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November 20, 2008

Death of a Stylephile

This, dear readers, is the final Stylephile post for the foreseeable future.
Along with Wall Street, WaMu and the city of Detroit, this esteemed lifestyle blog has fallen victim to the bananas collapse of the American economy.
A few days ago, I was informed of my forthcoming execution.
And as I kneel, blindfolded, neck on recessionary chopping block, let me take these last few moments to flash back through history with you...
The Stylephile was envisioned by Variety Vice President of Sales (online) Dea Lawrence, who spoke with Tom Tapp (editor of VLife magazine) about her idea to create a style blog and newsletter. VLife writers Ginny Chien and Anna Lisa Raya developed the concept and on Oct 22, 2004, The Stylephile was born. Jean Paul Gaultier had just launched his men's makeup line, ShopBop.com had just entered cyberspace and the very awesome Alpha Male store in West Hollywood had just opened its doors. Happy days.
Here are some of the very first posts.
When VLife ended, Ginny stayed on as The Stylephile editor with Tasha Nita Adams as a contributor for the blog. Ginny suggested The Stylephile also appear in print to complement the print daily paper's Vpage section and it eventually did (after Ginny's departure) and was integrated into the Variety Weekend section under the editorial direction of Monica Corcoran with Laura Repstad as a contributor. When Variety Weekend ended, the Stylephile went back to being an online-only product under Mia McNiece. I took over in November 2007.
The very talented Tara Simm and Martha Hernandez designed the current look of The Stylephile Newsletter, which won a Gold Award in Newsletter Design Excellence for "Best Consumer Subscription Newsletter" in 2006 from www.Newsletterbiz.com. And The Stylephile was a finalist in the 2007 L.A. Press Club awards for best Weblog.
In just a few minutes, The Stylephile's life support will be set to minimum, and the site will peacefully enter a vegetative state.
Please don't cry. All of the posts of the last four years will remain online (should you ever wish to research what Hollywood was wearing in August 2005, for instance).
Please do continue to read all of Variety's excellent blogs, which you can find at www.variety.com. And should you have any questions, comments or requests, don't hesitate to contact me at caroline@carolineryder.com or visit me at www.carolineryder.com.
On behalf of everyone at Variety and the former editors of The Stylephile, I'd like to thank you all for coming on this most fashionable of rides. It's been a blast...

November 20, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

Possible Perfection at Pelican Hill

A shiny black limousine pulled up outside my home and the sunglasses-wearing driver tapped gently at the door. "May I take your bags?"
Thus began our 24-hour pamper-fest at The Resort at Pelican Hill, the new five-star luxury resort that comes with its own world-class, 36-hole, Tom Fazio-designed golf course, not to mention uber-dramatic views above Newport Beach's Crystal Cove.
Half an hour out of L.A. and we started noticing shiny yachts and "McCain/Palin" signs, indicative of the neighborhood's wealthy, right-leaning resident population. We gasped as we pulled through a giant stone gateway marking the entrance to the resort. "Yes, it's amazing," said our driver, who seemed almost as excited as we were to arrive at the new property, a California-Tuscan hybrid of 5,000-plus square-foot custom homes.
Owned by the Irvine Co. (a real estate management company that also owns the nearby Island Hotel and Resort, formerly the Four Seasons Newport Beach), "The Possibility of Perfection" is Pelican Hill's motto and we did, indeed, receive the full star treatment.
Upon stepping out of the limo there were men in uniform, one to greet us, one to hand us steaming face towels, one to open doors, one to welcome us—all attending to our most trifling needs like the ultimate team of doting mothers.
It was a little overwhelming at first. For instance, when asked if we would need a ride to our villa, we accepted, not knowing where our villa was. We got in the car, and were driven approximately 50 feet across the road—a three-second car journey that underlined the near-obsessive level of service were were about to receive.
Inside the villa we met our personal butler, (he comes with the villas, and never sleeps, apparently) who offered to draw an evening bath for us. Earlier, we had been told by management that our butler could take care any of our needs whatsover. "That's good because I'll be needing a baby grand piano in our room tonight," I joked. The manager looked me in the eye and said, "If you want it, we will get it."
With its 204 bungalows and 128 villas, the resort has the feel of an exclusive gated community, and if that's your bag, you'll be in OC heaven. Our three-bedroom villa was an exercise in understated luxe living. Amid the muted beige and cream furnishings were plasma TVs (one in each bedroom, plus in the lounge area), lofty wood-beamed ceilings, and a limestone fireplace. The giant marble bathrooms featured deep tubs and separate rain showers, and the stainless steel kitchen was kitted out with the latest in Wolf appliances.
We lounged on the sun patio for several hours, marveling at the sparkling ocean view ahead of us. At sunset we donned swim gear and splashed in saline water infinity pool as the sky glowed crimson and peach along the PCH.
It was, truly, a perfect sunset.
We followed it with a fittingly decadent dinner at the Pelican Grill where a lively crowd of locals (always a good sign) was tucking in to the hearty cuisine (creamed spinach, champagne and filet mignon for me, please.)
In the morning, we took a yoga golf class on the course, rated in the nation's Top 100 by "Golf" magazine.
Yoga golf?
It's a fascinating concept, whereby a golf instructor observes your swing and a yoga instructor designs a class designed to work on your weaknesses. If I were actually a golfer, I'm sure it could have provided the missing link to better my game.
This resort is not for the intrepid. It is, rather, for those deserving souls who wish, for a weekend or even longer, to absolutely lose themselves in the womb-like comfort of Pelican Hill, a place where the azure skies never end, and where the possibility of perfection means you can finally stop thinking...and simply relax.
The Resort at Pelican Hill Resort debuts on November 26 with room rates starting at $695 a night.
See the resort for yourself here.

November 20, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

Massive One-Stop Gift Shop (LA)

More than 165 independent, local designers and artists will sell their wares at UNIQUE, a giant design and gift sale taking place in Downtown Los Angeles.
The event, being dubbed an “alternative to the mall”, will offer holiday shoppers great deals from popular designers that they know and love, as well as gems by emerging talent. The majority of vendors are from California, though a handful are joining the event all the way from Brooklyn, Portland and Seattle.
Vendors include ROJAS, Unhee, Black Hearts Brigade, Johnny Cupcakes, Rock Scissors Paper stationery goods, Illume Candles, jewelry by Steven Shein, and sweet treats by Cake Monkey.
 designed the event to foster and support the creative community while stimulating the local economy, and to offer shoppers a diverse selection of great gifts created and produced by local talent.
"Why would anyone buy something factory-made at the mall, when they can find great deals and one of a kind gifts from emerging talent and top designers?" says UNIQUE founder Sonja Rasula. "UNIQUE LOS ANGELES is a one-stop shop for shoppers who will be able to find something for everyone on their lists, all while saving time and gas!” 
The event takes place Saturday, December 13th & Sunday, December 14th, from 11 AM – 7 PM.at the California Market Center, Penthouse, 110 East 9th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90079. $5 per ticket (children 10 and under are free). 50% of ticket sales benefit CREATE NOW, a local charity that brings art and creativity to high-risk youth. Www.uniquelosangeles.com.

November 20, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

Devon Leigh Sample Sale (LA)

Jewelry designer Devon Leigh's ability to transform natural semi-precious stones in to striking, one-of-a-kind statement pieces has earned her some high-level private clients—from Kate Bosworth to Liz Taylor.
You can buy from her Fall and Holiday collection at Devon Leigh's sample sale, which runs December 8-14, with 40-50% off on some of her sparkly hammered gold and rhodium creations. Shoppers who throw down more than $500 will receive a gift bag.
The sale takes place December 8-14, 10:30 am to 6:30 pm, 8026 W. Third St., Los Angeles, CA, 90048. (between Fairfax and Crescent Heights) View the collection here.

November 20, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 8, 2008

Three Dots' Sample Sale

If you're a fan of California label Three Dots' range of stylish basics, then get yourself in the car to Garden Grove, CA where they will be holding a "huge" sample sale, Nov. 14-15.

We're told there will be great pieces in all sizes for women, men, kids and maternity, all of them "deeply discounted".

Three Dots sample sale takes place November 14-15 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at 7340 Lampson Ave., Garden Grove, 714-799-6333. Three Dots.com

 

November 8, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 2, 2008

Paper magazine's "24 Hour Cultural Department Store"

As part of Paper's annual L.A. invasion, the magazine is opening a "24 Hour Department Store" on Sunset Strip, featuring 24 performances by artists including The Lady Tigra, The Chapin Sisters and Entrance.
As well as great music, expect an "extreme shopping experience", with items by Opening Ceremony, Supreme, Jeremy Scott, Mr. Cartoon, Rodarte and more, available at the pop-up.
The store will be one of the only ways the public can jump aboard the Paper train—most other events (including an exclusive dinner hosted by Danny "Ubiquitous" Masterson and Bijou Phillips, and an awards ceremony celebrating Paper mag's favorite reality TV stars) will be invite only.
Paper magazine's "24 Hour Department Store" opens for business Friday November 7 at 6 p.m.until 6 p.m. on Saturday, November 8. 8873 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90046.
 

November 2, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 30, 2008

Tinc, trunk, Sunday

Forgive me for not being able to stop talking about San Francisco-based line Tinc—I can't help but admire its minimalist oddness.
Go experience the line for yourself this Sunday in Culver City, where the designer Savannah Knoop (nepotistic disclaimer: we're friends) will be on hand to explain her wearably-avant garde vision.
You'll be able to pick up previous seasons' items at a fraction of retail, and take a look at Tinc's new offerings.
The event takes place at the studio of photographer Linda Shaffer in Culver City and you must RSVP to attend. RSVP to savannah@tincwear.com.
Nov 2nd from 3 to 7 p.m. 1706 S. Genesee Avenue,  Los Angeles,  CA.  90019,  between Pico and Venice Boulevard. East of Fairfax,  between Fairfax and Hauser.  On the corner of Airdrome and Genesee.
www.tincwear.com

October 30, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

Shin winner

Having recently dined there myself, I can state with absolute confidence that the winner of our "dinner for two at Shin restaurant" competition is going to have a very lovely time.
An authentic Korean BBQ in Hollywood, Shin attracts a sexy sort of crowd. We ran in to co-owner Danny Masterson with a group of friends at the restaurant, plus a bevy of "Project Runway" models eating far more than you'd expect them to.
At the back of the lofty dining room, an unearthly glow emanated from an aquarium, home to half a dozen moon jellyfish, serenely floating around behind the bar.
The food was a carnivore's wet dream--melt in the mouth spicy chicken and marinated spencer steak delivered with completely authentic sides, kimchi 'n all, with only the slightest hint of fusion. The on-table grills have been specially constructed so as to totally avoid the annoying oily splash-back that has destroyed many a silk shirt at other Korean BBQs.
To win the dinner for two, we asked you to describe your most exotic dining experience. From your stories of eating Chinese jumping shrimp, drinking milk directly from a goat's teet and consuming mac 'n cheese a quarter of a mile underwater, I picked this romantic entry by Stevenfinly, simply because it made me want to pack my bags and head for the South Pacific immediately, just so I could find that restaurant.
"Most exotic, definitely in Tahiti. Hotel suggested my girlfriend and I try this remote restaurant high up on the hills in the middle of the island. So we did. A little VW BUS picked us up, then drove around and around the mountain, spiraling its way to the top. Once we got there, we realized we had a 360 view of Tahiti and all the small islands surrounding it (at sunset yet!). Tropical birds, a cacophony of wild flowers, waterfalls, it was truly beautiful."
Congratulations, Steven!

October 30, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Director Wears Prada

How does a filmmaker visually portray a citrus scent on the big screen? Specifically, Prada’s new men's fragrance Infusion D’Homme? 
Last week at the Hammer Museum’s Billy Wilder Theater, Prada unveiled its “Short Movie Project for Infusion D’Homme,” a collection of experimental shorts the fashion house commissioned from nine global filmmakers, each given the mandate to produce their cinematic interpretation of the fresh cologne.
For some of the auteurs, the smell of Infusion brought to mind such trippy images as cavemen skulking behind a man in a lobby (“Evolution” from Brazilian director Guga), two lovers playing ping-pong amidst rose petals (“Ping Pong, Paul & Mary” from Korean director Hyuk-Jae Kwon) or a scientific montage of the cosmos’ connection to the brain (“Work in Progress” from Argentina’s Juan Ignazio Aluz).
To top off the screening, Oscar-winning editor Pietra Scalia (“Black Hawk Down,” “JFK”, seen here at the event with "Boys Don't Cry" director Kimberly Peirce) was on hand to present his own short, “Alchemy,” a synthesis of the nine works.
“If you could distill the theme of a film in one single image, what would it be?” asked Scalia whose natural editing instinct was to find a common thread throughout the shorts, “most of the emotional connections were about memory and youth.”
Beng, the director of the Spanish short “Spring Rain” about two lovers’ awakening broke his vision down, “There were four different scents in the perfume and I tried to represent that through four emotions.”
None of the films will be shown in their respective countries as part of a marketing campaign; rather the entire project was part of Prada’s m.o. to be creative without a commercial confine.  Even though Prada financed each short, the filmmakers own their shorts out right.
Both Infusion D’Homme and its female counterpart Infusion D’Iris are available at Nordstrom 1.7 oz ($54), 3.4 oz ($74), 6.7 oz ($100). Buy here. You can watch the nine short films along with Scalia’s synthesis “Alchemy” here.

October 30, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

Nicole Richie and Joel Madden will turn on Beverly Hills holiday lights

Oh how quickly they grow up—Nicole Richie, a Hollywood hellraiser not so long ago, is now a demure lady-who-lunches, a model mom who has been invited by the city of Beverly Hills to switch on their Holiday Lights.
Richie and her beau Joel Madden will pull the lever on November 22,  illuminating a giant UNICEF crystal snowflake and 20 one-of-a-kind Baccarat chandeliers along Rodeo Drive. 
All are welcome to attend the festivities, which are scheduled to start at 3:00 pm, with Santa and Mrs. Claus making an appearance at 5:00 pm, and musical entertainment from 6 p.m.
Richie and Madden will flip the switch shortly thereafter, and the evening will end with a fireworks finale atop the Beverly Wilshire hotel.
Don't forget to swing by the afterparty at Two Rodeo.
For more information, visit www.lovebeverlyhills.org or call 310 248 1015.

October 30, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 23, 2008

Teenage riot: Taryn Manning's Born Uniqorn sale

Your teenage neice/daughter/neighborhood Lolita will think you're the coolest aunt/parent/Humbert Humbert on the planet if you take her to the Born Uniqorn sale in Hollywood next week.
Launched in 2005 by actress Taryn Manning and her friend Tara Jane, Born Uniqorn features cute 'n flirty basics that exude youthful joie de vivre. While the line is geared toward 13 to 18 year olds, there's nothing stopping young-at-heart girls of all ages working these looks.
The one-day sale, which will also feature discounted pieces by concept jeweler Han Cholo, takes place Tuesday, October 28, from 7:30pm – 11pm at NATIVE Boutique, 5915 Franklin Avenue, Los Angeles, 90028. Complimentary EFFEN Vodka cocktails will be served, and the designers will be in the house.

October 23, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 15, 2008

Hurley tees and corsets for breast cancer

Clothes made to raise money for charity may make you feel good, but let's face it—they don't always make you look especially good. Not so with Hurley's 2nd Annual Art Chest—last night, Hurley unveiled a series of celebrity-customized corsets and tees worthy of even the hippest of wardrobes.
The garments are being auctioned off to raise money for breast cancer awareness in an online auction that launched today (Wednesday October 15) and closes October 30—which means you have plenty of time to place your bid.
Here are three from the collection, customized by model (and Leo DiCaprio squeeze) Bar Refaeli, actress Denise Richards, and actress Constance Zimmer respectively. And be sure to check out the celeb-adorned tees, many of which feature lace details and whimsical trims, not to mention the distinctive, girl-powerish Art Chest corset logo.
100% of profits from the auction will go to Boarding for Breast Cancer (www.b4bc.org), a non-profit, youth-focused education, awareness, and fundraising foundation.
Click here to participate in the auction. www.hurley.com

October 15, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 14, 2008

Meet Boo Boo Stewart at grand opening of Kitson Kids On The Plaza

Expect massive sugar highs and shrill tantrums at the grand opening of 4000 sq. ft. tween fashion emporium  Kitson Kids On The Plaza this weekend. Organizers promise a rocking pre-pubescent party at the store on Robertson Blvd. in West Hollywood, a bigger, better incarnation of the original Kitson Kids boutique. On the racks will be kids' denim by Seven for All Mankind, jumpsuits by Little Marc Jacobs (pictured, $92) and dresses by C & C California.
Disney T-Squad star, actor/martial artist Boo Boo Stewart, is hosting the event and will perform for the diminutive crowd. (Boo Boo, 14, is the son of Nils Allen Stewart, who has built a successful career playing thugs, doormen and beefy mercenaries in films like "Chupacabra Terror" and "The Scorpion King".)
Also expected to attend are Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, Jeannette McCurdy and the cast of "I Carly"—names that mean nothing to me, because I'm not nine.
Kidswear brand Graffeeti will launch its "Anthem" line of write-on sneakers and backpacks at the event. Proceeds from sales will be donated to the Summer Stars Camp for the Performing Arts, a program for lower income youth started by Britney Spears.
Kitson Kids on The Plaza's grand opening party takes place Saturday, October 18, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. 116 N. Robertson Blvd. (Just south of Beverly and across the courtyard from the Newsroom Cafe). Shop the store online here.

