Fashion Week Highlights of El Paseo
Fashion Week El Paseo is considered to be one of the biggest fashion weeks on the West Coast. Many critics compare this event to New York Fashion Week, emphasizing on the increasing growth in popularity of El Paseo and the charm of having all of the shows in one area. Popular shows of the week include the opening night, meeting the stars and designers from “Project Runway,” and the finale night.
From March 17 to March 24, the event featured both renowned and rising designers – who were able to portray their expressive styles during receptions, meet and greets, trunk shows, and through models who individually showcased their work on the runway. These events are meant to attract all types of people, providing no limitations within the world of fashion. Many leave transformed and inspired, or simply in awe of the temporary glitz and glamour.
The theme of the opening night this year was California Dreamin’, in which four Californian designers, Michael Costello, Ali Rahimi from Mon Atelier, Trina Turk, and Mr. Turk, teamed up to depict what Californian fashion is truly about: diversity. Vibrant colorful prints, extravagant gowns, and fashion-forward swimwear bobbed up and down the runway, causing the audience to whistle, clap, and cheer for their favorites.
Fans of “Project Runway” were able to meet the designer, Michael Costello, and attend his Tuesday night show. Costello is known to be a local, having lived in Palm Springs as a teenager. His designs have been worn by celebrities, such as Beyoncé and Jennifer Lopez. He was joined by his “Project Runway” friends Margarita Alvarez, Mah-Jing Wong, Candice Cuoco, Justin Leblanc, Viktor Luna, Laura Kathleen Baker and Kentaro Kameyama, the most recent winner of the show. The designers showed off their eccentric creations, exciting the audience and confirming their major presence.
During the finale night, designer Ralph Rucci presented modern couture that is “biomorphically” cut to flawlessly follow the lines of the body. His collection included screenings of his art, recreations of a salon presentation, and commentary about his work. This is reminiscent of esteemed, luxury designers, such as Dior and their private showcases within fashion salons.
For students who are interested in a week of fashion or looking to dress up for the night, Fashion Week El Paseo provides a discount for students, free entry for certain events, and are always looking for student volunteers.
“It was a really fun experience due to the different environment, such as the people, set up, and atmosphere,” said La Quinta High School student, Samantha Macuixtle-Castro ‘18. “El Paseo has an elegant feel to it and having a fashion week mixes things up for the average daily life here in the desert.”
Thao Nguyen is the assistant editor for La Quinta High School's newspaper, the Hawkview. She strives to contribute fresh, quality content for this school year as the Hawkview enters the digital age. As a member of the graduating Class of 2018, she is well on her way to earning an IB Certificate and plans...
