Where has Mercedes-Benz LA Fashion Week gone?

By Rekia M. Spencer

LOS ANGELES,CA (Hollywood Today) 9/06/2010—As New York enters into its final days of preparation for  Fashion Week, you have to ask yourself, where has Mercedes-Benz LA Fashion Week gone?

It has been a few years since Smashbox Studios and events producer IMG parted ways.  For those of you who have been in your darkened fashion-less caves during this time, here is a quick review.

In 2008 longtime host, Smashbox announced its split from five-years-plus with the IMG World. A rep from IMG World told Hollywood Today, “IMG has no plans to enter the market in Los Angeles with any focused fashion event in the future.”

“My opinion is that they just did not have the time to dedicate toward cultivating this event on a year-round basis. Nothing against [IMG], but I think that New York is their big focus,” said organizer Davis Factor.

Furthermore, IMG charged designers an astronomical amount to showcase at MBFWLA. This might not be a problem for larger fashion industry markets such as New York, Milian and Paris.

Los Angeles’ new and upcoming designers on the other hand, find it harder to present their well-tailored masterpiece down the catwalk.

Los Angeles continues to support their years of fashion and film. “Hollywood embraces the city of Los Angeles, there is so much creative stuff to take advantage of here, the red carpet, costume design, stylists, everything from the surf industry to Maxfield’s” says Factor.