Don’t get me wrong. The swanky hotel complex is never not packed with the city’s scenesters on any given day, but last week felt different — thanks to Los Angeles Fashion Week, which took over the W Hollywood as its unofficial headquarters for the season. Last week, you were more likely to hear the clip-clop of the cloven-toed tabi boots through the lounge, or catch the colorful cyber dots of Jean Paul Gaultier’s iconic print walk down the red carpet that stretched from the entrance to the front desk. By the hotel bar, you were likely to catch the curvaceous body of Coperni’s swipe bag sitting pretty on a tall bar stool.

Throughout the three-day affair, activations, presentations, and runway shows were contained within the W Hollywood’s ecosystem. This might be a foreign concept to other fashion weeks worldwide, where shows are scattered throughout the city, but it’s not necessarily a new one for Los Angeles. Throughout the many years that I’ve been attending LAFW — both under the old and new leadership — the organization has always held its events, more or less, within the same building. What was different this time? The in-between moments. What to do between one show and the next is a big fashion-week conundrum — and in a spread-out city like Los Angeles, it isn’t logistically easy to kill the hours.

Not this time. At LAFW, you could grab a spicy margarita while waiting at the bar (with a direct sightline to the show’s entrance). You could peruse the many brands that showcased their collections at the event’s shoppable marketplace — including Head of State, Theophilio, Maisie Wilen, and Priscavera. You could attend a panel discussion or visit an exhibit of capstone project garments from the Otis College of Art and Design. You could sit down for a proper lunch or dinner and not have to eat, well, whatever’s available at the bottom of your purse. And I’ll be honest, after spending the last season hoofing it to presentations and shows all over town abroad, this was a very welcomed change of pace.

Compared to seasons past, it was also a far more organized affair, with events starting fashionably late, but not obscenely so. “We really support our designers and brands to have a more free-flowing approach, so they don’t have to go by traditional means whatsoever,” LAFW’s president Ciarra Pardo told the LA Times. “They can show in a traditional runway format, they can show in a presentation, they can do incredible pop-up activations.” And that they did. In case you missed it, here’s what happened inside the spring-summer 2025 shows. 

Private Policy: ‘Powerful Women’ Portrait Series

After crawling along in traffic for what felt like eternity, I arrived at my first show of the day late — the one thing I don’t like being during fashion week. I went up the elevator, down the hallway, and straight to the bench-style seats, which were covered in large-format, newspaper clippings of New York-based Private Policy’s show notes. Creative directors Haoran Li and Siying Qu approach each collection as a newspaper report, speaking out on a different social issue every time. Past collections have explored a wide range of topics — from the plight of enslaved fishermen in Southeast Asia and the impact of globalization to the challenges facing the pharmaceutical industry.

Inspired by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s quote, “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made,” this season served as a celebration of women in leadership positions. (The brand debuted part one of the portrait series during New York Fashion Week.) In Los Angeles, part two of the series transformed the runway into a photoshoot featuring award-winning creatives, entrepreneurs, athletes, and artists across an array of disciplines. Paralympics bronze medalist Beatriz Hatz walked down the runway in a navy leather-collared jacket and a studded mini skirt with visible pocket linings — a look from the brand’s fall-winter 2024 collection. Journalist May Lee strode down in a chic leather dress with a ruched waist. 

The collection itself (which mixed in some pieces from former seasons) was decidedly corporate-fueled and chock-full of button-ups, cropped blazers, and smart capris, with some of the brand’s signature party-ready pieces sprinkled throughout. I particularly found myself gravitating toward some of the more statement-making outerwear — like, the vegan leather coat in deep burgundy, stylishly worn by Sonja Rasula, founder of Unique Markets. Overall, Haoran and Siying truly hit that mix of formal with casual that’s made for the confident, contemporary woman. “As a fashion brand discussing social topics in every collection for [eight] years, we are honored and grateful to create this portrait series with long lasting meaning,” the duo said in their show notes. 

Ed Hardy: An Edgy, Nostalgia-Filled Comeback

In the mid-2000s, when famed tattoo artist Don Ed Hardy licensed his colorful tattoo designs-slash-artwork to French fashion designer Christian Audigier, the brand quickly became a fixture of the era’s fashion. Although several attempts were made to resuscitate the brand from fizzling out, none have been quite as promising as the current revival under the hand of the designer Kevin Christiana. Given the current obsession with everything Y2K, it felt like the right time for a comeback — and Los Angeles felt like just the right place. 

The space was aglow in reds and pinks. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Maps” was blaring when the first models stomped their way down the runway with a rebellious, puckish energy. Ed Hardy’s iconic jaguar came roaring back to life with an itty-bitty chained top paired with black leather pants with a lace-up fly. It was a perfectly brash and bold start to a deeply nostalgic collection. The tank tops of the early aughts were back, emblazoned with koi fish, tiger heads, skulls, and roses. Peekaboo thongs, fishnet stockings, spikes, studs, and chains — all back. 

What was striking: tattoo-inspired embroidered patches that were stitched together into tops and skirts. These pieces distinctly reminded me of the embroidered tops Maison Margiela crafted from the works of 50s tattooist Sailor Jerry for its spring-summer 2014 couture show. More turn-of-the-millennium style came in the form of velour tracksuits, low-slung jeans, and sheer jumpsuits that fit like a second skin. The final look was perhaps the most nostalgic of them all — a black hoodie, fishnets, and a high-low, tartan-tulle skirt you could easily imagine a guitar-wielding Avril Lavigne wearing back in the day (and perhaps even now). 

Theophilio: ‘Shaunie’

Theophilio’s week-ending runway show kicked off with a standing-room-only pre-party. Loud music drowned out the boisterous chatter. There was even a bar slinging drinks to attendees. Even when the show started (close to an hour and 12 minutes into the event), the party seemed to continue with creative director Edvin Thompson’s bold lineup of party-ready pieces. The Brooklyn-based designer, who hails from Jamaica, titled the collection “Shaunie” — a reference to his childhood nickname. When he showed the same collection in New York back in September, he told Vogue that it was created as a celebration of the “grander self.” 

Edvin’s sunny color palette was even sunnier this season, the hemlines shorter, and the prints brighter. He showed plenty of mini — no, micro — dresses in shimmering fabrics, injecting some high-shine appeal to the collection with sequins. Lots and lots of sequins. Menswear offerings included tight tanks paired with tiny briefs, vest and pants featuring peekaboo grommets, and tailored velvet suits. Some looks were paired with fun, oversized hats which added a level of drama to everything. 

We’ve been seeing the return of animal prints on runways — and Theophilio’s show was no exception. Breezy cheetah-print fabrics were cut into slinky dresses and matching pants and shirts. Edvin brought back his signature yellow (reminiscent of the gold saltire in the Jamaican flag), using it in form-fitting designs that sensually clutched the body. Of course, I’d be remiss not to mention the graffiti prints, which were just as striking on the runway. It was a decidedly fun collection — and a great exclamation point to a fashionable week.