Los ANGELES City Controller Laura Chick strutted onto the catwalk wearing a long black linen jacket and an attitude. Following close behind was mayoral candidate Bob Hertzberg, grinning and throwing hugs to the crowd as he showed off his azure-colored hemp mandarin shirt.
Los Angeles Councilman Tom LaBonge donned an oversized bomber jacket made of wool. He got hoots from the audience when he struggled to take it off, briefly exposing his belly. "You're on the wrong stage, Tom," joked Los Angeles Times columnist Patt Morrison, who moderated the spectacle in which none of the participants seemed destined to audition for "America's Next Top Model."
Instead, this is what happens when public officials try to double as models; it's not necessarily pretty, but at least it's for a socially conscious cause.
On Thursday night, more than 30 politicians -- most of them city council members from Los Angeles and nearby localities -- made their modeling debut at the Coalition for Clean Air's second annual fashion show.
The public officials showed off garments donated by environmentally minded companies -- like Patagonia, Timberland and Earth Speaks. The clothing, mostly natural fibers, naturally, was then auctioned off to members of the audience in an effort to raise money for the coalition, a nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to cleaning up the air in California.
"You can buy everything you see tonight," coalition President Tim Carmichael told the crowd of about 300. "That is, the clothes."
For some of the politicians, this was their second time participating in the annual event, held at the California Market Center's Fashion Theater in downtown Los Angeles.
"I was told that my clothes sold for the most last year, so I felt obligated for the sake of clean air to come back," said Los Angeles Councilman Eric Garcetti. "Last year, I threw my jacket off and into the crowd. So tonight ... I will try to keep as much of my clothes on as legally permissible." (He later tossed his jacket -- made of green hemp and cotton -- to a woman in the first row.)
Los Angeles Councilwoman Wendy Greuel stepped onto the stage wearing a red wool dress and holding the hand of her little boy, Thomas, 17 months old. The toddler smiled broadly. "I think he's a natural," Greuel said after the show.
Hertzberg, the only mayoral candidate to accept the invitation to participate in the event, said he canceled a trip to San Francisco to be there.
