® MAY 29 - JUNE 4, 2020 / VOL. 42 / NO. 28 / LAWEEKLY.COM 2 WEEKLY WEEKLY LA SHEDDING | , 2020 | May 29 - June 4 29 - June | May WWW.LAWEEKLY.COM HIS SKINL.A. DESIGNERJONNY COTA REBRANDS ON REALITY TV eing successful in fashion isn’t BY LINA LECARO (Cota competed on runways in Paris, Tokyo just about having a great eye for and New York) and an emphasis on branding style, creative ideas or even the versus sewing, with each contestant getting actual skill for making clothing. If you followed the fashion scene in L.A. at all “I entered Making the Cut as the designer of help from a seamstress, just as designers do Ultimately, it’s about the hustle. the past decade, you heard of the label, even if SKINGRAFT because ‘Jonny Cota’ was only a in the real world. L.A.’s Jonny Cota has been hustling hard to you couldn’t quite aord their most coveted pipe dream,” he tells us via a Zoom interview “In my early days of SKINGRAFT we would Bmake his mark in the industry for over a de- jackets, coats or couture pieces. from his home a couple weeks aer his win. stay up late at night sewing our samples watch- cade now, and he’s managed to achieve a lot of Now, with his new, more aordable line, Jon- “But aer getting critique aer critique from ing Project Runway, so I’ve always been a fan success, dressing rock and pop stars and run- ny Cota Studio, selling on Amazon thanks to the judges, it kind of started peeling back some of that and it’s always inspired me to watch ning a popular DTLA boutique. Still, getting his win (which also includes a yearlong men- of my layers, so it was the perfect opportunity. how other designers operate,” Cota recalls. to the next level required something bigger torship with Amazon’s fashion division), his I mean I got to launch my namesake brand “But I knew I could never do Project Runway and bolder: putting himself on the chopping work is more accessible to a wider audience, on a global television show and then get a because my sewing skills are slow and my block via Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn’s new and to more varied tastes in terms of color, million-dollar prize. ere is no better way pattern-making skills are not that strong. I’ve Amazon fashion competition Making e Cut, fabrics and silhouettes. ough he stretched to launch your brand, [but] SKINGRAFT will run a successful company for 15 years, I’ve a move that paid o to the tune of $1 million. himself and expanded his methods and ma- always be my baby.” opened stores, I’ve done Fashion Week, but But chatting with the designer aer his win, terials on Making the Cut, he never lost his Cota was already on a new path since he I’m not sitting there and sewing every dress. it’s clear the experience was about more than gloomy/glammy essence. e judges on the and his brother closed their rst store aer 10 So when Making the Cut came up and the idea money or even the exposure. It was about show — which included Nicole Richie and years due to rent increases in downtown. ey that they were looking for a director of a global taking the opportunity to refocus and rein- a sometimes brutal Naomi Campbell — en- had just opened up their new store, under the brand and not just someone to sew and design vent himself and his brand. Jonny and his couraged him to lose the SKINGRAFT name name Cota, at e Row DTLA when Jonny each garment, I thought, ‘OK, this sounds like brother Christopher Cota have made a name and re-brand under his own; but as he moves got the call to be on the rst season of Cut, me.’ I was ready to kind of get back to the real for themselves with SKINGRAFT, a fashion forward, he’s intent on maintaining not one which saw Klum and Gunn joining forces core of what I love and what my aesthetic was.” company known for punky, dark, severe and but two brands, holding onto the original in- with Amazon aer leaving Project Runway His brother also saw the opportunity to sexy looks ; think lots of leather, buckles, zip- spirations that won him a loyal fan base while in 2018. anks to a bigger budget and more evolve the brand. “SKINGRAFT has lived nine pers, harnessing, cinched waists, lacing, cut- experimenting with new ideas and inspira- freedom to change things up, Making the Cut lives over the course of the last 12 years, and outs, and pretty much all black, all the time. tions. If anyone can manage both, it’s Cota. took things to a new level, with