LAFW SS19: Designers To Watch

1 – Bomme Studio

There was a fierceness about LA-based designer Bo Matthew Metz’s collection, partly thanks to its color palette, which almost seemed plucked from a close-up of the sun’s photosphere—big, bold reds and yellows, searing vermilions and dusty oranges. “I was inspired by the films of Derek Jarman,” he said after the show, adding that he also takes his cues from the chakras. “Every single thing in this collection was hand-dyed or hand-manipulated by me in some way.” He paused, looking down at his fingers. “I still have dye on my hands.” The designs themselves were imbued with femininity, but still retained a certain strength. Power shoulders, structured silhouettes and sleek blazers cinched at the waist gave the collection a certain bite, while clever fabric combinations veered it overtly into a playful territory. The collection also featured menswear, and the brand’s website offers custom looks and bridal gowns.

2 – Lakris

Although a few slips and jumpsuits punctuated the collection, the main star of Lakris‘ Middle-East-meets-Asia-inspired show was the Evolution Shirt—a dress that boasts a series of buttons trailing down the front, sides and back. You can wrap it, casually sling it or fasten it into a blouse. How you style the piece totally depends on how you button it. The Evolution Shirt is the brainchild of Russian model-turned-designer Kristina T, who was drawn to the idea of creating a single, versatile garment that would be able to pull double (or however-many-uple) duty. There’s something to be said about the fabric, too. Kristina favors silk—and for good reason. When the models loped down the runway, it gave the otherwise deceivingly minimalist design a certain elevated and lightweight feel, undulating effortlessly with every step. “When the idea came to me, I just decided to stick with it,” she mused. “I started with the one piece, and then I slowly went to, like, the jumpsuit and the dresses. But it’s all about, like for me, how I would like to be dressed.”

3 – Fabiana Milazzo

The thing to know about Fabiana Milazzo, the Brazilian designer whose dreamy embroidered dress graced the cover of Brazil’s Vogue Bride, is that she has a soft spot for nature. And in looking at the designs she sent down the runway, it’s easy to see how that love manifests in her work. Take the earthy, quiet neutrals that kick-started the show and the pastel-centric palette that followed: ethereal gowns with billowing, over-sized ruffles and the fabrics—hand-dyed with real leaves and petals—that wafted down the runway. “Not all, but a lot, about 50 percent of the collection is made out of sustainable materials,” she said after the show. But there were anomalies, too, playful little surprises peppered throughout—bursts of orange and cunning plays on the hi-low skirt (which was more of a low-hi as it was engineered to be long in the front and short in the back). “I like playing with contrasts—[with] what’s different and not common.” she said.

Fabiana debuted the opening of her first US store back in February of 2017. The boutique is located at 8476 Melrose Pl, Los Angeles. 

4 – RS Visual Thing

If there’s anything you can count on when it comes to Radka Salcmannova, the Prague-born, LA-based creative behind RS Visual Thing, it’s that one way or another, she’ll put on a show. Because the way Radka approaches fashion has to do with a lot more than just design and fabric. There’s meaning, and there’s purpose. And in the case of her LAFW showcase, there were models in wheelchairs breaking stereotypes and a killer choreography to boot. “I’m using fashion as a medium of expression,” she said. “The clothes themselves, it’s like…experimental. It’s not my goal to do just fashion. For me, the most important thing is the concept.” But the fashion is still worth dwelling on. As the models hopped, glided and danced their way down the runway, there was another component to the energy: tailoring that was fresh and new, tops festooned with faux leather origami and haphazardly pleated skirts. With salmon pink and tar black dominating the palette, Radka’s designs completed the spectacle, all without missing a beat.