Factory Direct Tradeshow in Downtown LA fashion District

I am at Factory Direct Tradeshow in the LA Fashion District this week during LA textile week. Factory Direct is the first curated sourcing tradeshow in LA. Fashion designers throughout LA come out to Factory Direct to start their fashion business. It is a great place for trend spotting in the industry and I'll be doing a recap at the end of this week on trends to look out for in 2016. There is even a fashion show happening later today at 4pm with emerging designers form Los Angeles. The show will have everything from sophisticated business wear to California swimwear designs. I will be updating this post later today with pics from the show so stay tuned! I am giving a seminar tomorrow at 1:30pm on the Digital Marketing Landscape for Fashion in 2016 and I will be talking about new trends in fashion blogging and social media! If you are interested in attending you can register here! Hope to see you there!
Factory Direct tradeshow Emerging Designer showcase Fashion Next
The Fashion next runway show produced by Parris Harris was a huge success and showcased many local talented designers.
The opening show was Vegas couture an eveningwear brand with many satin gowns and beautiful silhouettes.

Rare Jenny was one of my favorites a flirty women's line with a 1940s era influence and fun color palette. Vintage chic is definitely going to be a popular trend this fall.

Lumahai swimwear was another great line and this was the first ever Lumahai runway appearance. The line was especially fun because the twin sister designers were only 16 years old. Their line is sold online and they are hoping to start selling in stores soon. They were inspired to design swimwear by their love of the ocean and their passion for keeping the oceans clean. These young designers are very talented and are sure to be around for awhile.

Another one of my favorite collections was this activewear collection inspired by the California surfer lifestyle. I loved the bright colors and sporty styles of Pacific Ranch brand. The designs were unique because they could be layered with pants swim shorts and wetsuits. The colellection had several pieces with cutouts which will be a big trend for activewear this Fall.

There was this cute childrenswear line and the crowd fell in love with the cute little models who gave adorable poses at the end of the runway. The fun and colorful clothes looked like something any little girl would love.

This show had everything including accessories and I loved these fun designs from JT carpet bags. The bags were made from colorful material and were made in all styles. My favorite was this cute fringe bucket bag. Fringe is definitely going to be big this Fall so this is th perfect addition to my collection of bags!

Another one of my favorite collections was the Courtney Allegra collection which featured fun retro styles  for menswear and womenswear. One of my favorites was this color blocking set.

The show closed with a live performance of a cellist on the stage as the beautiful gowns from evening wear line sfcouture.

On the last day of Factory Direct one of the exhibitors Katmandu Inc. gave out free scarves and I am loving my new accessory! The show was definitely a success and I am looking forward to coming back next year!

Fashion Bloggers night in: Kasai Hair Salon in Manhattan Beach California

On Thursday night I headed over to the Kasai Hair Salon in Manhattan Beach California for their first Fashion blogger event. Beauty and fashion bloggers from all over LA came out to the fun event. As I walked in I was greeted at the door and asked what I would like to have done. I was offered a style consultation, blow dry, or color consultation. I opted for a style consultation as I've been playing with the idea of a new style for awhile. Kasai himself, the expert hair stylist who has worked under Frederick Fekkai in Beverly Hills (one of my all time favorite hair product brands) and styled celelbrities, came over to my chair and we talked about different style options. Kasai was able to come up with the perfect cut for me since I was interested in something low maintenance that I could style different ways. Next, I go tot speak with Amy the color consultant who gave me some fun and creative ideas for coloring my hair! Then Kasai asked me if I would like to do the cut tonight. I was not about to turn down the opportunity for a Kasai cut so I agreed. We headed over to the shampoo station and then back to my chair.

After Kasai had finshed Amy gave me a bouncy blow dry and showed me how to style my bangs different ways. I enjoyed a s'more flavored dessert in a cup while Amy finished my hair. I love my new look and can't wait to debut it at Fashion Week LA in a few weeks!

I enjoyed mingling with the other bloggers and tasted the delicious cupcakes and appetizers.

Amy handed me a goody bag on my way out and I can't wait to try out all the new fun products inside! I would definitely recommend the Kasai treadtement for anyone unsure of what style they are looking for.

Before and After!

