Los angeles fashion week: custo barcelona, giannina azar

by Cecile Paul · Published October 18, 2022 · Updated February 27, 2023

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OLÉ! The City of Angels Put on a Show that Exploded with Flamenco Passion, with Designers Pulling out all the Stops for a Mediterranean-Style Extravaganza of Festive Proportions.

The Glamour Barometer was Overheating as Sensuous, Body-Hugging Gowns Exposed Sun-Kissed Skin. To Boot all Things Sparkly and Glittery also Shimmied their Way into the Collections.

Hollywood glamour in this rhine-stone encrusted, cut-out frock with its exaggerated sleeves – at Giannina Azar

Image Credit Los Angeles Fashion Week, LAFW on Instagram, Art Hearts Fashion and the Respective Instagram Accounts of Featured Designers

Hot on the heels of New York Fashion Week, Los Angeles Fashion Week kicked off with masses of energy and pizzazz on the other side of the continent, showcasing a range of curated brands and homing in on four quality lifestyle aspects: fashion, beauty, technology and sustainability, rather than focussing on a particular season. Global brands like Custo Barcelona and accessory brand Carmen Steffens rubbed shoulders with the likes of Giannina Azar, Coral Castillo, Sergio Tacchini and Carlos Pineda. The clothes were elegant and uber- glamorous, sensuous and just a tad revealing – one would expect no less from a set of sizzling offerings from California! All this fabulousness against the backdrop of the steamy hot and balmy home of Hollywood and the stars of the silver screen.

You’re in for an extravaganza of eye-popping proportions! Enjoy our selection of some of the most memorable pieces from the shows.

GIANNINA AZAR

Lebanese-Dominican designer Giannina Azar’s frocks are beyond glamorous. Encrusted with jewels and rhinestones, beads and crystals and generously embellished with gilt embroidery, they caress the body and reveal skin in all the right places. This designer’s creations flow so effortlessly with the lines and contours of the body, it’s no wonder her followers include the likes of steaming hot celebrities Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears and Thalia! Queen of the red carpet, she’s also the official dress designer for the Miss Dominican Republic contest. We adore the opulent pale blue dresses encrusted with metallic embroidery!

Treble wow-factor – at Giannina Azar

A sensuous sage-green beady draped dress – pure showbiz glam! At Giannina Azar

Sizzling hot contour-grazing crystals and rhinestones! At Giannina Azar

Hot, hot hot! Tangerine sparkles and boots – at Giannina Azar

Old-school couture glamour in this embellished gown – at Giannina Azar

Stunning surface patterns and embroidery in these embellished gowns – at Giannina Azar

An exquisite Hollywood-style beaded gown (and cute catwalk companion, too!) – at Giannina Azar

Sexy silver chainmail minidress – at Giannina Azar

CORAL CASTILLO

Mexican designer Coral Castillo’s collection is fabulously feminine and ethereal, light and layered at the same time, the creations are colourful, sensuous and glamorous, and wonderfully tactile and textured. Her latest collection showcases some stunning full skirts juxtaposed with tiny, cut-out bodices, macramé-based pieces that are festive and perfect for the quintessential Californian balmy evening. Her striking pieces have been featured in the likes of Vogue Italia, US Elle and Los Angeles Times. The macramé dresses with their festive fringing are firm favourites!

A full fabulously full-skirted gown with tiny textured bodice in sunshine yellow – at Coral Castillo

Macrame magic in a feisty frock – at Coral Castillo

Olé! A festive fishtail gown in pulse-racing red – at Coral Castillo

A sexy skin-revealing ensemble in cobalt blue – at Coral Castillo

Tactile and textured in fringy purple – at Coral Castillo

Cut-outs and fringe reveal sun-kissed skin – at Coral Castillo

Polka dots make for a fabulously feminine frock – at Coral Castillo

All emphasis is on the sleeves here, to spectacular effect – at Coral Castillo

Transparent sequin & lace trousers and a black corset for a sexy siren! At Coral Castillo

Backstage at Coral Castillo

A stunning transparent embellished fringed dress in antique silver and white – at Coral Castillo

A stunning transparent embellished fringed dress in antique silver and white – at Coral Castillo

CARLOS PINEDA

Mexican designer Carlos Pineda’s collection has a certain vibe of festivity and cheeriness about it, olé Frida Kahlo! Voluminous frilled tiered skirts in vibrant shades are reminiscent of Mexian culture and beautiful Aztek and Zapatec textile designs. Whether frills or pleats, these layers of soft silk chiffon and organza in both saturated and softest pastel shades are utterly desirable!

Feisty frills – at Carlos Pineda

Voluminous layers of softest chiffon – at Carlos Pineda

Mexican-inspired festivity in a frock! At Carlos Pineda

A striking neon green multi-tiered dress with stunning bodice drapery – at Carlos Pineda

Soft shades in multiple tiers cinched in by a leather belt – at Carlos Pineda

Tulle frills and pleats worn with cowboy boots – at Carlos Pineda

The unbeatable combination of shocking pink and grass green – here pictured for Vogue Arabia – at Carlos Pineda

MORFIUM FASHION

Creative director at Morfium, Jelena Malesevic, studied to become an archaeologist when the fashion industry lured her away! Her avant-garde, super-sculptural creations have a decidedly futuristic flavour to them, reminiscent of exquisite pieces of metallic sculpture. Beautifully tailored and finished, these pieces are true works of art.

Futuristic and statuesque – at Morfium Fashion

The future is bright (red)! At Morfium Fashion

A striking gown with its ‘armoured’ plates – at Morfium Fashion

Detailed stitching create a piece that has a space-aged feel to it – at Morfium Fashion

Sculptural panels and topstitching in sensuous red leather – at Morfium Fashion

CARMEN STEFFENS

Sexy and sophisticated, hot Brazilian brand Steffens is one of the most influential footwear and bag manufacturers in Brazil. With meticulously handcrafted leather pieces, their long list of celebrity fans include the likes of Mariah Carey and Eva Longoria. These one-of-a-kind accessories have an authentic Brazilian vibe, which clearly reverberates with their clientele all over the globe. We adore the rhinestone-encrusted mini leather bags!

Passion fruit shades – at Carmen Steffens

Tropical and sizzling! At Carmen Steffens

Must-have rhinestone & crystal leather bags – at Carmen Steffens

CUSTO BARCELONA

A brand that needs no introduction wowed yet again with its fabulous swimwear and beach- inspired shapes and fabrics. Asymmetric designs with strategic cutouts, the desirable Custo branding strategically placed, in inspired shades and high-tech fabrics make for a collection that shouts MUST HAVE, MUST HAVE!