Kate O'Connor — LA Fashion Week October 2004
A Los Angeles fashion week record from Tuesday, 26 October 2004 — the Kate O'Connor knitwear show, kept as the historical record.
Kate O'Connor showed on Tuesday, 26 October 2004, during LA Fashion Week, with a tight collection of minimalist knits for the tropics. The review carried below, written by Debra Stevenson with photographs by Carlos Alberto, records triangle bikinis, culottes and Lurex jumpsuits in washed-out lavender, eggplant, peach and apricot — with a practical warning about sheerness kept intact.
Illustrative image created for this guide — an artistic impression, not photographs from this show.
Knits for a Carry-On
The review frames the collection as travel clothing: simple swaths of cool knit fabric ideally suited for cramming into carry-on luggage and lounging in the tropics. Loose rayon tanks in Missoni-esque stripes, tie belts and surplice tops round out a wardrobe built from a handful of shapes in a washed-out palette — minimalism as a packing strategy as much as a design statement.
The Sheerness Warning
Few reviews in this archive pause for consumer advice; this one does. Some of the knits are terribly sheer — even the model's thongs showed through the white pull-on pants — so plan wisely, the reviewer advises, before the finale's gauzy cluster of sheer knit cover-ups, wrap dresses and bare-shoulder sweaters earns the show's warmest verdict, with KCRW's Garth Trinidad spinning Latin lounge grooves on the turntables.
Minimalism With a Climate
Most knitwear in this archive is written about as warmth; O'Connor's is written about as climate equipment — cool swaths for a very hot place, shapes sized for a carry-on. That framing makes the collection an early document of resort dressing designed from the destination outward: the tropics first, the garment second, the suitcase always in mind. The finale's apres-sol cluster completes the logic — the same knits, worn after the sun the day was built around.
The Record
In a very hot place, if you were very tiny, you would need Kate O Connor's knits. Simple swaths of cool knit fabric cut into teeny triangle bikinis, culottes and surplice tops. Loose rayon tanks in Missoni-eque stripes, tie belts and Lurex jumpsuits. All in washed out hues of lavender, eggplant, peach and apricot. This was a tight collection of minimalist shapes ideally suited for cramming into carry-on luggage and lounging in the tropics.
Before packing, however, keep a few crucial tidbits in mind some of these knits are terribly sheer. Even the model's skimpy thongs showed through their white pull-on pants, so plan wisely! The show's finale featured a gauzy cluster of sheer knit cover-ups, wrap dresses and bare-shoulder sweaters for apr's-sol that really worked. The vibe was sensuous and relaxed - a perfect chaser with KCRW's Garth Trinidad spinning Latin lounge grooves on the turntables.
Photos
Common Questions
What did Kate O'Connor show in October 2004?
A tight collection of minimalist knits: teeny triangle bikinis, culottes, surplice tops, loose rayon tanks in Missoni-esque stripes, tie belts and Lurex jumpsuits, in washed-out lavender, eggplant, peach and apricot.
What warning did the review give?
Some of the knits are terribly sheer — even the model's thongs showed through their white pull-on pants — so buyers and wearers should plan wisely, the review advises.
How did the show close?
With a gauzy cluster of sheer knit cover-ups, wrap dresses and bare-shoulder sweaters for apr's-sol, to KCRW's Garth Trinidad spinning Latin lounge grooves.