Los Angeles Fashion with Cheyne Jackson

 

 

 

Tongue ‘n’ Chic

By Cheyne Jackson

 

 

 

 

SJOBECK

After their debut show with BOXeight at the Los Angeles Theater (home of the recent BOXeight fashion week), Sjobeck—a group of Malibu locals—took to the runway.  The collection was inspired by the cowboy grandfather of Garrett Gerson, one of Sjobeck’s designers. Gerson, Jessie Ray, Shelly Sjobeck and Lani Lupton did a remarkable job of using Old West inspiration to create modern, youthful silhouettes.  They avoided any pitfalls—except that at the very beginning, when they put a handsome model in an expertly tailored pair of French terry trousers cut to look like five-pocket jeans. While the clothes were fantastic, the model was wearing a giant Native American headdress.  I understand that the designers were setting a Western tone, but they should have trusted their own expertly created clothes. 

They showed lumberjack plaids—ultra-modern but still maintaining a utilitarian ruggedness—and denim jackets in sharp-fitting combed denim from North Carolina. (All their construction and materials are made in the United States.)  There was a great must-have; it’s what I’m calling the sexy prairie dress, beautifully cut and fun for every young girl.  My personal favorite was a feather skirt paired with an organic cotton tank.  The silhouette looked as if Christian Lacroix took the reins at Ralph Lauren—a great novelty skirt. What’s more, nothing in the collection breaks $500.

The collection had something for everyone, whether it was a great dress for dinner in the city or a wrapped-up cozy sweater for grabbing frozen yogurt in the Malibu colony.  It was a very Malibu collection made with pride in the United States.

 

K E V A N   H A L L 

Why would one of the most famous L.A. designers forgo the pre-packaged fashion weeks for a ladies’ luncheon?  The answer: The Colleagues!  

The Colleagues are a massive collection of luminaries, socialites, philanthropists and examples of what it means to be a lady of means.  The well-heeled girls held their Annual Spring Luncheon at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills to benefit the Children’s Institute.  

I spoke to Mr. Hall the day after the show and discussed his thoughts on showing the collection at this famed luncheon.  “Most [fashion shows] are retail shows for buyers,” Hall said. “But the Colleagues luncheon was the best way for the women to see what’s coming down the pike.” 

Hall’s show was inspired by spies such as  Emma Peel (The Avengers), Honey West and the Bond girls.  He described the woman for this season as “modern and mobile.”  (I would add: lethal and agile.)  Early on, for instance, Hall brought on a femme fatale in a tight, high-collared bodysuit with pistols strapped inside shoulder holsters.  From there, the clothes melted into a sophisticated, modern collection that spoke to the powerful, confident and relevant woman—ladies in command of their feminine wiles, who could handle themselves with the bravado and subtlety of a high-society assassin.  

All I can say to Mr. Hall is: keep doing what you are doing, whether it’s inking a new deal with Paul Stanley to creating better priced career wear or opening your retail atelier on Beverly Boulevard. Your clothes are a beautiful reflection of an aesthetic that few designers can match. 

Well done, sir!