Bvlgari is the Diamond of our Eyes

On the busy intersection of Wilshire and Rodeo amidst the mix of celebrities, tourists and cars that bustle by, is the gem of a store, Bvlgari. This mix of passing pedestrians and automotives seem to have polished an architectural diamond in the rough into a multi-dimensional gem in the form of this brilliantly sparkling store. When we were given the opportunity to get a tour of this Los Angeles cultural landmark, intimidation was a word that came to our mind. These diamonds weren’t just diamonds, they were the diamonds that are currently being draped across a naked Julianne Moore and two baby lion cubs in Bvlgari’s current advertising campaign. We’ve seen those pictures, and we do not look like in the nude, and we would not be looking like a red-haired seductress with lions lying across our privates. Intimidation indeed.

But when we stepped inside the store we were instantly at ease in the warmth of arcing blonde wood that enveloped us. The curves in the display cases seem to set in motion that swooping emotion every girl feels in the pit of her stomach when her eyes scan over an expanse of diamonds. The play between the linear and the curvaceous within the architecture seems to mirror the crisp cuts found within a spherical diamond. We happily ogled the diamonds, reclined on the velour sofa, and were even offered water while we waited.

The Bvlgari store is composed of three floors, with a private (fully stocked) bar taking up the upper level, looking over aforementioned intersection. Who doesn’t want a glass of champagne when seated in the lap of luxury? We were happily surprised by the amount of other luxury goods Bvlgari carries, such as handbags, sunglasses, and ties. A trip up to level two met us with all of the above.

Bvlgari is directly associated with luxury, but the best news yet is that you can have a piece of luxury for a fraction of the price with their popular, less expensive yet meticulously designed line, B Zero. Women spend the same amount on shoes these days that they could spend on a Bvlgari ring from B Zero. Even a necklace, or key chain is yours for the taking, with Bvlgari’s name and trademark clean edges stamped across the pieces. B Zero reminds us of the trademark line from that other jewelry store, the one with the robin’s egg blue colored boxes. Those boxes used to drive our jewelry obessions, but now we walk in Manolo’s and have decided our jewelry needs to mirror or shoes, naturally.

LalaLuxe featured on The Party Goddess!

The Goddess has spoken and she is in agreement with the rest of us– our girl Nicole Pollard and LalaLuxe are the the premiere shopping services in Los Angeles!

Read on here…

http://www.thepartygoddess.com/blog/

ZEROMINUSPLUS Philanthropy Launch Party

Check this out – tonight from 6pm – 9pm, ZEROMINUSPLUS at Fred Segal Santa Monica will be hosting a launch party with 100% of the proceeds going towards United Nations humanitarian agencies.  Patron will be hosting the bar (score!) and Marc Breslaw, Executive Director at USA for UNHCR and Kevin Sturtevant, VP of Development for the Friends of the World Food Program will be hosting the evening…

KORA: Working Towards a Greener Earth

Eco-sustainability is the new black in the fashion world and we wanted to do our part and alert you to our favorite burgeoning sustainable jewelry line, Kora (www.koradesigns.com). Amy Walker and Maxandra Short are the two bodacious blonde masterminds behinds this emerging line of jewelry, made from African cow horns. Their eco-chic philosophy goes a step further than most, as they not only source their materials from Rwanda and Kenya, but also employ the local artisans to produce their designs. This outsourcing creates jobs and economic opportunities for the workshops and artisans who are employed by Kora, potentially spurring long-term economic success.

Browsing their online store and reading their blog, which chronicles their adventures of traversing across Africa, allows us to indulge or fashion needs without the guilt, much like our newly acquired frozen yogurt habit.

Kora’s jewelry is made from the horns of the indigenous East African Ankole cow. These cow horns are considered waste at local butcheries, allowing Kora to scoop them up and dole them out to local artisans in Rwanda and Kenya, who then diligently craft these organic horns into polished bracelets, faceted rings, necklaces and more. On their last sojourn to Africa, the ladies decided to amp up their designs and are now adding brass studs to horn pieces, and wrapping brass wire around the bangles to give the jewelry even more depth and intricacy. They seem to be most excited about the prospect of recycled aluminum as a new medium, as a pile of bangles will simultaneously feel weightless and look divine on a bronzed summer wrist.

