Talking Shop: Remix Vintage

As much as I love the look of vintage shoes, I can't quite bring myself to ever buy a pair - or even try anything on. There's just something about the thought of slipping my feet into shoes that countless other unknown feet have been in that grosses me out just a little.


So that's why I'm so excited to have discovered Remix Vintage Shoes. The 15-year-old label takes its inspiration from vintage shoes from the early 20th century, recreating them to the tiniest detail in brand new leather. The only thing that's really modernized is the color, with most styles crafted in at least two shades of leather in every tone imaginable.


My favorites are the range of pumps from the '20s and '30s - especially the Deco (below left), Savoy (middle), and Grammercy. Am also loving the Babyjane (above), a wingtipped mary jane inspired by a style from the '40s. Sure, there are a lot of imitation vintage shoes out there, but nothing that's recreated so faithfully to the original - the only thing missing is that unpleasant vintage shoe smell.











Remix Vintage, 7605 1/2 Beverly Boulevard, http://www.remixvintageshoes.com/

Mark Your Calendar: Lisa Kline Blowout Sale

I normally think Lisa Kline is kind of gross, both because of its tacky mudflap girl logo and its incessant blasting of e-mails filled with pap shots of Z-listers in their clothes. There's obviously a huge audience for that kind of thing, as they're one of the most well-known boutiques in the country, and I totally respect them for it - but it's simply not my bag. However, their most recent e-mail might have persuaded even me to stop by for a few minutes...

For the next ten days, Robertson's finest will be in the final stretch of its New Year sale, with 50-75% markdowns. What really caught my eye, however, was the mention of $10, $15 and $20 bins. Sure, they'll probably be filled with lightning bolt necklaces and bad remakes of vintage band tees - but this writer is working on all long-lead assignments at the mo, and probably won't be getting any checks for the shopping fund for at least the next two months. Desperate times, and all that...

Lisa Kline, 140 S. Robertson, Sale ends January 27th

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

Best of the West: From Lounge to Lunch

So we may not have any hundred-year-old couture houses or a fashion week that people actually go to, but there are certain things that LA does better than anyone else when it comes to fashion. Basics and lounge clothes are the obvious ones, but there are definitely others, which is why I've decided to start this new category of posts called...wait for it...'Best of the West'. It'll basically just be a regular, themed top 3 list of West Coast brands that deserve a bit of recognition for what they're doing, whether it's something traditionally 'California' or not.

So, to start, I thought I'd go with something we've probably been doing a lot of lately - nothing. It's new year and, for the next few weeks, at least, everyone I know has taken a vow of sobriety and relaxation - which naturally brings with it lots of PJ-wearing. LA is obviously known for its laid-back lougewear, so check out my picks for the top 3 West Coast brands that work equally well for bed or brunch, if you're so inclined - after all, no one can stay in ALL the time:

1. T Luxury

If you're more yoga-in-Malibu than kickboxing-at-Equinox, T Luxury is probably the brand for you. The brainchild of Laguna couple Joe and Jacqueline Krafka, the line is full of supple and soft loungewear basics in blends of Supima cotton, silk and cashmere. Its stretchy simplicity makes it ideal for relaxing in child's pose.

Available at www.bluefly.com

2. Seaton

Not sure about you, but I often wish I could wear sweats all day, every day - and the thing is, I probably would if they weren't so lumpy and unattractive. So it's probably a good thing I haven't spent any time in shops that sell Seaton. Yet another husband-and-wife line (interesting...), Seaton is a line of perfectly fitted-and-faded fleece hoodies and drawstring pants, going perfectly from DVD marathons to marathon training when the January funk has passed.

Available from www.revolveclothing.com

3. Saint Grace
A favorite of the Hollywood set, and with good reason - with fabrics like Egyptian cotton, wool jersey and luxe cashmere, this line was made for only the most pampered of princesses. Launched by designer Quinn Thompson in 2001, Saint Grace is full of lounge-worthy basics with a slinky 70s twist - think ultra wide-legged pants and retro stripey sweatshirts.

