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Louis Verdad Draws Crowds as L.A. Fashion Week Begins

It was an L.A. moment to die for - if you're a fashion designer looking for hot buzz, that is. At the appointed hour (9 p.m.) for the Louis Verdad show to begin on the first night of the Mercedes-Benz L.A. Fashion Week, fire marshals shut down the venue, causing a huge crush of people to gather outside the doors of the Main Tent at Smashbox Studios in Culver City.

Naturally, the show didn't actually start until about 9:40, and by that time all the seats inside were filled, with a requisite number of Hollywood fashionistas in the front row. There was Alexis Bledel of "The Gilmore Girls," "Grey's Anatomy" Latina beauty Sara Ramirez, Randy Jackson, Monet Mazur and Garcelle Beauvais, whose navy satin Verdad dress showed off her assets swimmingly.

"I love Louis' clothes," she shouted above the din, "this is one show I won't miss."

The standing-room-only audience seemed to agree, as cheers and applause broke out a number of times during the show. Characterized by an odd mélange of edgy punk tough (one of the best looks, a bright red leather cropped jacket worn with a lace bib shirt, black short-shorts and red ankle boots), frumpy ladies-who-lunch looks, and sleek, tailored pieces.

That red jacket and a few select accessories were the only flashes of color in Verdad's otherwise pale, mostly monochromatic Spring palate. He showed a patterned grey pencil skirt, skinny-belted and paired with a matching cap-sleeve peplum top, creating an hourglass shape, and repeated the look in black; numerous skinny pants in cream, grey, taupe, all looking slightly ill-fitting and not particularly flattering on the models; and even a variety of rompers, most with short-shorts and wide belts.

Verdad also played with an oversized silhouette, showing voluminous dolman-sleeve tops with tight jersey minis, or dresses with the same line, as well as a few bubble dresses, then switched gears and did some skin-tight numbers, including actress Isabella Miko's finale outfit of black satin skinny pants and cap-sleeve blouse. Also in the mix were leggings paired with wide-belted knee-length dresses, variations on tennis dresses done for both day and evening wear, and white overalls.

The overalls drew some snickers, and some of the clinging jersey numbers elicited whispers of "not flattering even on the model," but all in all the crowd was mostly appreciative of this somewhat subdued latest effort from one of Los Angeles' favorite sons.

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