The French Fashion Invasion in New York


Fashion Week in New York is a very exciting time.  New York is known as one of the fashion capitals in the world.  You can find everything from high fashion to more junior brands spread out in different neighborhoods in the big apple.  What is really noticeable is the quantity of French boutiques in Soho.  You can find the very established brands like Chanel.  There are however many new chic stores that deliver an unexpected mix of reliable basics clothing with an edge.  A combination of elegance and a rock'n'roll attitude that will seduce the contemporary woman.  All are in a very close proximity of each other.  Brands like Maje, Sandro, Carven and Comme Toi.  It is however hard to differentiate between these brands and also to point at one that would be the star brand.  Is it possible for a brand to become likes of Chanel or Balmain?  Next time you are in New York don't miss shopping in Soho! 

Brigitte Bardot's Fashion Influence

Brigitte Bardot’s influence on fashion is seeing renewed interest. The style icon, now almost 80, is an outspoken animal rights activist often criticized in the French press for her dubious political rants. But at the height of her career in the Fifties and Sixties, when she was often described as “the world’s most beautiful woman,” Bardot made the name of certain brands like Repetto and Seafarer.


Bardot’s look was unusual in the pristine celebrity circles she inhabited. She often walked around barefoot, wore miniskirts to the Elysée Palace and sparked many an imitation of her falsely messy blonde locks and black cat’s eye eyeliner. Walking the streets of the world’s capitals these last few years, it is impossible not to notice that such looks are prevalent again.

 

A line of Brigitte Bardot ready-to-wear also continues to make inroads at retail. The Brigitte Bardot Clothing Collection was launched two years ago after the actress sold the license to her name and image to investors. Despite the overwhelming array of unendorsed Bardot merchandise that is widely available, it was the first time she signed such a license.

The conditions for using the Bardot name include no use of fur or leather and respect for the aging star’s image.

“People have really stayed with the image of Brigitte Bardot in the Sixties, and not on her image today,” the brand’s creative director, Sarah Ohana, explained. “That is the image we portray, her beauty, the dream, her style, her look.”

Brigitte Bardot Clothing Collection is now distributed to some 450 sales points worldwide, with around half of these outside France, including a strong presence in Japan. In January, the brand’s advertising was displayed across newsstands during fashion week in Paris and featured in the magazine press.

Giorgio Baldi Restaurant in Santa Monica

Giorgio's is one of my constant favorites in LA.  Giorgio's family is still behind the whole operation and it shows.  The personal service, incredible Northern Italian food and pleasant, simple atmosphere has created a loyal clientele who swoon over the handmade ravioli, fresh Dover sole, delicious langoustine pasta and white truffles imported from Piedmont each fall, just to name a few. 

Just One Eye in Hollywood

Just One Eye is the most exciting addition to the Los Angeles Fashion scene in a while.  Opened by the fashion director of Maxfield, this boutique / showroom / gallery stocks exclusive, one of a kind pieces of clothing, art, jewelry, design and more with the goal of being an open and ongoing progressive space with the best names in fashion.

London Calling!

I had a pleasure of dining at Gordon Ramsay's London West Restaurent located on San Vicente at the heart of Hollywood.  As you enter you notice the old Hollywood style decorations and glamorous settings include five private rooms and an elegant central cocktail bar.  The cusine is tapas style and has been re-intepreted for the California lifestyle; perfect for sharing and experiencing a variety of gourmet dishes.  The restaurent is great for couples and big groups as it offers private dining rooms.  Here are some photos: 

Guns N' Roses - Appetite For Democracy

Guns N' Roses have a residency at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.  Fans can count on a hard charging, never-before-seen stage spectacle and a set list created exclusively for The Joint.  The show is amazing!  Check out this photo gallery from their show this past Saturday night, November 17th.

The Dior Rodeo Drive Flagship

A few weeks after creative director Raf Simons made his ready-to-wear runway debut for the French fashion house, Christian Dior raised the curtains last Thursday on a completely renovated Rodeo Drive flagship.

Dior has a long history on Rodeo Drive, where it has operated the 5,000-square-foot location on the prestigious 300 block since 1990. The company’s chief executive officer Sidney Toledano suggested the store is more important than ever as the profile of Los Angeles rises.

Architect Peter Marino compared the decor to a private home or apartment with an incredible collection of furniture and art — more than 20 pieces are situated throughout the store.

The store is divided into five salons. The front one, which has a towering ceiling, houses handbags, small leather goods and watches. The room features a film of Dior in various settings, a bench of interlocking ginko leaves made out of aluminum by French artist Claude Lalanne and a rotating chandelier by Lee Bul with crystal, glass, steel, aluminum, acrylic and wire.

The center of the store has a salon dedicated to shoes and another dedicated to a bag bar with exotic and specialty bags, and other novelty accessories. Art in those salons includes a piece on the ceiling by Rob Wynne of hand-poured mirrored glass in a cosmic pattern, a tapestry by Pae White that resembles crushed foil and wall-mounted, hand-blown, dented silver mirrored glass by Jeff Zimmerman.

The salon with RTW currently has the cruise collection, and the fine jewelry salon is at the back of the store. A VIP area is on the second floor. Some of the pieces contained in those rooms are a couch crafted out of nickels by Johnny Swing, a desk lamp and mirror by Veronique Rivemale, a stainless steel sculpture by Joel Morrison and a fireplace by Juan and Paloma Garrido topped with framed pictures of Christian Dior and Princess Margaret to foster the store’s hominess.