Project Ethos LA Fashion Week showed the latest trends from this season’s most celebrated up and coming designers at this exclusive industry event presented by Scion, and powered by French Tuesdays. Hosted at the Avalon on Hollywood and Vine, this soiree brought fashion, music and art together under one roof in an intimate setting. Everything was on point, from the mixer with an open bar and desserts by Buzzbar, to the Midori Art Gallery upstairs at Bardot.

Marialia

Opening the evening’s fashion event, Marialia’s show was the thunder and lightning before the storm. Pretty in punk, this ready-to-wear FW2014 collection is fit for Hollywood’s chic rock and roll scene!

Glitter sparkled up and down the runway as Marialia’s signature style left the audience star struck by her latest designs. With shimmery skirts, deep jewel tone velvets, and a studded gown, the young designer makes LA haute couture into streetwear, presenting trendy pieces in neat, classic silhouettes. Rich colors for the festive seasons, Marialia’s line features pieces in ruby, charcoal, and emerald mixed and matched for a spunky, playful vibe. Feather cuffs, petticoats and metallics made an appearance in her line, giving it a feminine edginess to the bold and sexy.  Celebrating youth culture, the artist’s personal taste flares in every spirited design. Her creations were brilliantly styled to be perfectly flashy—the studded ruby long-sleeve mini paired with the sparkly black high-thigh stockings with black roses on the garters was a favorite look of the night! No extra accessories needed for the elegantly embellished garments.

Marialia’s most stunning design for the finale was her studded ruby velvet gown for an LA punk princess. Leaving the crowd in awe, the wonderful artist came onto the runway with a pink streak in her long blonde hair in one of her designs matching the models. A rock star in the fashion world, Marialia will continue to dress Hollywood royalty, and we can’t wait to see her again at next year’s Fashion Week!

Wood Underwear

A fashion show wouldn’t be much of a show without beautiful models revealing some skin. Teressa Zimmerman’s new collection for her Wood Underwear brand gave us fashionistas something to look at, and then more.

The male undies line shown at this year’s Project Ethos Los Angeles Fashion Week event presented comfortable looks of the basic cotton shirt paired with matching form-fitting boxers or briefs that are known for their unique design that stays on his shape without shifting up his leg. Soft and simple, Zimmerman’s creations are manufactured with a blend of cotton, modal and elastine that makes Wood Underwear stand out in the city’s fashion industry as the designer undergarments that won’t fall out of place.

As the first model made his way down the runway, all eyes were on the shirt and briefs combination that neatly suited his body in a smart, fashionably casual grace. Reaching the end of the runway, the handsome man flipped his shirt off, and tossed it to his new adoring fans in the second row. Wood Underwear’s spring and summer collection offers bold solid colors, like the popular orange, blue and violet in addition to the classic black with the white waistband, and the neutral, subtle camouflage prints. Perfect for the sunny seasons, the men’s boxers look great with or without their matching shirts! The show was a roaring good time as every model stripped down to his bottoms and personally gifted a random lucky guest in the audience.

Indah Clothing

Exquisite and sexy came together on the runway in the Project Ethos fashion show for the luxurious swimwear brand Indah by designer Libby De Santis. Indah was recently featured in Sports Illustrated’s 2013 Swimsuit Edition, and is taking the fashion industry by storm as this island-inspired brand designs swimwear and beachwear that not only shows off the ladies’ sun-kissed skin, but shows her free spirit, too!

All of the swimwear pieces were aesthetically interesting. Some gorgeous and sweet, while others more edgy, De Santis takes the classic bikini look and reshapes them to create fun silhouettes that reflect her island girl identity. Indah uses rich, bold, bright colors for the tropical effect, in lavish prints and in shapes perfect for the sunny leisure days of spring and summer. Tiny string bikinis, bright colorful two-pieces, and whimsical one-pieces made a wave on the runway.

Indah is fun and flirty, and fashionable above all. Each distinct look captures the free spirit of the beach girl, and the whole collection is lively, happy and chic as is Indah. Libby De Santis has lived in Tahiti, Hawaii, and now resides in Bali where Indah is based. One reason this artist loves to design in the magnificent island is because its people truly exist in the moment, and she likes to bring that way of life into her brand. Indah’s new line was a rainbow in the clouds!

Layana Aguilar

Cocktail and red carpet wear are essential for women in big cities! This year for Project Ethos, the multicultural designer Layana Aguilar showed her latest collection during Los Angeles Fashion Week, presenting a line that is trendy, feminine and sophisticated.

Having grown up in Brazil, and now living in New York, Layana’s designs bring together modern Brazilian culture and classic New York looks, we can see the two worlds colliding in her elegant garments. Layana’s collection featured soft colors for the coming seasons, with flowy pale pink trousers, a black and champagne-nude dress, and a light translucent printed white dress. The structures of these pieces, from form-fitting to loosely draping, along with the festive ruffles, created silhouettes for an evening in the city lights.

Notably, Layana Aguilar’s stunning white gown captured the crowd’s attention for its very LA vibe, though it’s obviously unique in style and design. The almost mermaid-dress is a pure, refreshing white with a bold black angular shape in the front below the chest. On the back it has a black outlined slit down the leg to the floor. The modern regal garment is effortlessly cool and classic. Layana’s creations are impeccable in movement, styling and taste; internationally perfect!

