Category Archives: Music Style

DJ Mia Moretti’s music and fashion playlist rocks our iPod (and our closet)

By Erin Weinger on October 25, 2011

If you’ve ever sat front row at a Richie Rich fashion show or happen to have been a wedding guest of Chelsea Clinton, you’ve been lucky enough to have experienced one of DJ Mia Moretti’s electrifying turns on the tables. For everyone else, Moretti’s talents can be heard on chart topping Katy Perry remixes and in the Alice and Olivia spring 2011 video look book. The 27 year-old Florida native got her start DJing at the Standard Hotel on Sunset and has gone on to be a fashion world darling, usually playing alongside the incredible classical violinist Caitlin Moe for a hauntingly beautiful sound that manages to get many a high profile party started.

Tonight, Moretti can be found at the Roosevelt Hotel where she is playing the after festivities for a Friends Without Borders gala that benefits children in Cambodia. And in honor of the occasion, the spinstress has made us our very own playlist along with a shopping list of her current fashion obsessions inspired by each tune.

If you’re chummy with the door peeps at Teddy’s, check our Moretti’s party tonight. Otherwise download her songs and hit up the treadmill, which is our personal master plan.

 

Song: I Stand Alone by Theophilus London. Item: Theophilus London x Cole Haan Blue Suede Shoes, colehaan.com 

 

Song: We Found LOve by Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris. Item: Delfina Delettrez lip ring, $1,990. openingceremony.com

 

 

 

Song: The One That Got Away by Katy Perry. Item: Versace for H&M gold collar necklace, $39.95. Available November 19. hm.com

Song: Love on Top. Item: Maison Michel Andre Trilby, $425. kirnazabete.com

 

Song: Big Bad Wold by Duck Sauce. Item: Dolce & Gabbana fur-trimmed coat, $4,545. dolcegabbana.com 

 

Song: So Beautiful by DJ Mia Moretti ft. Caitlin Moe. Item: Mary Katrantzou velvet jewel dress, $14,200. net-a-porter.com

 

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GALLERY: So that’s where all the rock star style REALLY was yesterday — in Paris, at the Rock en Seine music fest

By Erin Weinger on August 29, 2011

While there were a few standout outfits at the 2011 VMA’s last night, the overall looks were lukewarm at best. But over in Paris, where the Rock en Seine music fest is currently in full swing, performers such as Anna Calvi (pictured, right), The Kills front woman Alison Mosshart and Lykke Li were tearing it up on stage in cool, unfussy garb that only a Parisian music fest could breed.

Granted the French didn’t have the privilege of hosting Beyonce and her soon-to-be-born spawn, but no matter. There must be something in the French water that promotes uncomplicated outfits that make wearers look like actual musicians — you know, ones who write songs and play instruments and stuff.

Some of our favorite Rock en Seine looks from both on-stage and off, after the jump.

 

 

David-Ivar Herman Dune of Herman Dune

A festivalier.

The Kills’ Alison Mosshart

Lykke Li


Festivaliers, part deux.

CSS member Lovefoxxx. Ole!

BB Brune


Contrary to frat boy belief, cups of beer and really good outfits do in fact go together.

Oh hello, Arctic Monkey.

Austra

Another festivalier.

Fin.

Photos courtesy of Le Monde, Le Express and rockenseine.com. 

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KCRW finds out what’s on Rodarte duo Kate and Laura Mulleavy’s iPod

By Erin Weinger on March 30, 2011

We’re huge fans of the KCRW guest DJ project — you know, that groovy initiative that has all sorts of fashionable folks (Scott Sternberg, Tarina Tarantino and Oscar-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood, among them) hitting up the local radio station’s Santa Monica offices to choose a few on-air tracks and the reasons why they love ‘em.

And last week, none other than Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte stopped by to play some music, most of it from the silver screen.

“I think if I had to pick a song where you just completely think about sound and what it means to people – for some reason, it exists in a movie,” Kate told KCRW personality Liza Richardson in regards to the theme from Star Wars, which was one of five songs the sisters picked. Other soundtrack favorites chosen by the duo included Roger Miller’s “Oo-de-lally” from Robin Hood, and “The End” by The Doors, which dramatically appeared in Apocalypse Now and Kate calls “Kind of the best moment of sound in film.”

