Pho Cafe in Silverlake

My fortune with my beer.

Taking a Trip: Hedi Slimane Exhibit at MOCA

Me, Jackie, Lauren and Shanda

(Me: Haider Ackermann leather jacket, MMM tank, Rick Owens Lillies black skirt)

We haven't been out together in 4 years.  All of us actually went to L.A. for Jackie's bday.  It was a little short trip that only lasted the weekend.

Shoe Collection: In time for the Christmas Holidays.

These are one of my favorites (well technically all of my shoes are my favorites.) I had to flag these down at the MJ Collection store on Melrose in the Fall of 2006. I really loved the shoes from this collection. The cutout heel is to die for.

Here are the details:


P.S.
Yes, I know... I know I own a lot of MJ shoes. I can't help it.

Nigo opens A Bathing Ape store in L.A.

Imfamous Japanese designer, Nigo, has finally opened up a store in Los Angeles, according to WWD. "[He] opened his second U.S. store for A Bathing Ape, the estimated $70 million label he founded in 1993, joining Melrose neighbors such as Paul Frank, Agent Provocateur, G-Star and Tarina Tarantino."

It's about time Nigo has decided to move to the west coast. People have been hurting for a store of his here. Nigo is another hip hop artist and great designer that has collabroated with luxury designers. More notably when he collabroated with Fendi. Even though Nigo is more commonly known as a designer for BAPE, he is also co-owner and head designer for Pharrell's line Billionaire Boys Club. He also has the one of largest collections of Planet of the Apes memorabilla (amongst other things), hence his labels name.

Nigo has been a designer I have been watching closely for a few years and I love that fact that his empire keeps growing. He started off with silkscreening about 50 t-shirts and usually gave it away to friends and family. Now look at his empire... his street wear is saught after so much that his stuff gets ripped off everywhere (check my article about counterfeit goods). As a designer,you must feel flattered and pissed off at the same time when your stuff gets knocked off.

I remember reading an article about him in W Magazine a couple years back saying he might get together with Marc Jacobs, but haven't heard about anything sense. Come on boys... you need to get together. ASAP.

McQueen finally opens a store on West Coast.

(Images from www.Style.com)

Alexander McQueen, one of the most innovative designers in the past 14 years, has finally decided to open a flagship store off Melrose Avenue (near Marc Jacobs stores) in Los Angeles. McQueen opened his first U.S. store in New York in the infamous Meat-Packing District in 2002; then recently just in Las Vegas.

Don't worry about Paris Hilton running around downtown L.A. with one of his gowns. He hopes "if she comes past the shop, hopefully she'll just keep walking," says McQueen, according to the L.A. Times, "I don't really covet that sort of thing."

I have been getting things shipped from his New York store for years. It's good to know that I don't have to take a trip to New York to see his whole collection in person. Even though his collection is not something you would wear everyday (or something you can afford) there is this elegance and feminine/masculine theme with all of his collections, which has been always amazing to watch.

The store will be opened Tuesday, but he will be having a grand opening party for his store on May 13th. Celebrities will be pouring in to see his new store. So, who wants to crash the party... raise your hand?

MJ

(image from E Online)

I skimming through the New York Post on Page Six and crossed some information on Marc Jacobs. Currently, Jacobs is not with Jason Preston and has been seen around L.A. and New York with his new boy toy Austin A. (You could see the article here) Turns out he was seen arguing with him in public in L.A. at their hotel in front of guests. After the argument, he left Austin there.

I'm not big on gossip amongst celebrities, but Jacobs is a very interesting person. He is the designer to look for in NY, plus Louis Vuitton in Paris. Jacobs is great at knowing trends and starting them. The world has always been constantly obsessed with celebrities, we want to know everything about them, what they are doing what they are wearing etc. He, himself, has become exactly like one. People around the world actually recognize his face rather than just his name.

He is just like all the other celebrities, Lindsay Lohan, Mary-Kate Olsen, Nicole Ritchie, etc. He went to rehab for drug and alcoholism and his love life is constantly in the media. Just recently, in the past few months, he has lost a large amount of weight and looks 15 years younger than before (in less than 6 months). This gave more reason for people to continue watching him. There has been a craze with celebrities that have became designers... but has Jacobs made it were he can be both? Of course he is an amazing designer, always innovative and constantly changing (like he has been since he did his show at Parson's and continued on to Perry Ellis). Since then, his celebrity followers have copied his designs and put their names on the clothing labels.

So does that make Jacobs ahead of the trend? Or is he just smart enough to start trend right before they come into place?

You decide.