SkinGraft Designs’ Spring 2010 Collection at the Downtown LA Fashion Week
Photos by Tom Wallace
One of our favorite fashion week events is always the SkinGraft Designs show mainly because it delivers on pushing the imagination of what’s possible in both retro and futuristic designs. For this reason, the designers’ work, including Johnny Cota and Katie Kay, bring out audiences that rival the intrigue of what actually happens on the runway. Known for dressing Will I Am, Fergie, Kat Von D, Adam Lambert, among others, SkinGraft Designs’ show featuring their Spring 2010 collection touched on future trends yet inspired by post-mortem Amelia Earhart and birds of flight.
I caught up with Johnny back stage and he said the transition to this collection was more effortless than it may have looked. “We’re inspired by androgyny -things, people, styles -and we feel that Amelia embodied this in a very effortless way. She was way before her time and when we thought of her, we knew what we were doing.”
Katie Kay (pictured here) and Johnny Cota are the designers behind SkinGraft Designs.
Ironically, Johnny and Katie had no idea that Oscar winner Hillary Swank is playing Amelia Earhart in a movie about to be released this Fall.
The show started in signature SkinGraft Designs style with 4 dancers utilizing the entire runway in an exotic dance routine that looked like a flock of birds coming together, then flying apart, then coming back into formation before scattering to the 4 corners of world. This set the tone for the runway show which featured aviator jodhpur pants, shearling bomber jackets paired with feathered silk blouses, and shoulders topped with metal jewels. In addition were SkinGraft’s signature leather jackets in white cream, blue, black, and incredibly detailed dresses with layers of ruffles. Also a key aspect to SkinGraft Designs are their leather holster and harnesses which complete any outfit, and various style vests.
One of the top pieces include a camo-colored ruffled dress with the model wearing a leather bomber hat and a bird perched on her shoulder. Topping it all off was a final of an intricate long black dress with such details including ruffles, metal studs, and other features that made the model look like a black crow in a wedding dress.
The Black Crow dress ended the show in regal style.
Shoes that paired perfectly with the collection were from John Fluevog and the models were from Ford. PUREConsulting managed the P.R.
Downtown LA Fashion Week is sponsored, among others, by Coca-Cola and Honest Tea (owned by Coke), which was the first time we’d seen Coke involved in the LA fashion scene.
White leather bomber jackets, shorts, jodhpurs, and John Fluevog shoes.
SkinGraft Designs delivers on women’s and men’s styles. This was a favorite among the audience.
Also known for signautre ruffle dresses, this one also created a lot of buzz.
Probably the top dress of the night–people started clapping at this point.
Bomber leather vests and jodhpur shorts.
This military-inspired jodhpur one-piece was a big hit.
Camo mini with detailed ruffles on the side.
Typical SkinGraft Designs style and attitude.
Leather vests, holsters, gloves, skinny pants are part of the signature look.
Another featured style–much preferred by on-site media.
More clapping with the all-white ensemble.
These pants were intriguing.
The blue leather vest with studs was another popular item.
White leather bomber jackets over ruffled dresses were a sensation.
Signature menswear look.
Coca-Cola (and Honest Tea, owned by Coke) were sponsors of the Downtown LA Fashion Week featuring “Zero” Coke. If you drink it, you’ll be as skinny as the red-sequined Coke cocktail waitress.
Not a part of SkinGraft, but more designers from the Downtown LA Fashion Week as they prepared for the next show at the Geffen at MOCA which turned out to be an ideal space.
