Anyone who has tried to break into the fashion industry or attempt to create and launch a clothing line knows how daunting the process can be. A fashion industry forum coming to Los Angeles on Saturday will attempt to assuage a lot of that anxiety, tapping industry experts such as Michael Segal, chief executive of Fred Segal; Cameron Silver, vintage guru and owner of Decades and Decades Denim; and footwear designer LD Tuttle to speak on various panels and inform attendees who are looking for a little guidance and perhaps an opportunity to network.

Afingo.com, a social-networking website for the fashion community is holding the forum, called "Behind the Seams," at Raleigh Studios in Hollywood. The event comes on the heels of an event held in New York, where industry notables such as retailer Steven Alan and Huffington Post style editor Lesley M.M. Blume addressed attendees at FIT in October.

"The fashion industry really does exist on both coasts," said Liza Deyrmenjian, co-founder of Afingo. "A lot of times, I feel the West Coast gets left out or isn't given enough credit for the thousands of people in and interested in fashion. L.A. has been a natural extension for "Behind the Seams" and really is the one central place on the West Coast that makes the most sense to hold the event."

Anyone who registers to attend Saturday's event can expect four seminars covering marketing, trend forecasting, sustainability in fashion and launching a line. Ticket prices range from $195 for an all-day pass to $49 for each seminar.

Visit www.afingo.com to register.

-- Melissa Magsaysay

Photo: The trend-forecasting panelists from the New York "Behind the Seams" event, left to right: Jennifer Mankins, owner of Bird; Steven Allen, founder of Steven Allen; Sharon Graubard of Stylesight; Lesley M.M. Blume, style editor of the Huffington Post; Sally Lohan of WGSN; and Syl Tang, chief executive of HipGuide/Afingo. Credit: Nick Wolfe

Designers, publicists and fashion fans are baffled by the sudden cancellation of World Coast Management's L.A Fashion Week, which had been slated to take place Oct. 20-25 at L.A. Production Studios. Fourteen designers were listed on the roster of WCM's website to show their collections for spring/summer 2011 during three nights of runway shows which were to be bookended by a party and a trade show. But many of them found out only on Wednesday night that the events had been canceled.

WCM's events were scheduled as part of a two-week-long series of fashion-related events with various sponsors collectively known as "L.A. Fashion Week."  Jennifer Uner, publisher and organizer of the umbrella fashion calendar on www.fashionweekla.com, said she received an e-mail from  info@lafwofficial.com -- the WCM fashion week website -- saying the events had been canceled.

Besides locals, designers from Hungary, Germany and Mexico had planned to show their lines during the WCM events. As of Thursday,  no official notification had been given to designers or their publicists by the event's producer, Susan Costa. Costa did not return calls from the Times seeking comment, but the WCM website has recently been amended to state that all runway shows planned under the “Official L.A Fashion Week” banner have been canceled. No official statement has been released by WCM as to why the event suddenly shuttered, but according to Uner, a media alert containing no contact information was circulated from “info@lafwofficial.com” saying the event's organizers had been unable to obtain necessary permits from the city Fire Department.

In an e-mail Thursday, deigner Anh Volcek, creative director of  L'une Collection, and publicist Heather Witbeck of Shine A Light PR expressed the outrage felt in the fashion community: "As designers, creative directors, and publicists, we are outraged and utterly disappointed that Costa did not look into this [the permit issue] before signing up designers."

Meanwhile on Friday, Fashion Los Angeles, a group that is organizing a new round of fashion presentations set to debut  in February, announced it has joined forces with Two Point Oh LA, an organization that includes 80 of Los Angeles’ biggest fashion and beauty bloggers, to offer the displaced designers an opportunity to meet with local media. The Bloggers’ Cafe event is schduled to take place at Fashion Los Angeles headquarters, 600 S. Spring St., Suite 1708, Los Angeles, from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday.

-- Melissa Magsaysay

Photo: A look from designer Jen Awad's fall/winter 2010 collection. Awad was one of 14 designers who had planned to show their spring/summer 2011 collections at the WCM L.A Fashion Week event. Credit: Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times.

