Most of the shows we hear about for Fashion Weeks around the world are the Armanis, the Christian Diors, and the Marc Jacobs of the world. In other words, they are big designers who are very well-known. While I certainly look forward to seeing the next new collections of these bigger-name designers, there's a different kind of excitement I feel about up and coming designers. These are not just new collections that will play within the same design philosophy of a known designer. These are brand new ideas.

This is what I was waiting for at GenArt's The New Garde: A Celebration of Innovative LA Fashion at Ivar Studios on Friday night.

We arrived there about halfway through the pre-reception. I have to give it to the GenAt folks -- check-in for fashion events is always a massive "hair-do," i.e. a lot of tangled and teased effort -- but check-in was easy and professional. I always feel weird about the entrance into these events where there's a "red carpet" and a mass of photographers waiting for some A-, B-, C-list celebrity to stop and pose for a picture, so we slipped around behind the backdrop to the front door. Let's just say I consider myself an F-list celebrity.

The GenArt event wasn't set up like a traditional runway show. To show three designers, Alms, Hazel Brown, and Mintee, they had set up "vignettes" in three separate areas. Alms was set up in the main front room, and while we picked up our first drink from the open bar (Level One vodka was the sponsor), I checked out the display. The Alms display was four large white screens set up like a box, with a narrow runway that wrapped around it. Words were being projected onto the front screen. They were provocative statements about "anti-fashion." Interesting, but not all that innovative an idea to make fun of fake breasts, etc.

We walked through all the spaces before the shows started, then sat down to do a little people-watching. The guests were smashing. Looks ranged from a glamourous to grunge, with every flavor of LA in between. I gawked at a 6'-tall ebony Amazon of a woman in a tiny little dress and snapped photos of a darling girl in a bright reddish orange babydoll with white tights. She made herself up to look like a doll with pale porcelain skin and rosy cheeks and all, but of course, she had mashed it up with a pair of boots over the tights. Gotta love that.

The shows started, and it was a little bit troublesome that all three were happening at the same time. They would have been better to have done them in succession, even if they were in separate areas, so that attendees wouldn't miss anything important. We started at Hazel Brown, which had been set up like Laura Ingalls' Little House on the Prairie. The clothes, mostly drab grays and neutrals, definitely had a pioneer feel with long skirts, layers, and jumpers.

Mintee's vignette was set up like a sort of salon/lounge, or perhaps a saucy boudouir. The black and white and mirrors were a good way to let the dresses stand out, of which a bright salmon pink-red was the prominent color. I have to admit, I paid less attention to the dresses and more attention to the naughty 5-6" platform stiletto heels with ribbons that laced up the ankles.

We checked out Alms briefly before heading out the front door. Observers stood around the white box watching the models slink along the narrow catwalk then all stop simultaenously under spotlights on each of the sides. Very dramatic. The presentation was interesting, but the clothes were nothing remarkable. The collection sort of reminded me of an edgier Banana Republic. And I saw way too many shorts for fall. Again.

Best of luck to these new designers.