The third edition opens in Los Angeles

LAFW, 3rd edition, here we come. Held at the W Hotel in Hollywood, newly renovated with a new contemporary style and much more glamorous than before, the event began this Wednesday morning with a series of presentations, exhibitions and performances before two shows led by The Blue Fashion Show and The Rio World, the brand founded by designer Rio Uribe.

In a new format, reduced to four days and three afternoons, and held for the first time in November, LAFW “marks continuity with the two previous editions,” according to Ciarra Pardo, president of LAFW and co-founder of N4XT Experiences. Due to the uncertain context, and to give us time to build, this year the format of our new edition was shortened to break with the traditional circuit of fashion weeks. We're still working to perfect things. When we acquired LAFW, we put sustainability, diversity and technology at the forefront. With the support of the LAFW Society, we are also working to give a place to emerging designers. This edition aims to differentiate us from other fashion weeks around the world. We have no place to compete with others, but simply to impose our great identity.”

In this fashion week like no other, the first day opened with a first Nike Sport x Style Studio workshop curated by Keyla Márquez, fashion stylist and general fashion director of LA Times Image magazine. Nike, a sponsor of the event, attracted dozens of fans for a sneaker customization session with jewelry designer Georgina Treviño.

On the first floor of the hotel, a market brought together a dozen fashion and beauty brands to sell their collections and get a little publicity. In addition to Fenty Beauty, there were AGCF, Alexandra Gucci Zarini's handbag and jewelry brand, the collections of Sami Miro Vintage and those of the Algerian designer Chuck Collins, especially present at New York Fashion Week.

Founded in 2011, first in New York and now moved to Los Angeles, Houghton, the brand created by Katharine Polk and made famous by its best-selling 'Khloe' dress worn by Khloe Kardashian, presented its bridal, couture and prêt collections -à-porter. Wear collections made in Los Angeles, with a collection of thoughtful, oversized suits in Japanese linen and denim.

A few floors up, LAFW hosted the debut presentation of Tribute Brand, founded by Croatian designer Gala Marija Vrbanić in 2020. Fusing fashion with technology, the brand launched for the first time digitally and presented its latest Uniforma collection in Los Angeles on both models physical as well as digital screens. .

“We envision a world where fashion must be physical and virtual,” Vrbanić said. “Our collection is not intended to represent fashion, but is based on a few pieces imagined through functionality, utility and sustainability, the three important themes for us. To avoid overproduction of clothing, we dedicate the digital world to “let our crazy ideas speak.”

Present in Los Angeles for the first time, Vrbanić admitted to choosing Los Angeles “because other fashion capitals do not represent who we are or how we see fashion. Los Angeles is a city of pop culture, a city that is very open-minded and advanced in digital brands. “The Gen Z clientele that is interested in our brand and our values, and looking to express themselves, is a big part of Los Angeles culture.”

Another singularity of this LAFW, the attention paid to diversity, found its best example in the exhibition Head of State, the brand founded in 2016 in New York by the Nigerian designer Taofeek Abijako. In collaboration with Youth Service, a house collective and creative DJ and creator of the monthly afrobeats experience VIM, the Head of State presented his collection accompanied by the sound of djembes revisited with current technology.

“These djembes are a way of mixing African traditions and modernity,” Abijako explained. “It is a positioning that reflects my brand. The collaboration with VIM is important, since their movement is introducing African rhythms to the parties of Los Angeles. What they are doing in music, I hope to bring it to fashion through this traveling exhibition ”.

The first LAFW show, scheduled for 6 p.m., marked the West Coast debut of The Blue Jacket Fashion Show. Launched eight years ago in New York by designer Frederick Anderson, and now very popular, the show featured around twenty models and celebrities, including actors Erik West, Omar Sharif Jr, Carl Clemons, the great Michael Richards, famous for her role in TV show Fridays and singer Young Paris. A selection of all ages, genders and types, all wearing blue jackets, the sign of the cause of prostate cancer.

“This show gets bigger every year,” Anderson explained. “There has been a lot of talk about breast cancer in women and getting tested has become second nature. But the topic is rarely discussed among men. And yet, it claims thousands of lives every year. Since the CFDA, in collaboration with the New York Community Trust, has already developed a program focused on breast cancer, I had the idea of ​​organizing this event myself. Johnson & Johnson, which supports the event, loved the idea. Today, the show comes to Los Angeles. The atmosphere is nothing like New York, the rhythm here is different. We’ll see where it takes us!”

To close the first day of fashion week, designer Río Uribe held his Rio World show at 9 pm Known for his commitment to inclusive fashion and body diversity through his former brand Gypsy Sport, the designer returns this year with a new brand name, following several criticisms that denounce the racist nature of the word “gypsy”, in reference to the ethnic minority that describes the Romani people.

A regular at LAFW, Uribe presented his new collection in the same vein as his previous ones. To the cheers and applause of a tremendously enthusiastic audience, their show featured all types of models, short, tall, thin, fat, wearing sports T-shirts on their backs, sets of colorful shorts and shirts, sporty and patchwork dresses and cowboy looks. Several silhouettes taken from Vetements shows were recognizable here and there, but the packed audience didn't care and applauded the designer's energy.

The first day of LAFW ended on the top floor of the W Hotel. A rooftop with a dream pool, where beautiful guests of all genders (goth, street, queer and glam) joyfully celebrated the uniqueness and commitment of LAFW's fashion. Los Angeles.