Gen Art kicked off L.A. Fashion Week with its Los Angeles Fashion Alumni celebration at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel on March 16. The event was meant to celebrate the city's fashion as a whole, specifically acknowledging designers the organization has featured. Gen Art teamed up with 20 of its designer alumni—Eduardo Lucero, Jeffrey Sebelia, and the folks behind labels Wren, Grey Ant, and Society for Rational Dress—who each presented a look from their collections. Amber Rose hosted the evening.
The event also served as a kickoff for the announcement of a new national fashion designer competition with Gen Art and partner Clean & Clear Skincare, which will give up-and-coming designers the chance to create a prom dress for a teenager. To that end, the event showcased Clean & Clear products as well as a photo station where guests dressed up in prom-inspired accessories and photographer Howard Wise took their photos; the shots served as favors, and they also showed on a plasma screen at the event. Clean & Clear products were also available to guests to use for touchups during the event.
In addition to the alumni celebration, Gen Art is also involved in several other L.A. Fashion Week events this season: the shows at BoxEight, the launch of Molly Crabapple's new collection for Dirtee Hollywood at Fred Segal, and a party with Absolut Berri Acai on Monday night at Voyeur. "So you can see, we are very busy this season," said Gen Art senior vice president of events Elizabeth Shaffer.
Last year, there were plans for a merger between Gen Art and Rock Media, which never fully materialized. "While we briefly worked together in the fall of 2009, the partnership was never contractually consummated. Both parties mutually agreed it was best to go our separate ways," Shaffer said. "Gen Art remains independent and controlled by its management, as it has been for the past 16 years. All indications are that our business is markedly improving in 2010. We are now in a place where we control our own destiny. We, of course, are always open to opportunities that will help Gen Art to grow its business."
As to the future of L.A. Fashion Week as a whole, Shaffer said, "We are very optimistic about the future of L.A. fashion in general, and L.A. Fashion Week specifically. There is tremendous talent in Los Angeles and we are dedicated to continuing to showcase this talent. We are committed to participating in L.A. Fashion Week as we have since 1997. In October, we will be returning to the Petersen for the 13th annual Fresh Faces in Fashion show. Gen Art, as always will continue to push for a cohesive fashion week in L.A. Not one that replicates New York or Europe—but one that is, as it should be, 100 percent L.A."