more travel in each of those lives it’s taken another step Jonny Cota’s winning 3 collection from Making the Cut LA SHEDDING WEEKLY | May 29 - June 4 29 - June | May , 2020 | WWW.LAWEEKLY.COM Jonny Cota, Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn, HIS Courtesy of Amazon Jonny Cota and Tim Gunn. SKINL.A. DESIGNERJONNY COTA Courtesy of Amazon REBRANDS ON REALITY TV forward,” Christopher says. “Our customer highlight his garments and lifestyle products for LA Fashion Week and clubs soon built ability. He managed to convey both in a very has gotten older along with us, and therefore while adhering to social distancing guidelines, them a cult following which expanded when natural and real way, which can be hard to do eing successful in fashion isn’t BY LINA LECARO (Cota competed on runways in Paris, Tokyo our communication with them is more ma- and most likely masks for shoppers. (SKIN- they opened their store downtown. e SKIN- on reality TV. Did he have reservations about just about having a great eye for and New York) and an emphasis on branding ture/rened than it once was. Our clothes, GRAFT had in fact been making travel masks GRAFT store soon became a sort of party hub, appearing on the show? style, creative ideas or even the versus sewing, with each contestant getting while still very progressive, are more likely to as an accessory even before COVID-19 hit.) especially during the early days of the DTLA “I was so concerned how I would come o, actual skill for making clothing. If you followed the fashion scene in L.A. at all “I entered Making the Cut as the designer of help from a seamstress, just as designers do be worn daily now whereas in the early days Artwalk. It wasn’t long until the brand became and how it would be edited,” Jonny admits. “I Ultimately, it’s about the hustle. the past decade, you heard of the label, even if SKINGRAFT because ‘Jonny Cota’ was only a in the real world. they were more oen worn for events, or at Emerging from San Francisco and Los An- a top choice of stylists who wanted to add a lit- remember hugging my husband goodbye to L.A.’s Jonny Cota has been hustling hard to you couldn’t quite aord their most coveted pipe dream,” he tells us via a Zoom interview “In my early days of SKINGRAFT we would night. Internally, we work a lot smarter than geles’ nightlife scenes and circus-themed per- tle fetishy air to music video wardrobes, and y to New York at like 3 in the morning and Bmake his mark in the industry for over a de- jackets, coats or couture pieces. from his home a couple weeks aer his win. stay up late at night sewing our samples watch- we used to, and I think that comes through in formance art worlds, Jonny Cota was inspired early clients included P!nk, Marilyn Manson I just started sobbing uncontrollably with the cade now, and he’s managed to achieve a lot of Now, with his new, more aordable line, Jon- “But aer getting critique aer critique from ing Project Runway, so I’ve always been a fan the way the brand operates within the market.” by the theatrical garb and freaky embellished and Adam Lambert. fear of, oh my God, what am I getting myself success, dressing rock and pop stars and run- ny Cota Studio, selling on Amazon thanks to the judges, it kind of started peeling back some of that and it’s always inspired me to watch Of course, now that SKINGRAFT’s sales looks worn on stage by troupes he performed “Back in the day when I rst hired Jonny to into? Am I going to embarrass SKINGRAFT, ning a popular DTLA boutique. Still, getting his win (which also includes a yearlong men- of my layers, so it was the perfect opportunity. how other designers operate,” Cota recalls. have “skyrocketed 500 percent,” from Cota’s with as a stilt-walker and DJ, including El Cir- make me custom looks for a Britney Spears am I going to embarrass L.A.? How is this to the next level required something bigger torship with Amazon’s fashion division), his I mean I got to launch my namesake brand “But I knew I could never do Project Runway appearance on the show, there’s a lot more to co and Lucent Dossier. Both performed at fes- video, I found his sketches and ideas to be going to play out? So it’s a huge concern. But and bolder: putting himself on the chopping work is more accessible to a wider audience, on a global television show and then get a because my sewing skills are slow and my operate.