewhere to showcase and hopefully catapult their fledgling lines.

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-- Melissa Magsaysay

Photos: Top: Looks from Chambers (left), Odylyne (middle) and Funktional (right). Second from top: Looks from We are Handsome (left) and Dear Creatures (right). Third from top: A look from 71 Stanton. Bottom: Models "fighting" in looks from Stand and Deliver. Credits: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

Zoe Saldana to host Gen Art's return to L.A. Fashion Week [Updated]

Gen Art, the emerging-talent incubator and one-time key player in local efforts to craft a cohesive fashion week calendar that halted operations 17 months ago has announced an ambitious return to the L.A. runway circuit.

Hosted by actress Zoe Saldana, Gen Art's once-familiar Fresh Faces in Fashion show is scheduled to close out Style Fashion Week L.A.'s sophomore run at the former Cathedral of St. Vibiana in downtown Los Angeles on Oct. 22.

The announced lineup includes women's wear designers 71 Stanton, Dear Creatures, Funktional, Odylyne* and Stand and Deliver, swimwear line We Are Handsome and menswear label Chambers. As is Gen Art's traditional format, the event will also include an installation featuring accessory labels, including Iman Toloui, Plomo, Sticks & Stones and TomTom.

Unlike most fashion week events, which are open only to buyers, media and invited guests, the general public can attend -- for a price. Tickets to Fresh Faces in Fashion, which cost from $60 to $85, can be purchased through the group's website.

Gen Art, which also focuses on supporting emerging talent in the art, music and film worlds, reemerged on the fashion scene last month with an East Coast edition of its Fresh Faces show during New York Fashion Week. The group, founded in 1994 and which counted designers Eduardo Lucero, Rami Kashou, Louis Verdad and Katy Rodriguez among its alumni, suddenly halted operations in May 2010 after an ill-fated merger with another group followed by the collapse of a corporate partnership that had been in the works.

Now reborn as a subsidiary of publishing company Sandow Media, Gen Art appears to be in it for the long haul, announcing its intention to hold "Fresh Faces in Fashion" events in September and October of 2012 in New York and Los Angeles, respectively (supported by Moroccanoil, the recently announced "exclusive hair partner," which will be assisting the designers in creating their runway looks, naturally).

The return of Gen Art may be the most high-profile Los Angeles Fashion Week news, but it's certainly not the only news. Below are some of the fashion and style events on tap for the next several weeks.

Concept Fashion Week returns to the Ace Gallery Los Angeles, 5514 Wilshire Blvd., (Oct. 13 to 16) with a roster of confirmed designers to date that includes Nuvula, Jen Awad, Sachika, Valerj Pobega, Mo Wear, Curly V, Alana Hale, Martin Martin, S&G, Mike Vensel, Liason, ISM Mode, Bryan Hearns, NAMI, Thai Nuygen, Kittenhawk, Elaine Allen and Debakalis.

Style Fashion Week L.A. at Vibiana, (Oct. 17 to 22), in addition to the Gen Art show above, the schedule is expected to include Gypsy 05, Stop Staring!, Alternative Apparel and "California Dreaming: A Fashion Celebration for a Cause," a fashion showcase featuring eight designers. Scheduled for Oct. 20, the last event will include the presentation of the Moss Adams Fashion Innovator (MAFI) Award. 

L.A. Fashion Weekend at Sunset Gower Studios, 7551 W. Sunset Blvd. (Oct. 21 to 23) has a lineup that currently includes Anthony Franco, Tumbler & Tipsy, XCVI, Naveen Los Angeles and Beach Rays among others.

Gen Art's Fresh Faces in Fashion runway showcase, Oct. 22 at 7 p.m., 214 South Main Street, Los Angeles. Tickets and additional information are available here.