October 14, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

Win dinner at Shin in Hollywood

21st century Brat Packers DJ Steve Aoki, Gerard Butler ("Rocknrolla"), The Strokes' Julian Casablancas, Chris Masterson ("Malcolm in the Middle"), Danny Masterson ("That 70s Show"), Laura Prepon ("That 70s Show") and music producer Mark Ronson have formed a gastronomic dream-team of sorts, teaming up to open Shin, a glitzy Korean BBQ in Hollywood. (The brains behind their celebrity brawn is the well-connected chef/restaurateur Simon Shin.)
Last night's launch party went on until the wee hours, with Butler (who stars in Guy Ritchie's latest effort, "Rocknrolla") jumping over the bar to mix Belvedere cocktails while Mark Ronson, Danny Masterson and Steve Aoki took turns DJing. (Aoki's no stranger to the restaurant biz—his late father, the mercurial Rocky Aoki, founded the Benihana restaurant chain.)
Although we can't promise Butler will be behind the bar or Aoki behind the decks every night, we can offer one Stylephile reader a dinner for two at the new venue. (We hear the short rib casserole is especially melt-in-the-mouth.)
To win, tell us about the most exotic dining experience you've ever had. Post your answers as a comment, and include your email address. Deadline is Monday October 20 at 5 p.m.
Shin is at 1600 N. Wilcox Ave., Hollywood. Open 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. Tuesdays through Sundays. Meat, $15-$35; soups, $12-$25; rice, noodles, $15. Full bar. (323) 464-4100, www.shinbbq.com.

October 14, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

Heidi Klum in-person makeovers next week

"Project Runway's" Heidi Klum hasn't let the Bravo/Lifetime debacle get her down—right now, she's all about her new chocolate flavored lipgloss.
“This creamy gloss is infused with chocolate flavor, my personal touch,”says Klum of the product, part of her Victoria's Secret Very Sexy Makeup collection. Klum will be demonstrating new fall colors and giving out personalized makeovers at the VS store at The Grove in Los Angeles next week, showing Plain Janes like ourselves how to achieve her camera-ready face.
If you can't make it, the new colors will be available to purchase next week. As well as the Lip Gloss in Cupcake ($14), the new collection features a green and gold Glitter Eye Liner in Licorice ($10) and a nude lip color, Perfect Lipstick in Malibu ($14). “I balance a dark eye with neutral lips, like this warm nude," says Klum. "I love the creamy feel.”
If you can make it, I suggest you book an appointment today to receive your makeover along with your purchase of the new collection.
Thursday, October 23rd from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Call 323 634 9177 to book your makeover appointment. 
Victoria’s Secret Store at The Grove at Farmers Market, 6301 West 3rd Street, Los Angeles (cross street Fairfax Avenue). www.victoriassecret.com

October 14, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 9, 2008

Poetic genius: Tord Boontje

With his "The Little Wild Garden of Love", "Fig Leaf Wardrobe", "Witches' Kitchen", and "Rain Collection", Dutch design star Tord Boontje creates divinely decorative accents for home and garden that sound like they could be poems.
The designer himself is making a very special U.S. appearance this Friday October 10 at lifestyle store Artecnica's new L.A. showroom from 6-9 p.m.
Former WWD West Coast bureau chief Rose Apodaca alerted me to this event, noting in her email blast that Boontje "is widely hailed as returning a decorative, even maximalist aesthetic to modernism, with his whimsical range of lighting, tableware, home accessories and small furnishings."
A 6 p.m., Tord and Artecnica co-founder Enrico Bressan will share their methodology and manufacturing processes with an intimate look at their many best-selling collaborations  and many never-seen prototypes. And at 7 p.m., the party begins. Besides an auction featuring products made under Artecnica's guidance by the kids from the L.A.'s Best After School Program, Apodaca's A+R design store will have a pop-up in Bressan's studio.
The night is free, rsvp at events@artecnicainc.com
www.tordboontje.com

October 9, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 8, 2008

L.A. sample sale goes online at iShopFem.com

With consumers scrambling for any way to save a buck, society has entered what historians will remember as the Golden Age of the Online Sample Sale—just yesterday, another site launched, iShopFem.com, the e-version of the popular L.A. sample sale event. The site went live with sales on Voom by Joy Han and CC Skye accessories. The first 500 shoppers to register on iShopFem.com will receive a free three-month Premier membership.
 Founded by Irene Wong, known in L.A. for her FEM sample sale events,  the new e-commerce site will feature brands at 50 to 75 percent off retail pricing. Wong, a graduate of Parsons and FIDM fashion schools, also promises to showcase wares by emerging designers on the site. She launched iShopFem.com because she felt other sample sale websites were overly exclusive. She wanted her site to be open to anyone, not just invited members. Now that's what I call democracy. 
www.iShopFem.com

October 8, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 7, 2008

Mandy Moore hosting Gen Art in L.A...tickets available

Mandy Moore will launch Los Angeles Fashion Week when she hosts Gen Art's 11th Annual "Fresh Faces in Fashion" show, featuring twelve of the city's most promising designers.
I'm a fan of hipster Wayne Joffe's Wayne Hadley line, a irreverently forward, tailored men's collection featuring double-breasted outerwear and tux jackets that debuted at LA store Scout (Joffe is pictured below with his pal Lindsay Lohan). I'm also addicted to Michelle Nguyen Williams' French beatnik-inspired  Quail line (I wore nothing but her cute collared racerback jersey dresses this summer). And keep an eye out for Posso's presentation—they make the sexiest spats (pictured) you'll ever see—and Jerome C. Rousseau's collection (he's one of the very few young shoe designers based in L.A.)
Gen Art always presents a delicious clusterf*ck of new design, and while the scene can get a little crowded at times, I urge those Angelenos with an interest in emerging fashion to purchase tickets for the event. You can bet your bottom dollar that the designers you'll see there will go on to big things (remember a little guy called Zac Posen? He's a Gen Art alum. As were Rodarte's Mulleavy sisters and Phillip Lim.)
Other designers showing include: Joel K (KZO), Maxine Dillon, Sandra Sandor (Nanushka), Meredith Fisher (Wayf), Maira Caren (Peonie), Mallyce Miller (LAEKEN), Azature, Laura Kranitz, and Vanessa Giovacchini and Marylouise Pels (Posso)


The show takes place this Friday, October 10, at the Peterson Automotive Museum, 6060 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA. Buy tickets here.

October 7, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

Actress launches ONE OCTOBER purse line

Actress Roxana Zal, who became the youngest person to win a Primetime Emmy after her performance in 1984's "Something About Amelia", has launched ONE OCTOBER, a fashion-forward new handbag and accessories collection that features salmon skin as well as regular patent leather.
ONE OCTOBER, which Zal launched with her good friend Naomi Stokeld, is geared toward the environmentally-conscious consumer. "Salmon skin is only an industrial residue from the farmed salmon industry but it is considered "exotic" leather," they say. "By using salmon leather, we aim to deliver high fashion and quality, in an environmentally-sustainable way."
It was while living in Chile that Stokeld, a corporate lawyer, discovered the myriad possibilities of salmon leather. Upon moving back to Los Angeles, she met Roxana and the two decided to combine their talents to create ONE OCTOBER.
Don't like fish? Not all of the bags are made with salmon skin—their "Joanna" bag is made from patent leather with a salmon skin edge. The bags retail for around $400.
Buy here, or here.

October 7, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

Option this: the real JT Leroy

The guy underneath literary hoaxer JT Leroy's preposterous wig and glasses turned out to be a girl—fashion designer Savannah Knoop—and she's reading from her mind-bending autobiography "Girl Boy Girl" tonight at Book Soup, at 7:00 p.m..
If you can't make it to the reading, you can purchase the book online here, and learn how Savannah, a soft-spoken twenty-something artist from San Francisco, found herself hob-nobbing (and occasionally sleeping with) Hollywood's friendly gullibles (Winona Ryder, Carrie Fisher and Asia Argento were all intrigued with JT for a time), all while pretending to be a male former truckstop prostitute named JT Leroy who had penned two best-selling novels ("Sarah", "The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things").
Knoop's wide-eyed "did I really just do that?" take lends a poetic, fairy tale spin to the story, as she leads the reader through various landmark JT moments, most of which that trembled on the edge of farce (a surreal dinner date with Gus Van Sant) and fantasy (making love to Asia Argento). She poetically demonstrates how the fantasy of JT became so much a part of the Savannah reality, it became impossible to distinguish the two.
After New York magazine unveiled the hoax, the woman who actually wrote the books, Laura Albert (the ex of Savannah's half-brother), was sued by the film company that had bought the rights to "Sarah". (Albert has written for the show "Deadwood".)
Savannah, whose avant garde clothing line Tinc reflects her continuing fascination with gender boundaries, will be putting on a fashion show at the Linc gallery in San Francisco October 25, where she will showcase a padded underwear collection called Tranc.
Savannah Knoop reads from her book "Girl Boy Girl" at Book Soup, 8818 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood CA 90069, tonight (Tuesday October 7) at 7:00 p.m.

October 7, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 2, 2008

Belusso: Swimwear worth buying a yacht for

Club 55 in Saint Tropez is the "spiritual home" of Belusso, the glamorous swimwear collection founded by former fashion industry lawyer Kirsten Ehrig-Sarkisian. Adorned with 14 carat gold details and semi-precious gems, the silk bikinis and one-pieces are perfect for any St Bart's getaways you might have lined up...
Ehrig-Sarkisian, who is married to William Morris agent Keith Sarkisian, came up with the name of her line during a private tour of Steve McQueen's automobile collection, when she fell in love with the actor's vintage Lusso Berlinetta Ferrari. "Lusso" is the Italian word for "luxury", so she added the letters "bel" from the word "belezza"- Italian for beauty—and a resort line was born. 
Marilyn Heston, the fashion PR whiz (and offspring of the late Charlton Heston) is spreading the Belusso gospel around town. She swears the bikinis are flattering, even though they may look skimpy. "They hold everything up," she assured me. Eva Longoria, Mariah Carey, Audrina Partridge, Elizabeth Banks, Ali Larter, Brooke Burke, and Jade Jagger are among the jet-setty beach bums who agree.
Www.belusso.com, click here for a list of online stockists.

October 2, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 30, 2008

Girls dress up for their gay boyfriends at the Outfest Legacy Awards

The well-dressed hags almost outshone their gay boyfriends at Outfest's glittering Legacy Awards fundraiser last week, with Marisa Tomei (left) and Kristen Bell (center) looking sassy chic as they toasted the crème de la crème of gay Hollywood. Not to forget the night's host Bruce Vilanch, whose "Big Boned" t-shirt said it all.
Bruce Cohen (pictured, with Marisa Tomei) producer of the upcoming Gus Van Sant/Harvey Milk biopic "Milk", as well as "American Beauty" and TV's "Pushing Daisies", was thrilled to receive the night's top honor, handed to him by actor Ewan McGregor. "I kissed Ewan McGregor on the lips!" he gushed.
NBC co-chair Ben Silverman accepted an award on behalf of NBC-Universal, whose subsidiaries created LGBT landmarks "Will & Grace", "Brokeback Mountain," and "Far from Heaven". Silverman said he wished his mom, who is gay, could have been been at the awards with him.

September 30, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hourglass Cosmetics makeovers

Makeup junkies take note—Hourglass Cosmetics, a brand known for its stunning packaging and cutting-edge ingredients, will be offering free makeovers in California in the coming weeks.
The Hourglass Artistry Team will demonstrate new fall colors at Barneys in Los Angeles and San Francisco, and will invite participants to check out their new "Solar Tan", a patent-pending self-tanning primer formula created to hydrate the skin while helping you achieve a year-round bronze glow.
Hourglass Cosmetics was launched in 2003 by beauty biz whizkid Carisa Janes. Janes, who started out at Urban Decay and went on to launch a multitide of cosmetic brands (Body & Soul, Animalia), will be at the event in Beverly Hills.
Schedule an appointment for a one-on-one consultation with a member of the Hourglass team, or visit www.hourglasscosmetics.com to learn more about the line. (Their Color Link eyeshadow palette has always been a favorite.)
The San Francisco event takes place Saturday, October 4 from 10am-6pm at Barneys New York, 77 O’Farrell St., San Francisco, CA 94108. For details or to schedule an appointment, call 415 268 3540.
The Beverly Hills event takes place Saturday, October 11 from 10am-6pm at Barneys New York, 9570 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90212. For details or to schedule an appointment, call 310.276.4400, x 5598.

September 30, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 24, 2008

Solutions for the broken hearted

Alexis Smart, the flower remedy practitioner who counts Robert Plant, Crispin Glover, and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" director/producer Robert B. Weide among her devotees, has come up with a new blend—one specifically designed to mend a broken heart.
Smart's "Wholehearted"™ remedy is based on Dr. Bach Flower Remedies and was formulated to help the heartbroken get through those dark hours (or days, or weeks) following a break up or loss of someone close. The remedy, she says, "neutralizes shock and anguish, getting you off the emotional roller coaster and into a state of calm. It comforts feelings of abandonment, quiets obsessive thoughts and helps you to let go of the past and stop thinking about what could have been. If there is anger, resentment or jealousy, this formula can bring the relief of forgiveness."
Smart, who also counts "Grey's Anatomy" producer Kip Koenig and singers Victoria Williams and Becky Stark among her client base, decided to create the "Wholehearted" blend about six months ago, following what she describes as "an epidemic of dumpings" in L.A. "It was mainly women going through these break ups," she says, "and I realized a formula like this was really badly needed. You know how crazy you feel when you're brokenhearted, especially if you've been rejected? Sometimes it feels like there's no relief. This remedy helped cool them down immediately."
Smart, a former commercial actress who shot campaigns for Pepsi, IBM and Doritos with director Joe Pytka, has been working with Dr Bach Flower Remedies for five years. She's also studying homeopathy. "I'm a born skeptic," says Smart. "Then I started taking the remedies myself, and my life became split in to 'before Dr. Bach' and 'after Dr. Bach'. I couldn't believe how effective they were for me."
Alexis Smart's Wholehearted blend is $25.00 + $2.50 shipping. www.alexissmart.com

September 24, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 23, 2008

Oscar-winning hair and makeup secrets revealed

Do you see yourself standing on the Oscars podium one day, clutching your Best Makeup award and thanking your mother, God and Max Factor?
If so, then you might want to attend a three-evening seminar series called “Makeup Artists and Hairstylists: A Forum on Contemporary Technique” being held by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Sessions will be held on Thursdays, October 16, 23 and 30, from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Academy’s Linwood Dunn Theater in Hollywood.
"Beauty Makeup" is the topic of October 16's seminar, and will be moderated by Oscar winner Bill Corso (“Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events”), with Academy Award nominee Ronnie Specter (“Batman Returns”), Academy governor Leonard Engelman ("Moonstruck"), Morag Ross ("The Aviator") and Bob Mills ("Pretty Woman").
October 23 focuses on "Character and Special Makeup Effects", moderated by Engelman, with six-time Oscar winner Rick Baker ("Men In Black"), two-time Academy Award nominee Kazuhiro Tsuji ("Norbit"), two-time Oscar winner Greg Cannom ("A Beautiful Mind") and three-time Oscar winner Ve Neill ("Ed Wood").
October 30 is all about Hairstyling, and features Oscar winner Gail Ryan ("Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas"), two-time Oscar winner Yolanda Toussieng ("Ed Wood"), Roy Helland ("The Devil Wears Prada") and Kathy Blondell ("Cast Away"). 
Tickets for the entire “Makeup Artists and Hairstylists:  A Forum on Contemporary Technique” series will be available beginning September 25 at a cost of $30 for the general public and $20 for Academy members and students with valid ID.  Tickets may be purchased by mail, in person at the Academy during regular business hours or online at www.oscars.org/events.  Tickets for individual evenings, if available, will be $10 at the door.
The Academy’s Linwood Dunn Theater is located at 1313 Vine Street in Hollywood.  For more information, call (310) 247-3600.

