On His First Trip to Los Angeles, Jeremy Laing Learned A Few Things

“I was expecting to love it,” said Jeremy Laing, “and I did.” Take a first-time trip to Los Angeles for a successful trunk show, throw in a little Coachella and some sightseeing, and what’s not to like? The young, Toronto-based designer was in Southern California last week to meet his L.A. fans at Zainab, the Melrose Avenue jewel-box boutique that is the exclusive source for his clothes in the city (alongside labels like Azzedine Alaïa, Proenza Schouler, and Ohne Titel). Laing sold pieces from spring/summer and took orders from fall/winter. “It’s always nice to meet clients,” he said. “In L.A., they’re similar to those in other cities. My customer is usually interested in the arts, maybe she works in a gallery—or doesn’t work,” he said, laughing.

Gallerists and curators did turn up at the trunk show, along with mother-daughter duos. What they bought: easy dresses for spring, the shorter moss-print frocks from fall. “Pieces from the current season that they’ll wear tomorrow—and forever,” Laing said. “And from fall, more structured and embellished, more special pieces.” And, almost surprisingly, some of Laing’s superchic fall eco furs. “The L.A. ladies don’t own coats, but they do travel a lot. They need something to wear when it’s chilly in Paris,” he said. Looks like Laing, after just one visit to Los Angeles, really gets how its women shop. No doubt, a glimpse into the L.A. lifestyle gave him a leg up; when Laing wasn’t helping his clients choose looks from his collection at Zainab, he was checking out some of the places they might wear them.