Fashion Friday Feature: Manuelle Scarves

With endless passion and talent Manny Sanchez has set to change the way we think about scarves. Inspired by the sights of New York City his patterns are bold, brave, and most of all beautiful. ManuelleScarves are so versatile and unique. They’ll transform an ordinary look into something extraordinary. A bold imaginative scarf will give your look an unforgettable finish while an oversized scarf can serve as an elegant cover-up. No matter what your need Manuelle Scarves are the perfect wardrobe accessory.

BM: Behind every great name is a story. What is the story behind Manuelle Scarves? 

MS: I named the scarf line after my grandmother Manuella. She lived most of her life in West New York and loved her square silk scarves. My father’s name is Manuel and my name is Manuel so I simply changed the last letter of my Grandmother’s name from A to E and added an L to give the name a more uniform and unisex appeal.  

Fashion Friday Feature: Kristen Dorsey Designs

 Los Angeles based designer Kristen Dorsey honed her craft at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, MA while earning a degree in American studies with a concentration in Native American studies from Tufts University.

For Kristen, jewelry is more than just ornamental adornment; it is a medium with which she has forged her cultural identity. Paying homage to her heritage, her feminine, handcrafted jewelry is a unique mix of Chickasaw visual traditions infused with inspiration drawn from the beauty of the California Coast. Every finished piece has its own story and is made from conflict-free natural gemstones and recycled metals.

Her designs are wearable works of art that are elegant, chic, and timeless and are the perfect accent to any woman’s wardrobe. 

BM: Did you have any formal training in jewelry design and creation? How did you come to realize your talent? 

KD: I was an artist my whole life and had originally planned on becoming a fashion designer.  I attended a dual degree program at Tufts University and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston where I took a beginning metals class my first year. I fell in love with this challenging medium and committed myself to jewelry and sculpture from that point forward. 

2nd Annual L.A. Fashion Awards

Mikey Koffman and her new company Endless Road Entertainment Inc, hosted the 2^nd Annual L.A. Fashion Awards at Sunset Gower Studios this past weekend. Fashionistas, stylists, celebrities, and couturiers used the opportunity as an excuse to dress to impress (as one should at a fashion event).

It was a beautiful night in Hollywood and the former restaurant turned event space was the perfect location to mingle under the stars. 

LA Fashion Week Design Competition

LAFWDC  is launching its first edition of Competitions for Young Fashion Designers as part of its worldwide activities to support creativity in the fashion sector. LAFWDC annual design competition is a platform for ingenious minds created to give exposure, visibility, support, and a voice to emerging talent from around the world.

Dead By April – As a Butterfly

(Spinefarm Records)

When the whole screamo era started I absolutely loved it and I appreciated bands that came forth trying to tackle the art of molding light harmonies and borderline death growls. Dead By April is keeping to the art of a screamo band alive and have created “As a Butterfly.” Although the guys might not be newcomers to their art, they are constantly twisting and perfecting their sound. This band may be difficult to categorize into one specific genre (which I love! Versatility is key with this!). However, they manage to attract millions of followers and sell out venues. While hailing from Sweden there’s already a set expectation to excel in this metal-like genre. Their single “As a Butterfly” offers a sample of simple synthesizers, meshed heavy guitar riffs, light vocals by singer Cristoffer Andersson, and screams courtesy of Zandro Zantiago. Check out Dead By April and their single “As a Butterfly” off of their newly released album titled, Let The World Know.

Melissa Moreno

@Mel.Moreno6

 

Anna Rose- Gimme Danger

While Anna Rose may be the offspring of Alan Menken (master mind composer to just about every single Disney song you know and love) she falls far from the “under the sea” tra la la’s. Strategically picking tunes to which her mesmerizing sultry voice suits, Anna is a diamond waiting to be chipped at. As if Iggy and the Stooges’ “Gimme Danger” couldn’t get any better…throw in a seductive female voice and you experience it from a whole different perspective. Listen to it here. Could Anna make it “a part of your world” or will she die as a “poor unfortunate soul” in coverland? Post your thoughts below.  

