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This is so distressing. Josh Woodward, co-owner of the Table 8 and 8 oz. Burger restaurants (there’s an 8 oz. Burger on Melrose Ave.) was arrested in Los Angeles and booked for the murder of his unborn child on Sunday. The release on the LAPD website reveals that there were “suspicious circumstances of a miscarriage” in the 13th week of pregnancy. He’s currently being held, with bail set for $2 million.
Shots of Kate Moss’ “Christmas 09″ collection for the British fast fashion chain Topshop have hit the Web, and the looks are promising on this laptop screen–chiffon blouses with Asian-inspired lotus flower and bamboo prints (Topshop calls it “oriental opulence”), mixed with sequined shift- and mini dresses featuring ostrich-feather sleeve details. And then there’s the lingerie line that’s destined to sell out before you finish reading this sentence.
Actually the collection debuts in stores tomorrow. But it reminds us of a glaring void on the Los Angeles retail scene. Where, exactly, is our own Topshop?
Kate’s collection has been sold in L.A.’s Opening Ceremony and graces the display window at Ron Herman at Fred Segal, but by all accounts, there’s no plans as of yet to bring the whole store to California–even though smaller branches can be found in Gibraltar and the Philippines.
The goods at Topshop can be hit-or-miss, but it’s still a highlight of any SoHo shopping experience (the New York flagship opened in April to much adieu). Here’s to hoping there’ll be a Hollywood counterpart soon. —Krista Jennings
I’m strangely attracted to these hair bows that are, well, made out of hair.
Yes, Kelly Osbourne‘s bejeweled bow is a little wonky-looking because the bow doesn’t match the color of her hair. But I’m actually digging on Lady Gaga‘s hairy accoutrement — very ‘Cousin It’-Chic.
What’s your take on this unlikely trend?
Linda Evangelista shot by Arthur Elgort in early Nineties.
Check out those eyebrows
Ugh. It’s been a blood bath at media giant Conde Nast lately — another huge round of lay-offs went down on Friday afternoon. And I just got word that among the unlucky souls was Leila Baboi, the West Coast market editor for Women’s Wear Daily (WWD.)
Baboi is not only a great young stylist — she cut her teeth working under Flaunt mag’s main fashion man, Long Nguyen, then at hipster music mag URB before landing at WWD — she also boasted, by all accounts, a killer work ethic and major enthusiasm for her work.
But then there’s very little accounting for who gets the axe in this ongoing media massacre.
Photos: A cool shot from Baboi’s online styling portfolio.
L.a.Eyeworks, our favorite home-grown fashion eye wear company, is hosting its annual “Big Sale” this weekend — from Friday to Sunday.
Look for discounts of 20 to 80 percent off classic frames from the vaults and bold new looks from the indie optical company. Last year, I scored a pair of clear-and-green frames for $40, ya’ll. It was major.
Here are the deets:
Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
L.a. Eyeworks, 7407 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, 323-653-8255.
Looking for the perfect gift for the dudes in your life? We’re not one to crow about retail stores, but Alpha, the West Hollywood mens and men’s accessories boutique, has saved me on many a gift-hunting occasion.
The boutique stocks a carefully curated selections of menswear, guy accessories and odds and ends, like books and radios. Best of all — the inventory ranges from the dirt cheap to the super pricey, with plenty of stuff hovering in between. It’s a brilliant one-stop shop for all the men in your life who don’t want a Brookstone pillow.
And starting today, the shop — which is co-owned by fashionable men Darren Gold and Christos Garkinos — is boasting a pre-holiday “blow-out” sale through Sunday, marking down all kinds of fab things, like Lexon Mini Dolman Radios ($23 from $63), Aquala bamboo bath caddies ($20 from $50), Taschen Ingrid Bergman archives ($60 from $200), and “Give and Take’ charity T-shirts ($15 from $55).
Also, Alpha is offering through Nov. 27 a “one for you, one for you” promotion: spend $100 or more in the store, and receive a $25 gift certificate. Get thee there.
Alpha, 8625 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, 310-855-0775. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Photo: Courtesy of Alpha
Diva Zappa, one of the late Frank Zappa’s daughters, will debut a new art show today at interior design boutique Henry Road in Studio City today.
The show, which will run through February 2010, is comprised of paintings and photos that incorporate yarn and/or knitting (the boho artist is a consummate knitters, and has her own knit and crochet fashion business, Hand Made Beauty.)
Her website pretty much says it all:
“Diva Zappa makes art in public. She believes in faeries, a good cup of tea and pandas…she resides in Los Angeles with her battlecat Oolanai and pupperdoo Licorice…When she was 20 her knit switch flipped to ON, since then she has been madly working and creating colorful insanities which have recently led her to make what you see today.”
If that breed of hippie-dom strikes your fancy, pedal your beat up bike over to Henry Road between 5-8 p.m. tonight to toast the artist. 3949 Laurelgrove Ave., Studio City, 818-762-8966.
Upstart L.A. designer Yotam Solomon rolled out his hyper-sexy Spring 2010 collection Wednesday night during an informal presentation at the Chateau Marmont.
Tight, short dresses were at the heart of the line, gussied up with sewn-on glass beads and gemstones and contrasting fabric accents. Standout looks included a black Fifties-style cocktail dress hemmed to mini proportions and a Grecian-style gray one-shouldered gown (far left in photo) that’s ready to walk the red carpet tomorrow.
The collection’s very few misses were usually due to too-short hems paired with a too-tight fit, i.e. a hot orange mini-dress that fit like a leotard and crept up to hoo-ha levels.
But Solomon’s tailoring and quality of work is always top-notch, and his eye for unexpected detail feels like that of a much more mature designer (he’s only 22 years old) — and reminded me, at times, of Reem Acra’s exotic-cum-luxe aesthetics.
Can’t wait to see what he comes up with next.
Photo: Models cornered at Solomon’s fashion presentation.
Jersey queen (and we mean the fabric, not the state) Rachel Pally celebrated the launch of her new pop-up boutique on Wednesday night with a cocktail party co-hosted by actress Amy Smart.
Friends of the L.A.-based designer packed into the new spot on La Brea Ave., which is so sleek and polished -looking, you’d never know it was a pop-up unless you’d been briefed beforehand.
“I’m not gonna do it half-assed!” said Palley, who wore a stunning black jersey one-shoulders gown cinched at the waist with a thin gold belt. “It had to match my brand, and my brand is clean.”
Pally added that the her entire family helped ready the cement-floored, white-walled space. “My mom was steaming curtains and my dad was hammering things until 10 p.m. the other night,” she said. “And you should have seen me in a floor-length dress the other day Sharpie-ing out words on the sign outside. We were really working.”
Rachel Pally’s Pop-Up, 456 S. La Brea Ave., L.A. 
Open Mon. – Sat., 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sun. 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Photos: Pally (left) and Amy Smart; The view from the “sale loft.”