Tom Petty’s “Here Comes my Girl” also made the cut, which reminds the sisters of seeing Petty in concert during a road trip to grow morel mushrooms with their father, who was apparently an expert in the edible fungi.

But the Star Wars theme clearly made the biggest impact on the Pasadena-natives and their their philosophies on creating their artistic, groundbreaking pieces of clothing.

“I know the back story of George Lucas breaking all the rules and leaving all the guilds because he wanted to have the words without the credits at the beginning and just have the powerful score,” Laura said on-air. “And I think things like that, they ring true to us in the way that we want to work and the way that you kind of pave your own way and you have to break rules to make things happen. And I kind of think that we admire that in people. I guess, I mean, I feel like there’s an affinity to that in a weird way.”

Listen to the songs and read the complete show transcript here.

Photo: Kate and Laura in the KCRW studios, courtesy of KCRW

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Lady Gaga officially makes us gag

By Rakhee Bhatt on September 30, 2010

Alright. I think Lady Gaga has officially lost it. Just when I think I’ve seen it all from the singer, she surprises me yet again in another ridiculously weird outfit.

I get the whole aura of Gaga and eagerly embrace it. Outfits made out of Kermit the Frog stuffed animals? Okay. Wearing real meat as a dress? Um, sure. But wearing human hair…as an outfit? Beyond disgusting. However, last night Gaga showed up to the Oak Room and Bar at New York’s Plaza Hotel wearing a cape made of human hair over fishnet tights. The singer surprise the crowd of 100 and performed 4 songs alongside musician Brian Newman and his After Dark jazz trio band.

I’m all for pushing the fashion envelope but there is a limit, and Lady Gaga you just crossed it.

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Street Style: Hipsters at Sunset Junction

By Editors on August 24, 2010

Looking around the intersection of Hoover St. and Sunset Blvd. in Silver Lake over the weekend caused one to mistakenly think they were at Coachella. After all, there was a sea of requisite fedoras, slouchy shoulder bags and more Wayfaras than a Sunglass Hut. But Coachella it wasn’t. This festival was the 30th Anniversary of the Sunset Junction Street Fair, better known as ground zero for hipsters who turned out to dance, party and feast on street meat in L.A.’s 100-degree heat.

Among the acts that excited us this year were Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and Mayer Hawthorne and the Country (whom we photographed and wrote about back in February). And Hawthorne, who serenaded a screaming crowd with a cover of Snoop Dogg’s “Gangsta Love,” looked sharp in one of his signature, old-school suits while his band sported matching tuxes.

Hawthorne, who we learned is quite the jokester on the set of our shoot, again lightened the mood with his comical anecdotes about once being mistaken for Michael Bublé at Amoeba Records.

At the polar opposite side of the fair, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros started their greatly anticipated set at the Bates Stage on a high note with “40 Day Dream”. At first, as we jumped up to get a peak of the band, we thought they had let on fans on to the stage but soon realized that the band itself is just enormous. Lead singer Alex Ebert, whom came out onto the stage dressed in all white with a long, loose, red scarf, was shirtless by the end of the last song. His jokes fell short of Mayer Hawthorne’s. But his perfect whistling accompanying the sweet melody of “Home” definitely made up for it.

And of course no successful Sunset Junction would be complete without sightings of some stylish hipsters, which we’ve captured for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy. — Tabi Yoo

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Semi Precious Weapons get “Sticky with Champagne”

By Rakhee Bhatt on August 19, 2010

Of course you love Gaga and know everything about her. That sentiment was established a long time ago. But did you know the singer got her start opening for the band Semi Precious Weapons? The glam rock group, whose lyrics include phrases like “I can’t pay my rent but I’m f—ing gorgeous,” are now touring the country as Lady Gaga’s opening act these days. While the boys may not yet have the worldwide massive popularity as Gaga, they have nonetheless garnered a loyal following.

