Art Hearts Fashion Week Los Angeles: Opening Mixer at Pump lounge in West Hollywood

Last night I attended the opening mixer of Art Hearts fashion Week at Lisa Vanderpump's West Hollywood restaurant and lounge Pump. The garden themed restaurant was perfect for the mixer where some of the Art Hearts designers and artists were introduced to the crowd.

The night was full of fun and everyone had a good time mingling and taking photos on the red carpet.

The crowd was excited for teh kick off of another round of Art Hearts fashion week in Los Angeles. Designers as well as models attended the event and got the chance to talk with press. The Los Angeles team that put on the fashion week were there to host the party as well.

Closing Night of LAFW on Hollywood boulevard

This Sunday night I headed back over to the Hollywood Athletic Club on Sunset boulevard to cover the closing night of LAFW which started on Thursday last week. You can read my post about the opening night show here. First I checked out the lounge which was filled with some more amazing art installations form the artists at Sur le Mur. I headed over to the booth by cnd world a nail polish brand and after taking a selfie with their poster received an awesome free gift bag full of my favorite nail colors! I grabbed a cherry flavored Bai my favorite flavor and then headed over to the show.

I sat down in my front row spot for the first show of the night.

The opening designer was Danielle Bozza a young self taught Chilean designer who presented at
LAFW for the first time on Sunday. Her collection consisted of black and white pieces and included everything from gowns to stylish work wear. Each silhouette was fitted immaculately. Some of the designs floated down the runway while others hugged the models tightly. The show kept the audience on their toes until the very end with many surprising twists and turns. I had the chance to interview this talented young designer after the show. I asked Bozza about her inspiration for the collection with the help of a translator and she told me that her color pallet was inspired by her meditation. She meditates every day and wanted to explore the balance between black and white. Her silhouettes were inspired by the 30s and the 50s. I loved the way she adapted the long slender silhouettes of the 30s into a more modern maxi dress. I also loved the attention to detail she showed with her complimenting use of headpieces and collars on her designs. I will definitely be following this breakout designer closely and am excited to see what she will come up with next!

Next we saw the collection of Oscar Lawalata which played with color blocking in a very innovative way. The collection focused mostly on work wear with a few dressy pieces sprinkled throughout. A crowd favorite was this reversible jacket look which had the crowd cheering when the model showcased the look. I loved the tech inspired color pallet this designer chose with cyan blue and lemon yellow accents on many of the looks. I also loved the distinct lines he used in his silhouettes. 

The last show was a unique and inspiring collection. Bezgraniz couture designs clothes for the handicapped and disabled and presented an amazing collection to an impressed audience. It was a great end to the night as well as an inspiring finale for fashion week. 

CdM Exclusive: FWLA announces brand new location in downtown Los Angeles

FWLA is the next Los Angeles fashion week event I'll be attending this season from October 15-19 and I can't wait to see what amazing designers they will have lined up for this season. Check out my articles from last season to read exclusive interviews with designers such as Cynthia Rowley here. FWLA is a unique event during Los Angeles fashion week because this event not only focuses on showcasing talented designers but also holds panels and networking events for fashion industry professionals attracting everyone from buyers to startups. This industry focused event is a great place to hear about the exciting up and coming direction and opportunities of the Los Angeles fashion industry. I got an exclusive update on some exciting news for FWLA today. According to Executive Producer Gio Ferrigno FWLA will be announcing a new 4 year partnership with the Ratkovich company to host fashion week in the heart of the LA fashion district at 700 West 7th street in downtown Los Angeles on Monday. FWLA is looking forward to this exciting new deal because according to Ferrigno the street has just undergone several million dollars in remodeling and is establishing itself as a cross between world famous fashion destinations such as Le Bon Marche, Avenue Montaigne, and Calle Serrano. Ferrigno also shared that FWLA will be hosting over 30 designers in less than 4 hours at their new location on Monday October 17th and Tuesday October 18th making it the most efficient runway show format. I am looking forward to the event and can't wait to see what they will do with the new space! Don't forget to follow Cerisesdumatin on Instagram and Snapchat for live updates from the events!

Fashion Consciousness Magazine one year anniversary party in BeverlyHills

On Thursday September 22 Fashion Consciousness Magazine held their one year anniversary party at the Four Seasons hotel in Beverly Hills. The magazine was celebrating the release of their upcoming green issue and the editor and founder Valeria von Leczycki Goncharova Barrett made a statement with her emerald green ensemble.

She has been working in the fashion industry for over 30 years as a celebrity stylist. She started Fashion Consciousness last year as a magazine that would bring fashion and social issues together. Each issue is centered around a color and theme because Valeria believes that colors have the power to influence our mood and she focuses on the colors that surround us. The upcoming green issue is all about intuition. Valeria also chooses influencers and professionals to feature in each issue that she feels represent the theme. Many of those who had been featured in past issues attended the event and were welcomed on the red carpet. The event was held at the Windows lounge in the four seasons and guests gathered around the red carpet set in front of the entrance before heading inside to the lounge decorated with glossy prints of past issues. Many guests wanted to take pictures in front of this colorful display of green giftbags which were presented to a few highlighted speakers at the end of the night.

