>> After over a month of rumors, Smashbox Studios finally confirmed that it was ending its five year partnership with IMG after Spring 2009 LA Fashion Week closes Oct. 16.

Dean and Davis Factor, co-owners of Smashbox, the current LAFW venue, wanted to relocate the event closer to Hollywood, "take it to the next level," but "New York is [IMG's] big focus and it’s difficult with everything they have going on all over the world. It would be hard for them to do LA on the level they do New York. My brother and I can."

So where does that leave LA Fashion Week?  As part of its agreement with the Factors, IMG is not able to produce a Fashion Week, so it's all up to the brothers, who say they remain committed to the event.  Ideally, they're looking at Hollywood rather than the current Culver City location: "Hollywood embraces the city of Los Angeles, there’s so much creative stuff to take advantage of here, the red carpet, costume design, stylists, everything from the surf industry to Maxfield’s."

But it may not be in the same runway show form: "We’re going a completely different route."  Will all the new changes be effective in harnessing a spot as the fifth major Fashion Week?  The Factors have their work cut out for them.
*image: source