Will the inaugural L.A. Fashion Awards bring more recognition to often-overlooked local designers?
That remains a big question in fashion circles despite the recent show drawing 1,000 people to the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles to honor seven local fashion designers, manufacturers, retailers and others. It was held the day after Fashion Week to maximize attendance and exposure.
Among the winners were T-shirt retailer and manufacturer American Apparel LLC, designer Trina Turk and Rosemary Brantley, fashion chair at the Otis College of Art + Design.
Similar events in New York and Dallas have highlighted the achievements of local fashion, but until this year L.A. was without an awards show.
“We have the whole year to see how this affected us,” said Jeff Halmos, co-founder of Newport Beach-based apparel company Trovata Inc., who was nominated for the fashion innovator award but lost out to L.A. fashion house Petro Zillia.
Trovata’s company has also been nominated for an award by the Council of Fashion Designers of America, a well-established honor in the industry. “Obviously, the scale is bigger,” he said. “This award kind of transcends not only in the U.S., but also in Europe and in Asia.”
Jennifer Uner, L.A. Fashion Awards co-producer, believes that this spotlight on the local industry could boost sales. An award or nomination “is a vote of confidence that does help them in the long run to be able to say, ‘Yeah, we have a great product. It is something your retailers or consumers can trust,'” she said.
Of course, the L.A. Fashion Awards must become an industry mainstay to have influence. As soon as this year’s awards show wrapped up Oct. 21, Uner and partner Mary Hill started working on next year’s.
Already, Uner has contacted the Nasdaq Stock Market, accounting firm Moss Adams LLP and Angeleno magazine to see if they’ll return as sponsors for next year’s fashion awards. So far, she said, “I do have a lot of people who have said that they will support it again.”
Rapped Up
Professional basketball players may be forced to tone down their rapper-influenced styles, but the crew covering college hoops for CBS are doing the reverse, with the help of L.A.-based Ward Rhobe Management Corp.
Ward Rhobe, a fashion consulting firm, has worked out a deal with Peerless Clothing Inc., based in Montreal, to dress the CBS crew, including broadcasters Greg Gumble and Clark Kellogg, in Sean Jean clothes. Peerless is a licensee of Sean John, rapper Sean ‘P Diddy’ Combs’ fashion label.
“We are still talking about suits, shirts and ties, but with a little more style,” said Richard Valenza, president of Ward Rhobe. “They are dressing them up a little more for image, and we are taking a little liberty with that image.”
Valenza felt that Sean Jean would be a good fit for the college basketball broadcasts because it appeals to young fans. In return for providing the clothing, Sean John gets on-screen credit with sales, of course, being the real boost.
Rockin’ Fashion
Orange County-bred pop star Gwen Stefani has lined up several local companies to manufacture and distribute products for her Harajuku Lovers and L.A.M.B. fashion lines.
Nakajima USA, an L.A.-based subsidiary of Tokyo-based Nakajima Corp., is the latest to sign a deal with Stefani. Under a license agreement, the company will handle Harajuku Lovers’ accessories, including patches, stickers, phone charms, pencils, pencil cases and stationery.
Starting in November, the Harajuku Lovers’ accessories will be available at local hip boutique Kitson and retail chain Urban Outfitters Inc.
Other local companies with Stefani connections include Los Angeles-based Jerry Leigh of California Inc. which markets Harajuku Lovers’ tops, fashion tops, intimates and baby products, and Royal Elastics, a division of Westlake Village-based K-Swiss Inc., which makes L.A.M.B. sneakers.
Toy Suit
El Segundo-based toymaker Mattel Inc. is close to settling a patent infringement case it launched against Buffalo Jeans, according to a lawyer for the Montreal-based apparel company.
In the lawsuit, Mattel claimed that Buffalo Jeans’ put a stylized Hot Wheels logo on T-shirts that was a protected trademark. Lawrence Heller, a lawyer for Buffalo Jeans with Heller & Edwards in Beverly Hills, said that Buffalo Jeans denied any infringement.
Terms of the settlement were not disclosed. He added that the suit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court Central District of California, was the first against Buffalo.
*Staff reporter Rachel Brown can be reached at (323) 549-5225, ext. 224, or by e-mail at
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