Travel Review: Art in Aix en Provence

Aix-en-Provence is a little town located near the Southern coast of France. It may not look like much from afar, but this charming Provencal town will have you falling in love when you get there. I took a guided walking tour of the whole city and learned a great deal about the history of the town.

Wandering through the ochre streets with flowers sticking out of the windowsills you might start to feel like you're in Beauty and the Beast. The flower market attracts artists and tourists alike and the smell of lavender, the Provencal flower, wafts through the air. As you walk along the Promenade, where the people of the middle ages would parade along the street at night to meet and talk to one another, there is an inviting gelato shoppe to stop at and get a delicious scoop of refreshing cream. Then at the end of the street stop and look at the beautiful fountain ornately decorated with 18th century figurines - Number 22 of over 40 fountains throughout the city. Nicknamed the city of a thousand fountains Aix en Provence has fountains from the 18th and 19th centuries scattered throughout the town. My favorite was the dolphin fountain with beautiful dolphin sculptures spouting the water out their heads. The architecture on the promenade is interesting because it seems as though half of the giant mansion that faces the street was built in a different style and color then the other half. The guide explains that the house was in fact built in two different time periods started before the great plague and finished after in the 18th century style. Around the corner you come to the giant medieval church with its beautiful and intricate architecture in the Gothic style. The imposing black metal doors, the guide explained, saved the townspeople when  they locked themselves in the church during a siege on the village and not even the soldiers could break through. As you enter the imposing church the dark interior is lit by candles throughout he hallway. In the corner of the church there is a hole cut into the floor exposing an ancient roman road that ran through the Provence from Italy. The history in this town is several layers deep. As we exit the church we head over to a different part of town; here we learn about the famous post-impressionist painter, Cezanne, who grew up in Aix and had his studio here. He went to Paris to study art but was rejected from the Academie des Beaux Arts and he became a lawyer like his father wished. But he didn't give up painting. Cezanne's favorite spot to paint was a perch in some rocks looking over the Provence. He later gained fame for his works made while living and painting in Aix. The Provence had been inspiring artists for hundreds of years and you can feel the artsy vibes throughout the city.
After the tour ended I headed towards the city center where many traditional provencal French restaurants are located.  I walked along the tiny, narrow streets towards the sound of music and laughter. The town comes alive at night and everyone was out sitting in the little cafes crammed into the street. Even though I got a late start to dinner after driving around the giant fountain in the center of town several times, becasue many streets were closed off for the Tour de France, the restaurants were still packed. Traditional French dinner starts at 7 or 8 at night I actually ended up being right on time. I chose a cafe with a lovely outdoor patio and was seated underneath a canopy of lights.Everyone that we were dining with seemed to be settling in for quite awhile.  I enjoyed the fresh French bread and Orangina, however my dinner choice was not quite what I expected.  Scallop tartar is a very distinctly flavored minced scallop dish which was not something I will try again. I made up for it with my desserts however, and tasted many delicious chocolate flavored creations. The same people that were eating when I arrived were still there by the time I was finished and everyone was just sitting around laughing talking and smoking. As I soon found out dinner lasts for many hours in France and you have to ask for the check if you are ready to leave.
After dinner i headed back to my hotel. Which was actually a Castle converted into bungalows. It was a really neat place to stay called the hotel du Roi Rene. Or hotel of King Rene. It was filled with beautiful fountains and the rooms were nice and spacious with a loft and a little patio out front and a kitchenette.
I loved Aix en Provence and I would definitely go back again. To read more about my travels in Southern France to hilltop cities and the port city of Avignon click here.