Valeria spoke to the crowd thanking them for their support and talked about her vision for the magazine. She hopes to see the magazine continue to grow and hopes to expand our understanding of fashion and lifestyle. Next one of the editors spoke about working with Valeria and the women they had featured in the magazine as well as the success the magazine has had so far. They then invited one of these women to speak and thanked her for her support with a giftbag. Known as the "Queen of Joy" Denise O'Brien of Wings of Love international spoke about her charity work to help families affected by domestic violence as well as her love of fashion.
She took the stage in a brightly colored green sparkly gown in honor of the upcoming issue. She was so excited to have worked with Valeria and the magazine and recommended that everyone read the next issue because Valeria had such positive messages to share.

Next we heard from Tara a guest Valeria had chosen to feature inthe magazine for her work with Beyond the label an eco friendly clothing line. Keeping with the theme of the night she wore a sap green dress made out of recycled trees and spoke to the crowd about the important role that fashion can play in conservation.

Finally we heard from Trish Concannon who works with the magazine as a fashion advisor. She was featured in the gold issue for her work with Fashion Business Inc the non profit based in downtown Los Angeles that helps start up fashion designers.
All in all the party was a success and I had a great time seeing Valeria and am looking forward to the upcoming green issue!

Exclusive interview with Alex Bolen Executive Director of Oscar de la Renta

                                  Image courtesy http://www.oscardelarenta.com/runway/spring-2017/

On Monday September 12 Oscar de la Renta brightened NYFW with glamorous designs and intricate detailing. The dresses uphold the telltale fit and elegance of Oscar de la Renta; this uniqueness is something easy to see, but harder to define. Today I had the chance to interview Alex Bolen, executive director of Oscar de la Renta, just a few days after the company presented their SS17 collection at NYFW. I was able to ask Alex about the show as well as the announcement of their new co-creative directors. We also talked about his not so traditional route to Executive director of a major fashion house and his advice for young fashion industry hopefuls!

The Oscar de la Renta SS17 collection debuted at the Morgan Library and Museum to an audience filled with the traditional fashion heavyweights as well as bloggers, influencers, and celebrities on Monday. I asked Alex how he thought social media has influenced their show in recent years. He explained that, while the collection itself wasn't necessarily influenced, the way they look at the room and the types of photographers and diversified types of media professionals they invite has definitely changed. Currently their shows include digital media reporters and bloggers, as well as the typical media representatives.  According to Alex, the company is cognizant of the power of social media and is always looking for intelligent ways to tell the world who they are. They believe it is important to know how other people perceive the brand and they adapt their message to each different platform.

Oscar de la Renta announced new co-creative directors Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia. I asked about the direction of the new creators and Alex expressed his excitement to see them take on this role. He knows them both extremely well and told me that they had worked closely alongside Oscar for many years. He said that while he likes to think he is a good business person, they were the dreamers.  He said that, while he doesn't know what this transition is going to look like yet, he is very excited to see how they will interpret Oscar's designs for their younger and more contemporary customer as well as their core customer. I am very excited to see what they will have in store for their younger customers!

After talking about all the new and exciting changes at the company I asked Alex if there was anything he felt that Oscar de la Renta had stayed true to over the years and today. He told me what Oscar himself used to say when asked about his inspiration for his current collection. Oscar de la Renta said that his inspiration was always to make women look and feel great with his designs. According to Alex this is something that the fashion house is sticking by.

Another thing that Alex believes is unique to the company and that they have stayed true to over the years is the company culture. Alex described that Oscar de la Renta ran his design studio so that anyone could express their opinion. According to Alex, while it's not a democracy, at Oscar de la Renta if you want to be an expert in something you can come to the company and do that with hard work and dedication. He also said that it is still a family owned business at its core and that even though not everyone is related many people have spent 30 or more years with the company and many had worked closely with Oscar for that time. They want to keep that spirit in the company.

Finally I asked Alex about his background in fashion and what his advice would be to someone looking to get into the industry. He explained that he came to Oscar de la Renta about 15 years ago from a background in finance.  He transitioned to the company since his wife Eliza is Oscar's daughter-in-law and has worked at the company for many years. He said that he believes there is no traditional career path in the fashion industry. He referenced Oscar de la Renta's background as an architectural student in Madrid who got into fashion after taking a job sketching to earn extra money. Oscar then got hired on at the design house as an entry level worker with a small job. Even though it was a small job Oscar became very good at it and was able to move up from there. That lesson is something he brought with him to his own design house and that the company still believes in today. Alex gave the example of Laura Kim who started out as an intern and quickly became a resident expert on buttons and trims. While seemingly a small part of the design process this important piece allowed Laura to work closely with Oscar and learn about his design process which will be valuable in her new position. Alex's advice is that if you are passionate about something no matter how small, you can make yourself indispensable and get noticed.

