(Los Angeles)—It was an explosion of pioneering talent and ingenuity at Art Hearts Fashion LAFW finale night at the Taglyan Complex Thursday night sponsored by AIDS Healthcare Foundation. Wrapping the largest season to date with over 40 designers, the triumphant shows continue to lead the way for Fashion Week on the west coast. The Art Institutes of California brought a talented lineup of 13 student designers to make their debut on the runway. Designers Meraqi, Dunyah, Evana, and Adolfo Sanchez of CreativPR captivated the guests with breakout collections. The grand finale of the week brought designers Fernando Alberto, Mimi Tran and Rocky Gathercole together for an enthralling showcase of designs that defined the enchantment felt throughout the week. The star studded affair brought out celebrities throughout the week including: JoJo, Janice Dickinson, Jon Lovitz, Tristan Wilds, Terrell Owens, NFL Player James Anderson, Cory Feldman, Peter Madrigal, Jessica Parido, Phoebe Price, Michael Kuluva, Hazel-E of Love and Hip Hop, Chiqui Rivera, NFL Giants Player Myles White, Matt and Mark Harris of Storage Wars, Najee De-Tiege, Krista Keller Stodden of the Mother Daughter Project, Michelle Epps of Basketball Wives, Annie Ilonzeh of Empire, Host Amy Paffrath who walked for designer Jaime Elyse Couture, Cynthia Basinet, Colleen Shannon, Amber Smith, Angelica Bridges, Amanda Joy, Efren Ramirez, Renee Lawless, actresses Andrea Anders, Torri Anders, Tehmina Sunney, Vanessa Cloke, Phoebe Price, Mame Adje of ANTM, Drew Seeley and many more.
Art Institutes of California opened the Art Hearts Fashion LAFW finale night with a showcase featuring: Mildred Aroche, Anna V Bazhaeva, Brittney A Castillo, Elsie Delgado, Patrick Kevin Francisco, Joshua Maahs, Ninoska Navarro Rocha, Alena Sablan, Shanta Stevenson, Milan Stokes, Malik Vivian, Margaret Marie Ghallager, Nazeli Zeynalyan.
Meraqi took the runway opening the afternoon show with a collection of high end backpacks and travel bags. Deep earth tones set off the fine leather collection for both men and women. Dunyah brought a new menswear collection to the forefront blending modern streetwear with a clean sleek aesthetic. The fabrics range from natural earth tones mixed with a selection of premium lambskins and furs. Evana broke boundaries with pieces crafted with keen attention to detail, expressing a youthful yet sophisticated spirit. Rich colors and versatile structure enhanced the feminine shapes and textured fabrics. Designer Adolfo Sanchez showcased his latest collection “Light to Dark”, a new take on womenswear embracing soft and feminine looks. The materials are light-weight neoprene, muted colors, and romantic lace. As the collection grows it gravitates towards darker, stronger, more individualistic tone, featuring leather, wool and sexy silhouettes with hardware.
A performance by Anna Victoria delighted guests on the runway featuring designs by custom wardrobe celebrity designer Arman Morozov. Dance choreography was brought to you by celebrity choreographer Michael Silas.
Art Hearts Fashion LAFW finale showcase opened with designer Fernando Alberto debuting ‘The Royals’ collection. Fernando captures the essence of the modern woman in his ready-to-wear and bridal collections. The beauty of his craftsmanship transforms luxurious fabrics and textures into an exquisite design. Mimi Tran’s AW16 collection welcomed the introduction of silk, leather and Swarovski crystals, making for a versatile and wearable collection while maintaining the elegance signature to the brand. Stand out designs include the gold 3D custom made pieces of which each design has 150 Swarovski crystals hand beaded on to it. Art Hearts Fashion’s epic four day showcase closed out Fashion Week with a grand finale show by provocative avant garde designer Rocky Gathercole. Gold embellished bodysuits, metallic corsets, and impeccable fringe details made their way down the runway to a mesmerized audience. Guests were on their feet in a standing ovation as the extravagant designs sauntered down the runway bidding adieu to fashion week.
Photo Galleries Photo Credit: Arun Nevader
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