By Crystal Harrell
The West Coast’s largest fashion week, Fashion Week El Paseo presented by California Bank & Trust, returns through March 19 at The Gardens on El Paseo.
This world-class event provides an inspiring, immersive fashion experience and features cocktail receptions, pop-up shops, celebrity meet-and-greets, and much more. Highlighting fashion trends and showcasing a who’s-who of the country’s top design talents (including some stars of tomorrow), Fashion Week El Paseo takes one of the world’s most relatable art forms and brings it to you in style.
Attendees can enjoy the sophistication and luxury of the desert while indulging their inner fashionista at this premier, state-of-the-art experience that celebrates the newest collections of the industry’s most prominent influencers and innovators.
On March 15, Ace Harper brought the power of movement and a dreamlike ethereality to her designs in a collection called “Talking Flowers,” embodying her philosophy that “in life, as in dance, momentum is everything.” Known for merging her background in dance and music with her avant-garde fashion vision, Harper’s second collection channels a sense of fluidity with airy fabrics and liquid silhouettes. This latest collection debuted via showroom appointments at New York and Paris fashion weeks and showcases her signature punk nouveau aesthetic in painterly prints and flowing textures.
With a mood board filled with icons like Debbie Harry, Bianca Jagger, Grace Jones, and punk influences like the Clash, Harper’s designs blend rock-star energy with bold femininity. Supported by prominent fashion figures like Michelle Stein (the former president of Aeffe) and designer John Varvatos, Harper is quickly making a name for herself within the industry. A full-time resident of Palm Springs, Harper keeps a design studio in the Los Angeles Arts District, where her brand sits at the cross-section of movement, art, and style, capturing the spirit of modern femininity with a rebellious twist.
Ace Harper’s journey of self-discovery began with her study of ballet. As her career as a professional dancer progressed, she worked with artists including Lenny Kravitz, Jennifer Lopez, Duran Duran, and the legendary director David LaChapelle. During this time, she collected ideas, wrote songs, and quietly assembled a vision that aligned with her own soundtrack.
She later directed stage shows featuring a blend of music, performance art, fashion, and visuals, reflecting the kaleidoscope of influences she had absorbed over time. Today, Harper is married to Rock & Roll Hall of Fame drummer Matt Sorum from Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver. As she channels her creativity through fashion, their daughter, Lou Ellington, continues to be Harper’s ultimate muse.
“I am vehement about emboldening all women,” the designer says. “I believe in telling real women’s stories. I plan on using fashion as a means to have women cultivate a deeper connection with themselves and the world around them.”
To learn more about the other shows featured in this year’s edition of El Paseo Fashion Week or to purchase tickets, visit www.fashionweekelpaseo.com.
PHOTOS BY KURT SHAWACKER
