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Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Femme Noir by Phong Hong Debut at Downtown Los Angeles Fashion Week Fashion Angel Awards Emerging Designers Runway Show

Everyone in the family has always known my cousin Phong was talented. But last week, when Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced that he was one of three "emerging designers" who received the inaugural Fashion Angel Award from the City of Los Angeles and the Department of Cultural Affairs, it was even more wonderful that my cousin had this opportunity to show off his skills.

His new Femme Noir Collection debuted at the Downtown Los Angeles Fashion Week Fashion Angel Award Emerging Designers Runway Show at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA.

Phew! What a mouthful. Can I get a "whoohoo!"?

So excited! The show didn't begin until designer Randolph Duke, who was on the committee who picked the winners, showed up.


Femme Noir by Phong Hong Debut at Downtown Los Angeles Fashion Week Fashion Angel Awards Emerging Designers Runway Show 1




I've always wanted to see my name in highlights.


Femme Noir by Phong Hong Debut at Downtown Los Angeles Fashion Week Fashion Angel Awards Emerging Designers Runway Show 2


You'll have to excuse my crappy photography. I was in the second row and faced the runway from a side angle. Plus, why do runway models have to move? That's why I photograph food. Food doesn't move. Er, well, it shouldn't anyway.

And I love that people always try to look all contemplative when watching fashion shows.

The first look is "Lily of the Valley": Folded edgy bodice with textured ruffle top skirt. Built-in vintage gold belt detail. Vintage ivory top and pearl colored skirt. Silk.


Femme Noir by Phong Hong Debut at Downtown Los Angeles Fashion Week Fashion Angel Awards Emerging Designers Runway Show 3


Those shoulder blades. I guess models don't read food blogs...


Femme Noir by Phong Hong Debut at Downtown Los Angeles Fashion Week Fashion Angel Awards Emerging Designers Runway Show 4


"Forget-me-not": Sheer yoke with puff sleeves on fitted silhouette with hand-crafted raw-edged silk made to look like feathers. Black belt. Vintage nude color. Silk.


Femme Noir by Phong Hong Debut at Downtown Los Angeles Fashion Week Fashion Angel Awards Emerging Designers Runway Show 5


Oops! Missed one. The girl walking away is "Sweet Magnolia": Unique ruffle top on fitted dress with raw-edged columns. Vintage nude color. Silk.

The dress walking forward is "Fallen Leaves": Strap dress with pleated bodice and a skirt made with raw-edged chiffon leaves. Pale pink color.


Femme Noir by Phong Hong Debut at Downtown Los Angeles Fashion Week Fashion Angel Awards Emerging Designers Runway Show 6


"Bouquet of roses": Sweetheart-draped bodice with black satin belt and a skirt filled with hand-twisted raw-edged roses. Pale pink color.

Darn it! This is one of my favorites and my photo sucks.


Femme Noir by Phong Hong Debut at Downtown Los Angeles Fashion Week Fashion Angel Awards Emerging Designers Runway Show 7


Here, just look at the flier and see what the dress really looks like when it's not moving too fast for me to shoot.


Femme Noir Flyer


Gah! I shouldn't've tried to film with my left hand while shooting with my right. I'm missing everything!

"Belladonna": Black and gold sweetheart brocade dress with sheer yoke. Poufy pleated skirt. Silk.


Femme Noir by Phong Hong Debut at Downtown Los Angeles Fashion Week Fashion Angel Awards Emerging Designers Runway Show 8


"Black orchid": Strap dress with a bodice of hand-crafted raw-edged silk made to simulate feathers. Black pleated skirt with violet feather print. Silk.


Femme Noir by Phong Hong Debut at Downtown Los Angeles Fashion Week Fashion Angel Awards Emerging Designers Runway Show 9


"Primrose": Hand-braided asymmetrical goddess dress with a continuous braid that wraps to the center back. Violet color. Silk.


Femme Noir by Phong Hong Debut at Downtown Los Angeles Fashion Week Fashion Angel Awards Emerging Designers Runway Show 10


"Violet Ivy": Asymmetrical sheer lace chiffon mini dress with a balloon sleeve. Violet color. Silk.


