La Vie En Rose

Valley of the Dolls

"Image" in Recline: An "Image" mannequin takes a break in Bob's office.

With only a week and some change in the run-up to the opening night bash for the California Biennial at the Pasadena Museum of California Art, my duties as curator of the fashion category are taking me to all kinds of new places, creatively and physically.
On this afternoon, it was in search of the 19 mannequins some of the designers would need for their installations.
First stop was my own storage unit to review four figures. In use, they dangle from the ceiling by a hook at the top of the head. And they are shocking: As in shocking Pismo pink and peacock blue. I rescued them years ago from Louis Vuitton in Beverly Hills, and hung on to them, despite dear Andy's protests otherwise. I used them long before he was even a glimmer in my eye, about a decade ago for an exhibition I curated on burlesque costumes for the Grand Central Art Center in O.C. And I knew they would have another life once again.
Once excavated from a unit I've definitely neglected for far too long (yikes, the rat droppings!), we stripped them of their bubble wrap.
Michael Schmidt, one of the 11 featured designers, was smitten.
We needed something different, something we could douse in flat black paint and sheath in the spectacularly sparkling costumes he created for Madonna, Cher, Debbie Harry and Fergie that he borrowed back for this four-month exhibition.

Before the black out.

Behind the driver's seat again and 30-odd minutes south into the uninspired City of Industry, we got a charge at Patina V. The company designs, paints and readies mannequins for everyone from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to Maxfield inside a cavernous, extensive campus.

Because this is a project on a publicly-funded budget, it was to the "graveyard" to cull the 15 forms needed. Bob was our guide. He was genial and patient as we put our small army of mannequins together.
As we toured the place on the way to the graveyard, really, a large room-like area crammed with rows of figures, it was nearly impossible to resist all the sights, from a wall covered with retro faces, carefully painted, to racks of dangling body parts.

At our final stop, we could have quickly, inexpensively, and thankfully enough "Image" figures to fit the bill. They would be resprayed a flat white--an elegant frame for the beautifully crafted clothes of Gr.Dano, Gregory Parkinson and Koi Suwannagate.
Who else is in the show? Stay tuned...

Favela Fab

Praça Cantão, Communidade da Santa Marta, Rio de Janeiro

In what is the surely the ultimate antidote to beige stucco blight that is spreading through the Southwest U.S. like a cancer, thousands of miles away, the residents of one of Rio's slums took up brushes under the direction of Dutch artists Jeroen Koolhaas and Dre Urhahn to paint their 'hood red...and pink, blue, green, yellow...
The ongoing project in of the metropolis' dreariest slums was highlighted in The New York Times' "Sunday Styles" section. Check out the Favela Painting site to connect with the initiative via the usual social networking channels and, even better, donations.

Photo Courtesy of Favela Painting

Long May She Wave

To my lifelong love, Happy 234th birthday.
Through ups and downs, you still rock the stars and stripes like no one else.

Christian Louboutin Daydreams of Dancing

Perhaps, you Louboutin fans have already swooned over this short, titled "Dancer In A Daydream," and which Christian did in collaboration with choreographer Arthur Gourounlian. And, perhaps, you have not.

Puts a smile on the ol' mug and a tap in the toes, don't it?

3X's a Charm: Dwell on Design & A+R

A+R does Dwell on Design

We've scarcely recovered from a slamming weekend at the Dwell on Design show at the L.A. Convention Center. But there's plenty of euphoria in all our exhaustion.
For the third year of the show's existence in L.A., A+R has operated the Dwell Store--really A+R + Skylight Books + a curated capsule of products chosen by the Dwell editors.
Some 18,000 visitors came through the doors and, very likely, our shop, which was located to the right of the ticket area. Had a blast talking to so many of them, too--some old friends, many new. Among the new pals is the team at Woolly Pocket. This weekend, we began carrying their innovative planters at the DoD shop, and we'll be introducing them at A+R Venice and online in the coming days. So stay tuned!

A+R Meets Wooly Wally!

We also debuted POD's new mini versions of their bestselling spun-aluminum planters, which we will have instore soon, too; as well as the stunning, mouth-blown terrariums by Lauren Coleman, the artist behind Lítill. Lauren creates poetic scenes inside each inspired by the California desert. We will be showcasing them in Venice later this week. So drop by!

A+R L.A. Exclusives: Terrariums by Lítill, Plopp stool from Hay Denmark

In fact, the only downside of the entire weekend--except for our aching soles--was not having the luxury to see the great line-up of lecturers and panels, or leisurely cruise the aisles of the show inside the hall.
Congratulations goes out to the winner of A+R's free ticket offer via Twitter: Talena Smith. We never did get to meet her, but hope she--and all of you--had a great experience.