September 23, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 22, 2008

Sophia Loren drag queen fooled Emmy party-goers

A drag queen who was the spitting image of Italian screen legend Sophia Loren fooled many guests at the Entertainment Tonight Emmy party with her convincing cleavage-and-glasses ensemble. The impersonator, who was accompanied by a less convincing Dolly Parton lookalike, was spotted wandering around Walt Disney Concert Hall where the post-Emmy bash was held. There were murmurs and double-takes among the crowd as she stood chit-chatting with "Dolly", watching Billy Idol perform.
Many were taken in by Loren's doppelganger, including one TV presenter who introduced herself to the drag queen as a huge fan. The fake Loren merely nodded and carried on walking.
A phone call to the PR firm that handled the party confirmed the truth: alas, the Sophia Loren we saw was not the real thing.
"We first saw her walking around First Street and Grand," said the publicist, who said she was concerned to see the septuagenarian icon hitting the pavement in downtown L.A. "Then we realized it wasn't her."
Other party-goers included the very real Brooke Shields, Amy Poehler, Kristin Chenoweth and the cast of "Mad Men", Larry Birkhead, Carrie Underwood and the whole "Entertainment Tonight" and "Insider" teams. The Stylephile chatted with "Desperate Housewives" costume designer Cate Adair, who had designed the one-of-a-kind $500,000 diamond and platinum clutch carried by Lara Spencer. We also said hello to L.A. fashion designer Kevan Hall, who had dressed Vanessa Williams that night, and Paula Abdul who was her usual agreeable self.
The Spanish tapas-style nibbles were by Joaquim Splichal's Patina Catering (major thumbs up to the paella and truffle butter mash). The 25lb gift bag, which contained vouchers for a weekend at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica, a month's membership at The Sports Club/LA and a Flip mini camcorder as well as countless other trinkets and fancies, was worth more over $1,000. "We're not getting taxed on this, are we?" asked one Endeavor agent. Let's hope not.

September 22, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

Emmys 2008: Red Rug Redux

Wall Street collapse, a security alert, and possibly the lowest ratings in Emmy history—such things were of minor import on the Nokia Theatre's red carpet Sunday, where the sartorial mood was decidedly bright and cheery.
That's not to say that there weren't any depressing hues at the 60th Annual Primetime Emmys—there were plenty (Glenn Close, Debra Messing, Nicolette Sheridan, Hayden Panettiere, America Ferrera and Kate Walsh all opted for drab-fab noir)—but the Black Widows lost out to the Ladies in Red, Emerald, Amethyst, Marigold and Plum, whose Technicolor gowns dazzled and shimmered in the afternoon sun.
(Click here and here to see Variety's photo coverage of the Emmys.)

The Stylephile's Emmy 2008 Style Awards:

Best Green Goddess: Christina Hendricks

"Mad Men's" Joan Holloway, aka 30-year-old actress Christina Hendricks, looked like the Wizard of Oz's concubine queen in this emerald Tadashi Shoji goddess gown, which the designer had created in green, just for her. "It's my perfect dream dress," gushed Hendricks, whose Rubenesque figure and heaving porcelain bosom pick up exactly where Ava Gardners' left off.






Best Princess Bride: Olivia Wilde

"House" star Olivia Wilde, 24, looks like a fairy tale princess bride in her pearly Reem Acra satin and chiffon cap-sleeve gown and Jimmy Choo heels—although she's more alterna than her sparkly red carpet attire would suggest. Wilde is married to boho L.A. filmmaker Tao Ruspoli, who is a member of LAFCO, a film and art collective that travels the country in a converted school bus. On the red carpet, Wilde was more interested in talking about her admiration for Hugh Laurie than her hubby's beatnik lifestyle. Working with Laurie "is a dream come true," she said. Winning the coveted Stylephile Princess Bride Award, Wilde beat off stiff competition from fellow fairy princesses Sandra Oh (named "most improved" by carpet commentator Lisa Rinna, thanks to her ruffled Oscar de la Renta gown), and Marcia Cross  (in nude Elie Saab Haute Couture gown, Rene Caovilla heels and Hearts on Fire diamonds).

Best Red Carpet Clash: Brooke Shields

Brooke Shields' fuchsia organza dress by Badgley Mischka was a showstopper when she was on stage presenting, but the dress' impact was muted on the carpet, where the red competed with Shields' pink. Shields, 43, who stars in "Lipstick Jungle" with Mary Tyler Moore playing her mom, said it was the first time she had been to the Emmys.







Best Yellow Fever: Teri Hatcher

Teri Hatcher, 43, and Mariska Hargitay, 44, both went for in-yer-face marigold yellow, a shade which is bound to catch the eye of the paparazzi, but is too loud to be truly stylish. Hatcher's dress was by Monique Lhullier, whom the actress described as "the nicest person, so sweet."








Best in Black: Kate Walsh

"Private Practice" actress Kate Walsh, 40, was East Coast sassy in black Zuhair Murad. "Dont mess with the Zuhair," deadpanned Walsh, who was bedecked with Neil Lane diamond-and platinum jewelry worth $1million. "Private Practice" premieres October 1.









Best Flowerchild-Meets-Xena-in-a-Texan-Whorehouse: Phoebe Price

Professional nobody Phoebe Price, age unclear, understands the value of worst-dressed lists—they're better than no list at all. With that in mind, Price went totally bananas in a lacy red see-through gown (designer unknown—and it's probably better that way), red floral headband and red panties, creating a look better suited to the AVN Porn Awards than the Emmys rug. With this colossal mistake of an ensemble, Pee-Pee—described as a "trainwreck-famewhore" by TMZ—is headed straight for the 2008 Fug pile.

September 22, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 18, 2008

L.A. Fashion Awards postponed

The 2008 L.A. Fashion Awards, the finale of L.A. Fashion Week since 2005, have been put on ice after organizers were unable to secure the sponsorship necessary to cover production costs. "Rather than produce a sub-par event, the program is on hold," said Jen Uner, the event's helmswoman. Traditionally held at LA's Orpheum theatre, a venue perhaps oversized for the fledgling event, the awards were set to be scaled down this year anyhow, with Uner saying a "smaller, more refined invitation-only event" had been in the works for 2008.
Now it looks as though the awards may skip 2008 entirely, with organizers saying they are "hopeful for 2009".
Even in the context of the economic decline, it's not clear what this says about L.A. Fashion Week, which has struggled with its "Runt of the Fashion Week Litter" image for several years.
However, not having a Fashion Awards ceremony doesn't mean there's nothing to celebrate in the L.A. fashion scene, or should I say, fashion retail scene, this year. In 2008, the city enjoyed the opening of the Alexander McQueen store, a Comme des Garcons 'guerilla' store in Downtown, a new Ralph Lauren store for Melrose Place and the continuing growth of its famed Robertson Blvd. shopping scene. And let's not forget the showbiz awards—the Oscars, Emmys and Golden Globes red carpets, with their camera-ready diamonds and flowing goddess gowns, continue to have the eye of the world.
Let's see what 2009 brings.

September 18, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

Anya Sarre's Emmy beauty: What all starlets should know

Red carpet stylist and "Entertainment Tonight" fashionista Anya Sarre has been dressing and beautifying stars for the Emmys for six years. "During the Emmys I'd estimate there are around 20 crises per day," says Sarre, explaining how red carpet styling, despite the common perception that it's a lesser art than costume design or magazine fashion styling, is an intricate and demanding science unto itself. In fact to her, and to the stars that hire her, red carpet beauty is an issue of serious gravity, one that can make and break careers in a town where image=everything.
Sarre, who is styling Mary Hart, Pat O'Brien and many others for Sunday's Emmys, knows all the tricks, from strategic spray tanning (to create the illusion of sculpted muscles), to portable teeth whitening pens (which brighten smiles after a glass of post-Emmy Pinot).
Are you taking notes, starlets?

Suddenly Slimmer Body Wraps
Talk about instant gratification—you'll lose anything from 6 to 12 inches per hour-long session, as the all-natural mineral wraps draw toxins from your body
Colonics at the Beverly Hills Wellness Center
The secret to glowing skin.
Water Pills
Water pills are diuretics that will eliminate bloating, fast. You can get them through a friendly doctor. Or you can try over the counter brands like Aqua Ban.
Shape Wear by Dr Rey, aka Dr 90210.
Bye bye bulges. "It's like armor," says Sarre.
Portofino Spray Tanning at your home
"For $300, they will come to you house and spray you there," says Sarre. And they even know how to draw in definition, giving the illusion of toned muscles. And they'll customize the color so you won't ever look Valentino orange.
Endermologie anti-cellulite massage
"They literally massage the fat out," says Sarre. "It's amazing."
Glycolic peels
Ask your favorite facialist for one, ahead of time of course. Raw red skin is never a good look on the red carpet.
RevitaLash conditioning eyelash treatment
Created by a doctor whose wife lost her hair following chemotherapy, this product "literally makes your eyelashes grow," says Sarre, fluttering her own, insanely long, natural eyelashes at me. She has her clients start using it a month before they step foot on the red carpet.
Botox
Go figure.
BriteSmile To Go
These handy teeth-whitening pens have a time-release formula that helps keep starlets' smile pearly, even after gallons of red wine. 
Sassynips by Sassybax 
These gel nipple covers ensure your boobies will remain PG even if your dress demands no bra.
Scott Barnes' Platinum Body bling
Shimmering body lotion.

And let's not forget:

Shoes
"Never wear a closed toe on the red carpet," says Sarre. "Ankle straps are a no too, as they will make your legs look stubby." She recommends a nude peep-toe.
Faux diamonds
"Why not. I love 'em."
Nails
For red carpet, they should be neutral: light pink or buff. "Otherwise viewers' eyes will go straight to the nails."
Fragrance
Sarre advises her stars to keep a fragrance in their purse for those chance red carpet encounters with George Clooney. "I always have 'Child by Ron Robinson'," says Sarre.

The 60th Primetime Emmys take place this Sunday.

September 18, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 16, 2008

Sexy beast: Strange Invisible Perfumes' "Musc Botanique"

Feral and somewhat pungent on the initial spray, Strange Invisible Perfume's new unisex Musc Botanique fragrance does mellow out, evolving over time from libidinous alley cat to distinguished Siamese.
Launched in 2000 by Alexandra Balahoutis (stepdaughter of producer Jerry Bruckheimer), Strange Invisible Perfumes is known for its refined yet unusual scents—and this latest launch is no exception.
Created entirely from flower and plant essences (no synthetic deer aroma here), Musc Botanique (7.5 ml Parfum is $185 and 50 ml Eau de Parfum is $135) features notes of geranium, white amber, angelica and frankincense. Wearers are encouraged to layer it with other perfumes.
I found the frankincense a little overwhelming—but then I like my scents powdery and boudoirish. My friends who are a little less girly than me were impressed with Musc Botanique's subtly animalistic effect, however.
Growl.
Strange Invisible Perfumes is celebrating the launch of Musc Botanique at Turpan, in Brentwood, CA on Thursday, September 18th from 5-8pm. You're invited. Turpan, Brentwood Country Mart, 225 26th Street, at San Vicente Boulevard, Santa Monica (310-451-9500)

 
 

 

September 16, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 12, 2008

Facials and Lingerie for the ladies of Silverlake

This just in, from the marvellous Body Bar Urban Day Spa in Silverlake:

Urban Day Spa Party featuring Bittersweet Butterfly’s Fall Lingerie Collection

"On Wednesday September 17th Body Bar will be giving mini facials for $30 and free mini makeovers from their cutting edge skin care line True. We’ll be showing our new collections from around the world including Mimi Holiday, Myla, and Stella McCartney. If you purchase a lingerie set at the event you will receive a FREE Stella McCartney Day of the Week Embroidered Panty. Wine and cheese will also be served."

Wednesday September 17, 7pm-9pm, 3037 Sunset Blvd, Silverlake, CA 90026. Tel: 323 663 1533
www.bodybarspa.com

September 12, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 9, 2008

MTV VMAs: The awards cermony that style forgot

The MTV VMAs descended deep in to Machiavellian farce with Britney sweeping the boards as part of a clearly manufactured "come-back"...and don't even get me started on the hair.
While last year's VMAs saw Britney ridiculed for her lackluster performance and poor parenting skills, this year, the VMA Gods decided it was time for the underdog to win. Pfff.
"If there was a female Christ, it's Britney," prattled Russell Brand, the British comedian host. Um, no.
Spears, a 16 times VMA nominee before winning three awards Sunday night, predictably thanked "God, first and foremost, for just blessing me like this". We think she should thank her agent and the puppet masters at MTV.
Most of the artists who were lauded at last night's VMA specialize in terrible M.O.R. pop music, but still--the whole tasteless affair could have been rescued from the depths of pointlessness had there at least been some good style in the house.
Denied!
While there were some decent looking gowns on the red carpet, the majority were teamed with embarrassingly bad "Extreme Mermaid" hair dos.
Britney herself, wearing Versace, looked like a mentally-deficient Rapunzel. Christina Aguilera aged herself 20 years with harsh peroxide bangs. Lindsay Lohan pulled off a convincing Carmen Electra impression, with long Playboy Mansion honey blond extensions (her House of Holland dress was passable). And what was up with Ashley Tisdale's "Knott's Landing" soccer mom 'do? Way too much volume at the crown, girl!
What's most troubling is that these images are beamed to impressionable young teenagers around the world. Hollywood, is this really the best you can do?

September 9, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 27, 2008

Albert Hammond Jr., your friendly tailor

Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. is launching a line of tailored men's suits set to drop at Confederacy, the soon-to-be-opened Hollywood Blvd. boutique of his friend, celebrity stylist and art brat Ilaria Urbinati.

Hammond, who recently became engaged to British model Agyness Deyn, says he's targeting guys who'd rather get something tailored than "go to Men’s Wearhouse, pay the same amount, and look like an out-of-date parent.”
Urbinati, who has styled the cast of The L Word (see her work here) and who co-launched L.A. fashion hubs Milk and Satine, co-designed the line with Hammond.

Confederacy, which Urbinati is opening with actor Danny Masterson (Masterson will curate a gallery space within the store), opens its doors in mid September and will carry high fashion/hipster threads from Azzedine Alaïa, Band of Outsiders and many more.

Confederacy will be at 4661 Hollywood Boulevard., Los Angeles, CA 90027.

August 27, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 24, 2008

Totally OTT designer dining experience

Interior designer David Rockwell, fashion designer Vivienne Tam and Preston Lee of "Top Design" are among the luminaries creating "totally over the top" dining environments as part of Dining By Design Los Angeles, a glittering AIDS fundraiser that is moving from New York to L.A. next month.
Tickets are still available for the event, which is organized by DIFFA (Design Industries Foundation) and takes place at the L.A. Mart Design Center Saturday, September 13 through Monday, September 15.
The event will be chaired by Barclay Butera, who will also be designing a table.
Each designer will receive a dining space measuring 11’ x 11’ within which the creative possibilities are endless; the only requirement is that each table accommodate at least ten dinner guests. The tables will be open for the public to view on Sunday afternoon during the Table Hop & Taste ($45 contribution per person to benefit DIFFA) where guests will sample selections from Los Angeles restaurants including Comme Ca, Paperfish, Homegirl Café & Catering and Wilshire.
Guests at the gala dinner on Monday, September 15 will dine within the design installations (tickets are $500 per person to benefit DIFFA).
For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.diffa.org or call 310-860-1300.

August 24, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 21, 2008

Hollywood's "barely there" make-up master Paul Starr found dead

Make-up artist Paul Starr, who was found dead at his L.A. home yesterday, had created some of our favorite "barely there" editorial looks, amping up Hollywood's glamour with measured, masterful brush strokes.
Take a look at this magazine spread of a "Girl Interrupted"-era Angelina Jolie, in which the au naturel makeup enhances Jolie's natural beauty, while allowing it to speak for itself.
Inspired by the faces of silent movie era actresses, Starr claimed to be able to entirely resculpt a woman's face, just with foundation. Even the biggest divas of all, Boy George and Marilyn Manson, trusted him to do their makeup.
His book, "Paul Starr on Beauty", featured 30 interviews with some of Starr's biggest clients, including Iman, Diane Lane, and Michelle Pfeiffer. (The book is temporaraily out of stock on Amazon, but can be ordered here here.)
Click here to see Starr's breathtaking work in Madonna's "Bedtime Stories" music video (and marvel at just how much Madonna borrows from Bjork's sound and aesthetic).

August 21, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 19, 2008

"Righteous Kill" promo campaign's Skid Row headquarters

An edgy fashion space in L.A.'s Skid Row was transformed into a gangsta's paradise, plastered in images of Al Pacino and Robert de Niro, as part of the promo campaign for their upcoming cop thriller “Righteous Kill”.

