This year marked Concept Week’s 4th season. Concept Los Angeles was hosted at ACE Gallery and served as a creative platform which merged entertainment with some of the most relevant fashion designers, artists and musicians of the moment. The bi-annual event takes place in the world-renowned “ACE Gallery” and offers an innovative five day program of international runway shows, alternative presentations, artistic installations and crossover music events. Created by Fashion Insiders, the objective of Concept Week is to change the landscape of fashion events worldwide by incorporating the synergy of art, music and entertainment.

Installations during Concept Week ranged from other-worldly to avant-garde, and the runway shows were just as varied.  From ethereal, delicate looks from designers like Emily and Alex, to structured urban fashions from Black Eyed Peas front man Will I.Am’s I.Am menswear collection, Concept Week boasted some of the hottest styles and boldest creative expressions we’ve seen in recent years.

Here’s just a glimpse of some of the looks we loved:

 

EMILY AND ALEX:

 

As gentle and wistful as a spring walk through the forest, the Emily and Alex show was free-flowing and ethereal.  Models posed while standing under  trees or sitting on tree stumps, as an example of how we can all take time and commune, as one, with nature.  Soft color palettes, easy patterns and accessories completely balance the collection.

 

 

SUE WONG:

 

 

Themed “Angel or Vamp”, the Sue Wong show explored diametrically opposed feminine archetypes and was easily the most immersive art experience we took in during Concept Week.  The exquisite collection challenges every woman to embrace the beauty of both her ladylike and inner-vamp tendencies.  Accessible, yet unattainable, the collection commits completely to the fantasy and effectively mirrors the duality that dwells in every woman, as even Ms. Wong’s Angels were struggling to completely conceal their inner-vamps. Stunning tulle, beadwork and vintage flair made Sue Wong’s creations the wearable art that typically sets her work apart from the rest.

 

PROJECT ETHOS:

 

Featuring art and a live musical performance by Fallout Boy’s Pete Wentz and his new band the Black Cards, Project Ethos brought together the beautiful people for the cause of raising awareness and funds for breast cancer research.  Event sponsor Vitamin Water posed a challenge for each participating designer to create a garment inspired by one of the brand’s drink flavors. Throngs packed the House of Blues for the night’s festivities.  And they were not disappointed.  Among the highlights from the runway were Lauren Nicole’s clean, simple and fresh collection, uniquely vintage pieces from Pentard Couture and the uber sexy Frederick’s of Hollywood Swimwear Collection.  Our favorite collection of the night came courtesy of Black Eyed Peas front man Will.I.Am’s I.Am collection.  The sleek urban styling of the easy, wear-now pieces made it a definite hit with the capacity crowd.

 

 

BRYAN HEARNS:

 

Bryan Hearns’ use of shape and texture was among some of the most innovative work we saw during Concept Week.  The collection strongly featured geometric shapes and patterns that were delicately balanced with details like ostrich feathers, which gave the pieces a distinctly powerful yet feminine feel.  Pants feature slim, tailored legs that flare out at the bottom which smoothly continues the juxtaposition of hard and soft in each individual piece.  From the pyramid-like white shoes to the mixing of hard and soft in extremes in every look, we loved the blending of clean, defined lines with feminine touches.   

 

THAI NGUYEN:

 Thai Nguyen’s craftsmanship and bold use of color was brilliant and the collection was a beautiful ode to Thai’s Asian heritage.  The looks in the collection transitioned smoothly from airy to structured pieces.  The entire collection was intricate with a lot of attention paid to the small details – making each look distinct, while pulling the collection together perfectly.  We loved the coral and orange trims, embroidery, beading, and delicate appliqués that accented various pieces.  One of our favorite looks was the Charmeuse border beaded draped chiffon tunic in ivory which was quite elegant and evoked images of  puremodern glamour.

 

NAMI:

The NAMI show was elegance and grace epitomized and rated among our favorite shows throughout both Concept and Style Week.  Inspired by head designer Sarah Ahn’s recent trip to Japan, the collection boasts a brilliant blend of chiffon and tulle with soft tones like pink and white. The romance of the collection is expertly balanced with the accessories Ahn chose – including necklaces constructed from brass door hinges.  Some of our favorite pieces also included her stunning origami-inspired dresses with satin trim along the sleeves.  Check out the “Designer Spotlight” for our complete interview with Sarah Ahn publishing on November 18th!

Concept Week concluded with a posh VIP party with the Hollywood Hills serving as the perfect backdrop.

 

And as the sun set over Concept Week, Wiles quickly geared up to cover Style Fashion Week!

 

 

STYLE FASHION WEEK LA

 

Style Fashion Week launched its sophomore season October 17th – 22nd, 2011 during Market Week in downtown Los Angeles. The six-day production featured an elite lineup of designers showcasing their spring 2012 collections. Fashion industry leaders, media, and celebrity guests were treated to an eclectic and dynamic montage of designs from swimwear to vintage-inspired pin-up looks to California-based fashion collectives.

Style Fashion Week is the newest and most ambitious fashion week to emerge from Los Angeles. The week of events consisted of a welcome party for VIP and Media, followed by five days of runway shows. Initially regarded as the new kids on the block, Style Fashion Week LA has made a global impact on the fashion scene by presenting fashion in new ways, merging interior design with fashion design, and giving Los Angeles based designers a world-class platform to showcase their collections. Style Fashion Week represents the diverse culture that embodies the people of L.A., making the City of Angels a fashion hub, and being a leader in the world’s fashion community where it belongs.
From the posh parties to the fabulous shows at downtown’s Vibiana venue and Sunset Gower Studios in Hollywood, Wiles was there to capture every moment.  Here’s a peek at just a few of the shows we adored.

STOP STARING!

Pin-up girl bathing suits and vintage Hollywood glamour were obvious inspirations for this adorable collection.  Chic black and white  resort styles are reminiscent of classic Chanel. Featuring wonderful ruffled hemlines, floor-length gowns, elegant jumpsuits and shimmering nylons with seams up the back, the collection delighted and evoked images of style icons like Greta Garbo, Betty Grable and Ava Gardner, to name a few.

 

 

ALTERNATIVE APPAREL:

Opening with an acoustic guitar soloist, and followed by a live band performing hard-hitting drum rhythms, the Alternative Apparel show was tribal in both its visual and auditory aesthetics.  Loose-fitting, relaxed, understated sweaters paired with camouflage bikini bottoms were among our favorite pieces. Bubbling over with pastels and sumptuous soft fabrics, the collection was infectious and thoroughly unpretentious.

 

OCTAVIO CARLIN:

Fun chocolate brown tennis dresses with vertical line details, gorgeous white shorts with flowing hemlines, and fitted striped halter-shorts rompers were just a few of the pieces that Octavio Carlin showed to get us ready for Spring/Summer.   Vibrant colors are the order of the day for this collection with, perhaps, the exception of an exquisite pocketed silk dress in navy. Carlin effectively employed easy styling in the form of light make-up and soft buns to complement the overall carefree feel of the line.

 

HAUTE COUTURE BY FURNE ONE:

The jaw-dropping Haute Couture collection by Furne One was drama personified.  Intricate in detail, divine in inspiration and breathtaking in execution, the show boasted ornate headdresses, strapless bejeweled bustiers, and intricate structured bodices delicately off-set with white and cappuccino floor-length tulle skirts.  Embellished hip and shoulder pads enhanced the overall larger-than-life presentation of the show, as the other-worldly collection literally soars.  The extraordinary show-stopper piece pictured above, literally brought the audience back down to earth – but only so that it could leap to its feet in applause.