Two of L.A.’s Coolest Labels Stage an “Anti-Fashion” Show
The line to see ComeSesso, a collaboration between fashion label No Sesso and small-batch clothing line Come Tees, wrapped around a warehouse near the banks of the Los Angeles River where the event took place this past Saturday. Long queues like this are usually the reserve of rock concerts, but on the east side of L.A., fashion tends to have a little more grit.
Both camps are part of a vibrant and radically inclusive underground scene, so of course the show was open to the public. The collection reflected that renegade spirit. Models came down a runway deejayed by Asmara of Nguzunguzu and Venus X from Ghe2G0th1k, in looks that were wearable but also decidedly punk. The common thread between these two emerging labels is undeniable—they both connect the dots between fashion and art, creating clothes with a DIY hand that could either be worn or hung on a wall.
“I think we coalesce at a mutual love of textile art and sports apparel,” said Come Tees’s Sonya Sombreuil backstage after the show. Those streetwise, crafty forms were found in a suit made from different colored panels held together by string wrapped through grommets; a monogrammed tennis dress that hung off the shoulder; a jumper and shorts combination with photographs printed on them like a scrapbook. The print-work on each garment was eye-catching, and Sombreuil said she and No Sesso’s Pierre Davis spent countless hours hand-screen printing each piece.
“Every inch of this fabric, I touched,” said Sombreuil, whose shirts made a splash when they were seen on Rihanna and Kanye West back in 2016. “There were three signature prints. One of them was a little bit of a joke and a little bit of an homage to how much we love high-fashion monograms. So we made a schizophrenic monogram. I love MCM, I love Fendi, I love Gucci. To me, Gucci is a powerful image. Then, we had an image where—I use a lot of photography in my work—so we both contributed photos that were about our origins. And then the drawings.”
The photographs and the drawings held personal memories for Davis. “The photos are from black hair magazines from the ’90s,” said Davis. “And that’s what these illustrations are inspired by too. That was one of my first intros to fashion—seeing celebrities talking about their hair and wearing really cool clothing. That was something that stuck with me.”
Naturally the casting was a family affair. Zoe Jennings, who has walked previously for No Sesso (and has been scouted for other modeling jobs as a result) spoke passionately about the label’s sense of togetherness. “This brand is the safest for people of color or anyone. We protect each other—it’s literally for everyone. It’s all-inclusive, even for big girls,” said Jennings. “Most clothes made for big girls are corny as hell. It doesn’t have to be cheetah print.” Twin gallerists José and Hector Polio and painter Emma Kohlmann were part of the lineup, as was rising local soul star Kona. “They have these massive house parties with half-pipes, fireworks, barbecue,” said Kona. “All of a sudden, I’m smoking weed with Mac DeMarco or Anderson Paak is like, ‘I like your shoes.’ The No Sesso and Come Tees crews are the cool kids, and they support the community.”
The atmosphere among showgoers was just as convivial. Cheers rose from the crowd with each passing look, and when one model stumbled on the runway, several audience members braced themselves to catch her, as if falling might end up in a triumphant crowd surfing moment. Among the hundreds who filtered into the space were artists and musicians such as Jasmine Nyende, Kingdom, James Flemons, and Wendy Yao. But many of the guests had never been to a fashion show before. And that was intentional, said Sombreuil. “No Sesso is very anti-fashion in that she [Davis] really wants the clothes to be worn by people instead of the people being backstage to the clothes,” says Sombreuil. “It’s both things: It’s high fashion and for the people.”
Both camps are part of a vibrant and radically inclusive underground scene, so of course the show was open to the public. The collection reflected that renegade spirit. Models came down a runway deejayed by Asmara of Nguzunguzu and Venus X from Ghe2G0th1k, in looks that were wearable but also decidedly punk. The common thread between these two emerging labels is undeniable—they both connect the dots between fashion and art, creating clothes with a DIY hand that could either be worn or hung on a wall.
“I think we coalesce at a mutual love of textile art and sports apparel,” said Come Tees’s Sonya Sombreuil backstage after the show. Those streetwise, crafty forms were found in a suit made from different colored panels held together by string wrapped through grommets; a monogrammed tennis dress that hung off the shoulder; a jumper and shorts combination with photographs printed on them like a scrapbook. The print-work on each garment was eye-catching, and Sombreuil said she and No Sesso’s Pierre Davis spent countless hours hand-screen printing each piece.
“Every inch of this fabric, I touched,” said Sombreuil, whose shirts made a splash when they were seen on Rihanna and Kanye West back in 2016. “There were three signature prints. One of them was a little bit of a joke and a little bit of an homage to how much we love high-fashion monograms. So we made a schizophrenic monogram. I love MCM, I love Fendi, I love Gucci. To me, Gucci is a powerful image. Then, we had an image where—I use a lot of photography in my work—so we both contributed photos that were about our origins. And then the drawings.”
The photographs and the drawings held personal memories for Davis. “The photos are from black hair magazines from the ’90s,” said Davis. “And that’s what these illustrations are inspired by too. That was one of my first intros to fashion—seeing celebrities talking about their hair and wearing really cool clothing. That was something that stuck with me.”
Naturally the casting was a family affair. Zoe Jennings, who has walked previously for No Sesso (and has been scouted for other modeling jobs as a result) spoke passionately about the label’s sense of togetherness. “This brand is the safest for people of color or anyone. We protect each other—it’s literally for everyone. It’s all-inclusive, even for big girls,” said Jennings. “Most clothes made for big girls are corny as hell. It doesn’t have to be cheetah print.” Twin gallerists José and Hector Polio and painter Emma Kohlmann were part of the lineup, as was rising local soul star Kona. “They have these massive house parties with half-pipes, fireworks, barbecue,” said Kona. “All of a sudden, I’m smoking weed with Mac DeMarco or Anderson Paak is like, ‘I like your shoes.’ The No Sesso and Come Tees crews are the cool kids, and they support the community.”
The atmosphere among showgoers was just as convivial. Cheers rose from the crowd with each passing look, and when one model stumbled on the runway, several audience members braced themselves to catch her, as if falling might end up in a triumphant crowd surfing moment. Among the hundreds who filtered into the space were artists and musicians such as Jasmine Nyende, Kingdom, James Flemons, and Wendy Yao. But many of the guests had never been to a fashion show before. And that was intentional, said Sombreuil. “No Sesso is very anti-fashion in that she [Davis] really wants the clothes to be worn by people instead of the people being backstage to the clothes,” says Sombreuil. “It’s both things: It’s high fashion and for the people.”
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