 
Despite the dreary weather and what was originally supposed to be an outdoor venue, celebrities, stylists and fashion supporters flocked to the Chateau Marmont on Tuesday afternoon to celebrate the 2010 finalists of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund.

The finalists, who this year include Joseph Altuzarra of Altuzarra, Robert Geller, Pamela Love, Prabal Gurung, Billy Reid, Christian Cota, Moss Lipow, Oliver Helden and Paul Marlow of Loden Dager, Gregory Parkinson and Eddie Borgo, presented several looks from their spring/summer 2011 collections to the crowd who had been stealthily relocated from the garden of the hotel to the inside lounge. Event hosts Frederic Fekkai and Vogue’s West Coast senior editor Lisa Love sat front row among celebrities such as Eva Mendes, Marisa Tomei, Emily Mortimer and Molly Sims, most of whom are no strangers to a fashion show, yet all showed enthusiastic support for the designers’ collections (Mendes even wore one of Cota’s designs to the event).

Models glided down the living room-like setting of the hotel’s lounge in spring styles so fresh one forgot the overcast skies for a moment. The hair (done by Fekkai and Renato Campora) added a Southern California-esque feel, pulled back into tousled low ponytails, adding an easy, casual vibe to the runway looks. But it was another aspect of Southern California that had the crowd smiling and cheering -– L.A based designer Parkinson, whose effective use of mixing colorful textiles and flowy bohemian silhouettes have long been a hometown favorite as well as a hit with the global fashion community.

His applause was noticeably more thunderous than the other finalists, and the designer humbly thanked his L.A based friends/fan club for the generous support. “In a few years, I will have lived in L.A for as long as I lived in England. This really is my adoptive home,” Parkinson said. “The people here today have been a part of my life for many years and this is incredibly emotional. And nobody, nobody could ask for a better cheer!”

Several other L.A. based designers were present at the event. Jasmine Shokrian and former CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalist Juan Carlos Obando were in attendance and confessed their adoration of Eddie Borgo’s intense and rather large accessories. “His jewelry has a kick to it!” Obando said. “And jewelry should be decadent. Wearing Eddie’s jewelry is like you’re wearing precious toys … shiny, pointy, dangerous toys. What else could a girl want?”

-- Melissa Magsaysay

Photo: Marisa Tomei, left, Frederic Fekkai and Eva Mendes watch the L.A fashion show of this year’s CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalists at the Chateau Marmont. Credit: WireImage

 

Jesse Kamm’s collection of airy and edgy tunics, tank tops and trousers is back after the designer’s one-year hiatus from fashion to focus on her new life as A mother to her now 16-month-old son. Her collection for spring 2011 is partly inspired by her day-to-day activities of child rearing as well as a reinvigorated approach to design and a newfound perspective and love for Los Angeles after spending eight months in Austin, Texas.

“Spring came from me cutting up construction paper into different shapes,” said Kamm, 34, while showing her 20-piece spring 2011 line from retailer Ten Over Six’s sunny new location at Melrose Place. “I have these very simple, basic tasks I focus on with my baby like feed, play, change. The patterns in this line and the simplicity of the shapes are a reflection of the repetition of these basic tasks.”

Her hand-painted prints reflect basic shapes and repetition, such as black horizontal blocks stacked in an upward motion and printed across sack-style dresses and loose tank tops, and small triangles pointing to the right signifying moving forward. “The idea behind this collection is easy, go-to basics,” Kamm said. “Each piece is constructed from simple shapes like a trapezoid or triangle. These super-basic shapes end up being incredibly elegant.”

Kamm, a statuesque former model, moved to Los Angeles 10 years ago from her home state of Illinois. She began making a few pieces of clothing that got a lot of attention when she wore them. Five years ago she garnered the attention of a retailer while wearing one of her homemade slouchy dresses. One by one, women around L.A started catching onto Kamm’s lithe, easy pieces. She caught another break after giving Liz Goldwyn a tunic in exchange for a pair of earrings from Goldwyn’s jewelry line. Goldwyn wore the tunic into the popular Parisian store Colette and soon enough, the buyers were e-mailing Kamm for orders.