Available from http://www.saintgrace.com/

Talking Shop: Foley & Corrina Sale

To Melrose, where I came across a fantastic surprise whilst sale shopping. I didn't have much luck at the sales I came specifically to see - The Way We Wore popup shop (underwhelming), Madison (still too pricey for my pathetic budget), Ron Herman (disappointing), and Creatures of Comfort (eh).

HOWEVER, while walking back to my car, I stumbled upon the new Foley & Corrina outpost, which opened up about a month ago, but which I still haven't made it down to see. I've been to their first shop in New York, and although their clothes are stunning, they're not really my thing - lots of sequins and beading and draped stretchy material. Their bags, on the other hand, are basically the stuff of my dreams - big, rich, slouchy leather creations that can fit all of the random junk I tote along with me every day, but still manage to look impeccable.

And this is where the fantastic surprise comes in - just about every bag in the place was 50% off. They're reasonably priced as it is, so with the additional discount, we're talking less than $300. And if you've ever seen their bags before, you'll know that you're getting a LOT of bag for that $300. I spent about a half hour 'trying on' various ones, with the help of the totally sweet salesgirl (is kind of easy to waste a lot of time there - cozy boudoir-style interior makes it hard to leave), but I decided to sleep on it in the end. But instead of deciding against the purchase, which I was kind of hoping I'd do, I'm now contemplating a bulk buy in the morning. After all, a girl can never have too many deeply-discounted handbags...

Anna Corinna bags available at Foley & Corinna, 8117 Melrose, 323.944.0169

One to Watch: Ankh

There's nothing I love more than a good chain. Deliciously tacky to the point of being cool (well, in my mind, at least), the chain is my go-to embellishment to add chutzpah to any boring outfit. Chain handle bags, chain necklaces, bracelets - short of chain belts, I have and proudly wear just about every chain-derived accessory possible. Usually more than one at a time.

Which is why I was so excited to meet the lovely Racquel Honore at a shopping event back in December. She's the designer behind Ankh, an LA jewelry line that is based around - you guessed it, chains. But unlike the chunky variety you might be thinking of, she works only with the most delicate kinds, draping them and layering them and dipping them in fun paint colors to form necklaces, chopping them up and dangling pieces icicle-style from hoops to form earrings. They definitely have a club kid feel, but in the best possible way - all you need is one of her pieces to dress up a big white tee, blazer and jeans. She's also totally happy to make bespoke pieces in whatever color or style you want.

The only thing I love more than a chain is a great piece of abstract expressionist art, and lucky for me, Ankh has that covered too. The limited-edition 'Pollock' collection is made of pieces from a vintage Jackson Pollock puzzle from the 1950s - named the world's most difficult puzzle at the time by puzzle experts. Pieces of the puzzle have been made into charm bracelets and necklaces and earrings, in some cases wrapped in wire - am not sure why the wire, but it definitely does more good than harm.

www.umbrellanoir.com

Where T-bars meet T-squares

If you think the only link between fashion and architecture is that cool Prada store on Rodeo, you're very much mistaken. The history of fashion is filled with designers who trained as architects before swapping classic columns for column dresses - think Alaia and Pierre Cardin for starters.

It's a little bit more rare today, with almost every art school offering courses in fashion design, for designers to come from the architecture world, but the two disciplines are still very much influenced by each other. Case in point - an upcoming exhibition at Somerset House in London called 'Skin & Bones: Parallel Practices in Fashion and Architecture.' It's set to compare the work of designers like Alexander McQueen, Martin Margiela, Hussein Chalayan - basically, every designer you can think of who has a way with a sharp line and an eye for innovative structuring - with architects like Zaha Hadid and Frank Ghery, highlighting the, well, parallels between the two.

