LA Fashion Weekend FW13 Presentations

The Fall/Winter LA Fashion Week events always occur during my birthday week. This year I was incredibly happy to have the opportunity to spend my actual birthday at my overall favorite event - LA Fashion Weekend. There is always such a great energy and vibe at The Gallery LA shows and even though no one knew it was my birthday I could still feel the love – from my two favorite security guards, to the staff, to all my LA Fashion Weekend friends that I re-connect with each season and, of course, from Ms. Mikey Koffman herself.

The lounge area was buzzing with energy and everyone was excited to see what tonight’s presentations would reveal. We also couldn’t wait to indulge on some more of Bubba Sweets tasty creations. The favorite of the evening was the banana chocolate peanut butter – a banana cake with chocolate peanut butter frosting and a chocolate center. It was sinfully delicious.

I was excited to discover that in addition to stylish handbags Kimberly Caldwell also makes some incredibly cool cuffs.

The stylish and handsome men behind Skinny Executives— Alan McCune and Enrique Godoy Ynzenga—were among the invited guests, along with the fashionable Ms. Phoebe Price.

I had run into Vanessa Vibrant Vaughan of Fashion News Live ASL earlier this week, so I was nice to have the opportunity to sit down and get to know her. Aside from being an absolute doll, Vanessa has great style.

Earlier in the evening Kimberly Caldwell had guests enter a raffle to win one of her Stage Presents’ handbags. The lucky winner of the “Raw Edges Bag” was a lovely gal named Hayes.   

                                           Photo courtesy of Kimberly Caldwell

 Upon completion of the red carpet arrivals it was time to for the presentations to begin.  

The first presentation was by Ermelinda Manos. Born in Albania and raised in Athens, Greece and Las Vegas, Ermelinda completed a BA in Fashion Design. At the age of nineteen she began styling for the likes of Chanel, Teen Vogue, Giorgio Armani…to name a few. The experience she gained through styling in the fashion industry led to the launch of her woman’s clothing line – Ermelinda Designs.

Ermelinda specializes in clothing that accentuates the female body. Sexy lacey ensembles graced the runway. Some pieces were more revealing than others and most were geared towards the younger fashionista that likes to incorporate a little edge in her wardrobe.

Up next was Maison de Urbana by Urbana Chappa. Born and raised in the small town of Beeville, TX., Urbana grew up with a deep desire to showcase the uniqueness of her style and personality to the world. The stunning designer launched her Maison de Urbana line with the goal of empowering women to voice their individuality in style.

Urbana has always been fascinated with how women in burqas can express so much through their eyes. It was this fascination that inspired her to create a modern day interpretation of the burqa. The exotic collection, which also reflected her multi-cultural back ground, mixed Eastern styles with Western fashion. Elegant and sophisticated, the gorgeous ensembles rocked with vibrant colors. A number of the pieces featured attached veils that could also be used as a scarf or shawl. I loved how the models stopped and posed for an editorial shot before making their descent down the runway.

Narrative and photos by Nikki Neil