It was April of 2009 at Paper Magazine's Beautiful People party (where Katy Perry performed...with a blow-up lipstick case) where I first laid eyes on Laquan's work. And his leggings were indeed beautiful.
It was the kind of fashion that's so amazing you can't really describe it. They were sort of metallic, kind of leathery with to-die-for cut-outs. (Rihanna rocked a similar style Laquan Smith jumpsuit in her Rude Boy video). And I couldn't stop staring. And on top of everything, he was tall, skinny and uberfab.
In true Coutura form, I walked right up to him. "Umm, I need your leggings. Who makes them?" While chatting with Prince playing in the background, I learned I was speaking to the designer behind those fabu leggings, Laquan. He was a sweet, softspoken up-and-coming designer from Queens and I was a Fashion Assistant at The Magazine. Match made in fashion heaven.
Though his leggings are the definition of edgy, Laquan is much more than another purveyor of 'downtown cool.' He creates wearable art: one-of-a-kind pieces that warrant a second, and third, look. Since our chance meeting in April, Laquan has had the pleasure of seeing pieces from his line, LaQueue by Laquan, end up on Lady Gaga, Amerie, Jaslene from America's Next Top Model and Rihanna (Andre Leon Talley thinks Michelle Obama should be next).
And he totally deserves the attention. His vision is fresh, creative and brilliant, perfect for the celebrity, or fashionista, who commands the spotlight.
The inspiration for his latest collection? A water goddess. The color palette reflects sand and sea with oceanic tones of blue intermixing with camel hues. The silhouettes range from avante garde (hello puffy shoulder dress!) to red-carpet sexy (I died and was reborn in that blue fitted frock). Oh, and of course he included his famous leggings in blue. Check out his Autumn/Winter 2010 collection pieces below and go to www.laquansmith.com for more info on the designer.
Kisses,
Coutura