LA Fashion Week is in full swing and my friend Raquel Allegra is showing her Spring ‘09 Collection this Sunday, Oct. 19 at Box Eight. From the invitation alone, her new pieces look gorgeous. She has been transforming LA county jail rags into riches for a while now; turning them into beautiful, lacy and super soft tanks, t-shirts, tunics, dresses and scarves. I’ve always loved the concept of recycling, taking something on its last thread and giving it another life of wear and tear, and Raquel’s execution is superb. The proof is in the pudding: I own one and adore it! And… of course, want more.

Watch a video of Raquel’s design process after the jump, minus the shredding secret, sadly…

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Utterly disappointed by yet another sad state of affairs at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion week, I’ve been uninspired to post. The usual display of bad taste left me speechless. The Pussy Cat Dolls? Come on. No wonder it’s the joke of the industry. Again. I am embarrassed for the design-challenged LA. It feels like a reflection on me since I live here. The best part is that there IS good design out here, the worst part is that it’s not buddies with Barrymore or cousins with Coppola. And all the good ones (ahem, Jeremy Scott, Rick Owens…) leave just as magically as they appeared and head off to Europe where fashion is not a rehearsal but a lifestyle. What’s it gonna take to shake up some real (and unfortunately dormant) talent in this town? Cos I know it’s there. Wake up LA, wake up! Show em yo grills. And help me shed my cerulean blues.

LA Fashion week kicks off tonight with a GenArt group show featuring JMary, Jesse Kamm and Le Sang Des Betes. I am most exited about the new JMary collection. Her jackets and dresses have great cuts and quality fabrics that make everyone look sophisticated and untouchable. The dress above is Marlena - black silk chiffon over nude silk georgette with pockets - one of my favorite pieces from her Spring 2008 collection.

In the spirit of LA Fashion Week (that starts this Friday) and eco-friendly design, I present to you Gary Harvey. He is a London-based eco-couture designer who unveiled his first collection at the 07 London Fashion Week. The concept behind the 9 dresses presented at the show is to promote fashion design with a conscience and reinvent the perception of recycled clothing. Gary finds second-hand garments in thrift stores and infuses them with a new life and a statement. I impatiently await his next collection.

Newspaper Dress, made from 30 copies of the ‘Financial Times’.

Denim Dress, made from 42 pairs of Levi’s 501 jeans.

Laundry Bag Dress, made from 21 laundry bags