LA Fashion Week: Nick Verreos attends the Call to Action Cocktail Party

Fashionistas by the Beach! Alfonso and Tarina's "Lovechild": Alfonso Campos, Tarina Tarantino and Nick Verreos, Hotel Erwin Venice California

Earlier this week, the lovely Jennifer Uner, executive producer of the LA Fashion Awards (and a big proponent of Los Angeles fashion and its designers), invited me to attend a Call To Action Cocktail Party at the brand spankin' new Hotel Erwin in Venice Beach. After a ONE HOUR drive from Downtown LA to Venice Beach (I kid you not!), I finally made it to the rooftop meeting of designers, pr agents, editors and boutique owners, to discuss the future of Los Angeles Fashion Week and everything in between. The Devil Wears Prada (not!), LA: California Apparel News Executive Editor Alison Nieder and Fashion Editor Jayne Seward

Waiters passed delicious chicken mini sandwiches and shrimp taco hors d'oeuvres as guests listened to Jen Uner's "Call To Action" speech atop the rooftop of the Hotel Erwin. The view of the beach--and all its healthy running short-and-sneaker (or skateboard-carrying) wearing populous down below-- made an unusual backdrop as the LA Fashion Crowd enjoyed wine and cheese up top!Rooftop Fashion: Darren Gold, Alison Nieder of California Apparel News, Alisa Loftin of Aero & Company and designer Nony Tochterman of Petro Zillia

I said "hello" to Darren Gold of Alpha Man Boutique on Melrose, Alisa Loftin of Aero & Company, a store that carried my line, NIKOLAKI, here in LA. I immediately spotted my good friend (how can you miss her!), fuchsia-haired designer Tarina Tarantino and her sexy husband and partner Alfonso Campos (he's going to kill me for that one!) as well as pr beauties Jen Green and Shana Honeyman of Genevieve Productions (they produced my first Smashbox LA Fashion Week fashion show back in 2003) and Matt Meyerson of RPRT Communications and Management. Love them: Jen Green and Shana Honeyman of Genevieve Productions

I was happy to see my Hollywood Bowl Opening Night "box seat" mate, the dear Miss Alison Nieder, executive editor of the California Apparel News, her publisher, Molly Rhodes, and fashion editor Jayne Seward. A representative from the LA Mayor's office was scheduled to have also been in attendance, but they somehow did not make it (if somehow I got there, after an hour's drive in stopped traffic, huney, they should have been there too! I had FIVE other appointments, but I still got there--- Just saying!). I was glad I attended and hope that we, as part of the LA Fashion Community, can have an outstanding fashion week of events, fashion parties and fashion shows to showcase how amazing we are and the diversity of our great city!
For more on the night:
*HERE is a fun little video from Tarina Tarantino's "Life At The Sparkle Factory" Blog
*Click HERE to read about the cocktail party on Plopculture Blog.

Nick Verreos attends Los Angeles Fashion Week at BoxEight

Gen Art Show: Fierce Hair: Michael M. Haase's hair artistry displayed at the Gen Art Show at Box Eight LA Fashion Week Fall 2009/10

Last week, I was invited by hair GURU, Michael M Haase to attend the Gen Art Fashion Show at the BoxEight LA Fashion Week event. I had hosted the GenArt Fresh Faces of Fashion event a couple of years ago with actress Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon. Michael called me and emailed me last minute to ask me if I wanted to go, and of course I said "yes"! I met Michael at an Oscars Gifting Suite (he gave me a fabulous haircut at Debbie Durkin's Main Event Red Carpet Lounge and Green Suite) and I was happy to attend and see his fabulous hair designs--and some LA "undiscovered" fashion...Morticia Couture: Grai designs at Gen Art Box Eight LA Fashion Week Fall 2009/10

As soon as I arrived at the Los Angeles Theater, home of the Box Eight shows this season, I ran into the handsome Slade Smiley of Bravo's Real Housewives of Orange County and his "date", the beautiful Gretchen Rossi, also from the show. As I got my seat for the Gen Art Show, I looked up, surveying the capacity-filled theater and saw LA denim "King", designer Henry Duarte, sipping drinks in the balcony (we weren't allowed to bring our drinks into the theater but he's special), as well as designer Jared Gold and stylist, author, model cohort, Clint Catalyst. In LA Fashion Week, you might not get the Anne Hathaway's or Jennifer Lopez' sitting in the front row--but it's still entertaining to see who is out in the audience; from fashion design students to reality show stars to drag queens to Urban Outfitters skinny hipster kids trying to work their best Fashion Week outfits. Welcome to Box Eight Fashion Week.

