While the “dance party as fashion show” concept doesn’t have a lot of fans, we rather like the idea — it’s fun! There’s music! It gives you the chance to see how clothes will look on real bodies who do something besides strut down the runway with a dead-eyed look! And last Thursday, we finally caught our very first dancing fashion show, at LIVE! on Sunset, put together by Lovefashion and Kelsi Smith. It wasn’t high fashion, per se: the event showcased off-the-racks ware from designers like Zimmermann, J Brand, Bless’ed Are The Meek, Sachin & Babi, Petro Zillia, Superdry, Sass & Bide, For Love & Lemons, Joie, and a handful of others.

The show was more about fun and drumming up sales than it was about being a serious, capital-F-Fashion event, but that didn’t make the spectacle any less impressive. Killer choreography and music (accompanied by a live drummer), about 10 different looks per model…and during many of the looks, the girls were wearing heels and pulling off funky moves. The event also brought out some extremely well-dressed peeps, who chowed down at the cupcakes-and-candy bar. The whole thing just worked, and we hope other take notice: It would be great to see more high-energy, casual events like this one.

LIVE! on Sunset  8801 Sunset Boulevard  West Hollywood

1). Booze and cruise the amazing deals at the Tiny Bandit sample sale. This is a favorite, we went all the time when this sale was held at Malo. No lie, I bought an Akiko dress for $30 and found the same dress online at Neiman Marcus for $250. SCORE!  This time, the sale sets up shop at the Palihouse, and they’re bringing tons of goods from the likes of Akiko, Kova & T, Isabel Lu and many more. The sale is tonight from 5pm to 10pm.

8465 Holloway Drive, West Hollywood

2) Fill your closet and cupboards with goods from the Gather spring clearance sale. Gather stocks a well-curated selection from some of LA’s best and most fiercely independent brands; what could be better than acquiring unique, beautiful and handmade goods at a steep discount? Save up to 25% off, and select housewares are also included. Tuesday through Sunday, 11am to 7pm.

4516 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Feliz

3) Stock up on pretty dresses at the Geren Ford sample sale. What better excuse to visit the cozy Geren Ford clubhouse? Bag deals of up to 85% off on a variety of dresses, separates, and maybe even shoes. $100 and under! Sale is Friday, noon to 8pm and Saturday, 11am to 5pm.

1034 Seward Street, Hollywood

4.) Buy fashionable kiddie duds at the Little Warrior pop-up inside Filth Mart. If you’re a parent or an over-enthusiastic pet dresser-upper, you’ll appreciate everything about the Little Warrior line of clothing (tee pictured above). Cute and unique designs, sized a little big so clothing can be worn even after growth spurts, and quality that stands up to even the toughest tomboy antics. See the whole line for yourself while it takes up residence at Filth Mart. And check back next week; we’ll have a complete look at the line and a chance to win a gift certificate. Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 7pm and Sunday, 1pm to 5pm.

1038 North Fairfax Avenue,  West Hollywood

5.) Wear your wildest outfit and celebrate the 18th anniversary of Juxtapoz magazine at Bergamot Station. It’s not strictly fashion, but Juxtapoz has done so much to influence contemporary art, illustration and design –  showcasing the work of people like Robt. Williams, Shepard Fairey, Buff Monster, and Mark Ryden way before they hit the greater public consciousness. The mag is throwing down Saturday night at Copro Nason Gallery, with music, food, art (DUH), and special guests. 8pm to 11:30pm.

2525 Michigan Avenue, Santa Monica

Alpha: Gear for Gents, the WeHo specialty boutique that stocked the best men’s gifts in the city, is closing its doors. And it’s hosting an “Another One Bites the Dust” sale starting today through April 1 (when is closes to good), with merch marked down up to 60% off.

Co-founded by Darren Gold and Decades’ Christos Garkinos — and later owned solely by Gold — the store was a bastion of sharp style, unique homewares and quirky gifts, and we’re sad to see it go.

In a letter on Facebook, Gold wrote:

“Dear Friends of Alpha,

After evaluating my personal and business goals for Alpha, I have come to the conclusion that it is time to cocoon and awake anew as a business ready to take on the digital world of 2012. Following in the footsteps of some of my most admired LA retailers, Fred Segals’ Fun and Flair, Tracey Ross, Lisa Kline, and Hillary Rush, Alpha will cease to operate as a standalone brick and mortar store on April 01, 2012.