Spotlight: CdM goes to Cordon Bleu

While on a trip to the city of lights and fashion I decided to be adventurous and try a cooking class at the famous Culinary school and Julia Child's alma mater Cordon Bleu Paris! Inspired by Julia and Julia the movie I signed up for a class called Desserts en verres or Deserts in a glass. On the website this class was labeled for amateurs. It looked fun and interesting especially because I have an insatiable sweet tooth when it comes to French desserts. Well I was in for a big surprise when I got to the famous French school. The class was taught by a French speaking chef who moved a mile a minute and was translated by a young British trainee chef. Needless to say the instructions that were being thrown out left and right at break neck speed were a little hard to understand and keep up with. None the less we were handed our signature Cordon Bleu aprons, which I still use today, and pens and notebooks like real culinary students and sent off to the kitchen. We all stood around along stainless steel table surrounded by state of the art kitchen utensils most of which I had never seen before. Let's just say I'm not fond of making home cooked meals at my house. Since we were not given a recipe we had to rely solely on the instructions from the chef and his translator. Luckily I also managed to take some notes and brought the recipe home with me so I can recreate it anytime I choose. Although I don't know when I'll be up to hand whipping homemade cream again but just in case! After a long day of crushing pistachios and making homemade Savoyard biscuits we finally finished with twelve glasses full of delicious pistachio and strawberry cream desserts and coconut and cookie treats. The rest of the class was mostly American as well and when we finished everyone passed around the leftover Malibu and let out a sigh of relief. Like a scene from Sabrina the chef went around inspecting our work and, I thought I would never make it through, but at least I know I earned that certificate of completion. It was a really fun and interesting experience that has really helped me understand french cooking and culture better. If you are looking for something to do on your vacation a great thing to try is learn something new!

Telling her story: Sanchez Kane exclusive LAFW interview

Saturday night October 10 opening designer for Los Angeles Fashion week Barbara Sanchez Kane showcased her debut collection Courage of the Brave to an eager crowd of Los Angeles trend setters at the historic union station last weekend. The collection held everyone's attention from the first piece to the last. The brightly colored designs and artistic pieces definitely told a story ans I sat down with the young designer after the show to find out what it was.

I found the young designer celebrating with a group of her friends taking silly photos at the photo booth. Dressed in a simple black and white outfit with a backpack on her back the urban designer from Mexico had just graduated from Design school in Italy and came here to present her debut collection. I interviewed Barbara Sanchez Kane about her artistic and innovative collection and her unorthodox path to fashion design. She originally studied Industrial engineering and after getting her degree headed to Italy to get her design degree. According to Kane her background in engineering definitely influenced her collection. This explains the interesting metal accessories each of the models carried as they walked down the runway. The metal silhouettes were meant to reflect the shapes of the woman. According to Barbara she wanted to tell the story of how it feels to lose something inspired by her recent graduation and she found an analogous story in the Mexican revolution. She named the collection Courage of the Brave to reflect her inspirations. She went to the archives of the Mexican revolution the Casa Sola to find inspiration while she was creating her collection. She used materials from her native region of Mexico such as noroquen a material she used to create the colorful wigs for her models and a specific style of cross stitching on her clothing that has been passed down for generations in her village.

The colorful and artistic collection was a big hit with the crowd and I can't wait to see what interesting creations this designer will have for us next!

Los Angeles Art Scene: Holiday Gallery reception in Santa Monica

Last Saturday I was invited to attend a gallery opening in Santa Monica at a collection of galleries called Bergamot Station. I wasn't sure what to expect as I had never been to this gallery before, but when I arrived at the event the parking lot was full and the galleries were crowded with people having a great time shopping for art from the amazing artists that were exhibiting. First I headed over to the Schomburg Gallery where I was invited to a holiday reception for the new exhibition by the artist Cindy Ingrahm Keefer. The small gallery is located at the top of a tiny staircase and overlooks the street. A combination of 3D sculptures and paintings decorated the room. The brightly colored abstract works brightened up the space and the intricate detail of the landscapes was captivating. Each piece had a story behind it and many of the works were inspired by the artist’s travels around the world. Any piece from this collection would brighten up a space and I suspect success from this showing.

I interviewed the artist and she explained to me her inspiration for the blue and green abstract; it represents the view she had while flying over the ocean on her way back from Costa Rica.

She painted the picture of Sacre Couer in Paris and said she loved playing with the color scheme.

This picture, a big hit with crowd, depicts a group of Brahminas she observed while in Costa Rica. Many people commented on the interesting personalities in their faces.

I loved the quality of light in this painting and the clouds are beautiful. The luminescence really make the viewer feel like they’re there.

These were some of my favorite works. I love the bright colors and bold lines and shapes. The artist explained that she was using a drip technique to create the movement in the painting. I think any of these pieces would serve as a great centerpiece in a modern decorating scheme.

If you are interested in purchasing any of these works you can contact he gallery at susan@schomburggallery.com.

