Formerly every Saturday at Micheltorena Elementary School, the “Silver Lake Art, Craft & Vintage” flea market will now take place the last weekend of every month, both Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm.

While I don’t know the specific reasons for the change, I have visited this flea market on several occasions and always found it lacking in vendors. The space is large enough and the vendors that are there have a decent selection, but to draw a crowd, I think they simply need more. Perhaps moving the fair from every Saturday to just one weekend a month will encourage more vendors to participate. I also think it would be more appealing if they offered a broader selection of “arts” and “crafts” vendors, as it is mostly just vintage clothing. I love shopping for vintage clothing, but if you’re going to bill something as “Art, Craft & Vintage,” you might want to strive to carry an equal selection of those things.

For more information on the fair, visit their web site at silverlakeartcraftvintage.com.

Skulls coming down at the McQueen store on Melrose

I’ve been kinda sad about Alexander McQueen’s death last week, so I swung by the McQueen store on Melrose this afternoon to see if there was any sort of memorial set up.  I don’t pretend to be any sort of haute couture expert, and it’s not like I could ever afford any McQueen (in my next life, I’ll come back as something other than an impoverished graduate student), but I’m really interested in fashion and follow it pretty closely, and McQueen was far and away my most favorite designer.  I hold his work in high regard not just as clothing, but really, truly, as art.  It just always seemed like he was up there, staking out a spot on the runway for the freaks and weirdos of the world, you know?

Anyhow – there’s not much to see at the store, really – there’s a very understated sign in each window with a short message from the McQueen family, and that’s about it.  When I walked past, they were in the process of taking down the window graphics from the latest collection – huge pictures of grinning, technicolor skulls, probably not the kind of thing you want on your window under the circumstances.

A few blocks east, the shop window at Madison had “Long Live McQueen” emblazoned on it, and a display of mannequin mourners gathered around a casket draped in a Union Jack.  I’m torn between thinking that it’s hopelessly tacky and inappropriate or that it’s perfect and exactly the kind of ridiculous gesture that is completely appropriate.  Except for it to really work, it needs more rhinestones, and the mannequins should be dressed as Lady Gaga, obviously.

The only sentence I love more than “Half-Priced Penis Puppetry” is “Vintage Fashion Expo this weekend,” so can you imagine my absolute delight having the rare opportunity to utter both of these magical sentences in the same week?

If you are like me, then you have a swanky Mad Men themed party to attend in a couple of weeks, and if you know me, then you know with utmost certainty that I have been searching for the perfect outfit every day for the past two weeks, scanning etsy, modcloth and every vintage clothing shop within walking distance of my apartment. Sadly, nothing has caught my attention yet, but I am hoping that is all about to change when the Vintage Fashion Expo hits Santa Monica this weekend.

Taking temporary residence at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium February 6 and 7, the Vintage Fashion Expo will present more than 85 vintage dealers offering the best in vintage clothing and accessories for men and women. The expo will feature women’s hats, gloves, purses, dresses, shoes, costume and estate jewelry, men’s vintage shoes, ties, hats and suits and more. You will also find great vintage eyewear for men and women.

Early admission is $20 and begins Saturday from 9:00 – 10:30 am. Regular admission is $10 and begins Read the rest of this entry →

Have you ever owned a pair of noisy pants? Perhaps some corduroy jeans that announced to the world whenever you were approaching? Well, listen up, because the Fowler Museum has an exhibition opening this Sunday (and an opening party Saturday night) that’ll put your pants to shame.

Nick Cave: Meet Me at the Center of the Earth (through May 30) is a travelling exhibition of work by a Chicago-based artist who creates elaborate mixed-media sculptures he’s dubbed “Soundsuits” due to the sounds they make when worn by performers.

Meet Me at the Center of the Earth is making its only Southern California stop at the Fowler and according to the museum’s literature, Los Angeles was important to the genesis of Cave’s Soundsuits. How so? The city’s 1992 civil unrest inspired the African-American artist to create a costume that completely erases the identity of the performer and acts as protection against prejudices.

Since these suits really need to be seen in motion, the museum will be staging a number of “Soundsuit Invasions” around the city, whose locations will be announced via Twitter and Facebook.

You’re going to like the way these suits look and sound. I guarantee it.

Image: Soundsuit, 2007, by Nick Cave.
Courtesy of the Artist and Tiago Ltd./Tiqui Atencio.

Shiny Fabrics courtesy of John_X

So, I’m planning to trek downtown to the Fashion District tomorrow.  I like to think of myself as pretty handy with a sewing machine, but not handy enough that I feel like dropping a lot of cash on fancy fabric would be a good idea.  (My number of sewing successes are outnumbered by my sewing failures by about ten to one, but my dreams of being a fashion icon will never die!)  The Fashion District is my most favorite place to go for fabric and sewing supplies on the cheap, plus it’s also a really vibrant, fun part of town.  But the rows and rows of fabric stores selling polyester at 1.99 a yard can be kind of overwhelming if you’ve never been before, so here’s my survival guide for making it out of the Fashion District in one piece.

