Lee+Lani, Kittinhawk and Jen Awad Captivate at Concept LA

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

While mystical runway shows ruled at The Grove's Los Angeles Fashion Council showcase, Quixote Studios' Concept LA invasion was a lesson in imaginative installations. As one of the stops on our LAFW hit list, we swung by the WeHo venue to catch three unique LA designers offering three out-of-this-world outlooks on spring 2014.

At Lee+Lani Swimwear, blogger Courtney Trop of Always Judging made an appearance to host her friend designer Lisa Marie Pascuccio's retro-inspired picnic presentation. "I envisioned the girls as '60s and '70s housewives, but with a twist," Pascuccio explained to us while positioning the show's square patches of Astroturf. "I wanted them doing what the man usually does, like barbecuing raw steak, mowing the lawn, cutting the bushes, all while being super-sexy with lots of attitude. I wanted the audience to leave saying, 'Wow, what just happened?'"

Grid View

Expand

• Lee + Lani model casually cooking meat.
• More Lee + Lani.

Over at Kittinhawk, avant-garde hero Allysun Maria Dutra veered from her signature crystalline creations to debut a range of stark white accessories called Magnetic Anomalies. Leading a movement of "origami as high fashion/ fashion as high art," Dutra's intricate headdresses are certainly museum-worthy.

Grid View

Expand

• Kittinhawk's Magnetic Anomalies. [Photo via]
• Kittinhawk's Allysun Maria Dutra with her designs. [Photo via]

Rounding out Concept LA's trio of trailblazers was LAFW favorite Jen Awad, who ditched the catwalk to present a four act installation of her favorite decades. She tells us that the Back to the Future collection is a "retrospective take on futuristic fashion," which explains its nostalgic yet innovative appeal.

Grid View

Expand

• Jen Awad's futuristic time warp. [Photo via]
• Jen Awad with her designs. [Photo via]

Awad adds that Act 1 salutes the "Fembot Fatale" (holographic vinyl statement pieces), Act 2 is dedicated to "Delinquents" (cell block orange jumpsuits, rockabilly two-tone blazers, Vegas showgirl minidresses), Act 3 toasts "Disco Vamps à la Michelle Pfeiffer in Scarface" (jewel-toned silk gowns), and Act 4 highlights "The Bride of the Atom" ('60s-style bridal gowns, iridescent Swarovski smoking coats). How's that for conceptual?
· All LAFW Spring 2013 Coverage [Racked]
· The Top 13 LA Fashion Week Shows & Events Worth Catching [Racked]
· Odylyne Presents Mystical Bohemian Hippie at The Grove [Racked]