New York. Milan. Paris. Could the entertainment mecca on the West Coast become the next big fashion city in the line-up? According to industry experts, it is decidedly so. Over the past several years Los Angeles has become the unlikely black-horse for an upcoming fashion capital city.
West Coast luxury fashion designers and photgraphers like Rodarte and Band of Outsiders have opted to steer clear of the New York influence and keep their labels immersed in the rich California culture. Other designers from NYC have been spotted on the pacific coast, perhaps digging up inspiration for new lines? There is also industry gossip about certain designers who may be transferring their company to the fashion-newbie hub, Los Angeles. One name on the rumor mill: John Galliano.
“I think for so long LA was the land of t-shirts and jeans but designers like Rodarte and Band of Outsiders definitely changed that perception and it’s really upped the momentum of the LA fashion scene,” said Elle creative director Joe Zee.
It is not earth-shattering news to anyone in the fashion industry living in the great state of California; there have been plenty of signs leading up to the LA revolution.
“If you think about all the successful new fashion labels to come out in the past five, seven years–all the companies that were purchased–they were all California companies: Lucky, Seven for All Mankind, Vince, Juicy Couture,” Ilse Metchek, Executive Director of the California Fashion Association reported recently to a publication.
While LA has grown slowly onto the fashion globe, it has clearly reached a peak as of late, attracting luxury designers, photographers and new talent from the insutry. The diverse city has definitely proved itself to be more than lazy beaches, bare feet and bikinis.