Am not sure if it's going to include designers who actually did train as architects, as there are certainly several of them working today, including some of my favorites. I have a hunch that the following probably won't be included, so I will enlighten you all with a list of them here instead:

1. Nicola Finetti

Whoever said Australian fashion is all about unstructured sundresses and empire waists has clearly never seen the work of Nicola Finetti. After studying architecture in Rome and a brief stint in Argentina, Finetti moved to Australia to pursue womenswear design, launching his own label in 1995. His work is all about contrast and contradiction -his collections are always very feminine , consisting pretty much solely of skirts and dresses, yet are still very sleek at the same time. Also, despite the fact that each dress has a very definite structure (a result of that architecture training, I imagine), they still manage to look totally comfortable - I could picture myself wearing any of the ones below to a beach barbie. He also has a way with pattern repitition, like on the skirt above, that reminds me of a frieze on a building:

Photos courtesy of Vogue.com.au ; http://www.nicolafinetti.com/

2. Max Kibardin

In the tradition of Alaia before him, Max Kibardin has mastered the art of creating shoes that manage to be both delicately sexy, yet sculptural at the same time. The ex-model's shoes have all the qualities of a great work of contemporary architecture - they're both sturdy and light, have gorgeously curved arches, and a look that's very distinctly their own. And the color! I challenge anyone to look at a pair of Kibardin's shoes and not start squealing like a kid who's just got her first pony (on the inside, at least). He studied architecture in Russia before moving to Milan for fashion, which sort of explains the jewel tones and ornamentation:

www.maxkibardin.com

3. Ninaki

Ninaki rings remind me of the Disney Center in downtown LA, and not just because they're big and shiny- they're the kind of thing that you either love or hate, depending on your definition of beauty. I love them, for all of their soaring, steely, imposing, take-your-breath-away magnitude. Designed by SciArc graduate Ninaki Priddy, the collection is a mix of the organic and macabre. The organic is quite clear, with the rings taking on polished, yet strangely amoeba-esque shapes. The noir side, too, is evident, especially in the names she's given the pieces - think Cruella and Contessa:

www.ninaki.com

One to Watch: Dorothy Lee

LA fashion is often deemed "wearable," which is basically a nice way of saying boring. True, t-shirt dresses and $300 jeans are hardly the stuff of six-page Vogue spreads, but most of us will agree there's something to be said for simple, yet flattering pieces that don't require a lot of effort. I, for one, can't say I miss the rigors of London's competitive dressing, where artful layers and ironic accessorizing are as essential to an ensemble as underwear (well, it's essential outside of Hollywood, anyway).

That said, Dorothy Lee's eponymous label is wearable in the best possible way. Yes, the Angeleno's Spring collection involves a lot of jersey tank dresses in neutral colors - but the jersey she uses is so soft, so luxuriously light that it looks like it was hand-woven by cherubs. Yes, she appears to have a penchant for camp shorts, but by cutting a six-inch horizontal slit where cuffs should be, she lends them a sinister, subversive sexiness, making them look as though they were carelessly torn in some sort of illicit tryst. And yes, the line's tops and jackets are mostly of the loose-fitting babydoll variety, but they incorporate the most subtle of draping and pleating and ruffling, propelling them just far enough over the line between classic and interesting. Is little wonder, really, considering Lee's background - anyone who's descended from an architect and interior designer, trained at Central Saint Martins and Parsons, and an alum of Peter Som and Chanel is bound to know how to make less look like so much more.

If the girl who's a fan of this deliciously wearable line is boring - well, I guess I'm Lauren Conrad.

All images from Dorothy Lee's Spring 2008 Lookbook. Collection available at www.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.

Talking Shop: Post Christmas Sales

Right, so I hope my four readers have avoided breakdowns without me over the past few weeks...have working on a big story for Ocean magazine and haven't had much time to think about anything else.

With that said, I hope everyone had a relatively pain-free holiday and that you're ready for what I think is the most exciting thing about this time of year - the post-Christmas sales. I've thrown together an area-by-area guide to markdowns across L.A., so you can plan your strategies for spending those $20's Grandma put in your Christmas card - or, more likely, exchanging that unfortunate pastel pink cardigan from Mom...

