This month Fresh Laundry traveled to the west side of Hollywood to meet with Octavio Carlin (OC), the Mexican born designer turned Angeleno who is injecting exclusive ready-to-wear into the south land’s fashion scene. With a conveniently located boutique on the corner of Beverly Blvd., and N. Kings Road, we found ourselves at one of the newest places to shop in

town. Just minutes away from the Grove, Octavio is making a brilliant impression on cus-tomers who are lusting for some exclusive evening-wear and expert-tailored separates. The designer’s ideal customer is a woman who knows how to dress, and can identify quality in the garments she wears. The retail space is immaculate and intimate, making for a unprecedented experience.

DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT:THE NEW DESIGNER ON THE BLOCKCindy Ezeuka + 11 .09 .12

DESIGNER SPOTLIGHT: OCTAVIO CARLIN309 N. Kings Road, Los Angeles CA, 90048

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FreshLAUNDRY | www.freshlaundry.co | @_freshlaundry

It was very re-freshing enter-ing the OC space -- Fresh Laundry explored the racks

of clothes decorating the boutique just before the designer Octavio walked in --A deep fuschia, jersey-silk blend dress caught my eye as I whis-pered to Octavio’s part-ner Romey Carlin, “I am coming back to get this!” This season collection in-corporates vibrant color and quality fabrics such as silk, suede, cashmere, and fine jersey to help get the looks just right.

N ext to a window display just opposite the entrance, sits a strategically placed plasma TV showing one of Octavio’s previous collection at the Vibiana during LA Fashion Week. The garments “wear” incredibly well, as the models come down the runway. The mod-

els move confidently in Octavio’s garments, as an indication that the designer understands the female form, plus the lines and shapes that flatter them. Octavio is an expert when it comes to fine tailoring and has been known to implement subtle accents -- like the side-line and back-line slits to his dresses -- that other designer’s might neglect to consider in their collections. We sat down with the designer and asked him about some of his newest inspirations and what’s the next step for Ocatvio Carlin?

Fresh Laundry: What are some of the inspirations for your ready-to-wear collection? Octavio Carlin: I am really inspired by “Glam Hollywood” much of that era gives me inspiration. I also love the 20’s and 30’s, art deco, and mod-ern architecture.FL: When did you start designing? OC: I went to FIDIM for interior design, but was recruited to work on wardrobe for a Disney project. I had such a great experience, that I started doing small projects ocas-sionally and before long, I switched my concentration to Fashion design. FL: What type of garments do you enjoy making? OC: Garments that are ready to go! Ones that are simple and easy to transition into, but are still very exclusive. I may get inspiration from a certain fabric, pattern, or current

event and I’ll design something that resonates with me. I always design from the heart and I love making items that women can be proud in. FL: Any future plans for Octavio Car-lin collection that we should know about? OC: We are preparing to open an online retail store, and are talk-ing about a possible runway show during New York Fashion Week. We have gained so much support from our Los Angeles base, we are now excited to tackle the New York market. FL: Who would you love to design for, that you haven’t worked with already? OC: My ideal client would be Nicole Kidman. There are a few designs I create with her silhouette in mind, and seeing that award season is coming up, she may be able to wear

one of them. I also fancy Jennifer Aniston -- she is a classic American beauty. FL: Are you planning to expand to any other areas of design? OC: Yes, we have a bridal line com-ing very soon. I really enjoy working one-on-one with brides and design-ing for their whole bridal party, it is such a rewarding experience. I get to help create memories that will last a lifetime.

For more on the designer Octavio Carlin visit:

www. octaviocarlin.com Follow on Twitter

@octavionews Like on Facebook:

facebook.com/octaviocarlindesigns Follow on Instagram:

@octaviocarlin

FreshLAUNDRY | www.freshlaundry.co | @_freshlaundry

FreshLAUNDRY | www.freshlaundry.co | @_freshlaundry