Driven By Design LA SS14

Driven By Design LA held its first L.A. Fashion Week event at the L.A. Mart Design Center. Produced by FIDM Alumni Lela Christine (Fab Five Lifestyle Magazine) and Lori A Neal (Diamond Interiors of L.A.) the event was pretty well organized for a first time venture on such a large scale.

A press and media luncheon “Meet and Greet” with the designers and sponsors kicked things off. This was followed by a series of designer installations of which the first to present was Paula Bennett. For her line, Crochet Fashion, Paula creates creative and unique crochet designs that transform into elegant, artful pieces.   

I was happy to see that Sara Horne was part of the show. Sara makes beautiful jewelry out of precious stones and other dynamic materials. She was excited to show me her new collection, which was worn by Barbizon Models as they came down the runway.  

Karla Lopez also designs jewelry under the Karlita Designs moniker. Her limited-edition pieces feature very rare semi-precious gemstones.

After the designer installations guests mingled in the design suite/beauty lounge and V.I.P. room, which was decorated by Diamond Interiors of L.A.

After a brief intermission the runway shows started beginning with a performance by Malina Moye. Malina is a left-handed guitarist and her rockin’ presentation was accompanied by avant-garde looks designed by Rocky Gathercole.

Dena Burton was the next to showcase. Her SS14 collection featured a number of smart, sexy, carefree looks that we prefect for work, play, or a trip to the Caribbean.

BK Phillips took us from the yacht to the camp ground with his vintage military inspired apparel and bags. Some of the bags were separate accessories and others were incorporated into the garment.

Hailing from Gabon, Africa, Dominique Siby’s menswear line, Felio Siby, consists of handmade shirts, jeans, and duffle bags made from exotic skins, cashmeres, and fine cottons.

The evening ended with a presentation by Thai Nguyen. Inspired by his Vietnamese heritage Thai’s creations are romantic and ethereal with a touch of Eastern fusion. Each piece always contains some type of intricate detailing and the back of the garment is as beautiful as the front.

Narrative and photos by Nikki Neil