Wannabe wise guys lined up around the block to check out the space, which belongs to legendary grafitti artist Mister Cartoon, his right hand man, photographer Estevan Oriol, and streetwear brand Upper Playground.
Mister Cartoon and Oriol created the poster artwork for the movie. No sign of De Niro or Pacino themselves...

The space, which was named exclusive promotional headquarters for “Righteous Kill”, features a poster wall of all of De Niro and Pacino’s films, and plasma screens throughout the room showcasing Oriol and Cartoon’s favorite scenes from Pacino and De Niro’s film repertoire. Danny Trejo, Clifton Collins Jr., Jacob Vargas, DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill, Rohan Marley, and Latin hip-hop artist Malverde were at the opening late last week.

Upper Playground has created limited edition “Righteous Kill” apparel that will be distributed to "key influencers", (marketing speak for hip hop/street art hipsters with tats).

The Righteous Kill Space is open to the public until September 15, 2008, Tuesday–Saturday from Noon–8 p.m. 131 East 6th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90014. The film will be released in theaters on September 12, 2008. View the film trailer here.

August 19, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 13, 2008

Sam Ronson at Whiskey Blue

Samantha Ronson, one half of the most high-profile gay couple since Ellen and Portia, will be spinning vinyl next Thursday August 21 at the W hotel in Westwood, Los Angeles. The night, called Vinyl Vixens, takes place at the hotel's Whiskey Blue bar.

Complimentary LUCID Absinthe Cocktails will be served from 9pm–10pm, ensuring a high probability of drunken bi-curious BFF make-outs on the dance floor.

We're almost certain DJ Ronson won't be playing Katy Perry's barf-inducing number 1 hit, "I Kissed A Girl".

The event is open to the public, RSVP to ghwang@thinkpublicrelations.com.

August 13, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 7, 2008

Johnny Wright: hair guru, therapist, BFF

Johnny Wright is your hair guru, therapist, and BFF rolled into one.
One of the star stylists at the Frederic Fekkai salon in L.A.'s Melrose Place, Wright is exceptionally intuitive, so don't be surprised if you find yourself engaged in a conversation that ventures way beyond the usual hairdresser/client banter.
Wise beyond his 31 years, Wright is candid about his own life ("I can't wear the same pair of socks twice," he sighed), and genuinely interested in yours. When I confessed my darkest woes, he prescribed the kind of no-nonsense, Mother Hen advice that usually costs $100 bucks an hour at the shrink's office. In fact, he's like Oprah with scissors (he's an aspiring talk show host himself, with a pilot under his belt.)
And then I looked in the mirror—while Johnny had been helping me figure out my life, he'd also worked some kind of voodoo on my hair, subtly shaping my bobbed style, trimming my bangs and flat-ironing me with Victoria Beckham-like precision. I looked great.
"Um...how did you do that?" I marveled.
"Honey, I've been doing this a long time," he shrugged.
Born and raised in Chicago, Johnny began crafting his styling skills at an early age. His grandmother was first to spot Johnny’s fascination with hair, when he was just three. “She knew I was going to be a hair stylist,” he says. "I was always there with a comb in my hand. It was a spiritual thing, and she recognized my passion."
A former creative director at L'Oreal, Wright was brought from Chicago to L.A. by Fekkai. Stationed at their Melrose Place salon since it opened, he's especially reknowned for his expert bang-shaping skills.
His celebrity clientele includes Anita Baker, Vivica A. Fox, and Vanessa Williams, and the A-List has been known to fly him all over the world just for a quick trim and flatiron—served with a generous helping of chicken soup for the soul, no doubt.
To book an appointment with Johnny Wright, call the salon at 323 655 7800. Www.fredericfekkai.com

August 7, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 28, 2008

Opening Ceremony's Olympic all-nighter

Opening Ceremony will celebrate the 8.8.08 Olympic Summer Games by keeping its New York and L.A. boutiques open 24 hours a day for the entirety of the opening weekend, opening a shop-in-shop named Souvenir selling limited edition Opening Ceremony 2008 items and exclusive Nike Sportswear products.
The event lasts for 72 hours during which time customers are invited to watch the Olympic games on TV, shop at Souvenir, and participate in a “3am Scrabble Hour” or “7am Breakfast for Champions.”
The Air Max 1, Nike’s first sneaker to offer visible Nike Air technology in the sole and originally released in 1987, will be available in very limited quantities in two colors (gold and silver metallic), stocked solely at Opening Ceremony. 
Also on sale will be Opening Ceremony 2008-branded items such as key chains, coin holders, towels, hats, and umbrellas, plus very limited edition jewelry items from Philip Crangi, and charm bracelets by Fallon.
Opening Ceremony was founded in September of 2002 in New York by Carol Lim and Humberto Leon with the idea of bringing their love of travel and fashion to a single concept boutique. 
Opening Ceremony has stores at 35 Howard St., New York, NY 10013 (212-219-2688) and at 451 North La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, California 90048 (310 652 1120). Visit openingceremony.us

July 28, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 23, 2008

Tarina Tarantino Barbie doll launch

It's every little girl's dream to have a Barbie doll that looks just like them. Jewelry designer Tarina Tarantino saw her dream come true last week, with the launch of Mattel's Tarina Tarantino Collector Series Barbie Doll, a princessy dolly in her very own, pink-haired likeness.
Fellow fuschia-haired diva Audrey Kitching (online scene queen with armies of teenage followers and former girlfriend of Panic! At the Disco's Brendon Urie) was at the launch party, held at Tarina's store in West Hollywood. Kitching is pictured above, with her Ken, fellow "scene king", author Clint Catalyst. WWE star Maryce was there, styled by fashion designer Jared Gold, and looking just like a chic blonde 1950s Barbie. (Maryce is pictured with Tarina Tarantino)
The Tarina Tarantino Collector Series Barbie Doll is $82, purchase here.

July 23, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

Miss KK's bell sleeves

Miss KK is an L.A.-based designer whose elvish, vintage-inspired designs are much adored by artsy pixies across town.
As well as fairy dresses, peacock feather necklaces and wide-shouldered bolero-style jackets,  Miss KK  (otherwise known as Kristine Karnaky) has created a delightful range of bell sleeve shirts that have just hit the stores. (The model in these photos is A. Huizenga, from art-synth band Hard Place.)
When she's not stitching up a storm for her boho buddies or creating costumes for film and television, Miss KK is helping out at Doris Raymond's legendary vintage couture store, "The Way We Wore".
You can buy her designs at Show Pony (1543 Echo Park Ave., CA 90026), Madley (1227 Abbot Kinney Blvd., CA 90291), Scout LA (7920 W. 3rd St., CA 90048) or at www.MissKK.com.

July 23, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 22, 2008

Smoke&Mirrors sample sale

Smoke & Mirrors, the fashion-forward label run by current "Project Runway" contender Emily Brandle, is holding a sample sale Saturday July 26th from 12 to 5PM. Expect plenty of bold prints, bright colors and luxurious textures (visit the Smoke & Mirrors website to get an idea), all at heavy discounts.
Also on sale will be handbags by CoCo Blanco and belts by Harteau. Not to be missed!
Brandle grew up in Sacramento, California and studied at the Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles, where she met Michelle Chaplin, with whom she would later co-found Smoke & Mirrors.
No word on whether Tim Gunn will be at the sale...
The sale takes place in Hollywood, call 323 658 8700 or email cristina@emgpr.com for full details.

July 22, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 21, 2008

Body Bar: an urban oasis on L.A.'s Eastside

It's what Angelenos on the Eastside of town have been craving for so long—a full-service pampering palace that won't involve you getting on a freeway.
Situated behind a pea-green Art Deco facade on Sunset Blvd. on the borders of Silverlake and Echo Park, The Body Bar offers a tempting range of restorative facials, microdermabrasion, massages, waxes, tub treatments and peels, for the lone ranger, for expectant moms and for couples.
Upon arrival you'll be offered a glass of wine and ushered through to the chill room, where lights are dimmed and you can snack on organic treats before your treatment starts.
I tried out the Body Bar Signature Facial, with a lactic peel. I'm peel-phobic, so this was a breakthrough for me. But I felt very safe in the hands of Body Bar aesthetician René Rutledge. She started by cleansing my skin using a Clairisonic brush, which is kind of like an electric toothbrush for the face. Then she applied a light papaya and pineapple exfoliating enzyme mask, followed by the very light lactic acid peel. Derived from sour milk, it is much milder on the skin than chemical peels and tingled only a little—but brought a whole lotta gunk to the surface.
She followed with the usual extractions and then used orange peel essential oils under a collagen-infused mask, to help heal my skin. Then she dusted off with a little mineral face powder, so I didn't have to step out in the world looking all greasy and post-facial. She used Body Bar's signature line of products for much of the facial, and I have to tell ya—my skin is smoother than a baby's behind.
You might also want to try their Volcanic Soak Bath, using pure volcanic ash to replace minerals, and their Seaweed-Infused Toning Treatment for the body, perfect for dry, undernourished skin that lacks tone. And we hear that their massage therapist Rubin has magic hands...
Body Bar Urban Spa, 3037 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90026. Tel: 323 684 7546.
www.bodybarspa.com

July 21, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 17, 2008

Just for men: ISHI 1451 Jewelry

25-year-old Ishi Glinsky started designing jewelry two years ago, partly in frustration at the lack of interesting accessory pieces for men. He started with necklaces, suspenders and wallet chains made from found objects, anything from street sweeper bristles, to dilapidated metals, nuts, and bolts. Today, he uses more conventional beading and coral pieces with antique objects such as preserved alligator claws and fossilized walrus tusks carved into detailed objets d'art.
Especially striking are his oversized necklaces, made from older chains, locks and antiques (currently on view as part of an art installation at the BPMW showroom at the Cooper Building in downtown L.A.).
"I approach each piece more as a collage than with a jeweler's mind," says Glinsky, who named his line 1451 because when turned upside down, the numerals it resembles the spelling of his first name. He is inspired by Dadaism and old photos of Native American tribes around the turn of the 20th century. "In older photographs, the beauty of their traditional tribal wear was beginning to be consumed by modernity."
You can buy his wares at Front St. 1124 Glendale Blvd, LA CA 90026. Large pieces are on display and available for purchase at BPMW Showroom, 860 Los Angeles St, CA 90024.
www.onefourfiveone.com

July 17, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

Three great sales in L.A.

Meghan Sample Sale

Expect show-stopping prints, flowing silk silhouettes and lots of savings at the Meghan Fabulous sample sale this weekend in Los Angeles. A celebrity favorite—Shakira (pictured) wore Meghan’s “Lulu Couture” gown for a Harper’s shoot—the label is offering a $20 rack and up to 50%-80% off retail prices.
The sale runs Friday July 18 through Sunday July 20 and is located at 1406 S. Main St., 2nd Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90015.  Cash and credit cards only. Click here for times.

Melrose Place savings

Starting today, July 17, Nancy Davis (daughter of Beverly Hills socialite Barbara Davis and tycoon Marvin Davis), and the Melrose Place District are teaming up to present the first-ever Race to Erase MS “Orange Pass” Shopping Benefit. The “Orange Pass” can be purchased for $75 with 100% of the proceeds going directly towards Multiple Sclerosis research. It entitles the bearer to a range of discounts at Melrose Place gems including: Frederic Fekkai, Kate Somerville, Santa Maria Novella, Carolina Herrera, Diane Von Furstenberg, Diesel, Lambertson Truex, MAX&Co., Mulberry, Sergio Rossi, Mary Norton, Republic, Comme Ca, Dolce Enoteca e Ristorante, and Kumo.
The “Orange Pass” will be valid from July 17-25, 2008. Go to www.erasems.org/orangepass for more info and to purchase a pass.

happy LA sale

happy LA, a Pacific Palisades boutique opened by Ellen de Generes' former personal stylist and a former “Sex And The City” production coordinator, is marking its first anniversary with a sale bound to make you happy. The "happy LA anniversary hour" will feature 20% off new fall looks from Falls, Hudson, Madison Marcus, Original Penguin and Scoop Beach. Plus 25-50% off summer styles from Genetic Denim, Mike & Chris, JET and Raven Tailored. Drinks and hors d'oeuvres from The Oak Room, and personal styling from owners Dawn Baker and Lori Bzura.
The sale starts Thursday, July 24 at 5PM. Call the store for more details, 310 459-5511. 542 1/2 Palisades Drive, Pacific Palisades. www.happy-la.com 

July 17, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 10, 2008

Jason Biggs and Jenny Mollen-Biggs' golf gatherings

"American Pie" actor Jason Biggs and his wife, actress and artist Jenny Mollen-Biggs are hosting Hollywood's least Hollywoodish gatherings each Wednesday night. Held at a mini-golf course in the hills above L.A., the parties celebrate the culture of all things golf-related, with golf attire encouraged and outdoor screenings of "Caddyshack" promised each and every week.
Organized with local art gallery ghettogloss, the soirees started two weeks ago and look set continue through the summer. "So far we have gotten a really unique crowd," said Mollen-Biggs speaking on the phone from Whole Foods, where she and Jason were shopping for bacon-flavored chocolate ahead of their wedding ceremony in Napa this weekend. "We get super artsy types, and actor-types, and Asian golfers and zookeepers. Seriously—we've taken over."
Twilight at the Club takes place each Wednesday from 7pm to 11pm. You must arrive no later than 10pm. Bring your clubs. Here for details.

July 10, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 6, 2008

Have your own reality show for $2500

What's more obnoxious than an SLR-brandishing, cargo-pant-wearing tourist family in Beverly Hills? An SLR-brandishing, cargo-pant-wearing tourist family in Beverly Hills with its own camera crew.
Guests at the Peninsula Hotel can grab their 15 minutes of fame for a mere $2,500, which will buy them and their tribe a full day with an Emmy-nominated producer (times must be hard) and his crew. The team will follow guests around as they sightsee, shop, relax by the pool, and generally behave like the stars of their own reality show. The footage will then be edited in to a professional-quality DVD that can then be taken home to torture future generations with.
It's all part of the hotel's "Academy" program, which aims to give Peninsula guests a flavor of the true Beverly Hills lifestyle. I noticed there were no "Be Mean To Your Spanish-Speaking Nanny", "Botch Your Botox", or "Join AA" options, which would have added fuller authenticity to the program. Although you can book a session with Hollywood voice coach Bob Corff, who taught Jake Gyllenhaal (pictured) to sound like a cowboy in “Brokeback Mountain”.
"Enis you son of a whoresunbitch! I wish I knew how to quit you!"
Cool!
Peninsula Academy reservations are subject to availability and advanced booking is recommended.
Contact the Peninsula Beverly Hills Hotel Concierge for details. 310-551-2888 or
pbh@peninsula.com

July 6, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 3, 2008

You can learn a lot of things from the flowers

Flowers are pretty and all that, but aren't they so much cooler when they have thoughts and personalities and...teeth?
Los Angeles fine artist Tiffany Liu is totally on message with this, and has created a world of sentient and somewhat creepy floral beings, the likes of which we haven't seen since Disney's 1951 classic "Alice in Wonderland", "The Day of the Triffids" or even "The Little Shop of Horrors".
Step into Tiffany Liu's cartoon world in a double solo exhibition at the Corey Helford Gallery in Culver City, where she will be showing alongside New York’s M. Mararian. Opens July 19, click here for address.
www.tiffanyliu.com.

July 3, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 1, 2008

Project Runway's Jay McCarroll and his new doc

Project Runway fans will totally geek out over "Eleven Minutes", an hour-long feature documentary that reveals what happens after the reality TV cameras stop rolling. Focusing on season one winner/fashion bitch Jay McCarroll and the genesis of his post-Runway clothing line, the movie (being screened as part of this month's L.A. Outfest) has already been dubbed "a terrifying intro to the fashion industry", and "Project Runway on crack".
In the spirit of all good reality TV, it shows the gradual unraveling of Mr. McCarroll as he learns important lessons from almighty fashion PR and non-mincer-of-words Kelly Cutrone ("buyers don’t buy a first collection"), and comes to terms with his non-existent sex life. "My gay butt hasn’t seen much action lately,” he tells a reporter. "I've been stuck behind a sewing machine."
We're so in!
Eleven Minutes is being screened at L.A. Outfest on Wed, July 16 @ 8:30pm at the Ford Amphitheatre. Visit Outfest.org to buy tickets.