Aleena Khan

Infused in blue, the two-piece gown with a sheer vertical-striped princess skirt and a bold solid-color top with golden embroidery down the right shoulder strap brilliantly introduced Aleena Khan’s style to Los Angeles Fashion Week at this year’s Project Ethos event. Born in Lahore, Aleena Khan currently lives in LA as a designer, combining cultural influences from Pakistan with the city’s streetwear trends to create a one-of-a-kind brand that presents eccentric luxurious garments as a ready-to-wear collection into the fashion world.

Beadwork, crystals, zardozi, and silk threads are featured in her pieces as the artist Aleena Khan handcrafts all her designs, creating elaborate outfits that captivate LA’s eccentric style. Using an array of colors, this designer pairs bright with bold, offering color blocking that also makes the vibrant color pop!

Culture shock and shock value married in two of her outstanding looks, have the see-through element in dark colors and cuts, trendy to LA during these spring and summer festival seasons. A black lace miniskirt with a black sheer cape blouse draping over it showcase the city’s streetstyle, and the designer’s blue floral and striped embellishment on the top makes it one of Aleena Khan’s signature looks. Her remarkable gown in black lace with a legging in place of a skirt, with a translucent striped long skirt on the back gives the look a “gown” feel that would shine on a Hollywood red carpet. The skilled and talented LA designer Aleena Khan has an eye for the trendiest looks from two unique cultures, and creates the best of two styles into the fashion world as an exciting brand!

Maor Luz

A lifestyle of Los Angeles, Maor Luz is more than just a trendy fashion brand. In the dark with the lights still off at the Project Ethos event, the song “Molly” started playing, grabbing hold of the crowd’s attention for who’s hitting the runway! The lights went on, and the first pair of models came out strutting to the beat of repeating “Molly, molly, molly, molly…”

Maor Luz is based in Los Angeles, designing comfortable, everyday streetwear for both men and women. Designs include sporty pieces like sweatpants and t-shirts, and various outerwear garments like blazers, sweaters and jackets, all in the bold colors and intriguing prints that are Maor Luz.

On the runway we saw many unconventional pairings that make each fabulous piece stand out. Flawless swag, the models looked effortlessly cool. The first guy on the runway wore baggy green pants styled with cowboy boots, a skull drapey black shirt and a sun hat. On the next guy were Maor Luz’s essential sweatpants, gray with black between the legs. Simply styled with a snapback and peculiarly accessorized with chains across the chest, the model cradled on his side a small, clothed pooch as his prop. Casual and fashionably clever is the Maor Luz LA look.

Other features in the collection was the UK flag print on a shirt, dress and vest, more chains hanging from the neck, and comfy pants dressed with blazers. Maor Luz was a hit at Project Ethos and a top trend setter this LA Fashion Week!

Rochelle Carino

Top trends and chic styles were put together into one glitz and glam collection by the whimsical designer Rochelle Carino. Spunky and charming, these outfits exude happiness and a fun attitude, playing with elements of sex appeal and unapologetic femininity. There are so many fantastic pieces in this line—each one just as pretty as the next!

If clothing were food, Rochelle Carino would be chocolate for being exciting and sweet. The first look on the catwalk was a leopard print skirt with a black petticoat, a big bow on the waistline, and a zebra print top with a horizontal cutout above the chest. Incredibly dazzling, this combo represented the best of Rochelle Carino’s AW2014 ready-to-wear collection. Stylish coats with just a dress underneath makes the perfect upscale party look for the city it girl. Classic Hollywood is represented in her bold solid blacks and warm brown and gray prints. More astounding outfits included precious metallics, angelic feathers, divine sparkles and lovely sheers. There is a lot going on in prints and textures, but the neat, symmetrical cuts make this spontaneous style very mod and classy.

Rochelle Carino is a brand of girly, flirty, sexy and fun women’s clothing. She offers a complete wardrobe for the LA princess! Every garment has a personality of its own, though it’s all uniquely Rochelle Carino. The sheer, sparkly lavender dress shone beautifully on the runway in front of the flashing light, and one can only imagine how stunning it would look in the city lights!

David Tupaz

Timeless, yet innovative, the closing fashion show for Project Ethos exhibited the avant-garde custom collection by haute couture designer David Tupaz.

Conservative cuts tailored into extravagant silhouettes, the classic looks astonished the audience, leaving everyone agape in awe at the eccentric, romantic garments.  Classic looks from past decades were featured in this collection in the ever-fashionable rich, metallic colors. Victorian gowns in silver and bronze graced the runway, showcasing the artistry of David Tupaz as a creator in design and tailoring. Modern elements in the looks were seen in the sparkles on traditional ensembles, and elaborate prints on the dresses.

The draping was stunning on the Golden Age style dresses, and the feathers on the headpieces added a feminine elegance. Sparkles and furs made the collection look vintage and fresh. Subtle showing of skin through the lace bodice of a gown, and short, daring draping put today’s LA trends in the designer’s nostalgic garments. Aside from the chic styling, David Tupaz presented designs that are contemporary in their architectural structures and silhouettes. Overall, this David Tupaz high fashion collection had a European twist on historically American designs. It was a crowd favorite, and an awe-striking way to end the Fashion Week night!

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About the Author 

Janice Gonzalez is a Los Angeles lifestyle blogger, loving fashion, music and Hollywood culture. She attends concerts, does PR for a record label in WeHo, and listens to music all day. Trendy in streetstyle, this LA girl is loving the city life and live tweeting her adventures @itgirljanice!