The fusion of fashion, art and commerce continues to be a winning formula. Made Los Angeles has seized on that.
The two-day event went for a second go in Los Angeles this past June with a decidedly strong focus on the intersection of hip-hop streetwear collaborations with collections flanked by performances from Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa, Yung Jake and A$AP Ferg in conjunction with labels Rochambeau, 424, Joyrich and Pleasures.
The result was a sold out show two years in a row and a spokesperson for IMG, the event’s parent, confirmed Made LA will be back in 2018.
“We wanted to do something different….Technology, music, clothes and putting it all together in one, cohesive project is pretty dope,” Pleasures’ Alex Taylor said during a panel at Made LA this year. “I think people are taking notice of that.”
Made started off in New York as a way to offer free runway space and was acquired in 2015 by WME-IMG with a bid to expand the event’s reach beyond the fashion show.
The rise of L.A. food and fashion with an existing base of music seemed like the right formula for the Los Angeles iteration, according to IMG senior vice president and managing director Catherine Bennett. There’s also a continued democratization of fashion and art where it’s easier, and in some cases expected, for artists to reach fans directly.
“A lot of artists are becoming more accessible because they’re seeing the benefits of it — of being able to be reached and to be touched by the people who make the s–t that they wear as opposed to being a billboard for it,” Khalifa said at this year’s Made LA. “Really, getting down with the people because that’s how you start out.”