July 1, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 24, 2008

"Forgive Me" kids' tees by Mark Mahoney

If you're parent to a troublesome toddler, you should  should consider investing in one of these adorable Baby Eggi tees, designed by L.A. tattoo superstar Mark Mahoney.
Bearing the words "Forgive me, for I know not what I do" this tee is so damn cute, it acts as an instant Get Out Of Jail Free card for even the feistiest of  infants —even if he has just projectile-vomited over all your friends in a fancy cafe (true story) or stabbed the FedEx guy in the eye with an action figure (true story).
The line was co-founded by Jennifer Ahn, who oversees Martin Scorsese’s film preservation society. She commissioned L.A. tattoo guru Mark Mahoney (who has inked Johnny Depp and Drew Barrymore) to create baby-friendly designs for the tees. 20% of all net proceeds go to non-profit organizations benefiting children (customers have the option to select from different charities at check out).
And they're only $18. Visit www.babyeggi.com for more information.

June 24, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 19, 2008

Giveaway, and cute couple alert: Bishop of Seventh

When Chachi Prasad and his wife Karam Kim launched their premium denim line, they named it Bishop of Seventh, in honor of the place their cut their teeth in the fashion industry—namely New York’s Seventh Avenue. Then they packed their bags for L.A.
“We wanted to be around all the big boys in Los Angeles,” says Prasad, referring to major denim brands—J Brand, Seven for all Mankind, Rock and Republic, Paige Premium and others—which are mainly based in L.A., America’s denim capital.
Prasad and his wife had spent their careers on Seventh Avenue, working as designers for high-fashion brands like Calvin Klein, Oscar de la Renta, Donna Karan and Michael Kors. Overnight, they found themselves in the wash houses and denim mills of Downtown L.A., coming up with their own, innovative denim treatments in an already competitive jeans market. “We weren’t really denim people before we started out, so it helped that there was a bunch of chemical engineers in my family,” says Prasad. “That gave me some cool ideas.”
They experimented, putting golf balls and pennies in dryers, and coming up with ways to soften their fabrics with minimal use of chemicals. This was around 2005, at the peak of the premium denim game. Prasad went against the grain, favoring raw, tailored denims and clean rinses rather than the embellished, super-distressed looks that were en vogue at the time. “I felt like we were ahead of our time,’ said Prasad, and he’s right—look around today and it’s all about raw denim, tailoring and minimalism.
Sensing that the premium denim explosion was about to plateau, Bishop decided to expand its focus and throw trousers into the mix (Seven For All Mankind, Joe’s Jeans and Paige Premium Denim have since all launched trouser lines). BofS trousers are engineered, with a twisted seam to elongate the leg and a rayon yarn that “wraps around a woman’s body really well,” says Prasad (He sent me a pair and yes, they do add an inch or two to my tiny frame). “Our trousers have a great price point too," points out Prasad, "especially compared with an Armani trouser for example."
Bishop of Seventh donates a portion of all profits to the charity Earth Rights International, which watches over human rights and environmental abuse by major corporations. (Earth Rights is currently pursuing Chevron for apparently hiring paramilitaries in Burma to oust people from their villages to make way for a pipeline). And for extra feel-good factor, their 35th Street Jean was actually blessed by a monk at a Tibetan Temple in Long Beach (where Prasad and his wife were married). “He performed a ceremony that was 30 minutes long, blessing the jeans for health, happiness and prosperity. Then he told us that we have a good, long journey ahead of us with this company. And so we keep going forward.”
Bishop of Seventh is gifting one Stylephile reader a pair of its 7th Ave jeans in Carbon Grey, plus a Christopher trouser in Black Gabardine (with a combined retail value of around $420).
To win, tell us what your favorite charity is, and why. Most compelling response wins! Leave your answers in the comments section of the post, being sure to include your email address so we can reach you. Deadline is Wednesday June 25, at 5PM.

June 19, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 18, 2008

The Great Los Angeles Brainwash

There was a rumor going around the Mr Brainwash private preview in Hollywood last night that the whole thing was, in fact, a hoax.
"Someone told me this is all a big joke," said my informant in hushed tones. "We're all being filmed, and then in a week they'll reveal that Mr Brainwash isn't who he says he is, and everyone will know just how stupid L.A. is for falling for it."
This was whispered to me as I hovered around a graffiti'd urinal, à la Duchamp, just one of many jarringly literal interpretations on display in the former CBS studio on Sunset Blvd.
Whatever the truth, Mr Brainwash is definitely real, at least: he's Thierry Guetta, a French filmmaker who became so obsessed with the street artists he was filming, he decided to become one himself, wheat-pasting stretches of L.A.'s La Brea corridor with black and white Banksy-style stencils.
And if Guetta is indeed out to insult test L.A.'s intelligence, then he's doing an audacious job of it—in this super-sized solo show, his first ever, Mr Brainwash manages to rip off pretty much every important artist of the last 500 years. The DuChamp urinal, the Van Gogh self portrait and a whole series of Warhol Marilyns, all tweaked, ad-busted and given the Brainwash treatment. (The only thing he hasn't re-worked, as far as I could tell, was the Mona Lisa.)
But that's not to say there weren't any original ideas inside this cavern of re-purposed greatness.
His larger installations were, for example, very striking--former editing bays filled with books and taped off, graffiti'd with the words "not finish"; a dog sculpture made from old telephones; a 15 feet high take-out bag, complete with receipt taped to the side; and a 30 foot high robot built entirely from (working) vintage TVs. "Look, that's totally L.A.," said a friend, pointing to a cage filled with film reels and car tires. She was right.
I asked Roger Gastman, publisher of street art magazine "Swindle", whether he thought the Mr Brainwash thing was an elaborate J.T. Leroy-esque hoax. "Um, no, I don't think so," he shrugged. "I mean, he exists. He's outside right now, riding a tricycle with a cast on his leg."
The next morning I asked Shepard Fairey, arguably the best-known graffiti artist in America, his thoughts on the conspiracy theory. "He's not a hoaxer," said Fairey. "He is, however, crazy."
Go see for yourselves.
Mr Brainwash, "Life Is Beautiful" continues through Sunday, June 22. At 6121 W Sunset Blvd @ El Centro, Hollywood, CA, 90028. Click here for opening hours.

June 18, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

Eurotrash invades L.A.

Growing up in London, I learned all my values from a TV show called Eurotrash.
Hosted by Jean Paul Gaultier and the deadpan Antoine de Caunes, it dragged its viewers through the silliest, most bizarro European subcultures imagineable—against a high fashion backdrop, bien sur.
The first season, which aired in 1993, featured appearances by fashion industry icons Ellen Von Unwerth, Helena Christensen, Pierre et Gilles, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Giorgio Armani, punctuated by segments about pubic hairdressing, Alpine Hells Angels, S&M restaurants and nude golf.
I ran into Eurotrash's host, Antoine de Caunes (pictured), last week at a party at the Houdini Mansion in L.A., where around 200 guests were celebrating the birthday of flame-haired L.A. scenester and professional fag hag Lenora Claire. (pictured)
De Caunes was being followed around by a production crew from French network Canal Plus, which is filming a five-part series about American contemporary culture, scheduled to air around election time. The bodacious Lenora Claire and her friends were deemed just the right kind of sexy for the French, and she was selected to be L.A.'s representative for the night. The suited De Caunes was completely re-styled for the camera by Lenora's friend, fashionista and writer Clint Catalyst, so he could fit in with the exotic birds around him. De Caunes ended up looking like a cross between Boy George and a Thomspon Twin, with an assymetrical curly wig, airbrushed makeup and embroidered Jared Gold suit jacket.
"I miss Lolo," lamented de Caunes, when I ran in to him in the bathroom, getting his lipgloss touched up. He was referring to the late French porn star Lolo Ferrari, who had the largest breasts in the world (71 inches), and was a Eurotrash regular. "She was very, very sweet."
Also hanging around were James St. James (former Michael "Party Monster" Alig co-hort), Heatherette designer Richie Rich and impresario Kim Fowley (pictured, in yellow, who formed The Runaways with Joan Jett and Sandy West). Fowley, who looked like a cross between John Waters and Frankenstein's monster, wasted no time in getting to know me—upon being introduced to me, his first question was "tell me about the inside of your c**t. Do you f*** girls or boys? Are you a top or a bottom?" Goodness!
I told him all he neded to know, naturally...

June 18, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

Obama prefers Hope

Fairey put 700 posters in to production, 350 of which would go on the street, bearing the words "Progress" or "Hope". When they sold out he made 10,000 more, and shortly before beginning his second production run, he heard word from Obama's people again—they loved 'Hope', and felt that was the best message for Fairey to pursue.
Fairey's next batch of posters was all ‘Hope’ and the rest, as  they say, is history.
The Obama campaign posters are sold out, to purchase other Shepard Fairey prints visit the Obey Giant store here.

June 18, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 5, 2008

Flat-iron secrets, this weekend

If you, like I, have yet to master the elusive art of flat-ironing, you could benefit from an interactive event at The Doves hair salon in Santa Monica this Sunday, June 8. The new-ish salon, founded by the heads of Wella USA Sonya and Christopher Dove, is hosting  "Style Secrets", an afternoon of beauty where I'm led to believe many hairstyling secrets will be spilled. Topics will include the latest techniques for flat ironing (including how to produce curls) and the art of wig-wearing. Plus you can ask for a hair consultation, and find out about the best styles for your face shape, hair texture, skin type and the season.
The event takes place Sunday June 8 from 4:00pm - 5.30pm at The Doves Studio 2000 Main St, Santa Monica CA 90405. Tickets cost $25, with proceeds benefiting the The Peacock Foundation. To attend, sign up through "HIVING:: Parties for a Purpose" at www.hiving.net.  Referral code: DOVES
www.thedovesstudio.com

June 5, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

Touch the testosterone: Ed Norton's "Fight club" gear, Javier Bardem's "No Country" shirt

If you're creepy like me, you may occasionally fantasize about burying your nose in the armpit of Ed Norton's "Fight Club" shirt, huffing the emasculated sweat like bad glue, getting high on the fumes of his frustration.
Mmmm.
Or perhaps, you lust after Carmen Electra’s gold floral print with white lace trim dress with silver buttons, the one she wore in “Scary Movie 4”.
Whatever your film or TV costume fetish, you're bound to find something to satisfy it at the upcoming Hollywood Roadshow, a huge auction taking place Saturday June 21st and Sunday June 22nd in El Segundo, just south of L.A.
Several hundred items from acclaimed films including “No Country for Old Men”, “Star Wars”, “21 Grams”, and “Lords of Dogtown” (as well as Edward Norton’s personal collection of costumes and key props from “Fight Club”) will be up for bid, with proceeds to benefit the Entertainment Industry Foundation. Additionally, hundreds of movie-themed pinball machines and arcade games including PacMan, Ms. PacMan, Galaga, The Simpson's, Jurassic Park, and many more will be auctioned. 
Personally, I'd be psyched to get my hands on Oscar-winner Javier Bardem’s denim jacket, long-sleeve button-up shirt and black "Wrangler" pants (with bloody holes) from “No Country for Old Men”. Or Stacy Peralta’s Graffiti Short Surfboard, used on screen as set decoration in “Lords of Dogtown”.
The live auction will take place on Saturday and Sunday, June 21st and June 22nd at Premiere Props’ warehouse in El Segundo, California (128 Sierra Street, El Segundo, CA 90245).  There will be a preview from 9am – 11am, and the auction will begin at 11am. All items will also be for sale to the general public via Hollywoodroadshow.com and eBay.com, with the preview beginning June 21st at 9am and the live auction starting at 11am.
For more information, visit www.hollywoodroadshow.com.

June 5, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

Recession sale in L.A.--LabelNYC

I first talked to fashion designer Laura Whitcomb of Label a couple of years back, when I interviewed her by phone for a style magazine. The story was only supposed to be 300 words in length, but we chit-chatted for over an hour, and when we hung up, I cursed the universe for placing this amazing lady in New York (she has a boutique in Nolita) and me in L.A. That's how cool she was. Life went on of course, and then a month ago I commented on a friend's shirt, and how great the design was. "Oh, it's by my friend Laura Whitcomb," he said. "She runs this line called Label, and she's in L.A."
I called her and she immediately recognized my voice and proceeded to tell me some exciting news: she's holding an L.A. pop-up, selling more than 1000 pieces of archival stock and past seasons' wares at a space in Mid City, spitting distance from  Variety/Condé Nast/LACMA etc.
Some handbags are priced as low as $5.
"We've never done a sale like this before," she said. "We're conscious that some people are starting feel the recession."
LA-based Stylephile readers—the sale continues through Sunday June 8, 11am - 7pm, with beautiful multi-layered jewelry items by ANKH by Racquel jewelry on sale too. I highly recommend you visit, if only to say hi to Ms. Whitcomb. You'll find her very agreeable, I'm sure.
The sale takes place at 609 South Burnside Street, Apartment 103, near LACMA. Call to make an appointment (323) 933-3537.

June 5, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

From TV to Bootie

At Kari Feinstein's pre-MTV Movie Awards Style Lounge, I ran into two very excited women brandishing panties with strategically-placed padding at the back. One was a former PBS producer named Susan Bloomstone, who had given up the TV game in order to help women's butts look better. "Look, these make your bootie pop!" she exclaimed, holding up a pair of pink panties, soft cotton hip-huggers with built-in undulating glutes.
In the film-world, butt-padding is commonplace. Pedro Almodóvar had Penélope Cruz wear a prosthetic rump in "Volver", so she could look more womanly. And on ABC's “Brothers and Sisters”, Calista Flockhart's character padded her bony behind, so she could look more appealing to her suitors. The ass-less Kelly Ripa tried on a pair and is now a convert—and who can blame her? Booty-enhancing surgery is one of the most painful procedures around, which is exactly why Susan Blooomstone came up with the BOOTY POP concept in the first place. After reading a an article in the New York Times about the dramatic increase in the rate of buttock augmentation surgery, she figured there had to be a better way, founding her company Sweet Apparel with friend and fashion merchandiser Lisa Reisler.
I took a pair home—not for me (I am extremely blessed in the booty department), but for my skinny-ass boyfriend, who wore them all afternoon. He said he definitely felt more feminine, although pointed out he would be perturbed if a girlfriend padded her booty out early in a relationship. "It's false advertising, don't you think?"
BOOTY POP is available in seven colors at Kitson. Visit www.mybootypop.com for more info.

June 5, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 3, 2008

Black the new black at the MTV Movie Awards

There were no "in-between" hues at Sunday MTV Movie Awards, with stars opting either for dark and dramatic, or dangerously day-glo.
Sarah Jessica Parker won the "tightest dress ever" award in microscopic black L'Wren Scott and lace-up Louboutin boots. Charlize Theron looked like a Jean Paul Gaultier perfume in black leggings (yikes!) and nude-and-black bustier.
Rumer Willis was all grown up with side swept raven tresses and a clingy black cocktail gown. And heiress Paris Hilton, who apparently is not gay any more, looked very Bonnie And Clyde with her dashing boyfriend Benji Madden, both of them wearing black-and-white print. We hope Benji stuck around to take his girlfriend to jail later that night, where she will serve a 23-day sentence for violating her probation. Anne Hathaway, who will never go to jail for violating anything, looked just about edgy enough in a pretty Sophia Kokosalaki number.
Sadly, no-one sent the "black is the new black" memo to Meghan Fox, who showed up looking as though she'd been possessed...by the Sugar Plum Fairy.

June 3, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 29, 2008

Project Runway moving to L.A....for a hot minute

We were excited to hear that our beloved "Project Runway" is considering a move to L.A. this fall, after its fifth and last season with Bravo (which airs in July). The Weinstein Company has sold the rights to the show to Lifetime, and we hear they plan on splitting filming of Season Six between L.A. and New York.
It's a significant development, and one that is sure to divide fans of the show, especially those who, somewhat myopically, still believe New York/Bryant Park to be the be-all-and-end-all of American fashion. Hopefully, the move will bolster L.A.'s reputation as a hub for creative innovation, and draw much-needed attention to the local fashion landscape, oft pooh-poohed in haughtier circles, but deemed under-appreciated by those who know and understand the terrain. "It's not all Juicy sweatpants in L.A., you know," sighed L.A.-based "Project Runway" finalist Rami Kashou when I spoke with him this week.
Season Seven is expected to return to New York.
UPDATE: I spoke to Tim Gunn a few minutes ago and he confirmed that Season Six would be in LA for its entirety, with Season Seven moving to New York, and then Season Eight back to L.A. etc. etc. Long live Project Runway!