But as much as fashion-savvy Angelenos had to do with her start in design, Kamm, her husband and baby moved to a remote area of Austin, Texas, for nearly a year. “I was sort of down on L.A,” Kamm said.

“Everyone tells L.A designers that if you really want to make it you have to move to New York. Hearing that over and over started to bring me down.”

The time spent in Austin helped to reinvigorate Kamm’s attitude toward L.A. “My heart was here,” she said. “There’s so much happening here, so much progress in art and fashion. I have fallen in love with L.A again.”

Kamm’s collection is designed and manufactured in Los Angeles and available at Ten Over Six, 8425 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles.

-- Melissa Magsaysay

Photos: Looks from the Jesse Kamm spring 2011 collection. Credit: Courtesy of Jesse Kamm

Corey Lynn Calter’sultra-feminine frocks have landed on celebrities such as Dita Von Teese and Zooey Deschanel, but lately the L.A.-based designer’s brand has been growing in ways that still encompass her quirky prints and whimsical aesthetic, but include her passion for interior design and staying in touch with her fan base. Calter launched a line of pillows and aprons at Anthropologie as well as recently started a blog called “The Bees Knees,” a nod to the bee tattoos she has inked on each one of her knees.

I caught up with Calter in her new office and design space in downtown L.A. and got a glimpse of her creative process, key inspirations and a sneak peek at spring 2011.

You seem passionate about home design and interiors. Any plans to expand your line in that direction?

Home has been a natural transition for me, because my mom is an interior decorator, so I grew up with that. It’s always something I’ve wanted to do and there are so many outlets for all these prints I have. I can see them on makeup packaging and handbags as well!  Home is such a passion for me. I just love it and right now I’d really love to design wallpaper. I am so into wallpaper right now.

Besides your existing prints, what inspires your home and interior design?

I still love the uniqueness of vintage things. You always get something that’s unique and authentic. When I go to Paris and London I do all the flea markets. I just really love to go somewhere where everywhere I look there is something going on, rather than going into a showroom that’s all beige, it’s like OK, I get it. We get the gist of that!

Tell us about your Bees Knees blog. 

One of the things I used to hate about this industry was the smoke and mirrors about it. It’s hard to have your own business and you have to have a certain kind of backbone and skin for it. I am very transparent and want there to be a certain transparency about the company and the blog allows me to do that. Plus, we’re small enough that we have the ability to have this personal interaction with the customer and the world. I can let people know I’m a real person and that I love Nina Hagen and dumplings.

Who doesn’t?

-- Melissa Magsaysay

Photos: At top,inspiration boards and swatches for Calter's spring 2011 collection; middle,Corey Lynn Calter, Calter's new office and design studio in downtown L.A./Melissa Magsaysay

At bottom, Nina Hagen/Joel Robine AFP Getty; and a bowl full of dumplings/Kirk McKoy, Los Angeles Times

Spring is gone and summer’s here and that means one thing (besides an end to hay fever and a start to the NBA Finals) – designers and brands getting rid of spring merchandise at sample sale prices.

Starting Friday, Current/Elliott and Joie are holding their sample sale with prices slashed 70% off retail. With Current/Elliott’s worn-in denim wares and Joie’s soft boho pieces, it seems like it could be one-stop shopping for kicking off a summer wardrobe (on a budget).

And for the littlest budget shopper, Petite Joie is also included in the sale. Hey, you’re never too young to start shopping or saving.

Current/Elliott, Joie and Petite Joie warehouse sale:
Friday, June 11, noon-7 p.m.
Saturday, June 12, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
4599 District Blvd., Vernon, CA 90058

Happy shopping.

Photo: Current/Elliott rolled denim jeans. Credit: Current/Elliott

As with the fashion industry, the restaurant world gets a kick from a throwback. Which is why we weren't surprised when L.A. Weekly's Squid Ink blog showcased the classic old-school stylings of the staff uniforms at supper clubs First & Hope and Tar Pit.

So are we really at all surprised that the First & Hope outfits were designed by Allison Leach, whose day job is assistant costume designer on trend-setting "Mad Men"? For his offering, L.A.-based designer Martin Zepeda offers a form-fitting sexy black dress at Tar Pit.

