One of Scooter LaForge's designs.
PHOTO COURTESY SCOOTER LAFORGE
It’s not a coincidence that Scooter LaForge’s show at Fashion Week El Paseo shares its name with the iconic 1980 Blondie tune. The designer is close friends with frontwoman Debbie Harry, and she serves as his muse for the collection. “She is the coolest person I know,” LaForge says.
Harry’s trash bag cape in the “Atomic” music video functioned as a jumping-off point for a bold series of hand-painted garments fashioned from found materials, among them “toys, bottle caps, safety pins, [and] vintage dresses,” LaForge explains.
Audacious and intensely hued, the clothes echo Harry’s bold, punchy, rock n’ roll aesthetic while aligning with LaForge’s sustainable approach to design. The New Mexico–born artist revels in transforming cast-aside items, like thrift store army jackets, into unique and precious artifacts. “I love problem-solving,” he says. “Putting odd items together and making them work.”
Though this is LaForge’s first fashion show, he has a long history in the industry. He has collaborated with Sex and the City costume designer Patricia Field since the 1980s, when he first charmed her with painted T-shirts that he sold in nightclubs and on the street. He went on to dress legendary musicians including Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, and Madonna.
LaForge hopes that each one-of-a-kind piece in his collection inspires viewers to embark on their own creative journey — whether or not they follow in his footsteps as a professional designer. “Make your own clothes, even with absolutely no experience,” he says. “Handmade clothes have a magic to them.”
03.19
Scooter LaForge
7 p.m. Cocktail Reception
8 p.m. Fashion Show
03.20
Pop-Up Shop
11 a.m.–2 p.m.
A staple of the downtown New York art milieu, Scooter LaForge repurposes existing garments into one-off works of art.
PHOTO COURTESY SCOOTER LAFORGE; JORGE CLAR
Scooter LaForge working on designs.
PHOTO COURTESY JORGE CLAR
GIVE BACK
Through the Bobbi Lampros “Giving Back” program, this show offers an opportunity to support and learn more about AAP Food Samaritans, providing nutritional support to improve the quality of life for low-income people living with HIV/AIDS and other chronic illnesses.