At the nexus of this week’s whirlwind is the grand opening of our new outpost of A+R. A storefront twice the size of our Abbot Kinney location, this one is located at 171 S. […]
Posted in Design, Event, Interior Design, Los Angeles, Style
Saturday, October 6 marks the return of one of my favorite vintage resources, A Current Affair.
Organizers Richard Wainwright (of NEW/FOUND) and Joey Grana (of Scout) have collected some 30 vendors from around the state to tempt me and visitors at the one-day only event at downtown L.A.’s Cooper Building. […]
Posted in Fashion, Style, Vintage
Some films have to be experienced by an over-sized silver screen, and certainly an over-sized personality such as Diana Vreeland requires a sprawling canvas. Thankfully, the co-director and producer behind the new documentary, “Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel,” managed to summon the verve and individuality of this legend in a visually lavish and inspiring 86 minutes that one could imagine would make its subject grin one of those signature Cheshire slashes of red lipstick. […]
Posted in Beauty, Cinema, Fashion, Film, Photography, Style
Consider it this crimson-haired Spiderwoman’s kiss for the first half of 2013.
Women’s wear designer Valerj Pobega dedicated the collection debuting today in New York on the concept of arachnophobia, even calling the stark short she created for the season’s showing after that not uncommon fear. […]
Posted in Fashion, Film, Performance, Style
FASHION SHMASHION!
Yep, you can join us TONIGHT from 6-10 as we celebrate this thing called Fashion Night Out.
Oh wait, is Vogue going to charge me $250 for writing this phrase? […]
Posted in Current Affairs, Design, Fashion, Food and Drink
There have been some pretty special evenings breaking bread with friends during these last red-hot weeks of summer, but none more as sui generis than the Dîner en Blanc, the pop-up dinner picnic that finally launched in Los Angeles Saturday before last and has spread over 5 continents to some 15 cities worldwide. […]
Posted in Food and Drink, Los Angeles, Style
It appears, Dear Reader, this is one of those periods in the year where regular posting becomes a challenge because of the many, many projects going in my life.
Among the most time consuming of late has been prepping the opening of our newest A+R, this one at 171 S. […]
Posted in Uncategorized
Helen Gurley Brown died today at the ripe age of 90. While I didn’t always agree with everything that came out of her mouth or her mind—particularly in her later years where her judgement crossed the line at times—I appreciated her penchant for living her life her way, boldly, unapologetically and, clad in fishnets until the end of her days, with joie de vivre. […]
Posted in Fashion, Media, Style
With cities increasingly brimming with wonderful boutiques, it’s always valuable to get an inside tip. I’ve long enjoyed RackedLA‘s “Shopping Confidential” column because of this.
When RackedLA contributor Yale Breslin contacted me with an invitation to submit my secret shopping spot, it was my pleasure to be able to share a place I’ve written about in LVER before and can never get tired of recommending, since I never grow tired of this designer’s wonderful work. […]
Posted in Craft, Fashion, Media, Style
It could have been one of those fantasy dinner parties with icons conjured over an ordinary dinner with friends, a wish guest list of individuals so part of the pop cultural fabric yet so disparate in their raison d’etre that there is no way they could end up around one table. […]
Posted in Beauty, Costume, Fashion, Food and Drink, Performance, Style
As the concrete dries on our new A+R location and we look forward to hanging our “open” sign later next month, reporters are getting hot and heavy about the revival along La Brea Avenue with the September issues in mind. […]
Posted in Current Affairs, Design, Food and Drink, Media, Style
Much has been made about the perfect red lipstick because much can be made with it. A red lipstick can swipe away the blues, to riff on something Pauline Trigere famously said. […]
Posted in Beauty, Fashion, Photography, Style
It’s an expansion of sorts.
As you Dear LVER Reader know all too well from reading this site, Andy and I enjoy life to the max. With that in mind, we are expanding our offerings on the retail level by becoming one of the 150 “curators” on OpenSky, a curator-driven marketplace allowing users to select from a tightly selected group of experts in the fields of lifestyle, food, kids, beauty, health, home and other categories.
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Who doesn’t like a free pass?
If you didn’t receive the A+R newsletter inviting you to this weekend’s Dwell On Design show, then do yourselves a favor and sign up now so you don’t miss another one. […]
Posted in Current Affairs, Design, Interior Design, Los Angeles, Media, Style, Web/Tech
Enjoyed a divinely decadent meal tonight at Black Hogg, the self-styled gastropub here in Silver Lake, opened four months ago by Eric Park, a chef who truly paid attention working the trenches at New York’s celebrated Eleven Madison Park and The Spotted Pig. […]
Posted in Design, Food and Drink, Los Angeles, Style
My sister Blanca and I lost our dad, David Apodaca, in 1991. But he is still with us.
In my case, he’s with me every time…
I speak to an audience—my dad was an accomplished member of Toastmasters International and even took me to a few meetings when I was still in elementary school. […]
Posted in Love
Yes fair LVER Readers, this is Father’s Day weekend. What have you got for Dear Ol’ Dad?
Here are a few of my quick picks from A+R, all approved and coveted by my other half in life and retail, Andy, the best dad ever. […]
Posted in Current Affairs, Design, Style, Web/Tech
As the morning faithfully reaches 102 degrees in Palm Springs (making it the coolest of the week), we wrap up our three-day shoot for Mini Cooper Magazine, a publication with a global circulation of 375,000 and the incredible Tyler Brûlé-helmed agency, Winkreative, driving its new look. […]
Posted in Design, Film, Media, Photography, Style, Transportaion, Travel, Web/Tech
Was nothing sacred? Had Banksy slipped into a Fjellse bed with Ikea? As we stood at the entrance of the Ventura Lambrate subway station during the recent Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan, I interrupted my eye roll at the rough black-and-white pasted figures on the granite walls with the realization this was probably just another mainstreaming of street art. […]
Posted in Art, Design, Travel