What we love about Kora’s jewelry is how these artisans are able to bring to light the inherently organic and original patterns and markings found within the horns’ surface. The juxtaposition between the variation of pattern yet coherence of material within a gaggle of bangles amuses our eye. As soon as we dredge through June gloom in Southern California and finally get to embrace the summer sun, we cannot wait to adorn ourselves with these beauties, perfectly accenting all summer attire, from white linen shirts to bohemian blouses.

“Kora” translates to “work” in Rwanda’s native language, and that is exactly what Amy and Maxandra have set out to do. We could not be happier supporting their dream of creating a symbiotic relationship between the fashion world and a third world county, eco-sustainability bliss!

Here are some of our favorite designs:

LalaLuxe Fine Jewelry Featured on JuliB.com

Yesterday in Los Angeles, JulieB.com was first to announce the launch of LalaLuxe Fine Jewelry:

Cocktail Hour at Confection Jewels

Every girl loves herself a good cocktail dress, and for that matter a good cocktail. The ritual of slowing sipping on a dirty goose while the chilled martini glass delicately floats in your hand seems decadently nostalgic to us, as images of coiffed hair and red lipstick from the 1950’s flash through our minds. We praise those cocktail-sipping ladies for indulging in extravagant baubles to rest on their hands while sipping that goose, as they paved the way for us to incorporate exaggerated cocktail rings into our everyday wardrobe. A statement ring is simply a-must-have, goes-with-everything-piece because it can effortlessly transition from those lived-in ripped jeans and white t-shirt to a favorite corseted cocktail dress, and all while making you look too-cool-for-school.

With that said, we are always on the hunt for that perfect ring, so when we heard of vintage-button-inspired cocktail rings growing out of a garage in Venice, we were intrigued and decide to investigate further. For the past three years, with the help of a grass-roots support crew, Yanique Venezia has been producing the lavish line of Confection Jewels out of her Venice studio. We were lucky enough to get a sneak peek at her line before its big debut at her first Fred Segal trunk show, next Saturday, February 13^th.

German Power Crystal- Pink, $225

Golden Flower Patch, $175

Flower Power 2, $180

These rings are meticulously made with love as Yanique has brought her graphic design background into her new burgeoning venture. The dynamic range of vintage buttons from around the world remain the center of the each ring, while Yanique then places them in a hand crafted and polished setting, sometimes adding other adornments that enhance each button’s individual personality. If you think we are talking about them like children it is because to Yanique they are, and she has cleverly named them accordingly, such as The Jolly Stallion or Chocolate Ashtray. What we love most is that the range of buttons from pop-princess-pink to art-deco-vintage, allows everyone to find a ring to suit their personality. Despite this range, there remains continuity throughout Yanique’s line that can only be described as layering pop Warhol on top of an old Victorian soul. The juxtaposition of the two on the surface of a cocktail ring creates a sublime effect that we find fascinating.

As of now, the button rings are in limited quantity as the number of each individual design is determined by the number of buttons that Yanique was able to acquire. These limited edition rings are listed under “One-of-kind” and “Limited Series” on confectionjewels.com. You will also find “Collection Series” on the site, which is the where Yanique hopes to expand production and lower the price to embrace a wide demographic of consumers. We’ll happily sip on our dirty goose martini and cheers to that!

Cocktail Rings ranging from $45 -$250

http://www.confectionjewels.com

written by  Veronica McCarthy

Beautiful Jewels That Don’t Break The Bank

A unique spin on the classic Valentine’s Day gift – mark your calendars for this event at Krista Everage Studio in the Bergamont Station.

On The Fashion Pulse, American Rag

 

 

Getting Her Fill of Retail Therapy, 90210'a Shenae Grimes was Spotted Leaving the American Rag on La Brea

 

American Rag on La Brea is the epitome of a too-cool-for-school, one-stop-shop destination. The merchandise seems to be so cutting edge that it is hard to tell if the buyers have their fingers firmly on the pulse of Los Angeles, or if they are creating the pulse themselves. An entire rainy afternoon can be spent blissfully getting lost amongst the racks of sequined vintage, designer denim, and delightfully obscure high-end retail—we know from experience, as we stayed dry in this shopper’s haven when the rain came a-knocking this past week. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!

