Fashion Los Angeles and Two Point Oh LA Step in to Save the Fashion Show that Almost Wasn't

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Way back in August, fashion types in LA were getting giddy that a PR and management firm was stepping up, and ponying up some major cash, to get LA Fashion Week back on track. We don't want to sound like naysayers, but when we took a look at this company's janky website and roster of clients, we shuddered, then cursed ourselves for being bitchy pessimists and hoped for the best.

Uh oh.

So ALLEGEDLY, someone at World Coast Management really messed up, didn't shore up the right permits in time, and abruptly pulled the plug on a full schedule of events -- all with minimal explanation given to participating designers, many of whom had already made a significant cash outlay for their shows.

Thanks to the herculean, last minute efforts of Fashion Los Angeles and Two Point Oh LA, three of the displaced lines, L'une Collection, Paulina Lopez, and Daisy Gonzelez, got the opportunity to show their wares on Saturday at a presentation at Fashion Los Angeles' downtown headquarters. The backdrop -- the moody gray skies and dramatic view of Downtown and the skyline -- gave the event a Gotham City vibe, which definitely worked in its favor.

We can't say that we came away as huge fans of any of the three -- which isn't to say that there wasn't a lot of talent (and there certainly were some pretty dresses).

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You couldn't accuse Paulina Lopez of not having a perspective or a look. Her collection was definitely the most cohesive; she's found a style and she's sticking to it. The dresses are like what you'd get if took a 7-year-old girl with a wicked sugar buzz and asked her to design a prom dress: everything was ruffly with yards of tulle in retina-burning colors. Or maybe a sherbet explosion at the Ice Capades. (The designer's own dress featured a bodice with that weird colored netting seen in so many skaters' costumes.) The aesthetic wasn't one that moved us, but we imagine it has a lot of fans.

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We really wanted to love L'une Collection. The designer has some nice pieces and she's an ingenious craftsperson -- one of our favorites was a jersey dress with elegant draping at the neck and asymmetrical ruching -- the entire piece had only one seam. Many of her other dresses and skirts featured clever and inventive touches, but the outfits just didn't have much in the way of the wow factor.

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Daisy Gonzalez showed looks that might have been evening wear. A lot of short, poofy skirts and brocade. Instead of being elegant, many of these pieces came off looking stiff and a bit cold. This is another line we really wanted to like because the craftsmanship is so good, and there really is a lot of creativity going on. Yet still? The day's clear winners were Fashion Los Angeles and Two Point Oh, for not just stepping in at the eleventh hour, but for putting on classy little event that could be used as a template for future LAFW shows.
· L'une [Official Site]
· Daisy Gonzalez [Official Site]
· Paula Lopez [Official Site]
· Two Point Oh LA [Official Site]
· Fashion Los Angeles [Official Site]