Wear comfy shoes. You’ll probably end up doing lots of walking.  Also, parking in the Fashion District is (predictably) not good, so I’d suggest taking Metro – I usually take the Red Line to Pershing Square and then walk over, which isn’t too bad of a stroll.  While the district is pretty big, most of the textile merchants are in and around Maple Street, between 8th and Olympic.

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Scent Bar in West Hollywood

One of my favorite places to spend a leisurely afternoon in LA is surprisingly not in my precious Silver Lake, but across town in West Hollywood. When I have an afternoon to kill and need some time to myself, the Scent Bar on Beverly is like a little slice of heaven floating on a pastel tuft of cotton candy.

The Scent Bar is more than just a retail store hawking the usual perfumes. Here they encourage you to hang out as long as you like, sampling some of the most rare and exotic fragrances that you won’t likely find at the beauty counter in Nordstrom’s.  My favorites include: 10 Corso Como, L’Artisan Parfumeur, Comme des Garcons, and Costume National, but their selection is truly endless.

For the commitment phobic, you can buy sample sizes of most of their perfumes too, check them out online at luckyscent.com.

It's a Wrap! 2nd Annual Accessories Extravaganza Begins Friday

One of my favorite places to shop in Burbank is It’s a Wrap! They acquire mostly unworn or gently used wardrobe leftovers from movie studios at serious bargain prices. Imagine a thrift store that carries couture! They always have tons of designer labels for both men and women in a variety of sizes (not just size 2). They also have jewelry and accessories. I recently picked up a Prada dress with the tags still intact for under $200, six pairs of luxury tights (unopened) for $3 each, a silk scarf for $5 and a Theory trench coat for $10.

With all of this in mind, I seriously had second thoughts about publicizing this sale so that I could keep all of the bargains to myself, but what the hell. Starting this Friday, November 27, It’s a Wrap! will be hosting their Second Annual Accessories Extravaganza. Also, the first 25 customers to spend $50 or more in the store that day will receive a gift certificate (contact store for specifics).

Recent arrivals include wardrobe from “Monk,” “Deal or No Deal,” “House,” “Law Abiding Citizens,” “Dexter”, Read the rest of this entry →

Earlier this week I alerted you to the LA Opera’s first ever costume sale and now I bring you this, just in time for Halloween costume shopping.

The Movie Wardrobe Sale Takes Place at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel - Second Home to Hot Stars Like Us

There is going to be another amazing sale this weekend, the Hollywood Studio Collection’s wardrobe sale. A portion of the proceeds from this sale will benefit Childhelp, one of the world’s largest organizations that aids victims of child abuse and neglect.

Thousands of wardrobe pieces from various movie sets will be sold during the three-day event that consists of both vintage and contemporary clothing, shoes, décor, accessories and props that have been used in some of today and yesterday’s most influential blockbuster films. The sample sale will offer rare and one-of-a-kind items that would normally be sold for thousands of dollars, for as little as $10.

The sale takes place at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel this Saturday, October 10 through Monday, October 12 in the Oscar Room on the second level of the hotel.

Admission is only $5. For more information, visit www.TheHollywoodStudioCollection.com or call (818) 812-6068.

Just in time for Halloween, the Los Angeles Opera distributed a press release today announcing their first ever costume sale. Over 2500 costume pieces will go sale this Saturday, October 10 from 10:00AM to 6:00PM.

Fantasma De La Opera

Pieces for sale will include everything ranging from complete “merry peasant” and “medieval courtier” costumes to individual pieces such as capes, hats, shoes and fans. Highlights of the collection include a number of “diva dresses,” stunning hand-crafted gowns worn by LA Opera’s leading ladies including Carol Vaness (La Traviata, Don Giovanni, The Merry Widow and La Rondine), Jennifer Larmore (L’Italiana in Algeri), Maria Ewing (Fedora), Verónica Villarroel (Idomeneo) and Karita Mattila (Jenufa), as well as costumes worn by superstar tenor Plácido Domingo (Un Ballo in Maschera and Idomeneo). From what I hear, there is only one latex Fly costume so get in line early if you want to nab that one!

Prices will range from $10 for accessories to $20 for hats and masks, complete costumes from $150 all the way up to $5,000 for couture pieces. Cash, check and credit cards are all accepted.

LA Opera is the fourth largest opera company in the United States. The Company’s Costume Shop is staffed by dozens Read the rest of this entry →

Nike says this raglan shirt “is sure to become your stadium-staple.”  Oh, I don’t know, what do you think?

