Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa: From City Hall to Kevan Hall
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Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, accompanied by his daughter Natalia, were among those trekking out to Culver City for Kevan Hall’s show yesterday afternoon, the first show on the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios calendar, the first trip to the tents for both. Villaraigosa’s presence was notable not for his support of the city’s garment industry -- he’s been spotted at BOXeight shows in the past and is slated to speak at ‘Downtown at Dusk,’ on Friday evening, a fashion event at the California Market Center on Friday, which marks the kickoff of L.A. Market Week -- but because in March, when we buttonholed Hizzoner at a fashion industry mixer on the back lawn of the official mayor residence (co-sponsored by the Image section), Villaraigosa said that though he was determined to have a Los Angeles Fashion Week in Los Angeles proper, he hadn’t darkened the doorstep of the event, held at Dean and Davis Factor’s Smashbox Studios on Warner Avenue in Culver City for one simple reason -- it was in Culver City.
That seems to have changed now that Smashbox co-owner and Fashion Week organizer Davis Factor announced in an exclusive interview last week that he was looking for a venue in the Hollywood area for next season -- the first the Factors will be helming solo since they partnered with IMG five years ago.
‘They’ve decided to bring Fashion Week to Los Angeles,’ said Cynthia Ruiz, president of the Los Angeles Board of Public Works who accompanied the mayor. ‘That’s why we’re here.’ Asked for a comment, Villaraigosa slowly bobbed his head and smiled.
‘That’s why,’ he said, before the crowd in the VIP lounge headed for the seats.
-- Adam Tschorn
From left: Davis Factor, co-owner of Smashbox Studios, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Adam Paige, Department Manager Brand of Public Relations for Mercedes-Benz, in the VIP lounge at Smashbox Studios on Sunday afternoon. Photo by Adam Tschorn.