Category Archives: Events

Whatcha doin today? Head to the Los Feliz Fashion Fest and Street Fair!

Today, our beloved ‘hood is hosting the 18th annual Los Feliz Street Fair, complete with food, a photobooth, bands, beer and — for the first time ever — fashion.

Produced by Kelsi Smith, a local style blogger and the founder of fashion blogging collective Two Point Oh LA, the fashion portion of the street fair features shop-able stalls from 35 local labels including Dominique Ansari, Fluxus, 50 Dresses and A Current Affair Vintage.

The fest features a central runway, too. And at 4:45 pm, catch a fashion show that pairs local bloggers with designer counterparts.

We love street fairs. We love Los Feliz. We love beer. And obviously we love fashion. We can’t wait to check it out.

 

Today, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Hollywood Boulevard between Vermont Avenue and Hillhurst Avenue.

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We’re not the only ones who are crazy for caftans at WGACA

Last night, we stopped by a party at What Goes Around Comes Around to officially fete their new La Brea Avenue digs. And when we arrived — as we always do when visiting the vintage emporium — we made a beeline to the back where an entire rack is devoted to tunics and caftans, our old-lady outfit accouterment of choice.

But this time around, instead of sifting through the Earth Wind and Fire-ready dashikis, Indian-made embroidered numbers and prairie-style Mama Cass muu-muus all by our lonesome, we happened upon a fellow vintage fashion freak who is just as enamored with long, loose fitting garments as we are.

“Oh I live in caftans,” Jessica Lynn told us, wearing a bright metallic one that once belonged to her grandmother. Lynn, a friend of WGACA co-owner Gerard Maione, was the co-owner of vintage store Parker Pettit, a groovy shop tucked into an Abbot Kinney cottage in Venice that closed in 2009. But it turned out she was much happier wearing caftans than selling them. “I absolutely hated it,” she said of owning her store. “We used to sit in the store and drink all day. I was an awful salesperson.”

Today, Lynn lives in Venice and has an entire garage full of vintage fashion — 1960s caftans, ’70s-style muu-muus and trippy tunics included.

“Caftans are amazing because you can hike them up a little, show some leg and hide your stomach,” she said. “They conceal all.”

 

159 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles. 323-933-0250. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday noon to 7 p.m.  whatgoesaroundnyc.com

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Room for One: Agyness Deyn hosts a bash to celebrate the launch of Rebecca Minkoff’s new shop-in-shop at Confederacy in Los Feliz


The times are a’changin’ at Confederacy in Los Feliz, where the boutique and supermodel Ageyness Deyn hosted a cool kid-packed party on Tuesday night to celebrate Rebecca Minkoff’s new shop-in-shop and the store’s new focus on menswear.

Minkoff’s collaboration with Confederacy co-owner and uber-stylist Ilaria Urbinati stems back to 2009, when she helped design Minkoff’s re-relaunched ready to wear collection.

“Becky is one of my oldest friends,” Urbinati said at her Tuesday night soiree, which brought out boldfacers including Ashton Kutcher, Chris Pine, Lauren Conrad and Glee star Jayma Mays. “I think it’s the perfect line for this area in L.A., because her stuff is very ‘downtown New York girl.’ That’s very Silverlake.”

Confederacy, which previously carried an assortment of womenswear by the likes of  Proenza Schouler and Phillip Lim, is now devoting the entire front half of the shop to Minkoff’s flirty skirts, dresses, blazers and covetable leather goods (Urbinati admitted to owning over 30 of the designer’s bags). While the back of the store will continue to serve the boys with dapper Albert Hammond Jr. suiting, Simon Spurr button downs and Band of Outsiders bowties. The simplified merchandise mix will allow Urbinati to more easily focus on styling, which she still does full time  (client Chris Evans has been keeping her quite busy with Captain America premieres on both coasts this week).

“I should have ‘overwhelmed.com’ stamped on my forehead,” she mused, hiding any signs of stress in a pretty high-neck fuchsia dress from Zara.

Of course we can’t forget party co-host Agyness Deyn, who met Minkoff on a New York street corner four years ago during a purse exchange, which Minkoff jokingly compared to a drug deal.