Melrose Ave.:
-Creatures of Comfort (7971) : 30-50% off labels like Alexandre Herchcovitch, APC and Karen Walker
-Violet Grace (7021): 40% off labels like Chaiken, Rebecca Taylor, Walter
-Ron Herman (8100):
-Madison (8115): Up to 50% off labels like Matthew Williamson, Diane von Furstenburg, and Anna Sui
-Bird (8428): Up to 75% off clothes and jewelry from Lara Bohinc and Molly Jackson - Best for Jewelry Shopping
-Betsy Johnson (8050): Up to 50% off frothy party dresses

West 3rd. Street:
-Satine (8117): 30-50% off labels like Jenni Kayne, Vanessa Bruno, 3.1 Philip Lim, Thakoon & VPL - Best for New Year's Eve dress shopping
-Hillary Rush (8222 ): 25% off everything in store, including Samantha Treacy and Erin Fetherston
-Petro Zillia (8218): Everything 25% off, including own-label merchandise, Colcci shoes and Wilster frocks
-Polkadots & Moonbeams (8367): Up to 50% off on selected items
-Malgosia ( 8336)): Sale on items from Ranna Gil, Miriam Ocariz, and Rajesh Pratap Singh

Robertson Blvd:
-Lisa Klein (136 S.): Warehouse Sale with up to 70% off labels like Elijah, Paul & Joe, and Manoush
-Kitson (www.shopkitson.com): Web Exclusive Sale, with up to 70% off things like Dolce Vita shoes and Junk Food tees
-Intermix ( 110 N.): Big discounts on Stella McCartney, Norma Kamali, Thread Social, and more

La Brea:
-Bleu (454 S.): Up to 75% off labels like Theory, Boudoir and Generra
-Presse ( 326 S.): 50-60% off labels like Ric Owens, Proenza Schouler and Vena Cava

Beverly Hills:
-Harmony Lane (189 South Beverly): Up to 70% off labels like American Retro, Earnest Sewn and Development
-Saks Fifth Avenue (9600 Wilshire): Up to 70% off labels like Chloe, MaxMara and Dolce & Gabbana - Best for Haute Designer Offerings
-Neiman Marcus ( 9700 Wilshire): Extra 25% off sale items from the likes of Manolo Blahnik, Alexander McQueen and Fendi
-Barney's / Barney's Co-Op (9570 Wilshire): Sale on labels like Graham & Spencer, Marc by Marc, Trovata

Abbot Kinney:
-Brick Lane ( 1132): Up to 50% off labels like Betty Jackson, Nougat and Ted Baker
-A + R (1121): Up to 15% off design-led home & accessories

Santa Monica:
-Blonde (2430 Main): Up to 40% off labels like Cynthia Vincent, Ella Moss, and Kettle Black
-Michael Stars ( 1233 Montana): Up to 40% off cashmere, dresses and tees
-London Sole (1331 Montana): Sale on ballet flats - up to 25%

Orange County:
-Elle H (1833 South Coast Hwy, Laguna Beach): Up to 75% off fall & holiday merchandise from the likes of Eritokritos, Lauren Moffat, and Eva Franco
-Adele (735 South Coast Hwy, Laguna Beach): Up to 50% off labels like Rodebjer, Society for Rational Dress, and Ashish N Soni
-Haute Culture (5628 La Jolla Blvd, La Jolla): 20-60% off labels like Kara Janx, Odyn, and Julie Haus

Quest for the Ideal Handbag: Junior Drake

Everybody's got irrationally high standards about something. For some, it's food; for others, it's men; for me, it's bags. I've been looking for a new bag for over a year now, to no avail - I have no interest in paying thousands of dollars for something hundreds of other women will have (or will have a fake copy of), but still want something with a bit of luxury - in the material, detailing, etc.

So I've decided to begin chronicling my quest here, in hopes that I might be able to offer some suggestions to other picky bag buyers - and also, hopefully, some of you might be able to tip me off to a few good brands as well.

First up is Junior Drake. It's an LA-based brand inspired by the legendary actress Patsy Brown, who used Junior Drake as her stage name. Drake's most famous quote,"It's not the dress, it's the girl," serves as the basis for the brand's ethos - one of individuality, spirit and class.

