Mercedes-Benz hosts fashion week at Smashbox Studios

By Jen Grossman
Online Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer

At this year's Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, at Smashbox Studios in Culver City from Oct. 25 through Oct. 29, 39 designers are presenting their Spring 2005 collections.

This is the second year 7th on Sixth, an IMG Company, and Smashbox will make fashion history by bringing an upscale, trend-setting fashion week to the Los Angeles fashion district.

Mercedes-Benz is the official sponsor for these fashion-forward shows along with American Express, Evian, Cotton, LG, Silhouette, Judith Ripka, Blowfish Sushi, Allure, Vox Vodka, LA Confidential Magazine and Apparel News.

Walking through the doors of the white awning tent at Smashbox Studios, the scent of perfume, wet carpet, liquor and cigarettes filled the air into the front lounge area. The room was modern, black and white, and had leather couches, dim lighting and lit-up crystal chandeliers down the center. To the right was a brand-new Mercedes CLK 550, in "Benz Baby Blue," and to the left an open bar and sushi stand. In the middle sat a lounge area with white leather couches, tables, and chairs, and in the back another Benz — the new SLK 350 in "Shining Star," as well as the Smashbox Cosmetics area, where the new coined colors were tried out on the arriving guests.

The crowd in the lounge was predominately fashion-forward actors/actresses, professional photographers, people in the media, designers, fashion editors and the wealthy, all with a great sense of the Fall 2004 trends: tweed jackets, cuffed jeans, tall leather riding boots, Uggs, ponchos, bright-colored pumps, furs, and large grandmother tote-bags. In attendance were Lisa Rinna, Venus Williams, Paula Abdul as well as many others.

The main tent was a full house, with many observers standing around the edges of the small black rectangular room.

The stage was simple with a country backdrop. A country band called The Ditty Bops played on stage while the models walked down the runway. The entire collection was inspired by this band making it "A Petro Zillia retro-optimistic and ultra positive collection," said Nony Tochterman of her inspirations for designs, in the 2005 Petro Zillia program.

The models were adorned with summery, girlishly designed garments with eye-catching bright colors with whites, and pale grays and khakis. Zillia used stripes and floral prints in many of her design principles, which gave her collection a feeling of peace and warmth.

Some of the tops were flowy and sheer; some were ruffled; some were cinched in at the waist with elastic, similar to the muumuu tube-tops of last summer but with the elastic at the waist; and some were inspired by the business button-up shirt with alterations in sleeve length and neck lines.

The skirts were fun and flirty, containing ruffles, tiers, and varying lengths from short to long. Zillia used lots of ribbon on all pieces, big bangles and jewelry to adorn the models, and brightly colored straw hand-clutch purses to finish off the look for spring.