Black Friday at the Grove

"Tip the world over on its side and everything loose will land in Los Angeles."

-Frank Lloyd Wright

Yesterday I went to the Grove with a friend to take in all the madness that is Black Friday.  I wasn't so much interested in the sales, or what people were buying as much as I was in what they were wearing while they shopped.  It made me wonder how many people simply flock to the shopping malls just to feel as though they are part of something big, because after all, it is the biggest shopping day of the year.  I managed to make my way through the crowd without stepping foot into a single department store, which I might add, is a big deal for me because I am such a shopaholic.  Unfortunately, I always feel as though the things I want to buy are never on sale, so to me Black Friday was all about people watching... and that I did!

Since I am so new to L.A., I am still in the process of taking it all in; the city, the people, the traffic, and yes of course the shopping.  The one thing I can tell you is that everyone stands out in their own unique way.  If you really take the time to watch people closely, especially in a bustling crowd like the one I found at The Grove, you will find that despite the chaos spurred by department store sales, everyone is very much in their own world.

Here are a few pictures of some of the people that inspire me to explore L.A. fashion.

The thing about L.A. is that it's sunny all year, so even though it's not cold enough to need a fur hat, a great sense of fashion will always want one.

Eating lunch across from Morel's.  I love her laid-back body language amidst the bustling crowd.  Totally in her own world.

This girl has a sort of updated rasta look about her.

I know I'm always talking about how much I love fringe, but in this case I'm not so sure it works.  I do, however, appreciate her confidence to rock a fringe leather jacket with daisy dukes in the middle of "winter".

Totally caught taking a picture!

Love the red sunglasses and hat.

This man is way too cute with his elongated beanie and dog/shopping partner.

One of the coolest looking groups of people I saw at the mall.  They look like musicians, but that's the greatest part about fashion;  It allows you to be whoever you want to be!

The Farmer's Market Travel Angel.  I love him!

We had to check out the Farmer's Market while we were at The Grove, and I'm so glad we did because I finally found the Trapp grapefruit scented candles that I've been looking for.  They smell sooooo good!

I don't eat meat, but if I did, I'd probably buy it at the Farmer's Market.  Everything looked so fresh.

I couldn't help but notice this woman and her bakelite earrings when I was candle shopping.  Isn't she fabulous?!

And this man, in his blue suit! I love it!  He looked so studious amongst the hustle and bustle of the Farmer's Market.  It's nice to see people reading real books in this day and age!

"When you think things are bad,

when you feel sour and blue,

when you start to get mad...

you should do what I do!

Just tell yourself, Duckie,

you're really quite lucky!

Some people are much more...

oh, ever so much more...

oh, muchly much-much more 

unlucky than you!"

-Dr. Seuss, (Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?)

My poor blog has been neglected for weeks, and if you really want to know the truth I don't have it in me to delve into my 'new to L.A.' escapades right now.  I love my new place, and everyone I've met in my building has been extremely convivial, but I'm exhausted and can't wait to go into further detail about my new job in the near future.  Let's just say that I feel like I've been transplanted to an entirely different universe, where everything stays open past 9 o'clock, and people run up and down the streets of West Hollywood like they're in perpetual state of training for the New York City Marathon.  I have been extremely busy, working on and off set with different stylists and I still find myself trying to adjust to life in the city.  I promise to update more frequently now that I'm settled, but for now here are a few pictures of our new humble abode.  

Welcome...

This is the front of our building.  I like it because it's really inconspicuous.

 

A view of the Hollywood Hills from our street.

The fireplace is a major addition in my book.  There's nothing like a fake fire place to create the perfect ambiance.  But seriously, it really is nice, and it does give off heat.

We even have counter space to eat at! Yeeeahhhh, no more dining on the couch!

You have no idea what it means to me to have dishwasher!!!  I've been living without one for years, and it might just be my favorite thing about our new apartment.  Hooray to no more hand washing!

Our bedroom.  Looks pretty much exactly the same, except I don't have to turn to the side to walk between the dresser and the bed!

Chanel S/S 2011

"I'm  not interested in the future or the past; now is the interesting time."

-Karl Lagerfeld

In 1954 Karl Lagerfeld was awarded his first prestigious award in the International Wool Secretariat fashion design competition, as winner of the coat category.  It was pivotal moment in 21-year-old from Hamburg's life, and ultimately set the stage for the rest of his career.  Born from a family of wealth,  Lagerfeld displayed an unprecedented work ethic for someone who did not need to work.  In 1959, he left the house of Pierre Balmain to go work for Jean Patou, and by 1962 he was out on his own again, looking for a new direction.  Fortunately, the direction he took was geared toward ready-to-wear, which at the time, was considered much less prestigious and far less glamorous than any position held by a couturier.  His long-time friend, Fernando Sanchez is quoted in Alicia Drake's The Beautiful Fall, by saying that: 

             'He totally grasped the epoch... He knew he wanted to do his own thing and not in some old couture house.  Karl is extremely intelligent, he understood the time.'

