August Getty Atelier

August Getty is the emerging designer of the year.  I had the pleasure of viewing the second August Getty Fashion Show in person on Friday, February 13th during the Mercedes Benz Fashion week in New York City.

The show had three parts edgy leather, dramatic black dresses and black and gold.  Music changed as models showed each part of the collection adding a lot of soul and drama to the show.

August is the grandson of the late John Paul Getty Jr.. Fashion is in his genes; with a sense of humor and an intimate relationship with luxury, he is poised to become Los Angeles' next it fashion designer.

He designs for: "a very mysterious and sexy girl.  She's also privileged.  She is the girl in the corner of the room - you never see her face, but you see her back and want to know more about her."

I am looking forward to seeing more of his collections and development.

London

I traveled to London last summer and enjoyed visiting famous landmarks such as Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, Trafalgar Square, Big Ben and various other sites.  There are also tons of new spots in London that are quickly becoming classics. Here is a few of them to consider on your next visit: 

Trafalgar Square



Westminster Abbey



London Eye

Abbey Road

Chiltern Firehouse

Yam Yard Hotel

Fish & Chip Shop

Sager & Wilde

Jimmy Page

Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page reveals his life in pictures:


From his angelic beginnings as a choir boy to his days as the guitarist of Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page has certainly lived a hectic life. And yet he has managed to catalogue all of the material from his music days to compile a new photographic autobiography. Having handpicked more than 600 images himself, it’s a fitting tribute to one of the greatest rock bands of all time. The book begins with Page playing guitar at 13 and charts his rise to fame, joining The Yardbirds then forming Led Zeppelin with singer/songwriter Robert Plant. Led Zeppelin went on to sell an estimated 300 million albums worldwide and is America’s fourth biggest-selling acts after The Beatles, Elvis Presley and Garth Brooks. The book charts decades of gigs across the globe.
Page began the project some three years ago, and still seems to have an encyclopedic knowledge of Led Zeppelin’s touring schedules, gigs, recordings and radio sessions. Whether Page will ever perform again with Robert Plant and John Paul Jones remains a big question. They famously reformed in 2007 for a special concert at the O2 Arena London to celebrate the life of the man who signed them to Atlantic Records, Ahmet Ertegun. Page and Plant were joined by Jason Bonham, son of former Led Zep drummer John Bonham, live on stage for the show.

Now Page is getting ready to do some shows on his own in 2015.

Training the Next Generation of Italian Artisans

Serving as the creative backbone of Italian fashion for centuries, artisans hold the key to the industry’s future.

But a dearth of bench strength in the younger generations is prompting brand executives and manufacturers to take action to ensure the future.
In the aftermath of the country’s economic crisis, unemployment rates among those between the ages of 15 and 29 measured 28 percent in July — compared to 17.5 percent in 2004. Fashion executives say this number shows Italian youth isn’t attracted to careers in crafts, with many emigrating to other countries to find their futures. The solution being eyed by the industry is to create more and better fashion schools to train a new breed of artisans, which in turn, they hope, will attract more production.
These new artisans will not only be able to use their hands in a specialized craft to create something beautiful and unique, they will be skilled in using highly sophisticated technology and also have a solid understanding of market requests and of the needs of specific distribution channels. Hopefully, they will also learn how to transform tradition into something modern and marketable.

La Garconne

This much loved e-tailer just opened a boutique in New York City.  Slick and all white, the lofty space is dotted with wooden racks, which are filled with all the greatest hits from the site, including cutting-edge tailoring from Yohji Yamamoto, Grecian dresses from Zero + Maria Cornejo, and feminine skirts and dresses from Simone Rocha. 

Fall 2014

Happy New 2014!!!  Here are some Fall Fashion ideas for the new year!  Enjoy being stylish and have fun!

 

Vintage Fashion in Los Angeles

Lily et Cie

Lily et Cie in Beverly Hills may just be the original fashion archive, the store that made vintage acceptable, wearable and cool. Owner Rita Watkin is a true character with encyclopaedic knowledge of fashion. Her story: before founding Lily et Cie, she worked at Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, Valentino and YSL. One day, she inherited a prestigious collection of 20th Century fashion (that today rivals that of the Met and the Louvre) from a close family friend. She stored it for years until word spread and she finally opened up shop in the 80’s. On a visit years ago, we spotted John Galliano and his entourage taking notes and seeking inspiration.

Lily et Cie

 Decades

Cameron Silver and Christos Garkinos run a vintage store so revered in Hollywood. In fact, Cameron has literally written the book on fashion. It’s name? Decades. Hand-picked items are displayed in their deluxe boutique in such a way that customers can truly see each piece for what it is – vintage couture. Cameron says it best, “When Decades opened in 1997, vintage was still rather socially unacceptable and people were turned off by wearing something ‘used.’ However, Decades educated the savvy fashionista that vintage is a modern way to differentiate your style and the edit has always been about 'vintage that looks modern.'"

Decades