CFDA is finally warming up to L.A. designers
It has taken a while for the New York establishment to embrace L.A. as a serious fashion center. But things are looking up. Last week, the Council of Fashion Designers of America held a cocktail party to get to know the design community here. Invited guests included designers Jenni Kayne, Louis Verdad, Nony Tochterman, Gela Taylor of Juicy Couture, Eduardo Lucero, Libertine’s Johnson Hartig and Cindy Greene, Kevan Hall and Jade Howe. Also present were James Galanos and CFDA founding member Luis Estevez.
The nonprofit trade association was founded in 1962 to help elevate the status of the American fashion industry, and now counts 273 clothing and accessory designers as members. The application process can be rigorous, and only a handful of L.A. designers have been accepted in recent years (jeweler Erica Courtney and designers Trina Turk and Magda Berliner among them).
Still, CFDA Executive Director Peter Arnold pledged to become more involved in the scene. “Los Angeles is becoming a force to be reckoned with,” he told the crowd of about 200, who gathered at the Coldwater Canyon house that CFDA board member Diane von Furstenberg shares with media mogul Barry Diller.
Sitting by the fireplace sipping red wine, Von Furstenberg recalled that it was Estevez who first took her to the White House in March 1976, just days after she graced the cover of Newsweek in her signature wrap dress. They sat at Gerald Ford’s table, where Von Furstenberg said the president teased her about “beating him for the cover.”
Go to the store and look like a star
Between the tourist T-shirts and key chains, Universal Studios Hollywood isn’t the kind of place one would expect to find high-end shopping. But the theme park’s newest attraction is a veritable fashion boutique. The Wardrobe Dept. offers men’s and women’s clothing from TV and movie productions such as “Passions,” “Will and Grace,” “Crossing Jordan” and “American Dreams.” Some pieces have been worn by the actors while others never made it on screen. Everything comes with a certificate of authenticity.
On a recent visit, we spotted a lavender Richard Tyler gown for $150, a mod Marc Jacobs dress for $50 (with the original $258 price tag still on it,) a mint green Valentino jacket for $60, and a Moschino knit tank for $25.
A few styles were very soap opera (an ankle-grazing fuchsia silk duster coat used on “Passions” cried out for an evil twin), and there were vintage pieces from the 1960s-themed show “American Dreams.”
Since they were intended for celebrities, many of the sizes are small, though there were a few size 10s and 12s on the racks, and everything is deeply discounted. Theme park admission is required to enter the store.
Seems like other studios could join in this latest synergistic move. Imagine what would happen if ABC sold the wardrobe from “Desperate Housewives”?
Bruno Magli looks back to the future
For years, Bruno Magli had a store on the 300 block of Rodeo Drive. But over the past decade, the shoes famously associated with O.J. Simpson fell out of fashion, and the boutique closed.
Now, in an effort to bring the 78-year-old brand back into the public consciousness, an exhibit of archival Bruno Magli shoes has landed at the Arthur Beren shoe store in Beverly Hills, which has been doing business with the Italian company for nearly two decades. What’s amazing about the designs, culled from a collection of more than 1,000 pairs kept at the company headquarters in Rome and on display through next Sunday, is how modern they look.
A red, brushed calf leather T-strap shoe with decorative lace cutouts from 1960 suits this spring’s frilly trend, while a gold disc sandal from 1968 would look just right with the season’s ethnic styles.
Apparently, Bruno Magli president Aaron Schwartz thought so too. He’s in the process of hiring a designer to reinterpret the traditional styles for 2006.
Fur donation for Humane Society
Fur has been in vogue for several seasons now, but for those experiencing a change of heart about killing animals for their skins there’s a new option. The Humane Society of the United States is collecting furs to send to wildlife rehabilitators for use as bedding and nesting material for animals in their care. Furs, fur-trimmed apparel and shearling are accepted, and donations are tax-deductible. Send to Fur-Free Century, HSUS, 2100 L St., NW, Washington, DC 20037.
