Music, free shopping and a peek at the future
Runway shows by Opening Ceremony and Wiz Khalifa will headline Made L.A.’s June event in downtown.
Rapper Wiz Khalifa will launch a clothing collaboration and Opening Ceremony will make its local runway debut when Made L.A. returns to downtown Los Angeles on June 9-10, event organizer WME IMG announced Tuesday.
Like last summer’s debut event, which featured runway shows by Moschino and Tyler, the Creator, the public will be able to purchase tickets for both shows. (This is a departure from traditional fashion week shows, which are invite-only affairs for buyers and media.) And, like last year’s shows, the Made L.A. fashion and music event will take place on L.A. Live’s Event Deck space (the rooftop of a parking garage between Staples Center and the 110 Freeway) at 1005 W. Chick Hearn Court and include an on-site fashion bazaar showcasing more than 30 brands.
Unlike last year, when it cost $10 just to get into the shopping area, potential customers will be able to shop at no cost. Shop Small at Made L.A. is scheduled from 2 to 11 p.m. June 9 and noon to 11 p.m. June 10.
“We’re making that portion free to the public,” said Catherine Bennett, senior vice president and managing director of IMG Fashion. “And we’re starting it earlier in the day and keeping it open longer so that people can come all day throughout the day.” She also noted that there would be roughly twice as many brands in the shopping mix this time.
As for the fashion presentations, Opening Ceremony, whose cofounders Carol Lim and Humberto Leon hail from Southern California, will be staging its first Los Angeles runway show when it presents its fall 2017 women’s collection June 9, just a few weeks before the clothes hit retail. (Opening Ceremony started realigning its catwalk collections several seasons ago so runway and retail sales weren’t the industry-standard six months apart.)
“We haven’t had an opportunity [to show in L.A.] before,” Lim said. “And it’s our 10-year anniversary of the Opening Ceremony store in L.A., and the 15-year anniversary of our company as a whole so we thought, ‘What better way to celebrate?’ ”
Opening Ceremony has a reputation for presenting its collections in novel formats (including one-act plays, faux beauty pageants and, most recently, a piece performed by the New York City Ballet), and though Lim won’t divulge too many details, she said it will run longer than previous shows.
“Definitely the length of the show is exciting,” she said. “There will be multiple parts to the show, which is exciting. You’ll see us incorporate culture and different artistic expression.”
The tentpole event of the second night will be the debut of a capsule apparel collection from Wiz Khalifa, followed by a live musical performance by Khalifa and members of the Taylor Gang.
There aren’t too many details available about Khalifa’s collection beyond that it’s in collaboration with a soon-to-be-revealed designer and that custom-fit pieces from the collection can be ordered on-site using the new app CALA. The app uses body-scanning technology to measure customers, and a network of local cut-and-sew shops to quickly create garments on demand. (According to organizers, pieces from Khalifa’s collection can be delivered to a U.S. customer in five days or less.)
This body-scanning technology will be on display in Khalifa’s booth in the Shop Small at Made L.A. section, which will be co-curated by American Express. A full list of participating brands and musical performances for that part of the twoday event haven’t been announced. However, according to organizers, look for wearable wares from Maison Kitsuné, a collaborative capsule collection from rapper Yung Jake and Rochambeau and a free concert by ASAP Ferg, whose Trap Lord label, in a not-so-subtle (or surprising) bit of synergy, will also be in the merchandise mix.
Tickets to the 9 p.m. headliner fashion shows Friday and Saturday are currently available to American Express cardholders for $90 — or $60 for a standing-room only ticket. Also, $250 VIP packages are available to those wielding an American Express Platinum Card. Ticket availability widens to the general public Monday.