Organization showcases new trends
The USC Fashion Industry Association Fashion Showcase treated a well-heeled crowd to an evening filled with glamour as the organization celebrated its tenth anniversary Sunday night at the Midtown Radisson Hotel.
FIA is an organization under the Marshall School of Business. It prides itself on serving the community of USC as a resource for education and opportunities in the fashion industry and is the only fashion organization at USC.
“We help students realize their potential in the fashion industry,” said FIA CFO-President Vi Nguyen.
FIA brought together an eclectic mix for the showcase. A variety of participants showcased their collections, from up-and-coming designers to well-known brands, such as ASOS and Romeo & Juliet Couture. LOFT also presented its spring collection, as well as sponsored various giveaways, including a 250 dollar gift card.
Unlike a runway show, where models walk down a catwalk that is surrounded by the audience on both sides a showcase is a much more personal experience, in which the designer takes advantage of a smaller room to allow the audience to take in the detail of the designs while also giving an explanation as to what the inspiration behind the collection was or why he or she chose to highlight certain trends. Typically, retail store buyers and members of the press frequent showcases, as it is usually a designer’s preview before a much larger event.
Eight different brands displayed their work during the hourlong show. The models walked through the audience before making their way onto the stage, where a representative from each designer gave a short blurb about the concept behind the collection and the brand. Most of the models were USC students who attended a casting call organized by FIA.
In attendance was a mixture of USC students, graduates and family members, as well as Los Angeles-based fashion bloggers who members of FIA reached out to. VIP attendees received “swag bags” filled with items from the showcase’s sponsors. If the fashion onstage did not attract an attendee’s eye, then the outfits worn by those in audience certainly did. From leather and lace to thigh-high slits and wood cork heels, attendees clearly heeded FIA’s suggestion to dress chic.
PT & LO, a crowd favorite, is a startup brand headed by two FIDM graduates PT Nguyentang and Loren Chavez. For designer Chavez, the FIA Showcase was the perfect opportunity to bring awareness of the brand to a new audience.
“We decided to show here tonight because I’m a recent graduate from FIDM and we needed a way to showcase our designs and collection,” Chavez said. “What’s a more perfect way than showing out here?”
Their spring/summer 2014 collection, entitled “Eclectic Paradise,” combined modern silhouettes with bold tropical floral prints and colors. Much of the collection centered around the pairing of a bandeau or crop top with a fitted pencil skirt. The individual pieces, however, are basic and timeless, making them very easy to mix and match them.
Among the other trends seen at the showcase were dusty pinks and neutrals from LOFT, statement necklaces from Chloe + Isabel and printed shift dresses from Zoe Miyori Fuji, a local designer based in Long Beach, Calif. Actually, Fuji introduced the crowd to a new print that will probably catch on soon: the Dalmatian print, a modern spin on beloved polka dots.
Closing out the showcase was a short presentation by Dónde, a new mobile app that provides a new way to search for fashion items seen on the street or in magazines without taking pictures.
Overall, the evening was a wonderful success. The clothes and jewelry were beautiful and no doubt encouraged someone to seek more information on a brand to buy a piece. A few lucky members of the audience also won prizes raffled off by FIA. After the show, attendees had the opportunity to network with some industry professionals in the ballroom. With some companies seeking summer interns, someone might not have walked away with a raffle prize, but they could have received a job offer. And there is no better consolation prize than that.