-- Adam Tschorn

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Photos: Looks from Leyendecker, left, at Gen Art's October 2009 Fresh Faces showcase in Los Angeles; actress Zoe Saldana has been tapped to host the organization's return to the L.A. runway. Credits: Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times; Mario Anzuoni / Reuters

[*Updated 10/3/11, at 3:35 p.m.: In an earlier version of this post, the brand Odylyne was misspelled.]

Emerging-talent incubator Gen Art halts operations

It turns out Gen Art's reunion-party reboot during Los Angeles Fashion Week in March was more of a death rattle.

Wednesday afternoon we received a mass e-mail from Ian and Stefan Gerard, the founders of  the showcase for emerging fashion designers, musicians and filmmakers, informing us, "As of today [May 5] we have halted all operations."

A copy of the letter, in its entirety, is posted at the organization's website. The short version is that, after an 18-month struggle to stay afloat, during which there was an announced merger with and later split from Rock Media & Entertainment, the final nail in the coffin came "when a major, new, corporate partnership unexpectedly collapsed a few weeks ago."

Gen Art's co-founder and Chief Executive Ian Gerard couldn't be immediately reached for comment on the identity of the potential corporate partner.

The organization, which started in 1994, was based out of New York, with offices in Miami, San Francisco, Chicago and here in Los Angeles, and, by its own count, hosted more than 100 events a year, including film festivals, photo exhibits and parties at the Sundance Film Festival.

But the group is familiar to members of the Los Angeles fashion community as the organizer of "Fresh Faces in Fashion," one of the most reliable showcases and launchpads of local up-and-coming fashion design talent, and a group that would routinely soldier on with its scheduled events even as Los Angeles Fashion Week seemed to disintegrated around it.

For a sense of the group's influence on the local design community over the last 16 years, one need look no further than the March 16 "Alumni Reunion" celebration at the Hollywood Roosevelt's Tropicana bar that was supposed to signal Gen Art's reemergence as a solo entity. The list of featured alumni designers included Eduardo Lucero, Rami Kashou, Jared Gold, Louis Verdad, Jeffrey Sebelia and Katy Rodriguez.

-- Adam Tschorn

Past All The Rage coverage of Gen Art

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Photo: The Leyendecker collection shown as part of Gen Art's "Fresh Faces in Fashion" showcase during Los Angeles Fashion Week in October. Credit: Kirk McCoy / Los Angeles Times

Gen Art's reunion party corrals some of L.A.'s best designers for a Fashion Week kickoff

A gaggle of L.A.’s most lauded fashion designers gathered for Gen Art’s "Alumni Reunion" celebration Tuesday night to fete the start of L.A. Fashion Week.

The poolside shindig, held at the Tropicana bar at the Roosevelt Hotel, was hosted by Amber Rose (Kanye West’s bleached 'n bald ex), who showed up in a ruffle-heavy miniskirt, stilettos and oversized '80s-style sunglasses.

Taking a cue from the Fashion Guild International’s "The Designer & the Muse" party last season (which will repeat itself Wednesday night), designers -- most of whom were kick-started in their careers by Gen Art’s annual “Fresh Faces in Fashion” show -- were asked to attend the party with a model wearing one of their designs.

Corinne Grassini, designer for Society for Rational Dress, had statuesque model Lily in tow, clad in a cool floor-length Grecian-inspired dress with leather detailing. "Gen Art was the first to recognize me and my company," said the designer, decked out in a gray pants jumpsuit (another of her designs). "They pretty much launched my brand, as far as I’m concerned."

David Hershberger from Endovanera came with a model dressed in one of his signature dark, louche looks -- featuring slouchy-but-structured pants and a knit vest dress. "We came because Gen Art’s been really nice to us," said the soft-spoken designer.

Other designers in attendance included Elmer Ave’s Jonny Day and Colin Pulsipher, Erik Hart, Geren Ford's Geren Lockhart, Melissa Coker of Wren, Jeffrey Sebelia (whose model for his new brand, Fluxus, affected the hard-lined '80s vibe of Grace Jones in a draped hooded confection), Eduardo Lucero and “Project Runway” alums Kit Scarbo and Rami Kashou.