“She has such a great mind for design,” Deyn said of Minkoff’s aesthetic. “It’s very fierce in a subtly kind of way.” The British model, who once dated Strokes member and friend-of-Confederacy Albert Hammond Jr., is currently enjoying an L.A. summer filled with hiking and surfing.

Urbinati seemed to be enjoying herself, too, as she and Lauren Conrad complemented each other’s outfits and carried on about Urbinati’s April wedding, when she married photographer Eric Ray Davidson at a rented out summer camp in Texas.

And of course she seemed excited about her store’s new trajectory.

“We’ve had the same designers for the past couple of seasons,” she said. “It’s time to do some fresh meat.”

 

Photos: From top left, Lauren Conrad in Rebecca Minkoff with the about-to-pop designer. Top right, Agyness Deyn. Bottom right, Minkoff with Ilaria Urbinati. Images courtesy of Rebecca Minkoff/Getty 

 

 

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Summer weekend agenda: Not Your Mother’s Music Festivals

It’s an undisputed fact that the West Coast has some seriously rad music festivals (Coachella, obvs…but we can’t forget Lightning in a Bottle and Joshua Tree, too). And now that it’s summer, there’s nothing more butterfly-inducing than the promise of a weekend fest full of friends, sun, booze and yes, really good tunes.
So we’ve compiled a list of upcoming musical festivals, each within driving distance of sunny SoCal, to suit every taste. From solar stages to wine tastings and everything in between, we’ve got your music fest agenda covered. Best part is, tickets are still available to them all (take that, Coachella scalpers).
August 6: HARD Summer LA – This daylong festival shows you don’t have to leave the city to get your festival fix. A park in downtown LA is the home to bright lights and the finest of electronic music. Dance to the sounds of more than 25 DJs on four stages, including headliners Duck Sauce, Chromeo and the much-anticipated James Murphy — front man of recently retired LCD Soundsystem.
Los Angeles State Historic Park. Tickets: $70 — $125
August 12 – 14: Outside Lands - This eco-friendly festival takes environmental approaches — think solar-powered stages. Besides a kick-ass music lineup (um, Phish, Foster the People, Girltalk and the Black Keys included) , this three-day festival hosts enough gourmets to induce a food coma mid-song. Seriously. There’s even a ‘wine lands’ area with its own winery lineup.
Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. Tickets: $85 for regular single day — $450 for three day VIP
August 13: Pacific Festival OC – Steve Aoki teamed up with Pacific Festival Entertainment to produce a true West Coast music experience. In its second year, this single-day festival managed to compile a stellar lineup featuring Cut Copy, Snoop Dogg and KCRW Music Director Jason Bentley. With ticket sales benefiting the Surfrider Foundation, which works to protect the worlds beaches and oceans, this festival ensures philanthropic fun for all.
Oak Canyon Ranch, Orange County. Tickets: $75 — $175
August 21: Rock the Bells- This single-day festival, which traipses four cities on both coasts, features performances by hip-hop legends as well as newbies. Headliners include Nas, Lauryn Hill and Common.
San Manuel Amphitheater, San Bernardino. August 21st. Tickets: $50 — $100
September 30 – October 2: Hardly Strictly Bluegrass -This is the best festival that money CAN’T buy. Yes, that means free. So far, acts haven’t been confirmed but curious would be concert-goers can listen to melodies on the fest’s website and guess which artists might bend up playing the show. So far melodies include the folksy likes of Chris Issac, Earl Scruggs and The Mekons. The organic, relaxed atmosphere of this fest, which takes place in the Speedway Meadow of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, has found fas in Dirsten Dunst.  And did we mention it’s free?
Speedwary Meadow of San Francisco. Tickets: Free
Photo: The Golden Gate bride looms in the background of the Outside Lands music fest. 


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Guess who’s coming to dinner: Will and Kate BAFTA edition

This coming Saturday night, while we’ll likely be eating take out on our couch, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be in downtown L.A. with 42 of Britain’s hottest up-and-coming thespians at a BAFTA dinner being thrown in their honor.

People.com managed to get their hands on the entertainment-industry filled the guest list, which includes the likes of Game of Thrones star Harry Lloyd, Burberry model Tom Hughes, Indie darling (and avid Los Feliz vintage shopper) Juno Temple and Talulah Riley, the 25 year-old Inception actress and wife of PayPal co-founder Elon Musk. It’s a seriously stylish crowd fo’ sho’, and we can’t wait to see what England’s cool kids choose to wear to hob nob with Will and Kate.

