Hood By Air's LA Show Was Metal-Meets-Vetements

Designer Shayne Oliver is here to shake shit up — and his vision for the future of fashion is not for the faint of heart. Tonight, the NY-based designer graced Made LA to present "Hallways," the latest collection for his wildly popular label, Hood By Air.

While HBA has a slew of major celebrity fans (Rihanna, Justin Bieber, A$AP Rocky, and Kanye West to name a few), this was nothing like Jeremy Scott's star-studded Moschino show, as Oliver swapped a fancy front row for a more gritty experience, possibly to inspire a conversation: are streetwear and metal slowly morphing into one another? While you let that question marinate, here's the play-by-play from today's show.

The Guests

@dennayafamous and @kevin.laroy

@_tothan and @psychiatriccward

Half the fun of a Hood By Air show is seeing what the guests will wear. Given that the brand has a notoriously progressive aesthetic, its fans are equally creative when it comes to personal style, showcasing looks that range from subtly eclectic to downright bold.

The Scene

Clearly, Angelenos read our hype piece on the show, because the tent was packed to stampede proportions, prompting security to make everyone slow their rolls and calmly file in.

The Set

Once everyone made it inside, we naturally circled around the huge makeshift sand dune in the center of the room, patiently waiting for the next move while listening to the night's musical guest Yves Tumor's intentionally harsh sounds.

The Looks

After Yves Tumor's solo moment, HBA models trickled — more like thrashed, come to think of it — into the room, headbanging and aggressively bumping into one another in honor of the collection's "Hallways" name. You can see a better look at the range here, but my (grainy) photos capture some of its major themes, including industrial clubwear via PVC flare pants, metal-inspired tops that Thrasher-loving Justin Bieber has probably already pre-ordered, and oversized sleeves — which feel a little Vetements spring 2016. (Vetements doesn't own the style, of course. This is just where fashion is headed.)

My favorite piece from the collection was the above "crew double hoodie," which the designer perfectly notes "can be worn on its own or with a friend." If there's anyone who can make a hoodie with two head holes a thing, it's most certainly trailblazing Shayne Oliver. Pre-order Hood By Air's entire "Hallways" collection right here, right now.

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