And a heartfelt THANK YOU to the DoD volunteers who helped make the weekend flow better (sorry I can't recall all your names!), and the A+R team: Rafael Negron, Gina Gardner (who kept the fort down all weekend at the Venice store), Taylor Cumbie (A+R alum who flew out from Austin to work both Venice and the DoD show), and Brandee-Nicole Able (my trusted fashion intern who proved her mettle).
Besos to you all! Andy+Rose

New mini POD planters and Litill's Terrariums

A+R & Skylight Book = Dwell Store at Dwell on Design

944's Martine Bury, designer Raven Kauffman and Nate Wittasek visit.

Part of Dwell capsule picks: Shirts and bowties by Taylor Stitch.

Dwell's anniversary prints.

Modkats kitty litter boxes, next to the hot-selling Bobble Bottles.

Andy works the register and phone behind Muuto's Architect Lamp.

Flashback to Thursday: Before it all began.

Dwell On Design...No Time to, uh Dwell...

End of Day 2 of Dwell on Design at downtown L.A.'s Convention Center, and we're absolutely toast. Some 18,000 visitors were expected this weekend, and I wouldn't be surprised if we chatted to most of them in the last 48 hours. But we're pretty thrilled at the response from fans and friends alike about how cool the A+R temp shop in the lobby is among the hundreds of vendors showcased inside the convention center hall. (If I hadn't left my camera behind at the stall, I'd share some of the pics of the space here now).

So what are the bestsellers so far? Perhaps it's the calendar season, or simply a crowd desperate to keep hydrated, but the two water bottle options--both within just feet from another in a corner of our space--are vying for Top Bottle. After that , vying first place is a new product for A+R, the Wooly Pocket. Made completely of post-consumer recyclable materials, the verdant display inside the hall is bringing them straight to yours truly.

So with the third and final day just 11 hours away, what surprises might emerge?

Back from Seattle...

Hello Folks,
Sorry it's been so long in between entries, but Andy and I've been neck deep in projects. Intense projects. Fun projects. Cuckoo projects. These last months have been a swirl of people and places--London, Paris, Las Vegas, New York, Seattle...yes, in that order. I'm sure I'm leaving some place out.
We're gearing up for Dwell on Design this weekend at the L.A. Convention Center. More to come...

Casting Cast of Vices

Cast A Side: Two ways to rock the charm.

Christopher Glancy, culture photographer and one half of the provocative jewelry line Cast of Vices, sent us over these two contrasting interpretations of his charms. On the left is the ever-debonair Miles Siggins, stylist and art collector and one of the most dapper gents in town. He's tacked the sterling fly to his skinny tie. On the right is the Technicolor dreamcoat of a dude with a sterling cigarette and fly.

Mad for the Mercer

Mirror in the Bathroom: Inside our room at the Mercer NYC

For all the traveling we’ve managed to weave into our lives, not too many hotels exist where we muse, “We could live here.” The Mercer, however, has us considering that taking up residence there would top the reasons to relocate to New York. Seriously.

The SoHo landmark strikes that frail balance between the kind of impeccable service expected from a luxe hotel and the fashionable spirit so many pretenders strive to emulate but fall short of all too frequently, and to the woe of those of us who expect better.

Here, it's backed by authentic substance, from the selection of CD's and films from the library (and delivered to the room) to the FACE Stockholm beauty products in the bathrooms to the well-dressed, well-mannered, sincere staff. Of course, the bunch of pink peonies, bottle of red and handwritten note are an elegant touch.

Consistency is key here. It's not simply the front desk team, but every member of the crew who stay on message. This isn't the status quo at all top-tier hotels or restaurants, mind you, so whomever is inspiring the ranks here should write a book.

The lobby, as frequently chronicled, is a scene of the bold faced and beautifully faced, and to keep it that way there's a no-camera policy that is totally welcome. Owner Andre Balazs witnessed what happened when unsavory visitors to sister hotel Chateau Marmont in Hollywood sneakily photographed famous guests there, unflattering snapshots which turned up in tabloids. So both places now uphold the oft-neglected ideal of privacy. To those of us who needn't worry about such breaches, it's a welcome policy since it fosters comfort and consideration, which is really what one wants from a sanctuary like a hotel.

(In the interest of full disclosure, we're friendly with Andre. I met him a decade ago when he opened The Standard in downtown L.A., and I profiled him and the new venture for WWD. But as he and anyone who knows me knows, no amount of friendliness influences my outlook.)

Just as the no-photo rule impacts the mood, admittedly, it makes for great people watching when the odd design or art or hip-hop star camps out in a club chair. We took the same corner for our nightcaps, and usually after a quick chat with friends also staying there who we'd run into (Loree Rodkin and Jenny Holzer one night; Courtney Love at several other times since she has been living there). If there was any disappointment to report, in fact, it would have to be the menu we tried late night a few times in the lounge. Given the delicious offerings in the Mercer Kitchen downstairs, we expected more of our nightly snacks. They were fine. But there's no reason for a "fine" pizza in New York. Ditto the salads. Again here, though, the service shined.

Of course, we tended to gravitate, and fast, back to our room and the mammoth marble tub and spongey, 400-thread-count covered sheets--and both with plenty of stretching-out space for Andy and me.