Meanwhile we’re planning our best Indiana University sweatpants for the Thai BBQ delivery man.

 

Photo: From left, Tom Hughes, actress Jessica Brown Findlay and Juno Temple, who will all be eating a lot better than we will next weekend.

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Things we would buy if rent wasn’t due: a Goyard bag seen at yesterday’s Barneys/Vogue luncheon

Yesterday, Vogue’s Lawren Howell and Barneys creative director Amanda Brooks hosted an in-store luncheon to celebrate Goyard’s new outpost within the luxury retailer’s Beverly Hills location.

And while the likes of Janie Bryant, Jeanne Yang, Juan Carlos Obando and actresses Erika Christensen and Abigail Spencer nibbled on tuna nicoise and French macarons, we simply stared at Goyard steamer trunks and drooled.

Nevermind the fact that we’d have to become street walkers to afford such a regal piece of luggage (or the airfare to any exotic locale worth taking it). But our initials unfortunately spell the word EEW, making a monogrammed Goyard piece a thing of fantasy in our life for more reason than one.

Luckily, during an after-lunch accessory department perusal, we were made to feel better about our financial situation by none other than Rodarte designer Laura Mulleavy, who also attended the luncheon and, just like us, asked a Barneys employee to validate her self-parking ticket.

Now if we could only find something to make us feel better about the fact that our initials are awful, we’ll be golden.

Photo: Vogue West Coast editor Lisa Love and Jacqui Getty — both lucky enough to own monogramed bags that don’t spell an expression of disgust. (Donato Sardella/Wireimage)

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Events to help you get your Earth Day on

For those of you paying attention to the scant few days between Passover and Easter this year, and who already don’t feel bad enough between the bookends of religious guilt, here’s Earth Day to remind us all that we’re ruining the planet with our long showers, aging cars and use of paper towels. Sigh.

But before you’re reduced to tears over your failures as an Earth-dweller, know that there are reasons to change your ways – and that you can celebrate fashion in the process.

Here are a handful of local events happening today that can help you feel less-bad about not driving a Prius.

Nothing says green like clothing made of plants. L.A. designer Yotam Solomon will be exhibiting seven original “foliage” runway looks, designed in collaboration with Dasani in honor of the Coca-Cola-owned water brand’s new PlantBottle packaging, made with 30 percent plant materials.

Let’s see what the fruit of the vine can provide when it comes to apparel.

11 a.m., The Grove Fountain area, 189 The Grove Drive, Los Angeles.

“Eco Hollywood Earth Day” at Montage Beverly Hills, with the customary assurances about environmentally conscious celebrity turnout (we’ll see). Music Saves Lives will feature live acoustic performances while promoting blood drives for the American Red Cross and collecting donated cell phones for recycling. Green Wish will be taping celebrity PSAs for their documentary film narrated by Ed Begley, Jr.

12 p.m., by invitation only

The Montage Hotel, 225 North Canon Drive, Beverly Hills.

G2 Gallery’s Eco Runway for Earth Day will showcase a variety of eco-conscious goods, including clothing by Zavella, makeup from GoodMakers Street Team, and Ladjili handmade crystal jewelry from Venice designer Veronica Brigitte Rose. Another highlight – snacks will be provided by Chipotle (no longer minority-owned by McDonald’s, for fans of healthy/organic fare).

6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

G2 Gallery, 1503 Abbot Kinney Blvd Venice310-452-2842. RSVP required: events@theg2gallery.com; entry fee $5

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Bored? Go get a free Clarins makeover at the mall.

Once in a very blue moon, we find ourselves with some time to kill on a cloudy afternoon. And while few things compare to hours of old South Park episodes from the comfort of our couch, it would be nice to have an activity to partake in further away from Cartman and his cohorts.

This week, Clarins apparently heard our plight and answered our prayers with a series of in-store demonstrations featuring summer ’11 products and potions designed to add some pretty to our punim (that’s “face” in Yiddish, y’all).