May 29, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

Opening Ceremony sale

Another great sale this weekend, on both coasts.
The Opening Ceremony sale begins this Friday, May 30th with 30-60% off selected items by edgy designers we love.
Among them are: Acne, Chloe for Opening Ceremony, Bless, Hussein Chalayan, Alexandre Herchcovitch, Mary Ping, Alexander Wang, Proenza Schouler, Nakkna, Marios Schwab, Loden Dager, Nom de Guerre, Jeremy Scott, Melissa Shoes, Nike, Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair, Topshop, Endovanera, Katy Rodriguez, Jasmine Shokrian, Wren, Suh-Tahn, Grey Ant and, of course, Opening Ceremony.
Opening Ceremony New York is located at 35 Howard St.,  New York, NY 10013. Tel 212-219-2688
Store Hours: Monday - Saturday 11-8pm and Sundays 12-7pm
Opening Ceremony Los Angeles is located at 451 North La Cienega Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90048. Tel 310-652-1120. Store Hours: Monday - Saturday 11-7pm and Sundays 12-7pm
www.openingceremony.us
(image from Proenza Schouler)

May 29, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 28, 2008

Billion Dollar Babes sale tomorrow

Billion Dollar Babes is returning to Los Angeles for a Spring Sale on Friday May 30 and Saturday May 31, at which Escada is hosting a private boutique featuring over 1200 pieces of their latest Spring 08 collection straight from store shelves, all at 60% off. Here's what else BBB has lined up:
-James Jeans are just $80 (retail $185)
-Debra Rodman's party dresses (as seen in Barneys and Planet Blue) are $98.
-Oliver Peoples' Harlot frames (pictured) will be on sale for a $130 (retail $340)
-Plus Society For Rational Dress, Tibi, swimsuits by ViX swimwear and many more
When you're not shopping, you can hang in the garden lounge bar and sip martinis, and take advantage of free $100 gym memberships and makeovers.
The sale takes place at Smashbox Studios in West Hollywood. Click here for event details and RSVP.

May 28, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 27, 2008

Rachel Pally...making classy comfortable

Rachel Pally's "Jersey Girl" moniker does not have anything to do with her being from New Jersey (she's not—Pally is a card-carrying L.A. woman).
Rather, it stems from her ability to take jersey knit—that soft, most agreeable of fabrics—and transform it into gowns worthy of goddesses.
Indeeed, goddesses like Angelina, Oprah and Amy Smart are all fans of the line, as is singer Eve, who wore a deceptively light-weight royal blue Rachel Pally evening dress to Pally's Fall/Holiday 2008 show at the art-deco Oviatt Penthouse in downtown L.A.
Pally's life mission, it seems, is one after our own heart—making classy comfortable.
Buy Rachel Pally here.

May 27, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

The perfect hotel for insomniacs

The Four Seasons Hotel in Westlake Village is offering stressed-out, sleep-deprived high-flyers everything they could possibly need to nod off, from in-room chamomile aromatherapy facials to teddy bears, available on request.
The hotel, located just outside Los Angeles, has launched its "Sleep Well" program, created with the help of medical and wellness experts from California Health & Longevity Institute.
As well as mind-calming spa treatments like the chamomile facial, a lavender body treatment, and reiki, you can dine from a Sleep Well menu, make use of blackout drapes and take advantage of on-site clinical hypnotherapy, guided imagery and meditation to help you sleep. And for hardcore insomniacs, physicians can conduct clinical sleep studies on you within the comfort of a Four Seasons guest room.
Cuddly teddy bears are provided upon request, as are specialty pillows including orthopedic, full body, buckwheat and foam varieties.
To reserve a good night's sleep at Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village, call (818) 575-3000 or visit www.fourseasons.com/westlakevillage.

May 27, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 22, 2008

bliss out by the pool

Fancy sitting by the pool with a piña colada cocktail in your hand...and a piña colada mask on your feet? bliss in Los Angeles is opening up its swim-side spa tomorrow (May 23) meaning you can get everything from a rapid rub massage to a "pedi colada" pedicure while being pampered in bliss’ private cabana. The bliss cabana is open Friday-Sunday from 11am—6pm and is located at the W Los Angeles in the Backyard. 930 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90024. Hours are 9am-9pm, seven days a week. Call 323 930 0330 to book an appointment.

May 22, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cameron Diaz goes bald

Natalie Portman rocked a mean bald head in "V for Vendetta".
Demi Moore was hot as a butch egghead in "G.I. Jane". And we longed to stroke Sigourney Weaver's stubbly scalp in "Alien 3".
Cameron Diaz, however, is not a natural-born Hare Krishna.
Just take a look at this photo from the set of "My Wednesday's Keeper", in which she plays a mother who shaves her head as a gesture of support toward her daughter who has leukemia.
I haven't seen such a disconcerting conehead since, well, "Coneheads".
Thankfully though, this is a bald cap, entirely temporary. Something Britney should have considered before reaching for the clippers.

May 22, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 20, 2008

Angelina's 1920s chic in "Changeling"

Dig out your grandma's 1920s felt cloches, ox blood lipstick, and Mary Jane ankle straps—tonight is the Cannes premiere of Clint Eastwood's "Changeling", a true story-inspired tale set in 1920s Los Angeles. Starring Angelina Jolie, the movie features some stunning Roaring Twenties looks (put together by costume designer Deborah Hopper) that are sure to thrill vintage fans.
The 1920s were hugely influential in terms of modern fashion, and you'll regularly see Ascot racewear, "garconne" or Flapper straight shifts and Great Gatsby-esque looks on contemporary runways. (Think Temperley London Spring/Summer '08, Chanel Fall/Winter 2007, and Sue Wong's recent forays into bejeweled 1920s decadence.)
Thankfully, modern women are more in love with their curves than 1920s gals were–we no longer feel compelled to bind our breasts with the once-popular Symington Side Lacer bra, which could be laced at both sides and pulled in to flatten the chest...ouch!

May 20, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 15, 2008

Last chance to buy tickets for "Fashion For Life" this weekend!

It's your last chance to buy tickets for Fashion for Life, the annual fashion fundraiser for Friendly House, one of Los Angeles’ oldest and most respected addiction recovery organizations for women. The event takes place this Sunday, May 18 from 2pm – 5pm at Mercedes-Benz of Beverly Hills.
The event features a dynamic fashion show highlighting seven Los Angeles designers, including Kevan Hall, Robert Rodriguez, Marc Callo, and Elsie Katz Couture. The audience will also be treated to a first look at Paige Black Label, the new collection of skirts, trousers, dresses, vests and jackets in fine fabrications created by Paige Adams-Gellar. DJ AM will spin during the show. Honorary Co-Chairs Amber Valletta, Cameron Silver, and Paige Adams-Gellar, emcee Lisa Rinna and renowned retailer Lisa Kline will be joined by fashionistas from across LA.
At last year's event, Decades boutique owner Cameron Silver (pictured, with model Amber Valetta) exclaimed that Fashion for Life was his "fashion Bar Mitzvah" when he was presented with the Vision Award for his contributions to L.A. fashion. This year’s Vision Award honoree goes to Lisa Kline.
Tickets begin at $75 and can be purchased by calling 310-929-7826, or emailing friendlyhouse@sbcglobal.net. Click here for more info.
Fashion for Life is offering to gift a Stylephile reader one of their VIP Gift Bags, containing items by Paige Premium Denim, Kol Candle, Zooey T’s, Stacie Bass Flip Flops, ghd Hair Care, Voluspa Candles, Grant Chris Rohloff T-shirts, Balance Water and a notepad from the night's  Vision Award Honoree, Lisa Kline.
To win, tell us this: how would you define L.A. fashion? The most insightful comment wins! Leave your answers in the comments section of this post, and dont forget to include your email address. Deadline is Wednesday May 21 at 5PM.

May 15, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 13, 2008

High fashion boutique for stylish tweens

When I was a bratty, fashion-obsessed pre-adolescent I would have killed for a store that, you know, spoke to me. 
So even though I'm all grown up, I'm still excited to hear about Play Couture, a boutique opening in Beverly Hills this week. Catering exclusively to the 7-16 set, the store will carry collections by Miss Grant, LA Made, Miss Sixty, Diesel, Junk Food, Keds, Pazitos, Moschino, IT Jeans, Kicco Kids, Havainas, Ed Hardy, Paul Frank, Awake, and Anjewels to name a few and owner Trevor Levin, was born and raised in Los Angeles and went to Beverly Hills High School—so he understands the need among pre-adolescents to look uncommonly stylish.
Play Couture is located at 253 S. Beverly Dr. Beverly Hills, CA  90210, tel: 310-866-8738.
(Photo of tween fashionista Ryan Newman, who plays young Hannah Montana.)

May 13, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

Herbal cocktails at the Crescent Hotel, anyone?

Bored of Bloody Marys, Bellinis and Brandy Alexanders?
Then why not try a Salad Toss (Veev Acai liquor, cucumber, fresh basil, and blood oranges), a Rosemary’s Nectar (raspberry vodka, fresh rosemary, cranberry, lemon, and lime juices), or a Victoria’s Secret Garden (St. Germain elderflower liquor, fresh garden flowers, Hangar 1 citrus vodka)?
These are just some of the $14 garden and herbal-inspired cockatils on offer at the Crescent Hotel bar, just in time for summer. In the heart of Beverly Hills, The Crescent was originally built as a residence for Hollywood’s silent film actors in the 1920’s. It was purchased and redeveloped by hotelier Gregory Peck in 2001, who worked closely with designer Dodd Mitchell to redesign the Crescent in 2003.
Click here for more info.

May 13, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

Have you swung by the new H. Lorenzo store yet?

H. Lorenzo's "green-powered" concept boutique on Robertson is well worth a visit, if you haven't already peeked inside.
Opened just a few weeks ago at 474 N. Robertson Blvd., the HLNR store is a solar-powered and paperless shopping experience for men and women. “I chose North Robertson for this new type of retail experience, because this is where the fashion nucleus in L.A. has shifted," explains owner Lorenzo Hadar. "Nowadays the fashion elite who come here to shop are people who care about the environment.  I hope the eco-initiative we’re taking with HLNR similarly inspires others to achieve a higher standard.”
The 4,000 square feet boutique features uses solar power generated by rooftop paneling, a paperless receipt system, sustainable hangers and shopping bags, as well as low-volume flush TOTO toilets and energy-efficient Dyson Airblade hand driers in the washroom. HLNR will carry the latest from designers such as Zac Posen, Ann Demeulemeester, Balmain, Comme Des Garcons, Preen, Veronique Branquinho, Viktor & Rolf, Junya Watanabe, Dsquared, John Galliano, Neil Barrett, Yohji Yamamoto, Marc Jacobs Shoes, Chloe Shoes and Guiseppe Zanoti.

HLNR (474 N. Robertson Blvd.) is open 7 days a week from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.  A parking lot is available for 13 automobiles, as well as a private paparazzi-free entrance.  For further information on the collections please visit www.hlorenzo.com, or to set up a private shopping appointment, please call (310) 659-1434.

May 13, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 1, 2008

Win a limited edition Veuve Clicquot Traveller

If your mom gets her kicks from champagne, why not gift her Veuve Clicquot Traveller (sic) this Momma's Day. It looks like a stylish mini tote...but inside, it's hiding a mini bottle of VC fizz. Designed to be the perfect carrier for a 375 ml bottle of Veuve, this Louis Vuitton-designed case keeps bubbles cool whether your mom's on the beach, at a garden party or running some pre-Mimosa errands. And once the contents are gone, she can use it as a cute handbag/vanity case/jewelery, simply by removing the cooling neoprene insulation from the inside. Buy here.
We have one Limited Edition Pink Veuve Cliquot Traveller to gift to a Stylephile reader (if you re-gift to your mom, we promise not to tell). To win, tell us about the last time you got drunk on champagne. Leave your answers in the comments section, and make sure to include your email address. Deadline is this Sunday, May 4!

May 1, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 30, 2008

Fight them with fashion: Chanel tweed grenade bombs

Last week marked the opening of “Vanity Bonfire”, a solo exhibition of new works by the young artist Sean Christopher at the Corey Helford gallery in Los Angeles. A graduate of the New York School of Visual Arts, Christopher creates work that very much appeals to the Stylephile.
Why?
Because in these turbulent times, Sean Christopher is one of the few to successfully marry themes of war, peace, and mortal combat with...Chanel.
We admire his audacious tweed Chanel grenade oil paintings—So bold! And just look at his adorable Chanel branded army tanker—where can I buy a real one?

Corey Helford Gallery was established in April 2006 by Jan Corey Helford and her husband, television producer Bruce Helford ("The Drew Carey Show", "George Lopez", "The Oblongs"). The gallery is located at 8522 Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90232 and is open Tuesday - Saturday, Noon to 6:00pm.

April 30, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

Win a dinner for two at Dakota Bridge

Where can you savor your filet mignon in the jasmine-scented night air, seated just yards above an azure swimming pool around which young beautiful things are sipping wines several years older than they are? At Dakota Bridge, Hollywood's newest dining destination.
Essentially an extension of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel’s Dakota steak house, Dakota Bridge offers a semi-private dining experience that overlooks the hotel's Tropicana Bar and its David Hockney pool. Dakota Bridge can accommodate intimate dinners, from two to forty guests, by reservation, and all diners are guaranteed entry to the Tropicana Bar.
Tim Goodell, president/executive chef of Domaine Restaurants is calling the new venture a "pure, one-of-a-kind Hollywood experience,” and just last week, the restaurant popped its celeb cherry, when fashion designer Charlotte Ronson hosted a private dinner party there for family and friends (including her buddies Lindsay Lohan and Nicole Richie) to celebrate her Fall '08 collection.
Dakota Bridge is gifting one Stylephile reader a delicious dinner for two—to win just tell us this: If you were dining at Dakota Bridge, what would you hope to see happening down below at the Tropicana Bar?
Leave your answers in the comments section of this post, making sure to leave your email address. Deadline is Tuesday April 6.
Dining hours for the Dakota Bridge are Sunday – Wednesday 6-10:30 pm for larger groups; individual reservations are available Thurs 6-10:30 pm; Fri and Sat 6-11 pm. Reservations are required  (323) 466-7000.

April 30, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 24, 2008

Giveaway, and sale: Pegah Anvarian tomorrow!

Here's another steal for L.A. readers: designer Pegah Anvarian is holding a special sale at the California Market Center, coinciding with the regular monthly sample sale there.
You'll be able to pick up designs like these (pictured) from Pegah's Spring 2007 to Spring 2008 collections, all for 65% or more off retail.
Even if you're not ready to slip in to one of Pegah's sexy draped jersey dresses, it's worth checking out her new collection of fitted pants, tailored jackets, and signature scarves.
Pegah has kindly offered to gift one Stylephile reader a beautiful silk scarf from her collection (fabric is pictured).
To win, simply tell us this: how many scarves do you think you have mislaid over the years, and where do you think they end up? Leave your answer as a comment, and don't forgte to include your email address! Deadline is Wednesday April 30.
The sale takes place tomorrow, Friday, April 25th, from 9 a.m.  to 6 p.m. at The Annex at the California Market Center (off the Main Lobby), 110 East Ninth Street, Los Angeles, CA 90079. The CMC is a 13-story building in downtown LA housing more than 1,000 showrooms and 10,000 product lines. On the last Friday of every month, it opens its doors to the general public to shop for samples at participating showrooms.
No RSVP is necessary.

April 24, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

Agyness Deyn pops in to L.A.

Two worlds collided when super/über/add your own superlative model Agyness Deyn left the safe confines of London and New York to attend the launch of a t-shirt line in at Fred Segal Fun in Santa Monica.
So what was the tee shirt line that inspired the peroxide cropped style icon to grace our polluted Pacific shores?
E.VIL is the name of the eco-friendly line, a capsule collection created by Svedka vodka, with proceeds benefiting Heal the Bay, a nonprofit helping suck the nastiness out of the beaches of Southern California.
The party was hosted by TV actress Minka Kelly and New York's infamously sullen The Misshapes deejayed, causing toes to tap among the wide-eyed Hollywood crowd which included Jamie Lynn Sigler, Kim Kardashian, Rami Kashou (Project Runway), Nick Verreos (MSN Style Studio), Kelly Kruger and Perrey Reeves.
Then everyone went home, threw out their lip gloss, dyed their hair black and started cutting themselves.

(Top photo: Minka Kelly (R) shakes hands with Agyness Deyn.
Bottom photo: Agyness Deyn with The Misshapes.)

April 24, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 3, 2008

We're giving away a bottle of Safi perfume oil!

