Concept SS2013

Concept founder Mike Vensel decided to try something new this season. Instead of hosting shows over the course of three days he held one show at Siren Studio in Hollywood, CA. The format was also a bit different – alternating informal installations between fashion shows. The structure was a bit like what you’d expect from NY Fashion week with shows starting at noon and continuing until 10 p.m. Guests could stay for the entirety or just pop in for a few shows.

FW 2012 Fashion Installations at Concept

It appears that Concept has found a permanent home at AceGallery.  The gallery is currently showing collections by Ed Moses, Carl Andre, Mary Corse, and John Millei. It was nice to see some fresh artwork on the walls.

Laili Lau at Concept Fashion Week FW 2012

On Saturday, March 10^th, Laili Lau presented her first runway show at Concept. Dubbed “The Wild Hunt” collection the fashion presentation featured loosely draped dresses, lightweight knits, and harem pants. The designs, some of which were accented with simple touches of sequins and metallic accents, embodied the element of freedom while the earth toned fabrics reflected a calm serenity. The clothes themselves are geared toward the young-spirited unconventional woman who likes to sport a trendy yet relaxed look.  

Nuvula at Concept Fashion Week

Friday, March 9^th, marked the opening night of Concept at ACE Gallery located in LA’s Museum Row. Nuvula held the honors of hosting the first runway show of the evening. The International label’s motto is: Wear Your Imagination and tonight’s presentation was a true reflection of such. The Fall/Winter 2012 collection titled, “In the airs of La Belle Époque,” is a tribute in colors and textures to Gustav Klimt and Toulouse Lautrec and the imaginary wardrobes of their muses.

Concept Fashion Week Spring Summer 2012 Presentations: Day 3

On Saturday I was back at ACE Gallery for the final night of Concept Fashion week. The first show of the evening was from Bryan Hearns. Bryan, an FIDM graduate, recently turned 21 and he already has a show or two under his belt. Not only that, but he also had the pleasure of dressing Lady Gaga for one of her videos. 

Concept Fashion Week Spring Summer 2012 Presentations

Concept Fashion Week returned to L.A. for its fourth season. It’s nice to see that the hard work and efforts of Brady Westwater and MikeVensel are paying off, as the duo have successfully brought Concept to New York as well.

The goal of Concept is to merge the worlds of Fashion, Art, and Music so it’s only fitting that the bi-annual event be held at ACE Gallery where 24 designers showcased their work over the course of three days, one of which was Alana Hale.

CONCEPT Fashion Week - Fall 2011, Sunday March 13th

On Sunday I was back for the final day of CONCEPT. Sadly, it seemed like some of the attendees got a little out of hand as there were now security guards watching over the art displays by The Date Farmers (Armando Lerma and Carlos Ramirez). The duo’s artwork is inspired by graffiti, gang culture, and their Latin heritage. The bar, which offered Pinnacle’s Cotton Candy Vodka and Three Olives’ Cherry Vodka along with an assortment of vitamin water and energy drinks, had dwindled down to an unknown brand of vodka, some wine, and 5-hour energy shots. Being that a few hundred people attended the event each night I have to give them credit for still offering beverages on day four.

CONCEPT Fashion Week Fall 2011 - Saturday, March 12th

I specifically stopped by CONCEPT on Saturday to see and support Anh Volcek - designer extraordinaire behind L’une. I meet and fell in love with Anh’s designs last October. It’s hard to believe that someone so sweet and animated could be inspired by pain. Her Fall/Winter 2011/12 collection is titled ‘From Water to Ice’ with water representing her birth at sea while her family was escaping the war in Vietnam and Ice representing the pain she endured from being abducted at the age of 8 for a year. It has been said that beauty is spawned from personal tragedy and in Anh’s case it lead her to design a very stunning collection. The line centered upon Asian and military influences and featured a contrast of textures. On display was a really cool cocktail dress made from melted plastic– a technique Anh learned while working in Paris. I was very impressed with this collection. I have to say, Anh is very talented.

CONCEPT Fashion Week Fall 2011 - Friday, March 11th

This season CONCEPT Fashion Week served as the opening ceremony for L.A. Fashion Week Fall 2011. Held at the ACE Gallery, in the heart of the Wilshire district, the venue was the perfect place to host the artistic installations. Friday’s installations were presented by Valerj Pobega, martinMARTIN, Liaison, and Mike Vensel.

Mike Vensel and Brady Westwater founded Concept Fashion Week in 2010 as an alternative for designers who wanted to showcase their latest collections under their own terms. The duo have actually been producing fashion shows since 2004 and have recently expanded CONCEPT to New York Fashion Week as well. They also just partnered up with Doug Christmas, owner of ACE Gallery, to bring their vision of a fusion between art, fashion, and culture to life.

Concept Fashion Week at The Spring Arts Tower

In an effort to put the focus back on designers during L.A. Fashion, Week Mike Vensel and Brady Westwater put together the first Concept Fashion Week event with hopes of making it a staple for future fashion weeks.