Eric Antoniotti, the beauty brand’s longtime artistic director, is making stops around the Southland tomorrow, Friday and Saturday to show off his latest collection of poppy pastel eye colors, sunscreens and, of course, repair lotions for when the SPF slather is lighter than it should be.

And since Antoniotti’s makeup counters of choice are a bit outside of the 310 area code, you get an added bonus: The ability to listen to a killer iPod playlist uninterrupted on your drive.

Cartman might even approve.

Thursday, April 21. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Macy’s Santa Anita. 400 South Baldwin Ave., Santa Anita. (626) 445-5711

Friday, April 22. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Macy’s South Coast Plaza. 3333 Bristol St., Costa Mesa. (714) 556-0611

Saturday, April 23. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Bloomingdale’s Fashion Island. 701 Newport Center Dr., Newport Beach. (949) 720-3300

clarins.com

Photo: Clarins new UV plus HP SPF 40 Day Sunscreen, $38.

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Things discovered at last night’s party for Freeway Eyewear and Jerome: We’re kind of obsessed with the daughters of famous fashion editors

Last night, Vogue’s Jessica Kantor, Freeway Eyewear creator/writer/artist Alex Israel and Jerome designer Emily Jerome hosted a cocktail party at Soho House to fete their fall 2011 lines, respectively.

In addition to Israel’s killer shades — each of which retails for a pocket book-friendly $100 — and Jerome’s craveable grey silk dresses, embroidered velvet mini skirts and oversized striped sweaters that we envision cuddling in for entire weekends at a time, was a cool-girl crowd of writers, actresses, filmmakers and musicians who made us feel more creative from merely being in their presence.

Musician Ariana Delawari, screenwriter and playwright Elizabeth Meriwether and photographer Gia Coppola were just a smattering of the stylish free spirits who turned out to support the two talented designers, both of whom call Los Angeles home.

But it was the offspring of Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and her West Coast counterpart Lisa Love that piqued our interest the most (fashion editors and style journalists have always been our own personal form of royalty, after all). Laura Love, a model and trainee with the Los Angeles Ballet and her actress sister Nathalie each wore pieces from Jerome’s upcoming collection — a leopard-print chiffon dress and leather-cut out shift, respectively. While Wintour daughter Bee Shaffer, who has dabbled in fashion writing herself with a regular column in London’s Daily Telegraph in 2006, sported a sweet, springtime suitable lavender dress.

Shaffer is already a fixture in the public eye, frequently being photographed in the front row with her mother in tow. The Love sisters have laid a little lower, but it seems they’re well on their way to becoming household names, too. Nathalie appeared in Sophia Coppola’s 2010 film Somewhere and modeled for Louis Vuitton’s spring 2011 jewelry campaign while Laura was one of the faces of Rodarte’s Opening Ceremony collaboration that launched in February.

We’re excited to follow the girls’ budding creative careers. At the very least, they’re bound to give us damn fine outfits.

Photos, from top: Bee Shaffer (left), Nathalie Love, Jerome designer Emily Jerome and, uh, a readhead who isn’t us (ID’ing people has never been our strong suit) wearing Freeway shades. Below, Laura Love also wears Freeway. Images by Donato Sardella.

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Lucky Magazine brings their sample sale pop-up situation to L.A. next week

We’re gambling types here at Style Section L.A., so we’re betting you haven’t filed your taxes yet, leaving time for one more pre-filing blues splurge next weekend… and if you’re smart (or desperate like us), you’ll have already started thinking about how to make this a one a write-off.

We’re referring to Lucky Magazine’s first-ever “Lucky Shops L.A.” event on April 8 and 9. And with a long list of designer brands up to 70 percent off, we suspect the sale could provide ample opportunity to exorcise pent-up tax season aggression by means of a few thrown elbows.

Participating brands include Barneys Co-Op, Botkier, Foley + Corinna, Geren Ford, Helmut Lang, Kate Spade, Pour La Victoire, Rebecca Minkoff, Theory and Winter Kate, among others.

For those wanting to go forth and support the economic recovery by expanding their wardrobes, get the goods here.

Friday April 8, 12-6pm; Saturday April 9, 10-5pm, Siren Studios. 6063 West Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles. Tickets start at $15; buy them online at luckyshops.com

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Photo: Lucky Shops New York this past November, expect a similar scene on our coast.

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