I realize this might be disappointing news for many who consider Alpha to be a go-to favorite for gifts, clothing, and all sorts of “gear for gents,” but the reality of numbers cannot be ignored. The recession (predicated by the writer’s strike in Los Angeles) was the first stab in the heart of traditional retail. Online sales, flash sales, pop-ups, and an increasingly aggressive promotional cycle have made the business model of independent retail even more difficult. Post- recession, many of our best customers have changed their buying patterns; waiting for sales, shopping online, or simply not shopping.

As the retail landscape redefines itself, there has been a definitive uptick in the last 12 months, however, it is too slow for Alpha to advance in a way that I feel best represents the brand….the Alpha brand will continue in some form. I am currently developing the execution of that strategy now, and it will be my next adventure. With the success of our pop-up at the Andaz hotel, I see the future for Alpha and myself in developing new retail concepts, pop-up stores, as well as consulting on a personal and retail level. I am excited for the new opportunities and will keep you updated in the coming weeks.
Thanks to all for your support over the years. It Has Been A Blast.

Until next time,

Darren Gold”

Cult kidswear brand Little Warrior has some pretty big things in store for 2012 — like an actual store, for starters. The growing label will set down some roots inside Filth Mart on Fairfax. It’s kind of the whole “circle of life” thing, since Little Warrior started out as Filth Mart pieces that were reworked for kids. And there’s no better time than Saturday to check it out, since they’re feting the opening with a party. Moms get 25% off Little Warrior purchases, mimosas, macaroons and more. Kids get treats and the satisfaction of knowing they’re the hippest preschoolers around. Saturday’s shindig will be hosted by Drea de Matteo and Filth Mart proprietess Maggie Fox; party goes from 3pm to 6pm.

Filth Mart, 1038 N. Fairfax Avenue, West Hollywood (323) 848-8613

Now that a company website is de rigueur for a fashion business, everyone has one—and sometimes designers wonder if anyone is reading their around-the-studio posts.

Nathalie Seaver, who owns an eponymous boutique for ready-to-wear and gifts on West Third Street, found out last week just how powerful such a platform can be. After having seen Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris,” the designer mentioned on her site that someday she’d create her own version of a white-and-red dress worn by Marion Cotillard in the Oscar-winning film.

“It managed to be flirty and pretty in such a clean and unfussy way, and also look incredibly comfortable,” says Seaver. “I realized that I needed something like that in my own wardrobe.” Women in New York, Colorado, and Washington State—among other places—emailed Seaver to say that they needed it, too. They asked her when the dress would be available. There was nothing left to do but, um, make the thing.

Instead of sewing on red beads, which were used on costume designer Sonia Grande’s original, Seaver meticulously hand-painted dots on the pocket flaps and sleeves of dresses in rayon crepe ($428) and silk chiffon ($598). The painted dots give the dress a sportier twist, and made it more affordable than a beaded version. Unexpectedly, the project brought the designer back to her roots.

Seaver, whose mother is French, began as a fine art painter, and hand-painted on fabrics when she started her fashion career more than 15 years ago. The Midnight in Paris dress re-inspired her to take up the paint brush again for a spring collection of one-of-a-kind special occasion designs.

–Laurie Pike

Photo: A hand-painted blouse from the special occasion collection Nathalie Seaver did, inspired by the “Midnight in Paris” dress.

Save your frozen Amy’s burrito for another meal — tonight, we’re hosting a dinner with genius social dining website Grubwithus.com, and you’re invited to eat, drink and be merry with an intimate group of new friends and old!

Grubwithus.com takes the concept of social networking into the actual real world with member-planned meals at restaurants around town. Other members can then sign up to participate in meals of their choice, with themes such as East Side 30-Somethings and Silicon Beach Startups bringing like-minded individuals together. Menus at each restaurant are arranged beforehand, with most three-course offerings coming in at under $35.

And tonight it’s our turn to play host when we’ll have dinner at Cafe Med in West Hollywood at 7:30. Come to talk about fashion, life in L.A. or simply to chow down on Cafe Med’s yummy farfalle con Salmone, which is just one option available on our custom three-course menu. Tickets are $32 and can be purchased here.

We promise to make you laugh and we might even tell the story about the time we drove Andy Dick home from a club (it would be worth $32 even without Tiramisu, trust).

So sign up for Grubwithus.com and join us for dinner tonight! We can’t wait!

