In Studio With… Gregory Parkinson
Photo Credit: Mor Weizman
Photo Credit: Mor Weizman
Photo Credit: Mor Weizman
Photo Credit: Mor Weizman
Photo Credit: Mor Weizman
Photo Credit: Mor Weizman
Photo Credit: Mor Weizman
Photo Credit: Mor Weizman
Photo Credit: Mor Weizman
Photo Credit: Mor Weizman
Photo Credit: Mor Weizman
Photo Credit: Mor Weizman
Photo courtesy of Gregory Parkinson
Photo courtesy of Gregory Parkinson
Photo courtesy of Gregory Parkinson
Photo courtesy of Gregory Parkinson
Photo courtesy of Gregory Parkinson
Photo courtesy of Gregory Parkinson
Photo courtesy of Gregory Parkinson
Photo courtesy of Gregory Parkinson
Photo courtesy of Gregory Parkinson
Photo courtesy of Gregory Parkinson
Bolts of vibrant lace from Lyon were waiting to be shaped into ethereal skirts and tops inside Gregory Parkinson’s sunlit downtown Los Angeles studio as he readied his spring 2014 collection for his fashion week show in New York on Friday, September 6. But something more subtle also demanded attention. The air had the lightest fragrance—an essence so delicate that it could have been part of the space itself. Turns out the fashion designer scents his pink-walled atelier with multiple glass pillar candles that give off just the faintest musky woodland scent. Rather than the typical Diptyque Baies or Le Labo Santal 26 candles often favored by the style set, Parkinson burns non-descript, label-free versions made especially for him by jewelry designer Liseanne Frankfurt, Parkinson’s good friend for the past 19 years.
Parkinson has shown his collections in New York since 2010, and has worked with Venice-based stylist Lawren Howell for the past few seasons. He met her through mutual friend Irene Neuwirth, an L.A.-based jewelry designer, and created bridesmaid dresses for Howell’s wedding. And Parkinson, who has lived in L.A. for the past 24 years, notes that fashion and finance employ a huge portion of the city’s population. “It’s affordable and there are so many artisans here,” he notes. “Everyone is envious of the California lifestyle,” he says.
Parkinson paired his spring skirts in simple fitted shapes with multicolored Louboutin flats for his presentation, but once he returns to his studio to begin work on next season’s collection, he’ll recommence burning the nondescript candles. The beeswax pillars in sanctuary glass are available for $42 each at Frankfurt’s LFrank Abbot Kinney boutique in seven scents including Parkinson’s favorites, Patchouli and Lavender. Naturally, Frankfurt herself favors her equally subtle Frankincense candles. And the pure beeswax is perfect for long days and evenings spent in the office—the subtle scents diffuse seamlessly as the candles burn.
By Melissa Magsaysay
Pictured: Gregory Parkinson
Photo by Mor Weizman