-- Emili Vesilind

Upper photo: Geren Lockhart of Geren Ford with her model. Credit: Wireimage

Lower photo: Amber Rose, center, claps during a presentation of the designers' looks. Credit: Wireimage

Two-day Rock Fashion Week L.A. closes out a month of runways

 

Gen Art's Fresh Faces in Fashion event returned to the Petersen Automotive Museum this season, presenting the Spring 2010 runway collections of  Leyendecker, Seneca Rising, MG Black Label menswear, Valerj Pobega and Rory Beca.

The most memorable among them was Pobega's "Bondage collection," which added a layer of Japanese bondage influence to her 1920s-meets-punk culture aesthetic, with deconstructed kimono dresses, silk charmeuse cocoon coats and irregular circle skirts, hand-dyed, stained and screen printed to look rust-flecked, rope-wrapped and ink-dripped.

From Paramount to Petersen: Rock Fashion Week LA to shift venues

Even before its full line-up of designers has been released (we're told that should happen soon), the highest profile addition to the Los Angeles Fashion Week/Month landscape has announced it will be shifting venues from the historic Paramount Studios lot on Melrose Avenue to the Petersen Automotive Museum on Wilshire Boulevard.

A Rock Fashion Week LA representative told the Rage that the organizers had been so focused on the recent merger of the Rock Media and Gen Art entities that the decision was made to hold the event in a space that's already been event tested (the Petersen has been home to assorted Gen Art Los Angeles Fashion Week events over the years).

"There's no problem between them and Paramount," KPR's Alison Kennedy assured us. "It's just more efficient at this point for them to stage the shows in a place that's more familiar."

Kennedy confirmed that the dates remain Oct. 29 through Oct. 31 and will end with a lingerie-company-sponsored Halloween party. She also said that Alicia Lawhon, who's scheduled to debut a new line on the Oct. 29 as part of the Gen Art line-up, was bowing out due to personal reasons and would be replaced by designer Valerj Pobega.

-- Adam Tschorn

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More news from Los Angeles Fashion Week/Month

It's October, a.ka. Los Angeles Fashion Month

Welcome to October in Los Angeles, where the concept of fashion week as it exists in cities like Milan, Paris, New York and London has been folded, spindled and mutilated into a month-long series of fashion-themed installations, events – and even a Halloween party -- punctuated by the occasional old-school runway show. Charitable causes abound, Hollywood studios are the new tents (while we aren't exactly taking credit for it, we did suggest just that in last year's Fantasy Fashion Week story) and there's more partnering up than a '70s key party.

As in past seasons, most remain invite-only affairs geared toward the media and buyers, although a few are selling tickets to the fashion-loving public.

Among the events:

October 13-16 Downtown Los Angeles Fashion Week

None other than Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa himself has thrown his weight behind this hybrid event -- a mix of presentations, runway shows and mixers -- back for a sophomore season. This time

around, it will include a handful of runway shows and presentations from the likes of Louis Verdad (showing his Louver Collection), Eduardo Lucero, and Oliver Tolentino, as well as a showcase of up-and-coming Israeli designers dubbed Mode Israel.

What does the Gen Art/Rock Media merger mean for L.A. Fashion Week?

It looks like Gen Art, the prettiest girl at the L.A. Fashion Week dance, is getting hitched.

On Wednesday, the showcase for emerging fashion designers announced plans to merge with Rock Media & Entertainment effective Sept. 15. That's the same day their first joint effort -- Gen Art's 15th anniversary Fresh Faces in Fashion show in New York City --  takes place as the finale of the Style360 shows.