Hinging on the band’s untamed on-stage antics and fame, SPW’s lead singer Justin Tranter has teamed up with LA-based label Lyric Culture for a nude-colored collection titled “Sticky with Champagne.” Aptly titled after the band’s song of the same name, the collection, which currently consists of a t-shirt, fringe scarf and leggings, contains art work that was hand drawn by Tranter.

Prices for the collection run $66 for the cloak top, $72 for the fringe scarf, and $90 for the leggings.

The collection can be found at Bettina Duncan at Fred Segal or online.

Photo: “Sticky with Champagne” Cloak Top ($66)

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Madonna’s new teeny-bopper collection makes us wanna regress

By Claire Butler on August 2, 2010

This week marks the launch of Madonna’s junior clothing collection, Material Girl, that she’s designing with her super-fashiony 13-year-old daughter, Lourdes.

And man does it makes us want to be a Claire’s Boutique-shopping teen again.

Not only is the line as cute as a baby otter, it’s also so deliciously retro — hearkening back to Madge’s early days as a punk-rock dance diva.

Only a handful of pieces have been released to the media, but so far we’ve seen a cropped plaid blazer, a flower-print miniskirt, swingy black short-shorts with nautical buttons on the waistline and a leather-ette motorcycle vest. None of the pieces are particularly on-trend, but that’s sort of what makes them great — they’re 100 percent early Madonna, which makes them forever cool.

The icing on the cake? Taylor Momsen — that cool little punk-rock gal from Gossip Girl — is the face of the brand. The hills are alive with fashion synergy!

Photos: Madonna “photographing” Taylor Momsen in the Material Girl collection, courtesy of AP. A plaid blazer from the collection, courtesy of Macy’s.

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Dissecting the shoot: A Fine Frenzy’s footwear

By Erin Weinger on April 13, 2010

Screen shot 2010-04-13 at 4.54.21 PMWhile shooting Alison Sudal (the singer known as A Fine Frenzy) for today’s Spring Awakening photo shoot, a pair of ballet slippers caused a bit of a rumpus around the set. Stylist Monica Schweiger arrived raving about the pair of black, leather, lace-up ballet flats by Corso Como that come with a built-in sock. Her CORS-WZ72_V1assistant agreed, pointing to her feet and adding that they were the most comfortable things she’d ever worn. Later, Schweiger pulled the shoes out of her bag in a nice, compact ball and offered them to Sudal, who was getting ready to climb a steep, grassy hill. Sudal also remarked at how comfortable the shoes were (plus she made it up the hill in one piece). Not to mention cute—the shoes were used in the shot.

Corso Como ‘Ballasox,‘ $60. Available at Revolve Clothing.

Photos courtesy of Revolveclothing.com and, at right, Jeaneen Lund.

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Style Savants: The Bird and the Bee cover Hall & Oates

By Emili Vesilind on April 1, 2010

Picture 2Few can pull off irony with as much aplomb as L.A. band The Bird & the Bee.

Aside from having great circa-60s taste in fashion, the duo — comprising singer Inara George and musician Greg Kurstin (who produced Lily Allen‘s latest record) — once wrote a harmony-laced love song to Van Halen singer David “Diamond Dave” Lee Roth.

And now the pair’s pushing ironic cool to new heights with their just-released album — a cover record of Hall & Oates classics.

Interpreting the Masters Volume 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall and John Oates, makes sweet, syrupy work of the band’s 80s-era hits, including Maneater, One on One, Kiss on My List and Private Eyes.

It’s a fabulously listenable album — a soft-rock ode to one of the era’s most melodic music acts. And, as always, George and Kurstin load up their songs with retro-tinged high style.

So though you’re singing, “Watch out, boy, she’ll chew you up,” you’re feeling totally Serge Gainsbourg.

Album cover courtesy of The Bird and the Bee.

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The phone’s ringing, and it’s Lady Gaga

By Emili Vesilind on February 23, 2010

Picture 1

Interscope released this still photo from the forthcoming Lady Gaga/Beyonce sing-off, “Telephone” — set for release next week.

My big question — aside from What demonic force put those dueling divas in the same recording booth? — is How will Lady G. ever top the kookiness of a hair-phone glued to the side of her head? Really, it may not be possible.

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