On September 15, 1982 Karl Lagerfeld was announced artistic director for the house of Chanel.  It was a position that would allow him to truly compete with the prestige and reputation of haute couture atelier Yves Saint Laurent.  For almost their entire careers the two designers competed in a friendly, yet distant manner, but Yves always seemed to come out one step ahead.  He had his own house, his own identity, and his own fame; while Karl had always worked for the houses, identities, and fame of other designers. Saint Laurent's fame and notoriety was something that no designer at the time could compete with, but then again, there is no fashion legend greater than Coco Chanel.  

Karl Lagerfeld's status at Chanel created an uproar within the high fashion community; many denounced his cultural heritage, and others his anti-haute couture attitude.  So there he was, a German at the top of an intrinsically french empire, and there he stayed.  

Chanel's S/S 2011 resort collection fell nothing short of spectacular this year.  It was saturated with rich earth tones, feather-light fabrics, and Greco-Roman footwear.  While Chanel can often feel like it's geared toward a more mature audience, with its tweed coats and modest hemlines, this collection felt young and lively, yet maintained a classical elegance.  

Of the 87 resort looks, here are a few that I wholeheartedly believe belong in my closet:

All pictures from Vogue.com.  Thanks for reading!

Sam Edelman Ankle Boots

"Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.  That way when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them and you have their shoes."

-Jack Handey

I am moving to L.A. in a week, so please forgive my lack of posting over the next few days.  I couldn't be more excited, but I must confess to being slightly overwhelmed with the amount of stuff that I've managed to accumulate over the past two and a half years.  I distinctly remember my material worth undergoing a cleansing the last time I moved, but somehow it feels as though I'm back in that square trying to determine what to keep and what to toss.  

My wardrobe is, of course, the first thing that must be reckoned with and it is a looming, daunting task to say the least.  I have dozens of pairs of shoes that I can't decide what to do with because I know I won't get what I want if them if I sell them, so I'm thinking the Salvation Army might be the way to go.  I would rather donate my shoes, knowing that they'll go to someone who needs them than get $10 for a pair of shoes that I know I'll never wear again.  Another thing I'm considering is giving all the pairs I like, but don't wear, to my friends so I can visit them in case I ever start to feel separation anxiety.  Any suggestions?

One pair of shoes that I can be certain about bringing with me are these new Sam Edelman suede ankle booties.  They are part of my new fall/winter investment strategy because they go with everything and are extremely comfortable.  I got them at Bloomingdale's for $225 and I think they're worth every penny.  

Thanks for reading and have a good weekend!

Vogue: The 90th Anniversary Masquerade Ball

"On matters of style, swim with the current, on matters of principle, stand like a rock."

-Thomas Jefferson

Vogue celebrated it's 90th birthday on October 1st this year, and the fashionable soiree was hosted by none other than its heralded french editor, Carine Roitfeld.  The event took place at the eighteenth century private mansion on the rue de l'Universite, Hotel Pozzo di Borgo.  Famous for its previous inhabitant, Karl Lagerfeld, the venue served to entertain over six hundred guests, and ultimately bore witness to a parade of the fashion elite.  It was a spectacle of style, underscored by an Eyes Wide Shut motif.

Now, I know I'm a little late reporting on the event, considering that the immediacy of the internet allowed bloggers to post about it the night of, but I felt that I owed it to my blog to pay homage to the self-proclaimed Lady Gaga of fashion- Ms. Anna Dello Russo.  Her custom designed Pucci gown was absolutely awe inspiring.  Paired with a steel feather headdress by Gareth Pugh, there is no question as to who stole the show that night; and if there was an award to be given out for best dressed, it would have undoubtedly gone to her.

To take my Anna Dello Russo obsession a step further, I wanted to include some of the pictures that chronicle her fashion sensibilities throughout the duration of fashion month.  How is it that a woman in her fourties can pull off a couture runway look better than a 19 year old model?  The answer to that my friends is: two hours of yoga a day and a very regimented diet!  

Wearing Fall 2010 Yves Saint Laurent

(Source: Tommy Ton for Style.com)

Wearing feathers by Roksanda Illincic

(Source by marquisdelannes.com)

Wearing Fall 2010 leopard Balmain dress

(Source: Tommy Ton for Style.com)

Wearing Summer 2011 Francesco Scognamiglio

Wearing Spring 2010 Yves Saint Laurent strawberry dress and cherry headpiece by Alan Journo

Okay, so I have to stop here a minute and pay tribute to my #1 favorite fashion blogger- Garance Dore.  She is the impossibly adorable french fashion blogger sitting here next to Anna, and she and her fellow blogger boyfriend Scott Schuman of the The Sartorialist, are largely responsible for Anna Dello Russo's rise to internet fame.  I read her blog religiously, as should you!  She is a fashion photographer/illustrator and there is a pureness about her spirit that really comes through in her work.  LOVE LOVE LOVE Garance!

Wearing Fall 2010 Emilio Pucci

(Source: TheClothesWhisperer)