Concept L.A Fashion Week features art installation by DWTS Melanie Mills

By April MacIntyre Mar 14, 2011, 5:02 GMT

Mills\' vision was to create a retro Hollywood boudoir with Asian influences; her models wearing stunning suits by Paige, and their exquisite Geisha hairstyles created by Aubrey Loots\' Studio DNA. Loots and company also created the fantastic hair styles for the models during the entire night\'s events. Photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C

On Saturday, March 12, Concept LA Fashion week featured art, fashion and culture in an integrated presentation at the Ace Gallery in Mid-Wilshire.

Monsters and Critics experienced the show in the Gallery's second floor space which hosted several local designers amidst the culturally relevant and politically charged work of artist duo, Armando Lerma and Carlos Ramirez, aka The Date Farmers.

Photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C

Designer duo Science & Numbers http://www.scienceandnumbers.com/ displayed their minimalistic and highly wearable 2011 collection in a properly lit staged runway. Their chic clothes were streamlined sexy silhouettes presented in cool graphite to black neutrals, and the makeup and hair perfectly reflected the designers' ethos.

In the main hallways were several art installation rooms.  Of note was Emmy Award- winning makeup artist, Melanie Mills of "Dancing with the Stars" fame, who is one of the event's makeup sponsors, for her own brand and her new body makeup product, GLEAM Body Radiance (www.gleambymelaniemills.com).

Photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C

Hailing from a family of artists and stage craftspeople, Mills' first exhibit featured models styled in retro Geisha glamour, wearing one-of-a-kind bathing suit designs by Ashley Paige, with their tattoo body art hand-glitterized by Melanie and her crew.

Melanie Mills (R) Photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C

Mills' vision was to create a retro Hollywood boudoir with Asian influences; her models wearing stunning suits by Paige, and their exquisite Geisha hairstyles created by Aubrey Loots' Studio DNA.  Loots and company also created the fantastic hair styles for the models during the entire night's events.

Photo by April MacIntyre ©M&C

Art and fashion photographer David Alley was the photojournalist for the Mills' installation, and artist Summer Rose created the eye catching accessories and music for the event.

Mills wanted to take body art to new heights in this artistic visual presentation.  Old school Hollywood glamour is Mills’ wheelhouse; her award-winning makeups hearken the highly stylized eras from the 1920s through the 1950's. 

The inspiration for this installation came from Mills' experience with "Dancing with the Stars" contestant Margaret Cho, whose extensive body art adorns most of her arms and upper body.  Mills took hours tracing and filling in these tattoos with the matching glitter colors so that Cho's last appearance on the series was spectacular.  

This multi-dimensional fashion and art event reinforced the cutting edge reputation of L.A Fashion Week, which has always taken an inclusive and eclectic approach to fashion that separates it from other major U.S. cities.

Melanie's creative team for the event included Brittany Madrigal, Barbi Fonte, Patti Reese, Cool James Benson and Angela Moos.

A recreation of Mills' installation and an exhibit of David Alley's photographs will be at the new Petra Gallerie (1151 S. Robertson Blvd. Los Angeles) www.petragallerie.com on May 28, from 6-10 PM.