One thing we're definitely not shocked about: Squid Ink goes on to say that female patrons at both haunts often ask where they can buy the outfits. What do you think? Would you wear one of these home? 

-- Whitney Friedlander

RELATED:

"Mad Men's" Allison Leach designs gorgeous uniforms for First & Hope; Local designer Martin Zepeda creates LBD for Tar Pit

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Photo: Staff at First & Hope model their uniforms: From left, a dining room assistant/runner uniform, a floor-length hostess gown, a bartender/server uniform, a cocktail server mini-dress, another bartender/server uniform, a server dress and a female bartender dress. Credit: First & Hope.

Geren Lockhart, designer for L.A. contemporary brand Geren Ford, always turns out chic, body-friendly looks. But for her fall 2010 collection, she also amped up the sex appeal — creating va-va-voom pieces such as metallic leather minis, body-clinging maxi skirts and silk cropped pants in rich jewel tones that slouch in all the right places. The overall effect: retro slink.

We caught up with the downtown-based designer to chat about how the streamlined collection came to be:

With a week full of season-enders and result shows, tonight’s "American Idol" finale comes with no shortage of anxiety and anticipation to see who will take home the coveted title and propel themselves that much closer to pop-stardom.

But as much as the singing and showmanship counts for votes and encouraging remarks each week, the style evolution of each contestant is often as dramatic as the countdown to the winner.  Otis and FIDM-educated L.A. native and “American Idol” costume designer Soyon An shares her backstage secrets and the local L.A. talent she taps to create custom looks for the contestants.

Since you film “Idol” in L.A. do you turn to local talent to create costumes?

Definitely, Skin Graft was a big favorite of Adam Lambert. Maggie Barry makes a lot of custom pieces and I use accessories from a Torrance-based company called Energy Muse. Also, there is a woman named Diana Devine who has been making all of the feather and crystal pieces this season.

What are some of the most memorable style moments for you since you’ve been doing the costumes the past 2 seasons?

When Lil Rounds wore that black cat suit, no one expected that. No one knew that she had that great figure. She came out with all those curves and that little waist and surprised everyone.
Also this season with Crystal [Bowersox], I feel like she really came out of the fashion closet. I got her to step out of wearing black. The process is like a fashion makeover and it all happens simultaneously with the show. They are naturally progressing into a state of mind of being a performer and I am guiding their style so it all goes in the same direction.

Because you’ve got your hands full with "American Idol," (the show and the tour) and "So You Think You Can Dance," do you have any time to pay attention to what you wear? Is it all about comfort or do you always put a lot of effort into your personal style?

I wear a lot of local designers like Duuya on Melrose and from a store called Church on Santa Monica Blvd. that carries a lot of local designers. I layer a lot and need to be comfortable but like to add an edge with leather, canvas and jersey. I like skinny jeans and boots.

Do you eventually see yourself moving into film?

I love the shows I do because they are live and that’s so exciting. I love live TV; nothing can replace that excitement and also creating looks for the tour. But I do have a desire to do films. My dream would be to work with Tim Burton. I’d love in a world of fantasy like Avatar, really pushing the envelope. Period pieces are also a draw to me because they’re so elaborate and detailed.

But I love what I do because it’s such team genius. It’s a blessing to be a costume designer/stylist and play fashion therapist.

Any big surprises to expect in tonight’s finale?

It’s all a big secret. I’m excited for Lee and Crystal; it’s great to see a girl up there.

-- Melissa Magsaysay

RELATED:

American Idol' winner: Burberry, for exclusively suiting Ryan Seacrest 

'So You Think You Can Dance's' costume designer Soyon An on how she gets those looks

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Photos: (left) Adam Lambert. Credit: Frank Micelotta / FOX.  (center) Soyon An. Credit: Collin Stark.  (right) Lil Rounds. Credit: Michael Becker / Associated Press

It’s no secret that love can inspire everything from sonnets to stalking. For Rachel Pally, the designer of the eponymous drapey cotton jersey collection, love has sparked a his and hers clothing line which she is designing with her boyfriend Kevin Circosta.

