Fash Bash: The Girls of Ghettogloss, Rodan v. Griffith Trunk Show

Even if the rest of the world is taking it easy for January, there's apparently no rest for the fashion crowd - case in point, this week's two-for-one installment of Fash Bash.

First is tonight at Ghettogloss, Silverlake's first and most famous gallery and boutique in one. They're launching their new exhibition, entitled 'Girly Group Show' and featuring just about every young female artist in LA worth knowing. According to the invite, you can expect to see "Butterfly, Shana Nys Dambrot, Danyi Deats-Barrett, Yami Duarte, Fiora, Flopi, Amy Frederick, Jessica Lee Garrison, Niki Hass, Anabel Lee, Sue-ling Hyde, Hannah Hurrle, Noel Ill, Jenny Mollen, Rebecca Paul, Vanessa Prager, Karyn Raz, Annie Sperling, Alexis Walker, Kim West, Jeanne Yern, and many more." If that's not enough to convince you, perhaps the promise of champagne and penguin pinatas will be more tempting...

And then! Rodan v. Griffith will be holding a trunk show / sample sale / cocktail party next Thursday (24th), from 7-11. They're going to be featuring three designers in particular - Lorun (one of my favorite LA labels), Quail (which I had never heard of, but is actually really rad), and A.T. Moreno jewelry (which I can't find any info on, so more reason to stop by the event). There will also be music by Mighty Might, so basically your standard good night out on W. Third, with shopping.

Admittedly, shopping under the influence might be a bit risky at this time of year, when we're all kind of broke - but I can honestly say that some of my best purchases have been made after a few martinis, so am definitely not going to let that excuse stand in my way...

Ghettogloss, 2380 Glendale Blvd, Silverlake; Rodan v. Griffith, 8207 W. 3rd Street, Los Angeles

l.-r.: Quail SS08, Lorun AW07 from revolveclothing.com

Fash Bash: Maude Carrin Loves Chase

I first became acquainted with the work of muralist Chase when it was being exhibited at Xin on Melrose. Since then, I've noticed it absolutely everywhere - on the walls in Venice I pass by on my way to work each day; at a Gen Art sample sale; even next to the men's skivvies at Bloomies in the Beverly Center.

Like a modern-day Andy Warhol, Chase has become a sort of artist-laureate for the city's cozy fashart scene - albeit one with a distinctively shiny, happy, West Coast-appropriate message of self-awareness and hope. His next appearance on the retail circuit is launching this Friday at Maude Carrin (7427 Beverly Blvd), where he will be customizing...well, anything you want him to.

Attached to the launch invite was the picture below - it's of the artist's latest mural in Venice, which has immortalized his god-daughter. The cynical New Yorker in me wants to make a snide comment about joining hands and singing Kumbaya, but I just can't - his work makes me smile, which is more than I can say for most of the art I've seen lately.

Fash Bash: Deck the Halls, Skip the Malls

One of the things that surprised me the most upon moving to LA was the area's independent retail scene. I never really expected there to be so many vibrant little boutiques, selling so many interesting things and attempting to re-define the boundaries of art, fashion, music, commerce, etc.

Which is why I was so startled to read in the LA Times last weekend that several of the most pioneering on the scene have recently made the decision to shut down. Iconology, Filly and Lily Savitch have all shut their doors this year, citing the major department stores' shift towards avant-garde fashion offerings (think Barney's Co-Op) - not to mention their ability to offer deep discounts in an economy where people are wary of spending - as a major factor.

For anyone here who's at all interested in fashion, this is seriously disheartening news. More so than even local designers, retailers like Iconology et. al. are one of the main reasons why LA has gained so much credibility as a fashion destination over the past several years. Without them, the city wouldn't be much different from any other large, yet uninspiring one across the country.

So, with that in mind, I'm hoping that the shops of West 3rd Street get a good turnout for their annual Holiday Shopping Block Party tomorrow night. For those who aren't familiar with the city, West 3rd has perhaps the best concentration of exciting independent boutiques in the city, with shops carrying hard-to-find designers both local and international - and it's no secret that it's by far my favorite place in the city to shop.

In an age where holiday shopping has become a bit of a chore for most people, this is a fantastic way to bring fun back into it. Not only will you find really unique things that you can be sure the recipient doesn't already have (and clued-up sales people that aren't 15 years old to point you in the right direction), but there will also be food and bevvies and live music and a lack of soccer moms fighting over the last pair of Old Navy PJs in size medium. I sadly have plans for that evening so can't attend, but will definitely be making my way down to the area next week - and reporting on the great things I find, for those of you who can't make it down tomorrow either.