As New Yorkers, we are sworn under oath to hate anything and everything Los Angeles; we are under the assumption that we have the better coast, better fashion, and a tighter grip on reality than those of the West.
I am (as of very recently) concerned with this ideology, although I myself have bad-mouthed La-La Land for many years. However, I had not taken the time to actually look at anything fashion related that came out of L.A., and any reference made merely distracted me from my arrogant state of mind, but unfortunately not long enough for me to question myself. What I disliked most was the way LAians dressed because they lacked individuality, or perhaps they flourished in it far too long and too many alike. The only trip I took to L.A. was in 2007--there really isn't much I can elaborate on as I was not awestruck by the fashion in even the slightest sense of the word.
It was only until last week that I decided to do a little research after Illia, an L.A. based brand, sent me their look book for their Fall 2010 and Holiday 2010 collections (both will be available in stores and online beginning in October). They just opened a new store on Abbot Kinney in Venice, CA. Their style is some sort of fabulous, and not at all what I had expected from an L.A. brand. It is so very important to understand the diversity of fashion from all over the world. In celebration of me overcoming my ignorance of west coast fashion, I will show you my favorites from both of Illia's look books. Bon Appétit!
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FALL 2010
>>I wear a lot of jackets, and I love to find nice fitting jackets that last me a very long time. They don't have to be expensive, but they do have to be the right material. Not too much polyester, and not too little so it doesn't shrink, it can't be too itchy or too heavy or too flimsy or too see-through, and it has to be the right color as well, and most definitely not too tacky. I love these jackets by Illia because they are so versatile. I can wear them with anything, play them down or up.
Also, take note that a lot of the fall trends this year are going to include western influences, such as brown suede, brown leather, cowboy boots 2.0, fringe, and a wonderful mixture of all of the above.
Be careful when wearing clothes that hang off the body, especially in only one place. If you don't have the right body type for it, it can make you look like you are swimming in fabric, or if you have a slightly larger frame, it can and will make you look chunky if it is the wrong fabric and cut. Also if you have a bigger bust, stay away from anything that would create an unbalanced effect such as too much fabric hanging from that area. This shirt is perfect to wear with skinny jeans or leggings. It can also be paired with a brown trouser for a more professional look.
Holiday 2010
>>For their holiday collection, I see some influences from bigger brand names, more notably Proenza and Lanvin. That is always a good thing if you are going out and want to be noticed. People want to look at what other people are wearing, so if you are wearing something that catches my eye and makes me question the look for even a split second, you deserve my attention and I have my eyes glued to your clothes for the remainder of the night. If I had a dollar for every time I had to explain to someone that it wasn't them I was checking out but rather their ensemble, I would be a VERY large shareholder for LVMH.
