THE SURGE OF CALIFORNIAN BRANDS

As much as Hollywood, long-tressed surfers and striking sunsets are to California what the Colosseum is to Rome or the Big Ben to London, this warm and exotic part of the U.S also conjures images of a relaxed and cool lifestyle echoed by a precise fashion style. Laid back? Sure. Cool? You bet. Sexy? Totally. A sort of crumpled who-cares West Coast street attitude that is obviously studied down to the last detail and that a crop of Californian brands has exported across the world with huge success. Take Enfants Riches Déprimés, for example, which certainly evokes a dose of rebellion and provocation. Founded by Henri Alexander, it offers a punk-cum-underground vibe found in one-of-a-kind pieces that are a top choice among the likes of Jared Leto, Miley Cyrus, Ellen Goulding, Rita Ora and Frances Bean Cobain. Alexander, who grew up between Europe and the West Coast, has indeed forged a unique aesthetic. Ditto for Sandrine Rose, a line of casual, embellished and made-in-Los-Angeles denim and T-shirts by French designer Sandrine Abessera. Part vintage, part L.A lifestyle, it features a muted dusty palette with geometric patterns decorating skinny jeans. A key image maker of Kanye West and Lady Gaga, Matthew Williams' Californian upbringing pulsates through Alyx, the young streetwear brand named after his daughter. Grounded in a refined aesthetic of skate-meets-streetwear culture, the wide-range collections made with plush Italian fabrics, channel a variety of global urban subcultures expressed via much black and white, hoods, tulle, shrunken silhouettes and sequins, mixed-and-matched easily. RtA or Road to Awe is designed by three LA fashion insiders and sells like crazy thanks to a crystal-clear vision. This girl is chic, confident and elegant yet sexy and effortless. So what does she wear? Amazing denim and leather, of course.