Voom by Joy Han presented an energetic collection for Spring 2008. Everything was very youthful and energetic. Bright shades of yellow, purple, and pink dominated.

So did graphic prints: checks, polka dots, zebra stripes. There was also a nice selection of vinyl pieces - perfect for those spring showers. For evening wear, Han toned down the bright colors of her collection by adding a layer of black lace.

All in all, a fun collection that is young and wearable.

Los Angeles Fashion Week Fall 2008: Octavio Carlin

LOS ANGELES, Mar 12, 2008 / FW/ — Known for his sexy, sultry and seductive looks, Octavio Carlin did not disappoint his fans with his Fall 2008 collection that featured his signature silhouettes that emphasize the waist and the shoulders.

An added feature this season is the elaborate back that actually makes sure that the Octavio Carlin woman will turn heads no matter where she is. Even with the somber color palette of Black and slate gray, the collection emanated the aura of fun and unbelievably, an impishness that easily translates to sexual energy.

LOS ANGELES, Mar 13, 2008 / FW/ — Is there a fashion god? After surviving Jennifer Lopez in New York, now we have to live through Lauren Conrad (left) here at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios; that the only reason why we have to cover is because Lauren Conrad is a TV star (The Hills).

I agree with my editor that any emerging designer, especially those who are making a debut on the calendar deserves coverage, but she also has a standing rule that ‘if it will be kinder not to write a review, then don’t write one. As a reviewer, in my eyes, it would have been kinder not to write about Lauren Conrad’s collection.

Based on a black & white color palette, the whole collection was just another rendition of what had been done or seen before. In short, if I have a seamstress and I have photos of old movie stars, I could have asked my seamstress to just copy the dresses they are wearing. If I have 30 such photos, I could make a collection!

True, Lauren Conrad is taking some fashion design courses and from the looks of it, really wants to be a fashion designer. But ‘wanting to be a fashion designer’ is not enough, as have been proven already by celebrities before Conrad who tried to launch their own lines and ended up just creating a ‘franchise’ for themselves.

Anyway, as expected, Lauren Conrad’s show was a star-studded affair with Hollywood supporting one of their own, which in my eyes is the only great thing about this show. Other than that, except for my editor’s insistence of writing something about Lauren Conrad because she is ‘news’, this review should not even be here. It would have been kinder towards Lauren Conrad not to say anything about her collection than be noted here that to describe it as ‘lackluster’ is actually an understatement.