While Trojans and Bruins are mortified, for entirely different reasons (my devoted Trojan sister expounded her reaction with just 6 letters: “OMG WTF”), I personally think the more offensive shirt is the one after the jump:

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The Untidy Germaphobe

Today in LA fashion I bring you the “Untidy Germaphobe,” as spotted on the Metro Red Line to Union Station. Yeah, yeah, I know. Criticizing fashion on the Metro is too easy, but I go with what I know.

When I first saw the “Untidy Germaphobe” sitting across from me on the train, I only noticed his surgical mask.

“He must be wearing that because of the poor air quality due to the Station Fire,” I thought to myself, smirking arrogantly at my own reflection in my iPod.

Then my eyes moved down to his hands, which were tautly sheathed in blue latex gloves, perfectly color coordinated to match his jaunty mask.

“Hmm. Germaphobe,” I nodded, feeling quite satisfied that I had him all figured out.

Glancing over one more time, I took in the rest of his ensemble, which continued to vex me for at least three more minutes, or however long it takes to get from Hollywood & Highland to Sunset & Vermont.  The gloves and the mask seemed to match a Mysophobic personality disorder sure, but what the hell was going on with the rest of his scene? First of all, his clothes and boots were visibly filthy. Not approved Germaphobe attire. Second, he smelled like he had not showered in quite some time. Definitely the type of violation that could get you kicked out of Germaphobe Camp.

Taking all of the above into consideration, I finally narrowed this guy down to one of three stereotypes, placing the most weight of course on his peculiar outfit (who wears a snow hat in LA during a heat wave?):

1. Recently discharged Vietnam War veteran

2. Construction worker from the 1950′s

3. Anti-government militia soldier

I can’t decide which one, so I’m leaving it up to you fine readers to decide. What’s this dude’s deal? Feel free to offer your own guess.

For us busty gals, finding a sexy bra in our size can be challenging. We need strong support but we don’t want to look like we are wearing an industrial sling. Enter Jenette Bras where the motto is: “The alphabet starts at D.” Hallelujah!

Jenette Bras has been open for four months and tonight they are celebrating with hot jazz, cool drinks and lots of lingerie models showing off the store’s wares. There will be one night only discounts and bra-fitting demonstrations. Oh, you men are welcome too. (Does anyone really need to twist your arm to see hot babes in gorgeous lingerie? I thought not.)

Hot August Night at Jenette Bras
Tonight, Tuesday August 25
6-9 pm
4308 Melrose Ave. (near Scoops!)
323-665-7490

During normal business hours, proprietress Jenette Goldstein offers personal fittings of a beautiful array of bras from size D through K.

As Jenette says, “Stand up straight and rock that hourglass, Honey!”

(hat tip to Thrillist Los Angeles.)

Fashion Train Wreck

Spotted this morning while waiting for the train, an Ed Hardy explosion. Here is a guy who is taking brand loyalty to the max. Wearing a baseball cap, t-shirt, flip flops and carrying a messenger bag – all Ed Hardy branded, he is clearly making a statement. And that statement must be, “Sure, I may not appear to be very cool , but look, every piece of clothing I own is Ed Hardy so how you like me now, bitch?”

Here’s a fashion tip for you brand whores:  If you just must wear an article of clothing that prominently displays the name of the designer, just wear one piece at a time, mmk?

The streets of Hollywood just turned up the wacky.

L. Ron Hubbard has reached from beyond the cosmos to release his new Fall line for local Scientologists and their brethren around the world. They are uniforms for the new Ideal Org churches, and Gawker takes a look:

These uniforms are manufactured by some sort of magical logistics pipeline called a “conveyor belt” for the “Ideal Org,” a purportedly superior new type of church, according to International Scientology News. The uniform is intended to unite staff on “six continents” and help them look the part of “emissaries of a new civilization.”

Red, white and black uniforms for a new civilization. I think I remember something similar from a history book.

Still, I have three very important questions about these new unis that I would like answered:

1. Is the men’s tie reversible, or is it a clip-on?
2. Does the cape have the Scientology “S” logo on the back?
3. Are other accessories available, like an engraved cigar case or alternate red pumps?

Way to go, Xenu. Only you can make us both tremble and giggle just by putting on a suit.

Did you know that more than 100 people have Johnny Cupcakes tattoos? Heck, it’s possible you may not even know who Johnny Cupcakes is. Even so chances are you’ve seen his designs somewhere. The crossbones cupcake wunderkind, JC started printing tee shirts as a lark and now at the ripe old age of 27, he’s developed an amazingly successful business (and a rabid fan base) making collectible tees and other gear. The first 100 on hand for the anniversary celebration of his Melrose store, this Saturday August 1 at 3:00 pm, will get a limited edition gift. There will be cupcakes and barbecue, and I’m guessing you’ll get to rub elbows with a lot of sleeved 20-somethings in stovepipe jeans. If you can’t make the opening, as luck would have it, you have another opportunity next week to hang out with Johnny Cupcakes. Click through to win tickets!

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