When I was 21 I spent an unforgettable three months in Kenya. I went on safari and had a close encounter of the baboon kind, right outside my tent. I watched polo matches and drank gin tonics for breakfast. I went to John Hurt's house. On the night train from Nairobi to Mombasa, I killed cockroaches by turning my can of deodorant in to a blow torch. I was licked by a giraffe, I dyed my hair purple and I made love in a tree house. And I'll never forget the intoxicating smell of early evening on the outskirts of Nairobi, looking out across the Great Rift Valley and praying I'd never have to go home.
Which brings me to Safi, the new fragrance by NYAKIO. Nyakio Kamoche, a first generation American with Kenyan roots, developed NYAKIO based on family beauty secrets. She launched Safi, which evokes the spirit of Kenya, earlier this month with a star-studded bash at APOTHIA in LA's Fred Segal Melrose, attended by Bryce Dallas Howard, Keisha Whitaker, Kristin Cavallari, and Emily Deschanel, among others. The fragrance itself is a super-sensual blend of essential oils, with top notes of fresh lychee, juicy pineapple and black currant, soul notes of stargazer lily, fresh-cut freesia, and neroli, and base notes of muhuhu wood, fresh bamboo, and crisp papyrus.
Yum. You can buy Safi here.
We have one bottle of Safi perfume oil, worth c. $70, to give away. To win, leave a comment telling us about the most beautiful place you've ever traveled to, and don't forget to leave your email address! Deadline is 5PM on April 9.

April 3, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 1, 2008

Dittos jeans giveaway!

Dittos is gifting a pair of its "Classic" jeans in blue (pictured) to a Stylephile reader. Just leave a comment telling us what your favorite thing about the 1970s is...or was. (It doesn't matter if you were still a glimmer in your daddy's eye at the time...just be creative!). And don't forget to leave your email address. Deadline is Monday April 7 at 5PM.

April 1, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

Warhol-Hirst-Levi's-wearable-art-pop-up-shop

April 1, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 25, 2008

Last night at Little Dom's

Living in L.A., you become accustomed to regular celebrity interaction. My friend once asked Vincent Gallo to serve her a hotdog outside Home Depot (she didn't realize who he was, "he was standing by the hotdog stand, he had a beard" she protested). A nameless star of the 1980s once invited me to take magic mushrooms and have a threesome with his wife. (I didn't go there). And a few years ago, I spent my birthday with Def Leppard. All run of the mill, regular La-La land kind of stuff.
But last night at Little Dom's restaurant, even jaded Angelenos like myself couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the random Monday night star-power strolling through the door. Little Dom's recently opened in the Los Feliz neighborhood of L.A., the Eastside outpost of Dominick's restaurant in West Hollywood. It's a cozy little spot, serving upscale Italian fare. Not the kind of place that screams red carpet. So I was only mildly surprised to spot Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, waiting to be seated with some friends. Then in sashayed Kelly Lynch, blonde and eternally beautiful, with her equally long-haired beau Mitch Glazer. "Hmm," I thought. "It's getting hot in here." Then not five minutes later, in walks Christina Ricci. "This is getting ridiculous," I whispered to my friend. "I know," she said nodding over to the corner, where Orlando Bloom was hanging out.
With that much eye-candy, the great food was just a bonus. Long live L.A.

March 25, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 20, 2008

APOTHIA AROMATICS: the smell of success

At L.A. Fashion Week you could literally smell the glamour in the air—thanks to the APOTHIA AROMATICS candles that were quietly burning away within the tents. Named "Interior Fragrance of the Year" by the Fragrance Foundation, the collection (which includes scents with alluring names like "Velvet Rope", "Juiced", "Scene" and "Bronze") is meant to evoke the essence of life in L.A. So throughout the five days of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios, an assortment of APOTHIA AROMATICS' 11 interior scents were placed in the main lobby, the VIP green rooms and the press check-in area, infusing a gentle and calming aroma into the adrenaline-filled air.
APOTHIA AROMATICS is the fragrance, candle and home diffuser collection released by APOTHIA, the high-end luxury beauty and lifestyle boutique at Fred Segal Melrose. You can buy at APOTHIA at Fred Segal Melrose, and at fine department stores and specialty boutiques in the U.S. and U.K.

March 20, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 18, 2008

Fit for a McQueen

There are way too many chain outlets with a "Mc" in the name—but here's one we're actually happy to see open. Alexander McQueen is bringing his theatrical high fashion vision to L.A., with a new retail store set to open next month. The 3100sq ft store on Melrose Avenue, on the corner of Melrose Place, will be the third McQueen outlet in the U.S. It was designed by Will Russell of Pentagram architects, and was conceptualized by Alexander McQueen. Expect "organic ethereal shapes", stalactite forms floating above the floor, chips of mother-of pearl in the flooring and a 9ft metal sculpture of a man called ‘Angel of the Americas’ by British artist Robert Bryce Muir, half of which will ‘float’ through a glass skylight.
Oh, and clothes. Lots of clothes. (The store will house his womenswear, menswear, accessories and eyewear collections over one floor.)
8379 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood, CA. 90069. Tel: 323.782.4983
 

March 18, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 17, 2008

America's most stylish mayor?

In New York, Hillary almost posed for Vogue (she backed out, last minute).
In Paris, president Nicolas Sarkozy shacked up with a supermodel.
And in L.A., Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is blazing a fashion trail, establishing himself as the most stylish politico the city has ever seen.
But don't expect the crush-worthy Villaraigosa, who loves runway shows and took the podium at last year's L.A. Fashion Awards, to ditch his somber councilman's suits any time soon. Rather, you should think of him as LA's Fashion Enabler, a closeted hipster who gladly opened up his backyard to fashionistas last week for a cocktail party and celebration of eco-style. The invitation-only FutureFashion L.A. event (hosted by Designers & Agents, the CFDA and Earth Pledge) was held on the sprawling lawn of Getty House, the mock Tudor mansion that is the official residence of the Mayor of Los Angeles.
 Surrounding a small pond at the back of the lawn were a dozen or so eco-designs by mainly local designers, including Magda Berliner, Trina Turk, Trovata, and Bahar Shahpar. Each designer had created their piece using various eco-fabrics given to them by Earth Pledge, an organization that helps designers and manufacturers transition to sustainable fabrics.
 My favorite garment was this huge bell-sleeved caftan by VPL (pictured), made from organic wool jersey and organic cotton indigo denim.
 Hob-nobbers included David Hiller, L.A. Times publisher, and all the usual L.A. fashion suspects. I saw Rose Apodaca, who wrote most of the L.A. Times' magazine's Spring fashion issue. Davis Factor, the Max Factor heir who runs Smashbox studios with his brother. Trina Turk and her extremely tall husband. My friend, the fashion designer Rachel Pally. And the mayor's two fashion-crazy daughters, including Prisila Villar (pictured),  who is studying at FIT in New York. The mayor's girls are, it turns out, his secret fashion weapon, and it was on their encouragement that the entire event took place.
 Oddly, there was no sign of Linda Loudermilk, one of L.A.'s best-known eco-designers. Also absent was Diane Von Furstenberg, president of the CFDA.
But I did meet a man who looked like pirate.
 Are you in fashion? I asked the man, who, it turns out, is the fabulous Russian painter Alexey Steele (pictured).
"Actually, I'm in anti-fashion," he said, snickering. "I paint nudes."

March 17, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 13, 2008

Anna Maria Perez de Tagle: longest name, cutest style

(I can't believe I am featuring a "Hannah Montana" star on The Stylephile, but here goes.)
Not only does Anna Maria Perez de Tagle have the longest name in Hollywood, she was also born in 1990. (Seriously. Do you know anyone who was literally, not metaphysically or spiritually, born in the nineties?)
Being born in 1990 means you get a special fashion pass that allows you to do whatever you want and still look adorable, as displayed by Anna Maria Perez de Tagle at L.A. Fashion Week. Here she is, in high-waisted mommy jeans, flouncy grape blouse and a rainbow growing out of her face. Love it.

March 13, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

Viktor & Rolf champagne: pretty on the inside

I have to admit—Viktor & Rolf's upside down pink bottle design for Piper-Heidsieck kinda had me at hello.
But, just because something's pretty on the outside, doesn't mean the inside's necessarily up to much (especially not in Hollywood.)
So, it was with much trepidation and inner suspensefulness that I opened up a bottle of V&R bubbly just a few days ago. The results were feminine yet bone-dry, morello cherry-tinged and sexier than a bartender at Whiskey Blue at the W hotel, currently the only bar in L.A. where you can order a bottle of V&R champers (for around $225 per bottle).
If your bar-hopping days are over, however, you can also buy it online, and fizz things up with your honey in the privacy of your four-poster bed.
Bottoms up!

March 13, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 6, 2008

Giveaway: rose gold and diamonds by Blessedcharm

Today we have a very special Stylephile giveaway, courtesy of a woman who took the plunge and made a completely fresh start in her career, going from high-powered Hollywood agent to jewelry designer.
Making a career change is something many of us think about, but are too frightened to actually do. But for Emily Rabinowitz, founder of Blessedcharm jewelry, the call of creativity was too much to ignore.
Formerly an agent at Innovative Artists Agency in Santa Monica, Rabinowitz took her experiences in the entertainment industry and the corporate world and used them to help build the business side of her Blessedcharm and Kiss of Karma collections, high-end lines whose pieces convey symbols of hope, optimism and personal clarity. Blessedcharm can be found at Fred Segal and Jennifer Kaufman in Los Angeles, K. Frank in Santa Barbara, and Rich Hippie in Dallas. Rabinowitz has offered to gift one Stylephile reader her lovely rose gold and diamond-encrusted "Hugs for Harmony" necklace. Feminine and sweetly discreet, it's an adorable piece that I picked out especially for the Stylephile. It is worth $600, and looks very similar to the one pictured.
To win, simply post a comment (don't forget to include your email address) telling us about the biggest change you've ever made in your life. Deadline is Wednesday March 12 at 5PM.

March 6, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jared Gold's L.A. fashion show is open to all

Jared Gold has a distinctly fresh approach to his fashion shows, much more democratic than that of his snootier contemporaries. As far as he's concerned, anyone with an interest in fashion should be able to enjoy the runway spectacles he's known for putting on, not just so-called VIPs. So, it makes sense that his 'Czarina' show on Friday March 14 (one of the last events of Fashion Week), will be open to the public.
He is building a 190-foot catwalk inside Downtown's Union Station (800 N. Alameda St., Los Angeles, CA) for a catwalk extravaganza expected to draw 1500 of his fans. Expect a young and very enthusiastic crowd, and some dayglo hair colors. The event is free.
"We’re turning the whole idea of a fashion show on its head," said Gold. "Normally, there are press and celebrities at these events—but they’re not who buy my clothes. Why not let those people in and let them see the entire line and give them a great place to shop?” He will show more than 50 looks, many of which will be available to buy immediately at a pop-up shop, on-site at Union Station.
Downtown art band Miss Derringer, led by my good friend the artist and singer Liz McGrath, will play a set. Gold's favorite internet starlets Stevie Ryan, Raquel Reed and Audrey Kitching as well as “Dexter” star Jennifer Carpenter will walk the catwalk.
Free tickets are available to the public at www.blackchandelier.com 

March 6, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

Gen Art kicks off L.A. Fashion week tomorrow...wanna go?

When it comes to giving fresh new talent a helping hand, the folks behind Gen Art are the masters, handpicking young designers and giving them exposure they deserve. Gen Art has been launching careers for more than ten years now, (Louis Verdad, Zac Posen and Michelle Mason are all Gen Art alumni), and tomorrow, they kick off L.A. Fashion Week with an installation show by three exciting new fashion designers as part of their “New Guarde” event, Friday March 7 at 7PM.
And here’s the best part—you can be there!
JMARY, Jesse Kamm, and Le Sang des Betes by Trang Chau are the talented threesome being showcased. They may be “emerging” but each has already built a following. JMary has been creating custom pieces for Maxfield for some time, and counts Winona Ryder, Dita Von Teese and Karl Lagerfeld among her fans.
Le Sang des Betes by Trang Chau (pictured) has a grisly name (“the blood of beasts”) but the designer uses only natural fabrics, mainly cotton and wool, in designs inspired by the vaulted ceilings of Gothic cathedrals. Jesse Kamm, whose signature hand-printed textiles have been showcased in Elle, Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, and Paper magazines, is a favorite of Liz Goldwyn, Ellen Pompeo, and Kazu of New York art band Blonde Redhead.
Their designs will be shown on models in large-scale vignettes from 8-10pm, conceptualized by each designer and produced by set designer Keith Greco. Then, there’s an after-party celebrating all things fresh and new!
So if you're in L.A., go to this show, and meet the fashion faces of tomorrow.
The presentation is at the Park Plaza Hotel (607 S Park View St., between Rampart and Alvarado St). VIP Tickets are $90/ person and $75 for Gen Art Members and include early entry to the show pre-reception and access to all VIP areas. General Admission Tickets are $50 / person and $40 for Gen Art Members. Gen Art LA Associate Producer Members receive two free VIP tickets and Gen Art Platinum Members received two free General tickets.  Tickets can be purchased by calling (323)782-9389 or by visiting www.genart.org.

March 6, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 4, 2008

Paper magazine toasts La Lohan

Beams of blazing March sun added extra warmth to Lindsay Lohan's newly auburn hairdo today, at a lunch held in her honor by Paper magazine. The gathering, held at the Sunset Marquis hotel, was to celebrate Paper's much-talked-about "Girl, Interrupted" cover interview with the newly-sober Lohan. The story was penned by my good friend Steffie Nelson, to whom Lindsay admitted she had recently experienced a dry spell, work-wise. ""Now I know what it's like to be an out of work actor - and how much it scares me," she said in the story.
In the spread (in which she's blonde), Lohan wears several pieces from Jeremy Scott's Spring/Summer '08 collection, which we saw on the runway at L.A. Fashion Week last October. Jeremy Scott (pictured, with Lohan) shot the images of Lohan for Paper, and was there at the lunch, taking snaps of the 80-or-so guests with his own, heavily-Bedazzled Polaroid camera. Also there was super-talented costume designer Arianne Phillips, who made my day by saying she is a regular Stylephile reader. Right on!
It was a fashiony crowd, and many were, quite appropriately, dressed in Jeremy Scott. Like style writer Rose Apodaca (pictured) for instance, who rocked a JS sweater with some seriously hot pink sling-backs, and an enormous rose ring that she swiped from her design store, A+R. The store is being transformed into a Gen Art pop up shop for three days, featuring clothing made by Gen Art alumni and three fresh Gen Art designers. More on that soon!
I chatted with teen queen fashionista Cory Kennedy, who was wearing a Jeremy Scott tire-track dress, and had just come back from Paris Fashion Week. (So young and so fabulous. Sigh.)
I was introduced to Paper founder David Hershkovits, whom I recently name checked in the Stylephile, as he is writing for Kenneth Cole's new socially-conscious blog, the AWEARNESS blog. Read it!
I also said hi to Paper's founding mother and editor Kim Hastreiter (here's a cute photo of her with photographer Mark Hunter). Hastreiter has this strong, earth mama energy about her, very much in keeping with her nurturing tendencies toward young, emerging artists and tastemakers.
 The whole event (where no alcohol was served - perhaps to respect Lohan's sobriety?) was put together by the formidable Kelly Cutrone, founder of New York publicity firm People's Revolution. Kelly has dyed black hair, which we chatted about briefly (I've been having issues with my own dyed black mop). Someone recently suggested she lighten hers to a "pretty" shade of honey brown. Her response? "Hell no! I don’t do 'pretty'!".
(FYI: She's pretty.)
Read the Paper magazine interview with Lindsay Lohan here.
Buy Jeremy Scott here.
Click here to listen to the New Yorker interview with Kim Hastreiter of Paper magazine.

(Story by Caroline Ryder, Editor, The Stylephile)

March 4, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 3, 2008

Natalie Portman's vegan shoes

Natalie Portman may not actually be a vegan, but she refuses to wear any clothes or shoes from animals. So it made sense when she decided to launch her own line of vegan footwear with Te Casan, one of New York's largest shoe boutiques. (We also hear that Natalie, 26, will star in the next Mira Nair film entitled "Kosher Vegetarian". How apt.)
The line comprises pretty ballet flats, high satin sandals, and faux patent pumps, all limited edition (only 100 pairs per size). The designs, like Portman herself, are understated yet polished—nothing like the attention-grabbing stripper heels we've featured in this blog this last few months.  Apparently she created the line because "Stella McCartney does great shoes, but they’re expensive and very fashiony. And I’ve been getting stuff from Target...but I did need some shoes that weren’t made of canvas or plastic.”
The shoes cost around $250 a pair and are available online at TeCasan.com, and at the New York Te Casan boutique (382 West Broadway).

