District L

After a bubbly Saturday brunch at Otto, I made my way over to Broome Street for the LES Fashion Forward Show. Designers and independent boutiques from the Lower East Side showcased 48 looks in the outdoor event, which was sponsored by LES BID.

Past Present Future: 168 Ludlow Street

Lois Eastlund: 153 Ludlow Street

A. Turen: 85 Stanton Street

James Coviello: 70 Orchard Street

Mint Julep: 173 Ludlow Street

Earnest Sewn: 90 Orchard Street

Post by Amanda LaMela

After a night of partying in apocalyptic proportions, our circadian rhythm still manages to adapt for fashionable matters. This afternoon, District L will be heading over to the Fashion Forward Fashion Show on Orchard and Broome. Starting at 1pm, designers such as Lois Eastlund, James Coviello, and Robert James, will be showcasing their LES designs in an outdoor event, hosted by LES BID.

Find us there -- with BisousCiao macron and d'espresso mochaccino in hand.

Post by Amanda LaMela

While right now is prime preparation time for Friday night's festivities, there is news that just cannot wait until post-Saturday-brunch.

District L favorite, Lois Eastlund, just launched her exclusive line for Glam 504. The brand new boutique opened March 2, 2011 on New Orleans' famed Magazine Street.

Glam 504 owner, Jess Galetz, elaborates, “I found these great independent designers in New York who I love and wear […] I noticed that there is nothing here like this."

In order to bring some Lower East Side style further South and equally east, Galetz opened her store with an expertly blended attitude. "The vibe of the store is a 60s Warhol pop-vibe with a little Rock n’ Roll thrown in, while still mixing together special aspects of New Orleans. Many items will be one-of-a-kind, custom-made pieces that will represent everything I love about New York while maintaining the vibe of New Orleans."

Lois’s exclusive line will include her signature modish, Ludlow-esteemed designs, as well as limited-edition dresses adorned in fleur-de-lis and painted bead prints.

Post by Amanda LaMela

In a striking combination of crimson, royal, and plum, Lois Eastlund debuted her signature mod silhouettes during New York Fashion Week on February 14. Her deliberate delineation provided a streamlined sensibility, while calculated contours added the right touch of edgy femininity. Lois Eastlund's runway presentation offered versatility-without-kitsch -- independence-sans-pretension.

Rockstar talent with a perceptive attitude, all wrapped into a Lower East Side boutique? No wonder she's a DL regular.

Post by Amanda LaMela

It was a laissez-faire affair last evening at Lu Magnus gallery. Arriving at the Lower East Side space for New Fashion: Works by 6 Emerging Designers, we were instantly reminded of another favorite designer's presentation, Ann Yee Collection back in S/S 2011 at ION Studios.

If you'll recall, at Yee's showing, models engaged attendees, chatting, mingling, and lounging lackadaisically in oversized shades. The mood at Lu Magnus was just as bright and easy, with models clustered cheerfully together sporting the designs of emerging talents like Guy French, Steve Zerbe, and of course our personal favorite R+R - the clever and subtle collaboration between designers Rebecca Formichella and Rita Watson.

Among those showing that evening, R+R was definitely a stand-out - their soft, feminine forms were lent a hard edge by way of clever texture play and asymmetry. Inspired by tales of childhood and nature, each look possessed at once both an innocence and a darkness - a youthful playfulness pitted against a deep, impenetrable wood.

The skilled young duo, recently graduated from SCAD, petitioned to work together on their final senior project, rather than pursue independent final collections. Their dedication to collaboration speaks to their maturity as designers and to their continued success. It's reassuring to see talent that have such a defined point of view, and a refined aesthetic, so early on in their careers.

Post by Nicolas Sera-Leyva

Contunued support for emerging design talent is a year-round affair for us - as we've said in the past, "If you’re awesome at what you do and nice to your friends, they will oftentimes turn into your best publicists."

So tonight District L will be in delighted attendance at the Lower East Side's Lu Magnus Gallery for New Fashion: Works by 6 Emerging Designers. Among the roster are labels Afterlife, Guy French, Rrose Sélavy, The Sway, and Stephen Zerbe, but most importantly for us is R+R, the line by personal favorite and friend Rebecca Formichella and partner Rita Watson.

We first covered uber-talented SCAD grad Rebecca back in December, taking a close look at her then most recent line.. We were impressed by their clever balance of romance and audacity, lending a stark austerity to otherwise soft and feminine shapes.

So if you're all bereft that NYFW is over, fear not - there's still plenty of fashionizing to be done and tonight at Lu Magnus (55 Hester between Ludlow and Essex) is the place to do it.

Post by Nicolas Sera-Leyva

After owning her own boutique in the Lower East Side for over two years and filling up my closet for the past six months, Lois Eastlund has secured a runway spot with Antavenues for New York Fashion Week. On Monday, February 14, Lois will be presenting her Fall 2011 collection at Studio 580, located on 580 8^th Avenue. The event commences with an hour-long cocktail reception and art presentation at 7:00pm, and leads into a collaborative runway showcase at 8:00pm.

Normally, there are only two prerequisites to obtaining a District L RSVP: Cocktails and photographers. So if you’re showcasing a DL friend and favorite, you can guarantee that we’ll clear our evening – and possibly the next morning too.

Post Amanda LaMela

District L is known for our rooftop shenanigans.

Last Monday, Lois Eastlund and I spent our day off taking photos on Wall Street rooftops. With eight red dresses, eight pairs of tall heels, and a few rousing hours, we completed a fabulous February fashion story.

Lois has been leaking out new sneak-peek photos each day. Preview some of her looks below!

Post by Amanda LaMela

Images and Wardrobe by Lois Eastlund

Three-day weekends are like invitation-only sample sales or open-bar fashion week parties – and District L hates abrupt, unwelcome endings. We celebrated the weekend’s start with a few rooftop cocktails at the Park Avenue Gansevoort. Despite the strong G&Ts and modern décor, the DL team kept Friday’s gathering short in order to make the most of our Saturday morning trip to Philadelphia. As we headed southbound on Saturday with Starbucks in tow, we enjoyed an AM impulse purchase from Plastique.

After arriving in Philadelphia, we held a fashion-fueled meeting with Lisa from Local Boutique. Although we were in the land of the Liberty Bell, we certainly maintained our New York state of mind.

We returned to New York later that evening and celebrated the day’s accomplishments at White Noise. Classic glamrock vibes kept us going until the wee hours of the morning. But Lou Reed quickly turned to Reade Street, with just a short nap separating our night-time follies from our brunch-time activities. We took to the streets of TriBeCa for some Sunday indulgence and stopped by Marc Forgione for bottomless mimosas and contemporary dishes. ­­After a few hours of excessive consumption, we sauntered around the neighborhood, visiting buzz-worthy shops like Working Class Emporium.

When the cold became too unbearable, we stumbled into the Tribeca Grand Hotel for a warming cappuccino. Finally, with the help of Nurse Bettie and her Rosemary Gin & Tonics, we returned to the Lower East Side for our Sunday nightcap.

We woke up to a work-free Monday and sartorial plans with Lois Eastlund. Wall Street was on a “red alert,” as we staged a rooftop photo shoot with a February theme.

After Lois left, our Monday melancholy returned with a vengeance. Fortunately, we will be curing these blues tomorrow at Irina Shabayeva’s preview event. From 5:30-7:30pm, District L will be swilling cocktails and chatting with the designer at Trump Soho.

Post by Amanda LaMela