We're told the new entity will change its name to the somewhat unwieldy acronym RMGA, LLC, -- though we delicately suggest a letter scramble to make it something a little more fun and memorable like GRAM(with the tagline "fashion isn't heavy"), and be helmed by the founding partners of each company. Rock's Scott Rosenblum will be the chief executive, Gen Art's Ian Gerard and Rock's Nicole Purcell will serve as co-presidents and Gen Art's Stefan Gerard will be the chief operating officer for the new company.

So how, exactly, will all this boardroom gobbledygook affect what happens here in the 323 (and the 213, 818 and the 310). Most immediately, the L.A. installment of Gen Art's Fresh Faces in Fashion will be folded into Rock Media's four-day fashion showcase that's scheduled to unspool Oct. 28 to 31 at Paramount Studios. We're told it will take place Oct. 29.

Longer term, it takes one of the belles of the L.A. Fashion Week ball off the dance floor. Over the years, Gen Art has been the most consistent twice yearly presence in Los Angeles, and after several seasons of rumored partnerships with the assorted upstart groups trying to gain a toehold in the L.A. runway racket, teamed up with BOXeight in March for one night of runway shows. 

It also indicates that 2-year-old Rock Media, which despite producing events in Miami and New York City is a relative unknown on the Los Angeles runway circuit, seems serious about the scene. (It should be noted that although we usually focus on Gen Art's fashion projects, the group also showcases emerging film and music talent.)

LAFW: Gen Art/BOXeight Runway Video

Say what you will about the state of L.A. Fashion Week, the crowd that turned out to the Gen Art/BOXeight kickoff brought their party clothes.

It was Goths on parade last night at Gen Art.  Both Grai and Raquel Allegra sent out a lineup of dark and drapey collections that had the girls looking like Morticia and the boys like Eddie Munster, right down to the slicked-back hair, pronounced widow’s peaks and cropped pants.

Gen Art/BOXeight join forces for L.A. Fashion Week

What the upcoming fashion week in Los Angeles will look like came into a little sharper focus today as Gen Art announced it was joining forces with BOXeight "to revitalize L.A. Fashion Week" with a trio of runway shows by local designers on March 13 at the Los Angeles Theatre at 615 S. Broadway in downtown L.A.

"In light of the economic situation, it made sense to join forces with BOXeight," Gen Art representative Shana Glick told me this afternoon. "It would have been difficult for us to have the same event we are used to having." Glick also said that the size of the venue would allow the groups to sell close to 1,000 tickets to members of the general public (from $40 to $75 and available at www.genart.org or by calling [323] 782-9367).

The evening's schedule is set to include a reception at 7 p.m., a seated runway show at 8 -- featuring designs by GRAI, Raquel Allegra and Society for Rational Dress -- and an after-party scheduled to kick off at 9.

That evening marks the start of BOXeight's fashion schedule, which that group's founder, Pete Gurnz, says will include two more days of runway shows featuring at least 16 extra designers. "We're discussing some other possible content on additional days," Gurnz said. "But that's not finalized."

According to its website, a separate event, dubbed Downtown LA Fashion Week has two days of yet-to-be-announced fashion events scheduled for Wednesday, March 18, and Thursday, March 19, and has reportedly secured space at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA. Its organizers told us this afternoon that they would be announcing full details shortly.

Gurnz told us back in December that he had no intention of making BOXeight the de facto standard-bearer of L.A. Fashion Week, so we asked him again today if he felt the same way.

"Let's put it this way," he said. "That was never our goal, but we're ready, willing and able to accept that responsibility with open arms."

Sounds like the man needs a fashion week group hug. Anyone?

-- Adam Tschorn

Photos: (top) a look from Maxine Dillon's collection that showed at Gen Art's Fresh Faces in Fashion show in Los Angeles on Oct. 10, 2008. Photo by Ann Johansson/For The L.A. Times. (Bottom) a look from Yotam Solomon's BOXeight show in L.A. on Oct. 17, 2008. Photo by Michael Robinson Chavez/Los Angeles Times.