The main thing that attracts me to the bags is their attention to small details. Things like braiding and pleating give them a luxurious element, and their range of non-traditional colors - like apple-red and burnished pewter - make them perfect for those who want to stand out from a sea of black and brown totes. My favorite is the Andie, pictured above. It's big enough to fit a few large-format style magazines - massively important for me - but at only $448, it doesn't have a price tag to match.

www.juniordrake.com

Talking Shop: New High (M)art

Call me crazy, but I have this theory that Chinatown is set to be the next big shopping destination in LA. First the galleries moved in, then a few renegade boutiques popped up - Munky King with its collectibles and streetwear and, one of my favorites in the city, Welcome Hunters with a fantastic selection of Scandinavian and Aussie fashion - and I just have a hunch that more and more are going to start following suit.

Sometimes I think it might just be wishful thinking on my part, as I am slightly enamored with Chinatown: the oddly comforting scent of ramen noodles that thickens the air, all of the little knicknack shops filled with LA souvenirs left over from the '80s and the Chinese power ballads playing softly on the stereos, the fact that you can buy a box of 100 green jasmine tea bags for less than $2.

But maybe not. New High (M)art is the newest addition to the neighborhood retail scene, tucked away in a nondescript mini-mall between takeout restaurants. It's basically set to be a permanent venue for a monthly rotation of pop-up shops, each one curated by a different fashion personality. The first - and current - one is devoted to Brian Lichtenburg, who is well-known in the city for his unisex club-gear. The shop carries a nice selection of his hoodies, day-glo tank tops, holographic leggings, chunky plastic necklaces and customized Wayfarers, along with mix CDs and photography presumably curated by the designer himself.

It's quite possibly the tiniest retail space I've ever been in, but it still had an impact on me - even though the pop-up concept has been done hundreds of times over in other parts of the world, it's really quite daring for LA. Plus, I love the idea of finding a new shop every time I come to Chinatown to buy my tea. Perhaps my theory isn't so far off after all...

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One to Watch: Rami Kashou

The L.A. Fashion Awards are nearly upon us again - on Friday October 26th, to be exact - and along with the usual suspects, there's a name on the nominee list I really think is worth watching.

That name is Rami Kashou, a Palestine-born designer and Project Runway alum who has worked on both sides of the fashion business - first studying design at Brooks College, then working as a retail buyer and merchandiser, then moving back into design.

Because of this bredth of experience, Kashou has the unique perspective of knowing what women want to buy - and also how to create those things with technical elan. What's remarkable is the fact that he's largely self taught - he didn't finish his degree at Brooks - given the intricacy and detail of his pieces.

Take his Spring / Summer 07 collection, for example - full of razor-sharp pleating, complicated corsetry and skirts with the perfect pitch of volume, it's full of the technical wizardry that would be expected from a St. Martins-trained designer. My favourite pieces in the collection are his tailored flutter-sleeved blouses - it's no secret to most that I'm having a sleeves moment this season, and these capture the mood perfectly without seeming too fussy or fairy-princess.

Rami Kashou - available at www.letrainbleu.com

Talking Shop: Jenni Kayne

I feel a bit sacriligious saying this, seeing as I am now an L.A. resident, but I think Jenni Kayne is massively overrated - have seen it all before, and usually done better for half the price. Even so, I thought I'd drop by her new shop in West Hollywood - the first devoted solely to her own designs - in hopes that I'd be pleasantly surprised.

It's filled with the typical Hollywood pretension that normally deters me from the area - lack of signage out front; window displaying a red carpet gown and taxidermied leopard; parking lot filled with Porsches, leggy girls with fake smiles, and the luminescent-sneakered men who love them. Inside is more of the same - all dark wood minimalism and shouty emo music serving as a backdrop to Kayne's unremarkable fall collection and a halfhearted collection of art books, which looked as though they were added as an afterthought to bring some color to the place.

The one upside to the shop is its jewelry collection - an impressive collection of vintage-looking Tiffany watches mixed with chunky statement necklaces and bracelets. I would have asked a bit more about them if Kayne and her shopgirl had been paying any attention to me -however, a visiting friend (who I think may have been the guy who plays the bitchy assistant on Ugly Betty) was taking up all of their attention, and I guess pointedly gazing into the jewelry case for several minutes was not enough of a hint that I was a potential paying customer.

The shop will probably appeal to the customers of Holiday and Maxfield, which are just around the corner on Melrose - but I prefer my shops with a bit more personality, in both atmosphere and merchandise.

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