Stitching Together a Week of Promise

It wasn’t New York, but that was exactly the point made by the Coalition of Los Angeles Designers and the crowd that cheered the nine collections presented Wednesday night.

Among the standouts were Goretti, designed by Monica Behan and Desiree Kohan, who successfully pulled off an eclectic mix of fabrics and looks such as a cream leather vest teamed with a flounced tulle lace skirt over tulle ruched leggings. Mona Thalheimer of Mona & Co. presented a very wearable and beautiful collection of body-hugging mohair separates embellished with circle and floral embroidery. And Carina Gulian’s Electric Barbarella line of low-slung jeans was adorned with corsetry along the hips and trimmed with leather down the legs.

Designers included Naqada by Octavio Carlin, Ten:02 by Lauren Reynolds, Nikolaki by Nick Verreos and David Paul, Eisbar by Bobby Benveniste and Kiernan Lambeth, and Mhope by Marla Hope. CLAD’s fifth show was the nonprofit group’s best production yet. CLAD tidings, indeed.

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Michael Quintanilla