Fresh Looks from El Paseo Rule the Runway at Fashion Week — Tuesday, March 19

Site Staff Fashion Week El Paseo, Watch & Listen - Fashion Week

If the proceedings so far at Fashion Week El Paseo™ say anything about the prevailing trend for spring, it’s that this will be a mighty colorful season. 

More than 15 El Paseo retailers who sent their best spring looks up the runway on Tuesday night drove home the point in front of a well-dressed audience exceeding 800 at the big white tent at Larkspur Lane and El Paseo in Palm Desert.

El Paseo Jewelers opened the show with 11models adorned in colorful saris and bedazzled in diamonds.

BG’s of El Paseo went with colorful prints in all silhouettes, and also gave nod to the color red with a beautiful lace dress that could easily go from lunch to dinner.

Eileen Fisher showed beautiful desert sunset-inspired combinations. Oh-so-easy, wearable looks included lace skirts in pale grays, white, silver, and greens. Soft swingy sweaters and jackets were the perfect tops for long- and mid-length comfortable skirts and dresses. And the pants ranged from the perfect white jean to an easy-breezy harem pant.

Bebe had an abundance of contemporary, but classic dresses, suits (with shorts, of course), and rompers in pure blues, whites, oranges, and tans, while Juicy Couture owned the runway with a bold navy-and-white stripe pantsuit that blended with soft pink and blue prints — a strong, not a wimpy, fashion statement.

BB•One showed beiges and curried tones, as well as fresh green prints — seemingly inspired by a beautiful rain forest.

In its own segment, Frasca Jewelers showed 11 beautiful collections by some of the world’s most sought-after design houses.

J. Stephens and Cactus Flower cleverly displayed stylish new looks in shoes, and Brooks Brother’s crisp-white, button-down-shirted models with bow ties donned extreme eyewear from The Optical Shop of Aspen.

The hippie look prevailed in the fringed denim and natural texture sweaters from Misty Roche, whose models walked the runway to music of The Doors.

This was in clear contrast to White House | Black Market, which punctuated its signature black and white looks with purple accessories and sweaters.

She She closed the show with an array of colorful contemporary fashions, including a fringe suede vest that set the crowd into a frenzy. But She She Kids stole the show when a very young James Bond walked the runway solo in a bespoke-looking gray suit with silver sunglasses. Only the young “Bond girl” in the sequined gold dress surpassed the boy’s high measure of cool attitude.

Fashion Week continues tonight with the highly anticipated “Drama and Designs of Project Runway,” featuring new collections from 12 top designers from the popular Lifetime television series — including local favorite Michael Costello and crowd favorite Mondo Guerra. A cocktail reception begins at 7 p.m., and the show begins at 8 p.m.

The Project Runway designers will also participate in a trunk show in the Fashion Week tent on Thursday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Tickets and information: www.fashionweekelpaseo.com