In the past few years, Los Angeles Fashion Week has been transformed from a scattered underground effort to a respected industry event. However, the Spring 2005 shows that ended this weekend still seemed to feel New York’s shadow looming over them.

Even as a steady stream of top buyers and editors headed West for fashion week this season, some of the most gifted Los Angeles-based designers, such as Magda Berliner and Jennifer Nicholson, had already shown their collections more than a month earlier in New York.

“There’s obviously a long way to go before the L.A. shows reach the level of New York Fashion Week,” said Nicole Phelps, fashion news editor of Elle magazine, “but it’s also important to remember that once upon a time the New York shows were considered small and insignificant, too.”

The designers that did show at the three Fashion Week venues at Smashbox Studios in Culver City ranged from commercial successes such as Frankie B and Lady Enyce to budding creators like Pegah Anvarian and Louis Verdad. While the Los Angeles shows seemed firmly planted in beach vacation mode – many collections featured bikinis and skimpy jersey outfits – the general trends were similar to what we saw elsewhere this season: feminine dresses, bright and poppy colors, and demure retro styles.

Some of the most successful interpretations of these themes were seen in the collections of Toronto-based designer Arthur Mendonca and California girl Pegah Anvarian. Mr. Mendonca’s expertly tailored collection featured luxuriously full, knee-length silk skirts paired with tight-fitting tops, casually chic cotton wrap dresses in pale pastels, and sophisticated and sleek jersey gowns that gave Gucci a run for its money.

Expect Ms. Anvarian’s pretty draped dresses and slouchy slacks to show up on trans-coastal trendsetters from Gansevoort Street to Sunset Boulevard this summer. Her light and easy cashmere, jersey, and chiffon outfits came in subtle hues such as ice blue, sand, and dusty pink, and sported flattering and comfortable cuts that hung loosely on the body.

One of the most popular shows at Los Angeles Fashion Week was also the most experimental. The shows of New York-based organization Gen Art tend to be overshadowed by big designer shows in Bryant Park. At Smashbox studios, however, Gen Art’s lineup of designers got the attention they deserved. Maryam Nassirzadeh wooed the crowds with artfully quilted layers of organza and silk. “He’s a future star,” concluded Ms. Phelps, who noted that the designs of Mr. Nassirzadeh and the label Wyeth were her favorites this season.

Wyeth, the vintage-inspired and delicately deconstructed year-old collection by Todd Magill, is already prominently featured in top stores all over the world (Barneys’ Tokyo division and Joyce of Hong Kong are prominent examples). It was not surprising, then, that the clothes by Mr. Magill, a former Iceberg and Ralph Lauren designer, seemed to be in a league of their own. “It went very well,” Mr. Magill said about his acclaimed presentation of romantic and rumpled dresses and jackets with an updated Victorian flavor, “I had a lot of fun showing here.”

Mr. Magill also pointed out that the overall standard of the Los Angeles fashion shows was somewhat uneven, however. “Most of the collections are still pretty rough around the edges,” he said. “But there’s some talent here that has a strong point of view that needs to be taken seriously. I hope that I can contribute to make the L.A. scene considered more important.”

One label that has managed to raise its own profile is the fun-loving and free-spirited denim duo Rock and Republic. The 2-year-old brand, which showed sexy, low-cut, rhinestone-studded jeans and denim skirts as well as beautifully constructed silk dresses and skirts, has gone from small shows at Smashbox studios to stadium sized events in just a few seasons. For the Spring 2005 shows, Rock and Republic drew a crowd of more than 2,000 people, including fashion savvy stars such as Eve, Paris Hilton, and ex-Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, who is co-designing a clothing line with the label, launching in March. The runway presentation took place in a Culver City movie studio outside the official venue. “The Smashbox studios just don’t have the facilities to hold the kind of shows we do,” said Rock and Republic’s Andrea Bernholtz. And apparently there’s no need to be on the official fashion week calendar to get noticed. “We had to cut off the RSVP list three days before the event,” said Ms. Bernholtz. She also thinks that the Los Angeles shows would benefit from more designers organizing their own off-calendar shows. “The L.A. shows could definitely evolve into something more spectacular,” she said. “Smashbox is trying to be New York. It sucks the energy out of L.A. We have the space and resources to do creative presentations that would capture the essence of what California style is really about.”

This is an interesting point. Because while the Los Angeles fashion shows may not yet have the cachet of New York or Milan, the city’s vibrant and casual street style is emulated the world over. One of the most enthusiastic arbiters of West Coast chic is Scoop buyer and coowner Stefani Greenfield, whose relaxed, sexy, and colorful California-inspired sensibility has made her boutiques wildly popular all over the country (the latest Scoop division just opened in Las Vegas).

“There is so much great style in Los Angeles,” Ms. Greenfield said. “I get so inspired out here. There is such an effortless, happy, bohemian, and sun-kissed vibe. I spend at least a quarter of my time on the West Coast now.” Ms. Greenfield is bridging the gap between East and West by collaborating with Los Angeles-based brands such as Velvet T-shirts, Jet, and Trunk Tees.

She is also supporting California retailers. Upscale Los Angeles boutique owner Tracey Ross recently launched her own signature shoe collection, which has Ms. Greenfield swooning. “It’s unbelievably beautiful. I bought tons of her striped wedge shoes that are so chic and comfortable,” she said.

It appears that these private collaborations mirror an exchange of trends in society at large. While Los Angeles Fashion Week is trying to achieve the status of the Bryant Park shows, Los Angeles style is already influencing contemporary culture through trendsetting stars such as Cameron Diaz and Kirsten Dunst and TV shows such as “The L Word” and “The O.C.” The future of American fashion, it seems, is all about the mix.