When pressed about Los Angeles Fashion Week four years back, fashion and culture writer Robin Givhan noted that influential industry insiders were “not going to LA” for the local showcases. In an interview on the Madeleine Brand Show, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist said that worthy talents should shell out the money to stage a show at Fashion Week in New York, where attendees like big-name buyers and fashion press are firmly established.
Givhan’s got a point: Despite their best efforts, independent producers have yet to pull off LAFW as one cohesive happening. From Fashion Week LA (which joined forces with the sadly now-defunct LA Fashion Council a few years back) to mayor-approved Style Fashion Week to LAFashionWeek.com, the event is essentially several overlapping showcases scattered throughout March and October.
Fast-forward to 2017 when New York-based designers like Rachel Comey and Tommy Hilfiger are legitimizing the City of Angels’ fashion capital status by ditching NYFW — but they’re not showing at at LAFW. Similar to the way Louis Vuitton highlighted SoCal as a stylish destination for its resort ’16 show, our sunny hometown will star alongside designer’s ready-to-wear collections come this spring.
Below, we’ve rounded up the designers who are invading the Golden State for their upcoming runway shows; stay tuned as we’ll update this list if and when more talents make the west coast switch.
Rebecca Minkoff
The California-bred, New York-based designer will send models down the trolley tracks of popular shopping haunt The Grove for her third see-now-buy-now show, according to WWD. Minkoff also plans on opening a pop-up shop at the outdoor center in February.
When: Saturday, February 4, 2017 at sunset
By Danielle Directo-Meston