Elmer Ave showcased it’s unique Wild West gambler-meets Adam Ant styles in a “saloon” type runway show Saturday night in Silverlake—the hipster area of Los Angeles known for it’s underground fashionistas, musicians, and artists. Starting with a gunman in Wild West garb, strolling down the runway ala Clint Eastwood movie shoot-outs, the model turned at the end of the runway, ran back and jumped through the saloon window backdrop. That kicked off the show which featured some of the more interesting new trends in American men’s underground version of premium streetwear, including upscale skate-western gambler styles mixed with today’s rocker-pirate.
Elmer Ave has an interesting background in that it started from the roots of spray-paint graphics from a skateboard company called Afroman Skateboards, mixed with a rock and roll style of the band Numchuck. The story goes that pro skateboard Collin Pulsipher started creating deconstructed suit jackets and vest for his band Numchuck with bandmates Johnny Day and Sean Murphy. Joined by Ward Robinson, the collective started working in what became known as The Compound, creating a brand called Elmer Ave inspired from the ghetto North Hollywood scene off of Elmer Ave.
The deconstructed, painted suit jackets in this show featured Wild West themes, stars, striped jackets, gangster accessories in the form of Wild West gambler themes, and a take on the freak houses, burlesque dens, and parlors of the old west. The reconstructed aspects that makes the line so modern however, is the mix of inspiration from ruffled collars and sleeves, military-inspired jackets with metal buttons (worn by guys with dark eye make-up and Mohawks), and attention to color and details--right down to the gun holster belts, painted on handlebar mustaches, long twin-tipped leather boots, and cowboy-inspired footwear. (The Japanese are going to have a field day with this brand’s style, if they haven’t already.)
Sponsored by Pool Tradeshow, Flaunt Magazine, GenArt, the cool new beverages the Italian beer Peroni, Hint water, and up-and-coming vodka brand from Romania, Marani Vodka, the overall scene had the makings of a creatively crafted set design, perfect for the North Hollywood/Silverlake underground fashion elite to assemble. Typical of the scene are the high-volume of men in dark eye make-up and nail polish, long hair or Mohawks, and a pleasant mix of ‘80’s retro mixed with cowboy upscale, men’s premium apparel, but with a rock and roll skate aesthetic.
Check out the scene from the images captured from Hollywood below, or even better, live footage with Label Networks TV (LNTV) and our host, AJ Jackson:
