With a little help from a well-connected 14-year-old, Designers & Agents—the organization behind the bicoastal fashion trade show of the same name—launched its FutureFashion L.A. event during Fashion Week, exhibiting eco-friendly couture creations by such designers as Trina Turk, Deborah Lindquist, and Hazel Brown. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa hosted the event Thursday night in the backyard of his official residence, the Getty House.
Designers & Agents cofounders Barbara Kramer and Ed Mandelbaum credited the mayor’s teenage daughter, Natalia, with making the evening possible: It was her interest in fashion that influenced the mayor to attend the Designers & Agents show in Los Angeles last year, and subsequently to decide he wanted to host an event with the organization.Participating designers created outfits using fabrics from event co-sponsor Earth Pledge’s FutureFashion line, which features environmentally friendly materials such as organic cotton and recycled or corn-based fibers. The green creations appeared on mannequins that lined the narrow perimeter of a shallow pool, allowing guests—who carefully maneuvered around one another in order to avoid submersion—to examine clothes from a short distance.
In keeping with the eco-friendly fashions, event designer Matt Stoelt incorporated recyclable and sustainable materials in his design. Stoelt stenciled sponsor logos onto planks of kirei—a type of wood made from reclaimed fibers—and attached the signage to a step-and-repeat wall fashioned out of hedges. The production team avoided bringing in any auxiliary power through the use of solar-powered Port-a-Potties and LED lights, which spotlit the mannequins and lit the interiors of tables (made from recycled polyurethane) scattered across the mayor’s lawn.
Designers & Agents cofounders Barbara Kramer and Ed Mandelbaum credited the mayor’s teenage daughter, Natalia, with making the evening possible: It was her interest in fashion that influenced the mayor to attend the Designers & Agents show in Los Angeles last year, and subsequently to decide he wanted to host an event with the organization.Participating designers created outfits using fabrics from event co-sponsor Earth Pledge’s FutureFashion line, which features environmentally friendly materials such as organic cotton and recycled or corn-based fibers. The green creations appeared on mannequins that lined the narrow perimeter of a shallow pool, allowing guests—who carefully maneuvered around one another in order to avoid submersion—to examine clothes from a short distance.
In keeping with the eco-friendly fashions, event designer Matt Stoelt incorporated recyclable and sustainable materials in his design. Stoelt stenciled sponsor logos onto planks of kirei—a type of wood made from reclaimed fibers—and attached the signage to a step-and-repeat wall fashioned out of hedges. The production team avoided bringing in any auxiliary power through the use of solar-powered Port-a-Potties and LED lights, which spotlit the mannequins and lit the interiors of tables (made from recycled polyurethane) scattered across the mayor’s lawn.
The mayor's backyard bash
Photo: BizBash
Rows of mannequins outfitted in sustainable garb lined the pool.
Photo: BizBash
Dresses representing earth, life, water, and plants sat at the entrance to the mayor's backyard.
Photo: BizBash
DJ Joe Sadler spun his set from an alcove across from the pool.
Photo: BizBash
A prominent sign made from wheatgrass and kirei wood, bearing the name of event co-sponsor The Los Angeles Times, decorated the lawn.
Photo: BizBash
