Local Designer Walter Mendez Paints The Town Black

the Walter Collection
Michelle Mousel for the Walter Collection

Oversized Penelope Bolero $300. Designer - Walter Mendez, Stylist - Nydia Garcia

Lurking quietly in the alleys of Hermosa Beach, our Dark Lady is vibrant yet subtle, sexy yet demure. Wreathed in black with bursts of red, she haunts the midnight crowd, searching for a choice way to satisfy her appetite. From her structured shoulders to her textured boots, she teaches us that, for fall 2010, fashion is anything but conventional.

“Darker colors tend to bring out the inner beauty of a woman,” says Walter Mendez of the Walter Collection. “You will be seeing a huge trend this fall of women wearing all black with hints of red. Black being such an important color in every woman’s wardrobe and red being the color that brings out that passion and beauty.”

A recent graduate of El Camino College and winner of both the Rigby Award for Most Outstanding and Improved Student and the South bay BMW White Challenge Award, Mendez believes the key to dressing a woman is about endowing her with the ability to realize her individual allure.

“My clothes appeal to women who love to feel beautiful and sexy in their own skin without having to be too revealing,” says Mendez. “Women who are both sexy and powerful come in a wide age range, so my designs are meant for the young, trendy girl as well as the older, contemporary woman.”

For Mendez, fashion was a hobby. By accident, he discovered he might want to turn a passion into a career.

“When I was in high school, my mom talked about opening her own clothing boutique,” explains Mendez. “I was so excited that I started making sketches of designs she could have in the store. I loved it so much, and I knew I could do this, but I wasn’t sure how to pursue it.”

Michelle Mousel Model

Lucy Shoulder Pad Dress. Designer - Walter Mendez, Stylist - Nydia Garcia

After enrolling in college at El Camino, Mendez was focusing on a degree in Business when he decided that he had earned a respite from his serious studies and signed up for a sewing class. It quickly became his favorite class at school, and it was this fortuitous decision that led him to his true calling as a fashion designer.

“I was only a freshman, and my professor started talking about submissions for the fashion show…which were due in two weeks,” says Mendez., laughing. “But I needed at least six garments. I left the class, went home, and spent the entire weekend in my sewing room working. My mom had to come in and tell me that I needed to stop to eat. That collection won the Rigby Award.”

Now pursuing a degree in Fashion Design and Merchandising from California State University Long Beach, Mendez has been the recipient of multiple awards, recognizing not only his fashion accomplishments, but his humanitarian contributions as well.

Walter Collection

Zoe Chiffon Top (with fo-fur collar piece). Designer - Walter Mendez, Stylist - Nydia Garcia

“For the 2008/2009 year, I received the Henrietta C. Martin Service Award, which is a peer nominated honor granted to a student who shows an extreme commitment to community service,” explains Mendez, proudly. “For the 2009 fashion show, I also received First Place and Best overall for my collection. It was an amazing experience.”

Two years later, the Walter Collection has evolved dramatically from those first six pieces designed for El Camino’s fashion show. Mendez now finds himself eager to experiment with textures, patterns and colors to create a silhouette designed to flatter the female form.

“My work now is more about creating art, having a vision, and knowing how to put it together” says Mendez. “I am still learning every day, but the fact that I have taken my own initiative and created something that is my own gives me an advantage over other aspiring designers.”

the Walter Collection

Victoria Cropped Jacket. Designer - Walter Mendez, Stylist - Nydia Garcia

For more information about the Walter Collection, or to see more of the designs worn by the Dark Lady, visit Walter Collection or become a fan on Facebook.

PHOTOGRAPHER: David D’Angelo, Two Stray Dogs
ART DIRECTOR: Marco Ciapelli, Two Stray Dogs
SET PRODUCER: Jay Hurd, Two Stray Dogs
PRODUCER: Erica Preus, Two Stray Dogs
WARDROBE STYLIST: Nydia Garcia
MAKEUP: Erica Preus, Two Stray Dogs
HAIR: Diana Kazandjian, Two Stray Dogs
MODEL: Michelle Mousel, Ford Models
Special Thanks to Tristan Christopher, Coture Tees

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