Living in L.A. — where every night seems to bring another store opening, bar preview, dinner party or film screening — it’s fairly easy to become a casual lush without even trying. And that wouldn’t be such a bad thing, if only all the open bars didn’t come with empty calories, too.

But at recent fashion events at the likes of Stylehaus in West Hollywood and Venice’s Urbanic Paper Boutique, we’ve had the pleasure of discovering a tasty beverage combo that provides adequate zip without the fear of the dreaded booze pooch.

Enter Voli Vodka, a “light” alcoholic concoction that has 43 calories per ounce to standard vodka’s 73. Since we haven’t been into shooting the stuff straight up since our younger years (or, uh, last Saturday night), we were also elated to discover Refine Mixers at our last weekday outing, which is a zero calorie, aspartame-free mixer that provides a welcome alternative to Sugar Free Red Bull’s metallic taste of death. The liquid mixer comes in three flavors — Margarita, Mojito and Cosmo — each made with Stevia, the all-natural sweetener we use instead of sugar when cooking at home. Each bottle is $8.99 and available at Von’s and Cost Plus World Market, while bottles of Voli go for $24.99 at BevMo.

We happen to think that Voli and Refine are the perfect one-two punch of low-cal boozing, whether you’re party hopping or simply enjoying a night cap from the comfort of your couch.

Photo: Refine Mixers’ Jason Shenitzer serves up low-cal Voli/Refine cocktails at a recent shopping event in Hancock Park. 

The name may make it sound like another craft-crammed Silver Lake boutique, but Bee Free marks another turn in the chic-ification of the boho neighborhood. The airy shop for women’s clothing and accessories opened its doors in February across the street from LaMill Coffee.

The former dog-grooming location has been expanded and renovated, with a minimalist approach to Hollywood Regency interior design. Angie Freeman may be new to owning a store, but the 34-year-old shows a sure hand in everything from décor (an over-sized gray graphic wallpaper print on walls) to the choice of merchandise (floaty skirts, sequined shorts, sweater-cloaks with thread-through sashes).

Saturday night, the store drew a crowd reflective of Silver Lake’s mixed demographic for its opening bash, sponsored by Yelp. The store’s retail price points (plenty under $100) meant the line at the cash register was as long as the one for cocktails. In a purple silk jumpsuit with a dangerously low decolleté, Freeman greeted guests while making last-minute adjustments. “I wanted to create a shop that felt like home,” said the North Carolina native in her Ellie May accent as she pinned a skirt on a mannequin. “Southern hospitality comes natural to me. I want a place where women of all sizes can find something in a good fabric that’s affordable.”

Freeman came to L.A. via New York, where she worked as a post-production coordinator on “Saturday Night Live.” She worked in retail when the show was on hiatus. In L.A., she has written and produced short films, but gravitated to fashion boutiques again—this time with her own shingle—when she observed the favorable retail opportunities here compared to New York. Buying labels such as Amanda Uprichard, Aryn K, Veronica M, Lovers & Friends, and Qi demonstrate her keen eye for the fashion desires of the gentrifying neighborhood. As for the name: “Bee” refers to Freeman’s family tradition of beekeeping. The boutique itself could have been an apiary last night, with customers buzzing from getting bangs trimmed in back to noshing on appetizers from next-door restaurant L & E Oyster bar.

–Laurie Pike

1639 Silver Lake Blvd.

Photo: Bee Free owner Angie Freeman.

We are total suckers for a good gimmick, and the Me Undies vending machine located inside of Confederacy…well, it’s not the best gimmick ever, but it’s pretty fun. Rest assured, this isn’t like the creepy machines in Japan: the underwear are all factory sealed and brand-spankin’ new. The brand also makes unmentionables for the ladies, but the Confederacy machine is stocked with men’s bikini briefs, boxers and boxer-briefs — all for $16. The undies vending machine will eventually be rolled out to other locations, including airports and hotels.

Confederacy, 4661 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Feliz

Cooler than “beachy” highlights and more subtle than all-out Manic Panic dye-job, pastel-hued highlights are looking so very right right now.

Emily Browning, Kate Bosworth and Taryn Manning were among the first celebs to, well, dip, into the look late last year. Browing, in particular, looked amazing with the ends of her short brown bob dipped in lavender.

Last night at the Costume Guild Awards, actress Chloe Moretz debuted pinky streaks in her dishwater-hued locks that were really very chic.

Would you dabble in pastel-colored locks?

Photos, from left: Emily Browning and Chloe Moretz.