Femme Noir by Phong Hong Debut at Downtown Los Angeles Fashion Week Fashion Angel Awards Emerging Designers Runway Show 11


Finally! I got a decent shot that showed some detail. Look at those gorgeous roses. "Heirloom rose": Chiffon pleated bodice and skirt filled with hand-twisted raw-edged roses. Dark violet color.


Femme Noir by Phong Hong Debut at Downtown Los Angeles Fashion Week Fashion Angel Awards Emerging Designers Runway Show 12



Femme Noir by Phong Hong Debut at Downtown Los Angeles Fashion Week Fashion Angel Awards Emerging Designers Runway Show 13


You can see the quick run-through at the end of the show in my YouTube video.




Now, for some reason with the run-through at the end, I started taking slightly better shots. Or, er, well, at least shots that showed some detail.

"Forget-me-not" again.


Femme Noir by Phong Hong Debut at Downtown Los Angeles Fashion Week Fashion Angel Awards Emerging Designers Runway Show 15


"Belladonna."


Femme Noir by Phong Hong Debut at Downtown Los Angeles Fashion Week Fashion Angel Awards Emerging Designers Runway Show 16


"Black orchid."


Femme Noir by Phong Hong Debut at Downtown Los Angeles Fashion Week Fashion Angel Awards Emerging Designers Runway Show 17


"Primrose."


Femme Noir by Phong Hong Debut at Downtown Los Angeles Fashion Week Fashion Angel Awards Emerging Designers Runway Show 18


"Violet ivy."


Femme Noir by Phong Hong Debut at Downtown Los Angeles Fashion Week Fashion Angel Awards Emerging Designers Runway Show 19


"Heirloom rose."


Femme Noir by Phong Hong Debut at Downtown Los Angeles Fashion Week Fashion Angel Awards Emerging Designers Runway Show 20


There goes those shoulder blades again. I guess I'll never be a model. Well, mostly because I'm vertically challenged, but I just love food too much.


Femme Noir by Phong Hong Debut at Downtown Los Angeles Fashion Week Fashion Angel Awards Emerging Designers Runway Show 21


Yay! Congrats Phong!


Femme Noir by Phong Hong Debut at Downtown Los Angeles Fashion Week Fashion Angel Awards Emerging Designers Runway Show 22


When they get up and running, you can find information about the Femme Noir Collection on the website. Meanwhile, you can also check out his MidnightMare line.


Femme Noir Logo


Didn't everything look so dreamy and romantic? I've seen all the dresses up-close and they're so detailed and exquisite. But it's not just me! I'm not biased just because he's my cousin.

I ran into Quoc of YeahManh, whose friend S of Paisley Petunia, was how I found his blog in the first place. Anyway, during the show and before meeting me and finding out he's my cousin, she tweeted, "Femme Noir by Phong Hong is to die for! Would wear every short, romantic, rosebud dress he sent down the runway."

Whoohoo!

Check out YeahManh's way better pictures of the fashion show.

Anyway, while we were waiting in the reception area before the show, I noticed new aluminum Coke bottles. OK, I had a big purse and managed to sneak out a few bottles because I thought they were so cool.


Femme Noir by Phong Hong Debut at Downtown Los Angeles Fashion Week Fashion Angel Awards Emerging Designers Runway Show 23


Then in the weird world of coincidences, right afterward, I got contacted by Liz, who does their PR, asking if I'd like to give away some aluminum Coke bottles to my readers.


Coke Aluminum Bottles Giveaway


So quick giveaway! Leave a comment and TWO readers will receive one of each limited edition bottle of Coke, Diet Coke, and Coke Zero. Not only are they retro cool, the bottles also stay colder, longer. Sorry, only open to US residents. Please say "Coke" somewhere in your comment if you are eligible and you'd like to win. Otherwise, I'll just assume you're commenting on my way awesome cousin. :)

I'll take entries up to 11:59 p.m., Sunday, October 18. Please check back to this post to find out if you've won.

If you're not a blogger, please leave an email address or some way for me to contact you.

Sarah, commenter #25, please email me your address by Sunday regarding the McCormick & Schmick's giveaway. If you don't contact me by then, I'll draw for another winner.