Gen Art: Grai-----------------------------------------------------------------------

LA Fashion Week Gets Dark: A look from Grai, Gen Art Show at Box Eight

First up was Grai. I loved the Rick Owens-like darkness and bias cut silk charmeuse fishtail gowns, coupled with draped jersey knit pieces and some FIERCE shoes! Grai Fall 2009/10 at Gen Art Box Eight LA Fashion Week. After a little bit of research (yes, kiddies, I actually do my homework!), I found out that Grai designer, Maya Groyev, actually worked with Rick Owens (no surprise) which reflected on her aesthetic, silhouettes, fabric choices and the dark "Gothic Girl" who-shops-at-Maxfield overall look.

Click Below for the Final Walk of the Grai Show:

Gen Art: Society For Rational Dressing---------------------------------------------
Society For Rational Dressing designs were moody but with some drapey Grecian Goddess intervals as well as creme hooded knits which made it for a good respite from all the black seen on the stage just before. As someone in the LA "fashion industry" scene for the last 13 years, I had heard of them and considered them pretty established as opposed to "up and coming" but heck, Lord knows, designers need a push any way they can get it and if Gen Art can facilitate this, well, you can fill in the rest of the sentence...I liked their collection and of course I gravitated towards the one shoulder gathered Empire-style cocktail dress.

Click Below for the Final Walk of the Society For Rational Dressing Show:

Gen Art: Raquel Allegra------------------------------------------------------------
Designer Raquel Allegra was the third and last designer to be showcased by Gen Art during this Fall 2009/10 LA Fashion Week. Here again, it was dark, drapey, we-are-in-Berlin designs, but with almost an Argentinian Gaucho edge. Raquel Allegra is known for gathering t-shirts from LA County Jail (yep, you read right), making them even more gritty, draping them into a more fashionsita-friendly shapes---and then selling them for $450 or more to high-end stores across the nation. I liked her collection and was drawn by the whole anti-LA dark look to it all (a general theme of this season's GenArt show I guess).
It all looked very Jeffrey Sebelia/Cosa Nostra to me and in a way, it was refreshing to see what LA designers were showing (since it really doesn't look like what people consider as typical Southern California style fashion). Possibly it's a reflection of the state of the dire world economy or maybe these designers aren't really trying to reach the I-go-to-Kitson-and hang-out-at-the--Ivy market, whatever it is, it was very un-LA. In a good way.

Click Below for the Final Walk of the Raquel Allegra Fashion Show

Skin.Graft-------------------------------------------------------------------------Romantic Goth: Skin.Graft Fall 2009/10 at Box Eight LA Fashion Week

A couple days later, my friends, wardrobe stylist Art Conn (of American Idol) and Johnny Lopez, invited me to the Skin.Graft Fashion Show, again at Box Eight. Art's friend and client, American Idol singer Carly Smithson, also joined us. She's worn Skin.Graft's designs on the show and therefore was in attendance for support. We also spotted comedienne Margaret Cho (also wearing Skin.Graft) looking very cute in a tight black mini. I really loved this show and these designs. Again, it was very dark but also had a romantic twist--Gothic-Romantic. Razor-sharp leathers cut into UBER fitted jackets--men's and women's--as well as ruffled almost Edwardian-like gowns and gown skirts perfectly suited for a 2009 remake of an apocalyptic 28 Days Later Robin Hood movie (I know , it's a mouthful, but just trust me on this). Deer Caught In The (Fashion) Headlights: Skin.Graft Fall 2009/10 at Box Eight
LA Fashion Week

There were a couple of distressed leather jackets that I would TOTALLY wear (if I had to go to Berlin and attend some very obscure Gallery Opening at 1 AM). The styling was fabulous, especially the feathered and horned hat designs. It was really one of the highlights of this season's LA Fashion Week--and the Box Eight Shows. I am glad to have been part of it.
Click Below for the Final Walk of the Skin.Graft Show:

Click HERE for a great review of the Gen Art show from Racked LA.
And click HERE for an great LA Weekly Style Council recap.