With their collection aptly called Boyfriend/Girlfriend, Pally and Circosta seem driven more by the activities hipster love birds engage in – strolling through a flea market, riding bikes through quiet neighborhoods and catching a matinee – than wearing matching blinged-out Beckham-esque ensembles or the “samesies” style of a Sadie Hawkins keepsake picture.

The collection definitely has a boho/I’m wearing my boyfriend’s shirt aesthetic. Plaid button-downs abound, as well as flannels, oversized T-shirts and a pyramid graphic strewn across a tote bag and a cotton wrap/blanket – for picnicking in the park or keeping each other warm while canoodling at Inspiration Point perhaps?

Boyfriend/Girlfriend hits stores for fall 2010

-- Melissa Magsaysay

Photos: Pally and Circosta serve as models, designers and the couple behind Boyfriend/Girlfriend. Credit: Boyfriend/Girlfriend

The career of Anna Sui, who made the baby doll dress an American staple, will be chronicled in a book by Andrew Bolton, curator of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. A hefty 400 pages, it's due out in November. [People]

Miranda may have a flare for fashion on "Sex and the City," but in real life Cynthia Nixon gets her significant other to pick out her clothes. [StyleList]

Indoor salt rooms have been popping up with claims that the salt can soothe respiratory and skin problems. [Wall Street Journal]

Times have been tough for teen retailers, but not for the chief executive of Abercrombie & Fitch, whose annual compensation jumped to $36.3 million last year (up from $23.2 million a year earlier), more than double that of his peers at Aeropostale and American Eagle Outfitters. But he didn't get a bonus. [Wall Street Journal]

Spring's style books expect you to put in some effort. [Wall Street Journal]

Finally! Toms Shoes is offering its first really feminine women's shoe, an open-toe espadrille wedge. [Cool Hunting]

Calvin Klein's mixed message: Its new fragrance, Beauty, is supposed to aim at women over 40, but the face of the campaign is 31-year-old Diane Kruger and the editors of some magazines deemed key for the over-40 demographic weren't even invited to the launch party. Tsk, tsk. [wwd]

News we're catching up on: The German fragrance industry has honored Marc Jacobs' Lola and Tom Ford's Grey Vetiver with Duftstars Awards. [wwd, subscription required]

Trend alert: black and gold accessories that look just right. [FabSugar]

Beautiful and brave, Claudia Schiffer took the plunge: she's appearing nude and very, very, very, very pregnant on Vogue Germany's June cover. Very. [fashionologie]

Liberty of London is launching a men's line. [wwd, subscription required]

StyleList gets a peek at Payless ShoeSource's soon-to-come makeup line. [StyleList]

The Miss USA pageant has never felt quite as, well, wholesome as Miss America, and now it's making tongues wag and eyes pop with a lingerie shoot in Las Vegas. [StyleList]

This will send you running for the chemical peels and moisturizers: a new website that will "age" your photo to show what you'll look like in 20 years. [BellaSugar]

-- Susan Denley

Photo: Cynthia Nixon as Miranda. Credit: James Devaney / WireImage.com

Anyone who's been a bridesmaid knows that the honor doesn't always come cheap. And since I got engaged on New Year's, I've given quite a bit of thought to the dresses my four lucky friends joining me at the altar will wear: something befitting the event, yet something they can -- to use the phrase that's more truthiness than truth -- wear again. Most important, I'm also worried about price.

As the attention in my social circle seems to shift toward my wardrobe for the day, I realized that I would love these things for my gown as well -- something chic and comfortable but maybe not so much cha-ching.  Which is why Swoon's Amy Wong Micucci has given me hope.

Around June 1, Micucci will offer more matrimonial versions of her not-overly-stuffy, affordable bridesmaid dresses via her website -- think heavier fabric weight and full linings (or a double lining for chiffon). This does mean the price is a bit steeper than what your girls will be paying, but we're still talking a sticker price of under $500. Best of all, they're casual enough that you might even be able to ... wear it again? 

-- Whitney Friedlander

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Prices for photos as shown: Cancun dress $425, sash $22; Mykonos dress $425, sash $22; Florence dress $425, sash $24; and Sonoma dress $465, sash $30. Credit: Swoon