We holed up at the Mercer during our recent week-long trip east for ICFF, and enlisted any excuse to leave long after breakfast or sneak back early evening to our suite. I spent the better part of the Tuesday after the design show, nestled at the wall banquette against the dining table inside our room, banging

Sweet dreams are made of the 400-thread count Egyptian cotton.

A tub for two with all access, and only two-thirds pictured.

away on the final pages of a manuscript as the relentless cloudburst did the same on the wall of windows outside.
Because I was personally feeling under the weather (it nearly turned into walking pneumonia a couple of days after we got home!), we skipped the subMercer, the basement bar-cum-nightclub. Been there, done that and there's always next time. That's the thing: No matter when I've been here, it's always kept up its standards. No easy feat.

Like Coltrane or Davis, a dozen years after the Mercer opened, the place maintains an understated style that is so cool it doesn’t have to try. But it's because of all the effort that it hits the right key.

Before Darkness Falls: A peak at the subMercer

Photos of subMercer by Tim Street Porter; top photos by RA/LVER

Modern Love: Lara Stone and Calvin Klein

Lara Stone for Calvin Klein Collection

The only thing getting in between the world and their Calvins this fall is the delectable Dutch girl, Lara Stone. Perhaps timed to Monday night's annual awards-a-thon for the Council of Fashion Designers of America, with Lara arriving arm-in-arm with Calvin Klein creative director Francisco Costa, word hit the wires the gap-toothed supermodel is back at the house after a two year break, as the new face and bod of Calvin Klein Collection, ck Calvin Klein and Calvin Klein Jeans.
Francisco had told Andy and me of the shoot last month over the most delicious dinner at Barbuto in New York (where we were all pretty thrilled to catch a pink polo shirt-clad chef Jonathan Waxman in the kitchen).
Between bites of of lamb, Francisco talked of the crazy fast weekend this spring of shooting it all.
Lens duo Mert Alas and Marcus Piggot, Francisco and Lara hit MILK Studios in Hollywood to do the black and white campaign. Boy models Eric Anderson, AJ, Grayson Vaughan and Simon Ellisdon also appear in several images.
For the jeans campaign, Fabien Baron shot Lara, along with Oleg Antosik, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Christopher Michaut and Chinese model, Yin, in a former industrial factory in San Pedro. Lara replaces Eva Mendes in the Calvin Klein jeans campaign, and admittedly we'll miss those sultry images of the Cuban beauty. But Lara's look is undeniably a perfect match for the house built on pared-down cool.

"You can't take your eyes off her," Francisco told us, and we totally agree.

Much has been made about Lara's "curvy" figure because she is no rail. Nor would we file her under zaftig. But the house that popularized the waif ideal with its '90s campaign that launched Kate Moss, once again considers the beauty paragon with this latest incarnation of what is modern now.

Francisco Costa and Lara Stone at Monday night's CFDA Awards in New York

Photos: Top, Courtesy Calvin Klein
Below, Credit Steve Eichner

Goooaaallll!

Workers do their own thing with these harlequin futsals.

The World Cup is only three days away from kicking off, and soccer fever has spread even to my old stomping ground WWD, which is using the colorful soccer balls we offer from IDEA Japan as a marker on their upcoming coverage. Ok, so they are actually regulation-sized futsals--indoor soccer balls--but they make the point. Each is Fair Trade made, too, by workers in Pakistan; the organic cotton bags are made be developmentally disabled adults in Japan. And sales benefit a mine clearance program in Cambodia. Given the recent news of the sorry way Adidas is producing its replica of the official game ball for the series, these graphic globes from IDEA hit the mark and then some. Can't score better than that!

Don't Miss: Baryshnikov at REDCAT

Once Upon a Time: Mikhail Baryshnikov before the late Merce Cunningham.

Monday evening can't come soon enough: Mikhail Baryshnikov will join the equally legendary Merce Cunningham Dance Company for a one-night performance at REDCAT downtown.
This is one for the books. So if you can, go. There are a few tickets left.

The night benefits the Cunningham Dance Foundation and REDCAT, one of our favorite places in town because of its envelope-pushing program. (We also love the design of the theater.)

This is one of the standout stops on the "Legacy Tour" because of its performance with Baryshnikov. He will join the MCDC in "Occasion Piece2." This is also the company Mr. Cunningham personally trained, before he died last July at age 90. There's also a screening of Charles Atlas’ new film "With Merce."

There are two tiers of tickets to the night--with the top one topped by an intimate dinner for 100 with the night's marquee and the company. Sure the tickets will set you back $1,000 for that pleasure (cocktail and performance, included, natch). But $900 of it is tax deductible.

If all that wasn't enough of a truly remarkable night, there's the costumes, designed by Romeo Gigli, and part of the music is by John Cage from "Song Books."
Beg, borrow, or steal for this one.


Photo Credit: Robert Whitman/REDCAT