After I had finished looking upstairs I wandered downstairs through some of the other galleries. I was impressed with the variety of work that I saw. There was everything from photography to surrealism and even some interactive art. I really enjoyed the local artists who showcased their California inspired work.

Venice is well known as an art hub here in Los Angeles and there were many interesting pieces from Venice artists throughout the display. I noticed that many artists focused on sunsets or sunrises and also enjoyed the miniatures that the artists featured.

I loved this exhibit by Artist Holly Boruck. Her surrealist-inspired works were a refreshing break from many of the dark modernist styles I saw. Her collection seemed to tell a story and I could tell that each piece had a message behind it. 

Next I was invited to try out this psychedelic looking structure. The artist Matt Elson explained that he creates these infinity boxes and each one has a different purpose. This particular one used reflections to layer each of the viewer’s faces over each other. I really enjoyed this interesting interactive art. This is just one example of a larger trend that is happening in the art world today with a push by artists to involve the viewer in their art. I think we will see continue to see more of this type of art as we enter 2016.

Another interesting exhibit I liked was the photography collection. There were many interesting photographs that had been digitally enhanced. I loved the nod to pop art with black and neon pink portrait of Marilyn Monroe. There were also several photographs focused on more modern trends such as the screenshot of this Instagram post with comments. I loved the commentary on our digital world.

I would definitely recommend Bergamot station for anyone who is looking for quality local Los Angles art.

Norweigan Rain x T. Michael launch party on Sunset Blvd.

This Thursday I was invited to the official launch party for Norwegian Rain's California debut, sponsored by a team from LA Fashion Week. LAFW welcomed international designers Alexander Halle and T. Michael.  The party was held at the exclusive LA boutique H. Lorenzo on Sunset Boulevard.  Voices from the crowd spilled out onto the sidewalk on the unusually warm November night and a friendly hostess greeted me straightaway as I walked into the party.  Antique Norweigen furniture decorated the modern space and the beat of techno fashion music played in the background.

I was greeted by the designer himself, Alexander.  It was clear the quiet wellspoken Norweigan was excited to be in L.A. The tall designer sported a Norweigan look with his blue suit and hat, punctuated with a red feather.  

The Norwegian Rain brand was founded in 2009.  Alexander and T. Michael partnered to make outwear with a Japanese influence; their brand was inspired by living in Bergen, the rainiest city in Europe. Thursday night they brought their designs to LA with the help of LAFW to, according to T. Michael see what would happen when they put all the best things they knew of together. The raincoat design incorporates the newest waterproof technology and traditional men's tailoring.  In my exclusive interview with Alexander, I learned how the brand was born.  Alexander told his story of perseverance. When he first pitched the idea to T. Michael, Alexander said, "Of course he said 'No.'" But he continued to visit each time it rained, and with the frequency he finally got his chance. T. Michael acquiesced saying, "Let's talk, because you're just going to keep coming back." Alexander had a less traditional route to his career as a fashion designer starting out studying business, but with this project he got to live his creative dream by launching his raincoat designs.  In the collection he described how they use Japanese material to incorporate the latest in sportswear technology.  They tailored the coat with the idea of hidden functionality; the smooth designs with perfect symmetry hide interior magnetic clasps and adjustable fit. He pointed out the unisex black raincoat on display at the front of the room as one that can be adjusted for personal preference.  

He also hopes to set a trend of sustainability and always designs consciously.  He gestured to a chic gray plaid cape that is made with recycled materials. 

As I walked around the room I noticed the interesting accessories including scarves, satchels, and shoes placed throughoput.

  I interviewed designer and tailor T. Michael about his brand new release of eyewear. 

The bold curvy design of the glasses was very unique. T. Michael explained that they were made from buffalo horn from Asia which allows them flexibility to form to your face.  He also chose this material because it is very durable and can last for years. According to T. Michael,"The glasses are a bold look for a bold person so that you can walk into a room and say, Noted, it's me." 

The collection was a hit with the L.A. fashion crowd that attended the party.  Many guests tried on the raincoats and glasses and some bought scarves and accessories.  As the team from LAFW said, "There is plenty of room for international designers in L.A."  This collection is especially timely with the approaching El Nino. This collection might turn out to be for more than staying in fashion after all in our usually sunny city.