The scope and breadth of the store’s merchandise is simultaneously stimulating and intimidating. Upon entry you are greeted with blasts of color and funky art, displayed against warm wood, all situated within a cool urban loft expose. The u-shaped shoe display is the central focus of the main store, with the women and men’s retail flanking the display, and their vintage collection bringing up the rear. If that was not enough to make one’s heart skip-a-beat, to the right is their “World Famous Denim Bar,” although no Irish coffee was found, the denim selection was a sight to behold in and of itself.

Mark Werts, the owner and founder of American Rag, claims the buyers are what separate his stores from the masses, and the denim bar clearly showcases their talent. Ranging from classic 501 Levi’s to J-Brand’s newest invention, “jeggings” (they look a lot better than they sound), your desire for all things denim can be fulfilled here, and then some. We were thrilled to see that our favorite skinny jeans from EVER made an appearance amongst other up and coming contemporary brands such as CORPUS, Kill City, and PRPS, all perfectly mixed in with the big hitters, such as Helmut Lang, Diesel, and Citizens of Humanity.

The price tag on American Rag’s selection of vintage ranges dramatically from thirty-dollar funk-a-dellic flannels to two hundred dollar army coats, steeped in history. Although you wont find those vintage Chanel ballet flats you’ve been searching for, as there is little label vintage, you will find reasonably priced thermals, sweatshirts, t-shirts, and some awesome neon-plaid bell-bottoms, if those happen to light your fire. If the neon-plaid bell-bottoms intimidate you, and perhaps rightfully so, American Rag’s retail is paces away and offers you classic options, updated to today’s urban cool-vibe that simply exudes from the store. The men’s selection is a must, as it proves there should be so much more to a man’s wardrobe than just sneakers and jeans.

The menswear buyer, James Hammonds, sums up the success of store with, “You come in to accentuate your own look, not buy into ours.” It seems like American Rag simply wants to makes the masses look cool, the coolest part being, they don’t want to dictate your wardrobe, but just re-vamp your already existing look.

We surprisingly worked up a sweat scouring the racks, but didn’t even need to open our umbrella to find some lemonade. Café Midi is tucked away in the back of American Rag’s home décor store, Maison-Midi, which is easily accessible from the main retail section.  We happily obliged when we saw banana bread on the menu— as we all know, it is our quintessential comfort food that tastes so much better when the weather is damp and dreary. Alas, they keep their recipe under lock and key.

And The Winner Is … Jessica Alba Best Dressed at the People’s Choice Awards

It’s been two days of Jessica Alba.  Yesterday we showed you her dressed-down style while hanging out in Santa Monica – but last night was an entirely different story at the People’s Choice Awards held at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.
Check out her look —>

The 28-year-old Fantastic Four actress wore Antonio Berardi  and accessorized with white gold and diamond and onyx Love bracelets, white gold and diamond and ceramic Maillon bracelet, and a white gold and diamond and onyx Panther profile ring — all from Cartier.

Her slinky mini-dress and diamond bracelets weren’t the only component to her sophisticated and smoldering look.  Jess’ hair cut and smokey make-up is really what pulls everything together.  Here is a closer look at her modern edginess meets Hollywood glamazon.

 

And it doesn’t hurt that she’s lost a few pounds.  Looking good Jessica!

Tonight: It’s a Seaside Holiday Party

Tonight from 5 pm ~ 9 pm, Tim Clarke Designs is hosting a holiday party!

2110 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90405

Food by our favorite oyster bar: BP Oysterette . . .

and a special shopping event at Tim Clarke

December 9 – 12th

Featured Designers: Tim Clarke, Art Luna, Seaside Luxe exclusives from Tahiti & India, Gregory Parkinson, Surf Monk, Hinu, Katro, The Woods, Irit Designs, Libbie Lane Totes, Sable & Zac, Sandy Simonian Jewerly, Kendall Conrad, L’Oeil du Vert, Deszo, Irving & Fine, Johnnie O, The Lady & the Sailor, Chan Luu, Jason Dow, Skamandros by Deborah Barnet and Collections from Zvezda