GenArt — LA Fashion Week October 2004
A Los Angeles fashion week record from Thursday, 28 October 2004 — the GenArt group show, kept as the historical record.
GenArt presented its group show on Thursday, 28 October 2004, during LA Fashion Week — the seasonal runway presentation the review calls legendary for showcasing emerging fashion talent. The review carried below, written by Debra Stevenson with photographs by Carlos Alberto, records a sold-out crowd, founder Ian Gerard's opening remarks, and Wyeth by Todd Magill standing head and shoulders above the competition.
Illustrative image created for this guide — an artistic impression, not photographs from these shows.
Twelve Looks, Big Dividends
The format is the institution: each designer shows only twelve looks, but the exposure pays big dividends, and heavy-hitting journalists and fashion insiders trek to outposted locations during Fashion Week LA in the hope of spotting the next hot label. The review lists the success stories the format had already produced — Jennie Kayne, Michelle Mason, Hollywould, Shay Todd, Eduardo Lucero and Louis Verdad — several of whom appear elsewhere in this week's own reviews, which is the GenArt pipeline working exactly as described.
Wyeth by Todd Magill
This season's standout was Wyeth by Todd Magill, whose ethereal, ladylike collection was already a sell-out nationwide at Barneys New York. Diaphanous pleated voiles paired with sultry satin and vintner hues of silk velvet, vintage-modern dresses with perfectly matched kitten heels and an oversized straw carrier — the precursor to an empire, in the review's prediction. GenArt also anchors the October 2003 set in this archive, where its Fresh Faces showcase introduced eight handpicked designers at the Gas Company Building.
The Pipeline, Visible
Read this review beside the week's others and the system shows itself: Jennie Kayne, listed here among GenArt's success stories, headlined her own Gatsby-scale production the same Thursday; Shay Todd, another listed name, showed swimwear the same day. The group show was not a sideshow to fashion week but its supply line, and this record — twelve looks at a time, before a sold-out crowd — documents the mechanism at work.
The Record
A legendary group show known for showcasing emerging fashion talent, this seasonal runway presentation never fails to draw a sold-out crowd. Many of the attendees are amongst the organization's young membership base, admittedly just chasing the next hip party, but heavy-hitting journalists and fashion-insiders are always in the front rows. They routinely make the trek to outposted locations during Fashion Week LA in the hopes of spotting the next hot label and discovering a future breakout star. Success stories include Jennie Kayne, Michelle Mason, Hollywould, Shay Todd, Eduardo Lucero and Louis Verdad. This season, CEO and founder Ian Gerard was on hand for opening remarks, and to remind attendees how influential this show has become.
The night's presentation characteristically includes only 12 looks from each designer but pays big dividends in terms of the exposure. Standing head and shoulders above the competition was Wyeth by Todd Magill, who showcased his ethereal, ladylike collection already a sell-out nationwide at Barneys New York. Pairing diaphanous pleated voiles with sultry satin and vintner hues of silk velvet, this young talent offered vintage-modern dresses with perfectly matched kitten heels and an oversized straw carrier - the precursor to a empire, if you ask us!
Photos
Common Questions
What is the GenArt show?
A legendary group show known for showcasing emerging fashion talent: each designer presents only twelve looks, before a sold-out crowd of members, journalists and fashion insiders, as the review describes.
Who stood out in October 2004?
Wyeth by Todd Magill, with an ethereal, ladylike collection of pleated voiles, satin and silk velvet already a sell-out nationwide at Barneys New York.
Which designers came through GenArt?
The review names Jennie Kayne, Michelle Mason, Hollywould, Shay Todd, Eduardo Lucero and Louis Verdad as success stories of the show.