The Now Garde

“At its best, design should offer an original combination of texture, color and architectural fit that results in an overall presence created by the artist with intelligence and foresight. It’s something out of the ordinary — a new concept for now.”

Jeneleen Floyd (M Models) wears a cotton dress with lace trim over a tulle crinoline. Grey Ant is available at American Rag (La Brea), B. Luu (Pasadena), A. Mason (Robertson and Santa Monica), Tryst (Studio City) or www.greyant.com and www.girlshop.com.

“With all the mass production and corporate branding, design is losing its art. For us, design has no jurisdiction. It’s an escape from reality to where there are no boundaries or limitations on creativity — each design takes on its own philosophy. We make one-of-a-kind clothes because we want to see individuality and visual artistic synergy be the center core of fashion rather than a repetitive cycle of trends and followers.”

Jeremy Scott (Osbrink Models) IS in a silk-velvet bolero jacket with woven leather sleeves adorned with hooks and eyes and embroidered velvet cuffs and faux-fur collar over a sleeveless cotton-satin and cashmere-wool dress shirt and a silk-velvet kilt; Erica Yarbrough (Q Models) wears a cotton-satin tuxedo vest with rhinestone closures and cotton-satin and stretch-cotton tuxedo pants with satin ties and shoes by Arianna Custom Heels. Glaza is available at Glaza Studio (downtown), Blest (Hollywood), Four X Four (Third), Planet Blue (Malibu) or www.girlshop.com and www.rockyourglaza.com.

“By disrupting the codes by which traditional clothing makes its appeal and by radically interpreting the Western concept of beauty and ugliness, we are questioning the ambiguous marriage between the enduring and the ephemeral.”

MartinMartin is available at H. Lorenzo (Sunset Plaza) and B.NY (Santa Monica).

PHOTOGRAPHED BY DEAN CHAMBERLAIN at Light Space Gallery, Venice

MAKEUP: DAWN BROUSSARD HAIR: BO MATTIE (Saints Salon) STUDIO MANAGER: STACY VALIS

Capturing the Still Life

The first thing everyone asks as they watch photographer Dean Chamberlain work is: “How come you don’t end up in the picture?” Their second question? “When do you use the computer?” Chamberlain never uses computers; he creates “light paintings,” a technique he pioneered in 1977. He opens the shutter of his camera in a dark environment and then enters the composition space with a flashlight, which is used like a paintbrush — the light is the paint, and colored gels placed over the flashlight are the pigments. His subjects must remain completely still as Chamberlain, who evokes an elfin shaman engaged in some fabulously exotic ritual, moves around the space illuminating the model and surrounding areas during extremely long exposures (while it may seem easy not to move for 10 minutes at a time, try it wearing stiletto heels!). The reason he doesn’t end up in the photos, of course, is because he’s the source of light, not the object.

Chamberlain has “painted” portraits of Raymond Pettibon, Francesco Clemente, Kenny Scharf, Timothy Leary, Tom Robbins, David Bowie, Duran Duran, Deborah Harry, and Paul McCartney as well as done shoots of Christian Dior and Christian LaCroix (one of his favorites is of model Violetta Sanchez, who appears five times in five different LaCroix dresses in a single frame of film). His work has appeared in magazines from Vanity Fair to Wto Vogue Hommes, and he has exhibited in numerous galleries and museums (for more, see www.deanchamberlain.com).

—K.B.

EDUARDO LUCERO

“A garment is transformed into a fashion showpiece when it elicits an emotional response. It’s about the strength of the image, and L.A. is a city that’s built on that. You have control over the way you present yourself to the world through the clothes you choose, but most people rarely take advantage of that. How you perceive someone is so much based on the first impression, and that’s such a powerful thing.”

Alicia Hall (Next Models) wears a silk-chiffon dress with beaded appliquéd mesh and a silk-organza coat; earrings by Alexander Design. Eduardo Lucero is available at Eduardo Lucero (Beverly).

LOUIS VERDAD

“Designing is art. Your passion speaks your statement.”

Kira Verrastro (L.A. Models) is in a metallic silk-twill coat with Swarovski crystals over a lace dress with leather inset and silk charmeuse and tulle underskirt with shoes by Christian Louboutin; Brandise (L.A. Models Runway) wears a wool-bouclé suit with recycled vintage mink muff and Charles David shoes. Louis Verdad is available at Belle Cosa (Robertson), Bleu (La Brea), Sara M. (Palms), Shaya (Beverly Center) or www.ShopLAStyle.com.