Kween

New from Porridge, Szulika, Lesa Wallace and More!

While Los Angeles may get a bit of flak for not getting Fashion Week right, we definitely know how to throw a party. Stores here hold hip events that combine runway shows with a club-like atmosphere, complete with free drinks, fabulous good bags and incredible style. This past week was the launch party/fashion event for one of my all time favorite Online stores, Label Los Angeles (www.label-la.com), which was held at Cinespace in Hollywood and included red carpet, a ton of paparazzi and fabulous new pieces from some of the city's best lines. Here is what was seen:

Porridge has caught my eye at a few of the high end boutiques around town because of its soft, but incredibly stylish basics - think tissues soft thermal pants and tops with pretty prints, the type of stuff you feel hip and cool in even if you've just rolled out of bed. At this past week's event, however, I found the line also has a ton of absolutely adorable dresses and tops that play on the same soft, pretty theme but in smooth cottons - just gorgeous. I am obsessed with the house dress on Label LA's site, as well as the drawstring pants and long sleeve top. Very cool. One of the best dressed women at the party had on something from the line in red/white print over jeans - it was so cute, I stopped her to find out who the designer was. Definitely one of my new favorite lines coming out of LA and something I'll be adding to my closet soon. It was awesome!

I also really loved the handbags from Lesa Wallace, which were carried by a few of the models during the show and had bold colors combined with cute, funky details like ties at the shoulder, fringe, etc. I especially like the Arcadia bag (see Label-la.com for photos) which comes in a bold green, teal or purple. Yum!

Szulika showed a new cropped halter jumpsuit in double layer sheer jersey that was incredibly simple but very sexy - the type of thing you could easily pair up with heels for night or flip flops during the day and look amazing. They showed it with a pair of heels and a bright blue Lesa Wallace clutch - very cute. I am in love with the Sheer Wrap top on the label-L.A. site - it's a bit like a kimono style but paired down with a bold, pretty trim. This is a line that gained a lot of attention with it's simple strapless ruched waist dress last season - I found it when it first came out at Diane Merrick and it was a staple all year (see "New Outfits archive for photos). It was a great buy!

Another great top that caught our eye at the show was the Airline Blouse by Kween. Label-LA showed it paired up with Red Engine jeans and a bunch of Kimberly Faith jewlery, but it would look adorable with loose trousers or a pencil skirt - just a great, workable piece. My favorite was the La Fem blouse, which had a 1950s feel and cute puffy detailing at the shoulder, available in either solid or print. They're a limited edition but are available, along with the Airline blouse, on the Label-LA site. Read more...