On Friday, January 8th, Animé Los Angeles (ALA) 17 hosted a Fashion Show. This convention is known for celebrating anime, pop culture, and the mediums that it encompasses. Fashion is prevalent at ALA, whether it’s in the vendor hall, which hosts a variety of great geek fashion vendors, or in the attendees’ attire.
The fashion show featured four designers: Emma Altman, Creator Guild, Renova, and Venia. It also featured a cosplay catwalk where cosplayers were given the opportunity to walk the runway.
Emma Altman
Emma Altman is an NYC-based fashion designer, a graduate of RISD, and she has presented for NYFW for 6 seasons. Her work’s been profiled in Vogue (Italian & British), People Magazine (NY), Harper’s Bazaar UK, and Gisele Magazine (Tokyo) and she’s an artist/educator for the non-profit Artolution where she teaches sewing and fashion design to refugee women internationally.
Each collection incorporates digital prints, rhinestones, and glitter. The brand’s mission is to empower women through what they wear so they can take on any challenge in life.*
Creators Guild
Creators Guild, Pioneers of the Anime Streetwear culture, continues to create designs that connect people and reinforce their identities as true fans of anime and gaming culture. The guild’s iconic sportswear designs have been seen through the world as they blurred the lines between the fictional world and IRL. Now, Creators Guild aims to be the main source of everyday apparel to true fans of anime and gaming culture.*
Ronova
RONOVA (rō-nō-vä) is an independent fashion design house focused on creating handmade styles inspired by the Rococo and Baroque period. They are inspired by and striving to create pieces that reflect elements of the vintage fashion periods that we love, not only in design but also with raw materials, fabric, hardware, and in some cases, construction.*
Miss Alphabet
With a penchant for the ’80s and early ’90s super girly motifs, Miss Alphabet will walk you right down memory lane. Her designs hit you straight in the face with elements of Barbie, new wave, 80’s and 90’s inspired elements (hello, ballerina bears?), and of course, j-fashion.
The founder, Liz, began with more punk and rockabilly styles but quickly abandoned those upon discovering fairy kei brands like Spank! and Nile Perch. Originally, you could bid on one of her creations on eBay if the timing was on your side, but now there’s plenty for everyone on her website and Etsy shop!*
Venia
Los Angeles-based design duo Eni and Nigma created VENIA, a multi-platform fashion label dedicated to pursuing grace through the science of dress. Drawing inspiration from architecture and engineering, the duo designs are in the form of seasonal stories imprinted with deeply personal impressions about society and postmodern phenomena.
Modern technological luxury, effortless elegance, and intentional utility are three fundamental principles the brand is committed to portraying. Ethically made in the United States, all pieces are engineered and cut specifically to suit their wearer’s individual physical intricacies. Their mission is to tell stories of the present, crafting each collection as the zeitgeist.*
Cosplay Catwalk
Cosplayers were given the opportunity to walk the runway and show off their cosplays. During the cosplay catwalk, the audience was treated to a performance by BLACKROS3, a Las Vegas-based rock band duo covering otaku favorites from anime, and video games.
*Brand introductions and Information were pulled from the Anime Los Angeles Website.
For more geek fashion check out:
Loungefly announced first-ever E.T. collection coming this spring
Available now Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride x La Femme en Noir collection
Photos from the 2019 Her Universe Fashion Show