Updated October 19, 2009:

Thanks to Random.org, I've picked the two winners to receive aluminum bottles of Coke, Diet Coke, and Coke Zero.

They are...

#13 Nathalie!

A small note about the drawing:
(#16 was disqualified since it was the second comment by the reader (I was only going to take her first comment's position if she was randomly picked.) and the next person on the list didn't mention Coke, so I assumed they didn't want the prize. So I drew again, and since #16 popped up again, it was easy to exclude that again.)

So I drew again and the second winner is #14 Jan Frederick!


Please email your mailing address to me at wanderingchopsticks (at) gmail (dot) com so I can pass it along to Liz so she can send you your prize.

And because I did not hear back from Sarah regarding the McCormick & Schmick's giveaway, I drew again. Did you comment on the original post? Check and see if you won!

*****
1 year ago today, How to Make Bechamel Sauce.
2 years ago today, Fessenjan (Persian Walnut-Pomegranate Glaze) with Roast Duck.

21 comments:

  1. ooh cool COKE bottles!!!!

    pick me, pick me!

    your cousin is so talented and he makes gorgeous dress designs too!!!

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  2. Oooh they're gorgeous. If he hasn't found buyers and those dresses are affordable let me know hehe :P
    I do like the Heirloom Rose dress though not sure if I can pull that off :<

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  3. by god I want one of those coke bottles

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  4. LOVE the dress with the braided detail. :)

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  5. NO WAY!!!! FREE COKE BOTTLES, WELL NOW IAM RSVP'ING for one! Besides that, THE FEMME NOIR COLLECTION IS SO SEXY, I especially like the Violet Ivy.My second favorite is the Primrose, mmm...

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  6. I would love to enter in this coke contest. The bottles are way too cute! Are they reusable?

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  7. Haha! I already got a Coke bottle! Yay, cousin benefits! Hm, I recommend you drink it before displaying it where ever because cola is acidic; I've seen a can of Jolt cola that had eaten through the can which was encased in plastic. It was seven to ten years old however =P

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  8. Your cousin really IS talented. I've been reading your blog for a couple months now (and I read several other food blogs, cook and eat a lot myself as well) - and FYI, I'm thinner than any of those models. But short, crooked, and old, so definitely not model material. :D

    But you can be bony and LOVE food. I really want that Primrose dress! I love his use of texture and general material choices. A+++

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  9. Oh oh! And I would love to try some Coke Zero. :)

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  10. i love the primrose one the most out of his entire collection. too bad i would never fit into anything like it.

    not a big fan of coke but loving those bottles.

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  11. Wow, all those dresses are amazing! I have never seen roses that are actually 3D on a dress before.

    I remember seeing those Coke bottles before on my trip to Vegas last year. So expensive at the Coco-Cola store! But they looked extremely nice :).

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  12. Woohoo! I'm so excited for him! You are proud of him like I'm proud of BroMo. :D

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  13. What I like is the fact that ur cuz's dresses are "wearable" ie. I could see myself wearing them as opposed to those "couture" dresses that only look good on models on the runway and would make you look like an alien should you even attempt to wear them.
    Oh, and btw, those Coke bottles look pretty neat =D

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  14. It was so nice to meet you at the show! I cannot get your cousin's designs out of my head...hands down the best show of LAFW for me.
    Looking forward to owning a Femme Noir piece someday...

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  15. Oh shoot I never gave u my email address, its jinniekins@yahoo.com. Thanks love!

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  16. the dresses absolutely gorgeous! i'm about to embark on a mad google hunt - thanks for the photos!

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  17. those are awesome! i love coke! i drink it all the time!

    kristin
    kbranche21@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  18. Those coke bottles are awesome, even if I am a bit late.

    Have I told you how much I love your pie crust? It's my go-to for every pie. Tonight it will be the bottom crust for a strusel-covered spicy apple pie with vanilla ice cream and homemade caramel sauce and a tray of cinnamon twists from the other half of the crust dough. Yum!

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  19. All right, now I REALLY will have a Coke and a smile! Thanks! :)

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  20. Thanks everyone for such nice compliments! Winners have been picked and entries for this giveaway are now closed.

    ReplyDelete

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