March 3, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 25, 2008

Oscars paint it black...and red

Red and black were the dominant hues on the Oscars red carpet, which yielded far less color, variation and innovation than we had hoped for.
Hilary Swank (Versace), Jennifer Garner (Oscar de la Renta), Penelope Cruz and Laura Linney (Michael Kors) all went back to black—thankfully, the funereal mood was lifted by dazzling crimson looks on Heidi Klum (Galliano), Mylie Cyrus (Valentino), Katherine Heigl (Escada), Anne Hathaway (Marchesa) and Helen Mirren.
Tilda Swinton (who wore almost no makeup) blended both black and red—her boyish hair was a show stopping shade of lobster, and her shirt-like, sable silk dress (Alber Elbaz for Lanvin) was a progressive twist on the off-the-shoulder goddess gown sported by almost everyone else. (Read this about Tilda Swinton's unconventional love life)
A pregnant Cate Blanchett wore an empire-waist Dries Van Noten silk gown with decorative beading on the skirt, and a beautiful pair of teardrop emerald earrings—a nice break from the tidal wave of diamonds that typically washes over Oscar's red carpet. (Speaking of diamonds—what was up with Nicole Kidman's messy and lopsided necklace arrangement? If you're going to rock 7,645 diamonds totaling nearly 1,400 carats by L'Wren Scott, you might as well put them on carefully...right?)
2008 brought an explosion of tufted feathers—Jessica Alba's somber eggplant Marchesa gown was brought to life by some lively plumage on the bust (and some serious gold bling), as was Penelope Cruz' black, floor-length number. Amy Adams looked nice in emerald Proenza Schouler, although her insufferable "Enchanted" warblings made us want to bludgeon her with the Oscar statuette. Cameron Diaz opted for a traditional Christian Dior ball gown in blush pink, with minimal makeup, and fresh-off-the beach hair. Her blondeness was accentuated by a startling inability to pronounce the word "cinematography." Cringe!
Thumbs down to Jennifer Garner for admitting she had very little to do with her Oscar de la Renta look. It was all Rachel Zoe, she said when interviewed on the red carpet. "I would never have picked this," she said. When are we going to start seeing stars' real personalities on the red carpet, rather than that of their stylists?
The winning look of the night, for me, was Marion Cotillard's siren-like Jean Paul Gaultier cream mermaid gown, complete with scallop details along the train. It was a relief to see her teeth, slightly coffee stained and utterly human, amid the day-glo white smiles of Hollywood. When will Tinseltown realize that perfection is never sexy?
"Juno" screenwriter Diablo Cody, who won for Best Screenplay, was true to character in a chiffony cheetah-print caftan number by Dior. I would have preferred her in something more fitted, more classically pin-up, à la Dita Von Teese. (Although maybe that would have been too obvious? I'm torn.) Some fashion commentators have slammed her for having visible tattoos. Um...what's the big deal, people? She has 'em, why not show them off?
Julie Christie was breathtakingly glamorous with retro curled hair and an orange ribbon in support of a campaign to close down Guantanamo Bay.

It's always fun observing how the men individualize their looks. Some guys opted for large, somewhat retro bowties, like Best Actor winner Daniel Day-Lewis who, with earrings in both ears and long flowing hair, looked more pirate-like than Johnny Depp. In fact, hirsuteness seemed to be the general theme among Oscar's leading men this year: Viggo Mortensen, accompanied by his niece Sydney, was sporting a huge woodcutter's beard, and Colin Farrell opted for wild, buccaneer locks. Javier Bardem, who became the first Spanish actor to win an Oscar last night, looked positively dreamy without the hideous bowl haircut his character sported in "No Country For Old Men". "That hair was a joke I had to live with for three months," he sighed.

Oh no, Javier. You'll be living with it much longer than that.

February 25, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 21, 2008

Robert Evans' sunglasses bring sexy back

Hollywood OG Robert Evans has been doing his PhD (pimping hos daily) for over a hundred years. So it was a delight to witness the man work his legendary mojo in person, at a luncheon celebrating his collaboration with eyewear firm Oliver Peoples.
The event was at his home in Beverly Hills, and in the flesh, Evans rocked my world, resembling a cross between Don Corleone and a 1970s porn director. He wore a pea-green polo neck sweater, neck pulled up high, with some heavy metal hanging low from his neck à la Mr. T. His luxurious gray velvet lounge pants languidly brushed the floor, as if to say "I'm Robert Evans, I'm chillin in my house". His tan was deep, thoroughly developed, and real. All that was missing was a cigar. And some hos.  Evans' high profile guests, including Russell Simmons, Tamara Mellon, Linda Evangelista, Perry Farrell and er, The Stylephile, milled around looking fabulous and sipping champagne.
The party was pure Hollywood glam—synchronized swimmers splish-splashed in his pool, Van Cleef and Arpels diamonds dripped from bonsai trees, and a screen looped the noirish, steamy film trailer Evans had filmed to promo his Oliver Peoples eyewear collection. His co-star was a hot young blonde, of course. (You can watch the promotional video here, which was shot in Evans' home.)
The sunglasses themselves are rather beautiful, the design simple yet powerful, with heavy dark frames that are imposing enough for any aspiring movie mogul. One pair is called, simply, The Robert Evans.
I've always been a fan—the man who produced "Rosemary's Baby", "The Godfather" and "Chinatown" boasts one of the best Hollywood success/excess stories of all time (rent the movie of his life story "The Kid Stays in the Picture" to realize that some of us really are born with a destiny). Plus, he used to make shoes (I own a blue pair of Robert Evans pumps). What's not to love?
Snoop, Dre, Tony Soprano—all y'all could learn a thing or two from this gangsta.
Find out more about the Oliver Peoples/Robert Evans sunglasses here.

February 21, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ticket giveaway: Does fame equal fortune?

Tackling a subject close to the Stylephile's heart, Fashion Group International of Los Angeles is holding a panel discussion about the value of red carpet product placement, moderated by LA fashionista Rose Apodaca (former WWD West Coast bureau chief, pictured), along with fashion experts Mona May (costume designer "Enchanted"), Eduardo Castro (costume designer, "Ugly Betty"), Cameron Silver (co-owner of Decades), George Blodwell (celebrity stylist) and Susan Ashbrook of Film fashion PR. They'll talk about what happens once a product appears in film or TV, and whether it's worth the hassle of trying to get it there in the first place. We suspect it is. Why else would film product placement be such big business? And why else would David Lynch have all this to say about it?
The event takes place on Tuesday February 26 at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in downtown LA, and afterwards you'll get a guided tour of the FIDM Gallery's exhibit of Oscar 2008 nominated costumes.
Tickets cost $45 - but we have a pair to give away to a Stylephile reader. To win, simply tell us what your all-time favorite film costume is. Leave your answers in the comments section, and be sure to tell us your email address so we can reach you. Deadline is 5PM Sunday, February 24.
(To buy tickets, call 323 687 4131 or email fgila@earthlink.net.)

February 21, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wanna hang in my closet?

Imagine you had a shoe collection like Imelda, a stocking collection like Dita, or a bra collection like Carmen—you'd need a pretty sexy closet in order to manage all that sartorial fineness, enabling you to locate that one pair of Swarovski-ecrusted pumps in an instant.
The solution? Celeb-worthy closets by LA Closet Design. They're the kind of places where people hang out just as much as clothes—not only do they include hanging clothing and shoe carousels, pull-out racks, mirrors and tie and jewelry drawers, they also feature unexpected in-closet amenities including coffee bars, refrigerators, wine coolers and plush seating areas. (This closet belongs to Jewel.) The eco-conscious among you will be pleased to hear they are made using only low-VOC paints, formaldehyde-free flooring, and low-wattage fixtures.
LA Closet Design founder Lisa Adams has the right pedigree. She was former president of the Wardrobe Division for Troy Adams Design, creating wardrobe spaces for Eddie Murphy, Carmen Electra, Robert Cort, and Jewel.
LA Closet Design is located at 8687 Melrose Avenue, Suite B-255 in the Pacific Design Center. They offer full-scale, customizable wardrobe storage and design consulting as well as personal shopping and wardrobe styling services.

February 21, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 20, 2008

Why don't we appreciate costume design?

Under-appreciated, unnoticed and oft unsung, costume designers suffer from a chronic (and inexplicable) lack of recognition in the popular media.
It makes no sense—their creations, especially in some period or fantasy productions (think "The Tudors", "Atonement", "Elizabeth", "Edward Scissorhands", "Sweeney Todd"), often convey more emotion, more story, than the most sumptuous of red carpet or catwalk gowns. And yet I can count on one hand the costume designers whose names are known outside film industry circles.
Why?
Is it because costume designers, unlike some red carpet stylists, actually avoid outshining their clients? Is it because costume designers themselves tend to dress (in Amish terms) somewhat plainly?  Or is it because their world—the world of early hours, long shoots and budget-juggling—is simply less glamorous than the worlds of fashion design or red carpet?
Who knows.
But last night, the costume makers had their moment. The 10th annual Costume Designers Guild Awards were attended by some of the biggest stars of today—Anjelica Huston (who was Mistress of Ceremonies), Kate Holmes (all grown up now, she's killed off Katie), Geena Davis, Christian Bale, Natasha Henstridge and many more.
Anjelica Huston was decked out in a spangly red creation that would have gone well with Dorothy's ruby slippers. It was made by Bob Mackie and Ray Aghayan, and is being sold to benefit the Clothes Off Our Back charity. Mackie presented the Career Achievement in TV award to the Yoda-like Ray Aghayan, whose life's work  is surely the envy of every gay man over 50—he dressed Judy Garland, Barbara Streisand and Diana Ross in many millions of sequins, in a career spanning more than 50 years. (Aghayan and Mackie won the first ever Emmy Award for costume design in 1963.)
Kate Holmes presented United Artists head Paula Wagner with the Swarovski Presidents award, the first time a studio head has won such an honor. "Her impeccable personal style defines how she works," said Kate, whose insufferable Stepford Wife delivery was offset after she mispronounced "epitome", reading it phonetically from the autocue. (It's OK Katie—I mean Kate—I remember saying "paradigm" in all its phonetic glory in front of my English lit class.) Wagner, Tom Cruise's longtime business partner, stepped up to the podium wearing a beautiful floor-length gown, with stiff architectural flourishes and regal in midnight blue. It was stunning, one of my favorite looks of the evening, alongside Lena Heady's (aka TV's new Sarah Connor) mink stole and nude vintage gown.
Brit costume designer Ruth Myers, who came to America upon the urging of Gene Wilder and went on to work on "The Woman in Red", "The Addams Family", "The Accidental Tourist", "Emma", "LA Confidential" and "The Golden Compass", was honored with a Career Achievement Award for film. She also picked up the statuette in the Best Fantasy category, presented by the ever-Amazonian Natasha Henstridge.
Marion Cotillard, looking stunning and about 12 years old, had filmed a touching message in memory of the late Marit Allen (pictured), who was inducted into the Costume Designers Guild Hall of Fame this year. A former UK Vogue staffer and David Bailey model, Allen had costume designed more than 40 productions, including "Eyes Wide Shut", "Little Shop of Horrors", "White Mischief", "Brokeback Mountain", "Love in the Time of Cholera", and "La Vie En Rose". She passed away late last year after suffering a brain aneurism.
Christian Bale refused to follow the autocue, paying tribute to director/producer team James Mangold and Cathy Konrad in his own charmingly ad-libbish way, with several shout-outs to costume designer Arianne Phillips, who has been nominated for an Oscar for her work on "3:10 to Yuma".
Christian Bale, Anjelica Huston, Geena Davis, Kate/Katie Holmes—how much more star power will it take before the masses finally take an interest in the art of costume design?

February 20, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 7, 2008

Giveaway: Champagne and caviar at the Raffles L’Ermitage hotel

After a certain hour, the lights inside the Raffles L’Ermitage hotel’s Writer’s Bar in L.A. are dimmed so low, you might have to lean in a little closer to see your companion's eyes.
This is a good thing—if you’re an agent or actor having a business meeting, the warm shadows bestow proceedings with a sense of privacy and anonymity (I spotted Orlando Bloom through the gloom having a business meeting when I visited a couple weeks ago).  And if you’re there with a date, even better—everyone knows that turning the lights down means it’s business time.
Which is why I was excited to hear that L’Ermitage wanted to gift one Stylephile reader with a very special Valentine’s gift –champagne and caviar for two at the Writer’s Bar. It can be on Valentine’s evening, or saved up for a later date if you already have plans.
Either way, the lights will be low, the wines will be fine, and the conversation will, we hope, be risqué. You might even spot a star or two (this is where Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes chose to spend Holmes’ birthday). And of course, if you get tired of talking, we hear there are some rather lovely bedrooms upstairs…
To enter, please leave a comment telling us about the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for you. Please leave your email in the body of the comment. We will contact the winner direct. Deadline is Tuesday 12th at 5PM.

February 7, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 23, 2008

Living jewels, ordinary world

Insects, creepy crawlies and anthills aren't annoyances, they're inspiration, at least according to jewelry designer Jennifer Herwitt, whose diamond-encrusted necklaces and rings emulate the delicate forms of spiders, scorpions, and even lowly ants.
Entomology-obsessed Herwitt isn't the only one who thinks there's beauty to be found in a hornet's nest—Jessica Alba, Dita Von Teese, Pink, Anne Heche and Marg Helgenbergeris are all fans of her art-meets-nature science designs.
Herwitt is one of several creatives taking part in "Ordinary World, Finely Wrought", an exhibit of "conscious design" being held at the Thatcher House in Venice, CA, this weekend to benefit UNICEF Water & Sanitation Programs.
Actress Lucy Liu together with Warner Bros exec Courtenay Valenti are co-hosting the opening night party tonight.
As well as progressive art, photography and furniture, the Thatcher House itself  is being sold off as part of the benefit. It features eco-touches like radiant floor heating, solar photovoltaic panels for electricity and solar water heating panels. The event opens up to the public on Saturday January 26, from 10a.m. to 5p.m. Call 213 784 2003 for more details.

January 23, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 14, 2008

Jimmy Zoo

I arrived at the Jimmy Choo store opening on Rodeo Drive on Friday night only to be greeted by the sight of hundreds of paparazzi and, even worse, a line to get in. The PR woman in charge calmly informed me that fire marshalls were about to close the party down, so they simply couldn't let anybody else in.
I pressed my nose up against the window of the store, and tried to soak up the atmosphere. I saw Tamara Mellon (pictured, right, with Rachel Zoe) the British socialite who founded the Jimmy Choo empire. I spotted Lisa Rinna, Debra Messing, Lisa Kudrow, and an assortment of Choo-heeled Beverly Hills ladies. There was my friend, style writer and consummate fashionista Linlee Allen, sipping from a glass of Veuve. Fashion editor Merle Ginsberg was interviewing the party goers. AndrewAndrew, the creative design duo were there, wearing identical outfits and looking Awesome in Argyle. And there was the beautiful actress Shiva Rose. Sigh.
And then Harvey Weinstein showed up.
The movie mogul is financial backer of the newly re-launched Halston label, with Jimmy Choo's Tamara Mellon helming, Versace's former head of couture Marco Zanini designing and stylist Rachel Zoe on board. Weinstein's new wife (they married last month), the very pretty Georgina Chapman, is herself a fashion designer (for Marchesa).
As Harvey Weinstein strolled forth, the seas parted and as you'd expect, he achieved a clean entrance into the party. He may be a large-ish fella (and therefore most definitely a fire hazard), but in Beverly Hills, there's always enough room for Harvey.
(PS: The Stylephile was allowed in a few minutes later. Grrr.)

January 14, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 10, 2008

Golden Globes gifting going ahead

Breathe easy, freebie-hunters--nearly all the major Golden Globes gifting suites will be going ahead as planned, despite the ceremony's cancellation. The Access Hollywood “Stuff You Must…” Lounge at the Sofitel LA is confirmed to go ahead, as are the SHM Red Carpet Golden Globe Suite, The Kari Feinstein Style Lounge, and the 2008 World Experience DPA Gift Lounge at the Peninsula. I'll be visting many of these gift suites in the coming days and give you the low-down on whether it feels like having Christmas without Santa. In the meantime, here's a photo of the lovely Kari Feinstein, host of the Kari Feinstein Style Lounge, at Sundance last year.

January 10, 2008 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 20, 2007

Join the Scouts

Scout is one of the coolest independent boutiques in L.A., selling items by Jeremy Scott, Endovanera, Henrik Vibskov, Society for Rational Dress and more. I was buzzed to speak with one of its owners, Joey Grana the other day. He talked about how in addition to the store (on Third Street and online), he has also started the Scout clothing line, which he makes with his partner in fashion Danielle DeVicenzo. "I have been designing pieces for the store for a few years," he said, "but we decided to do a full collection partly due to the creative deficit we find in the present fashion world. As the collection is currently only sold in our store, it takes our selection to another level of exclusivity." They make the Scout line at their studio near Chinatown. (Danielle DeVicenzo also has a line of jewelry and handbags sold exclusively at the store called 'Onward Through The Fog'). Grana told me that for Spring, he is working on some collaborative pieces with Tsurukichi, a San Francisco-based designer who uses traditional Japanese indigo dyeing techniques.
This one of the shirts from the Scout line, which you can purchase online by clicking here.

December 20, 2007 in LOS ANGELES | Permalink | Comments (0)

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