Melissa Moreno
@Mel.moreno6

FRE(n)SH

Le Frenchlab and Fashion Forwards showroom, in collaboration with splash.PR, hosted an LA Fashion Week networking event titled FRE(n)SH at the California Market Center. The swanky affair also showcased the works of a wide range of French and European designers.

Concept FW14 – Aeneas Erlking and Ravish In Bounds

Concept Los Angeles is an all-day affair – starting at noon and continuing until 11 p.m. It’s easy to stay for a few hours (or the duration) because the program alternates between runway shows and informal presentations.

The 4 p.m. presentation featured Aeneas Erlking and Ravish In Bounds.

Concept LA FW14 – Mathiasen and Wayward

Designer Matthew Mathiasen creates cool, sophisticated clothing with a youthful appeal. Mathiasen's informal presentation at Concept LA featured a number of wardrobe staples that could be mixed and matched to create a variety of fun combinations.

Concept FW14 – Camelia Skikos

 

Hailing from Romania, designer Camelia Skikos’ Fall Winter 14/15 collection was inspired by the urban landscapes and the grid map of San Francisco (where she currently resides). Not afraid to take risks, Camelia’s brightly colored, which was presented at Concept Los Angeles, was a visual accumulation of contrasts – pairing architectural shapes, sharp silhouettes, and a juxtapositions of fabrics.

Narrative and photos by Nikki Neil

Concept FW14 – Mike Vensel

The theme of Mike Vensel’s Fall Winter 2014 collection is “NOTHING.” But in this case, nothing was a whole lot of something. Inspired by his childhood as a skateboarder in the 80s and 90s the looks shown were more fun and less serious than past presentations. In fact, many in attendance at Concept Los Angeles were in agreement that this was Mike’s most commercial collection to date. If these pieces were on a store rack they would fly off the shelves.

LAFC FW14 Presentation

The Los Angeles Fashion Council and some of its member designers were invited to do a one-day showcase at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tokyo on March 17^th, so in lieu of a runway show Kelsi Smith and her crew hosted a presentation at their showroom located in the heart of Downtown L.A.’s Fashion District.

The Record Company - Feels So Good

(TRC Records)

I will always say that going to shows in someone’s backyard, basement, or living room will live forever strong as some of the best damn shows I’ve been to. So, when I stumbled across my email for The Record Company and the attached video was live footage, titled “Living Room Concert,” I was already sold. The Record Company released its debut, Feels So Good, and is already gaining so much well deserved notoriety. This notoriety was put to practice by releasing a clip featuring their rockabilly/blues/rock ‘n’ roll sound on the trailer for the star studded, senior citizen version of The Hangover: Last Vegas. Chris Vos—whose leads vocals, guitar, and harmonica have a raspy and simplistic edge—lets you enjoy the beats being churned out by bandmates Alex Stiff (bass, vocals) and Marc Cazorla (drums, vocals). 

God Module – False Face

(Metropolis Records)

God Module’s False Face starts off with a brutally sonic assault titled “A Good Night to Die.” The dance fueled frenzy continues all the way through to “The Mark” delivering a range of relentlessly aggressive to violently mid-tempo tracks in between. Orchestrated by mastermind Jasyn Bangert, this release is a composition of musical nightmares that mix together pounding beats, hypnotic synth hooks, deranged samples, and psychotic vocals. Die hard Industrial electro-goth clubbers will love the heavy techno antics of “Nothing But Mine” and the atmospheric nature of “Faith is Fragile.” “Hating How We Love” and “Through the Noise” are quite infectious and the title track (False Face) is pure diabolical mayhem. – NIN
 

SewDown 2014

SewDown—the fashion forward event featuring up-and-coming designers—is returning for its 11^th season. Presented by Heroes and Heroines (an agency that represents DJs, VJs, models, and personalities) SewDown will feature ten cutting edge designers as part of L.A. Fashion Week’s Fall 2014 closing festivities.