Oscar de la Renta has continued to honor the great designers legacy at the company and on the runway and I’m looking forward to seeing what they have in store for us next season!

Courtney Allegra Melrose launch party

Thursday night I headed over to the grand opening of the first ever Courtney Allegra flagship store on Melrose Avenue. The star studded event included appearances from young Hollywood celebrities who are some of the young designer’s clients as well as Los Angeles fashion industry professionals. The 19 year old fashion student and designer already has her own retail location. I interviewed her about her success and she was excited to realize this major step in her career. I asked Allegra about her designs and she told me that she wanted to design fashionable and sexy swimwear.

Her swimwear line has taken off and she has been able to show her collection at several Los Angeles fashion week events. Thursday she was eager to show me her new line of street wear which included graphic tees and some metallic pieces., which were a crowd favorite. After talking with Courtney I was able to interview a childhood friend who told me she had started hand sewing her first designs at 15. The hard work of this motivated young designer is definitely paying off. I can’t wait to see what else she will come up with!

The event was full of chic looks and emerging trends for Fall but don't worry I’ve done the hard work for you. Here is a breakdown of the latest Hollywood must haves.

Trench dress

I love the silhouette of this trench dress. It is the perfect basic to accessorize with all the bright colors we've seen on the runway for Fall.

Army green

Celebrities favored this muted color on the pink carpet at this event. The sexy lines mixed with street style makes this look a must have for Fall.

Metallics

The matching metallic set at the center of the Courtney Allegra store is a fun take on the 90s revival we've been seeing this season. A must have for anyone whose seen Clueless!

Leopard print

This Fall is all about bold statements and leopard print is the perfect way to make yours. I especially love the rainbow colors in the Courtney Allegra collection! 

ESPYS Celebrity Sports Style in Hollywood

The ESPY awards at the Microsoft theater in Hollywood on July 13, 2016 are perfect for trend spotting with amazing athletes, teams, and celebrities. And what better place to get up close and personal than the pre-ESPYs celebrity gifting suite produced by GBK.  I attended the GBK event sponsored by Coopers Tires at the LINE hotel in Hollywood on June 12, 2016 to honor ESPY nominees, athletes and celebrities.  It was fun to talk with all the celebrities and athletes about style and trends.

Several Denver Broncos players attended including Darrion Weems, #77 tackle.   

Brandon McManus, #8 Kicker, was wearing his superbowl ring and gained lots of attention.  When asked about the bling, and he said, "It's kind of blinding. But we worked hard and put in a lot of hours so I'm proud of it." About the event, he said, "The event was unique and I saw lots of cool stuff."

I agree, there were several interesting products.  The Segway miniPro, a personal transportation device, was the crowd favorite.  Almost every celebrity gave it try and no one fell on their face, although there were few close calls. Jonathan Capppetta, media rep, said, "You just have to trust it. If you don't than you tend to overcorrect."  The reps also said, "It took me about twenty minutes to feel awesome on it."  They described that this device could be used anywhere, from running to the grocery store to going to the beach. One of the best places to try it out is cruising on the sand. Cappetta said, "You don't hover, but you feel like you float."  They emphasized that this was not a hoverboard and it did not have the same tendency to explode as the infamous products from last year. Everyone, from Ed Hudson of Ghostbusters to Eve Torres-Gracie (in her heels), gave it a whirl. 

I also met, Jamie Lewis, the founder of JLEW bags, a high end sports back pack line based in NYC.  She founded the company when she realized there was a need for luxury sports bags in the market. Her favorite sport is boxing and she showed me her boxing tote complete with pockets for your gloves.  The brand ambassador, Mckaela Mayer is a female boxer from Team USA. This designer is passionate about providing high quality products to athletes of all levels so I'm sure we'll be seeing more of her in the future.

A post shared by SierraClair (@cerisesdumatin) on Jul 12, 2016 at 4:37pm PDT

Speaking of fashionable women athletes, Eve Torres-Gracie, WWE pro-wrestler, made an appearance at the event.  I got an exclusive interview with the WWE Diva champion about her style. It is great to see a female athlete representing strength and beauty showing off her style. She was wearing a white crochet wrap romper which she found while in Japan and a pop of color with her bright pumps.  For Gracie one of her favorite parts about her career is that she gets to see the world. She said, "I love that my career allows me to travel and see new styles all around the world."

Next I interviewed the co-founder of Dumbo lounges,John, about his innovative product.  The young business owner created a product that is great for the young athletes who all had fun trying it out; this product is perfect for millennials because it can be easily packed and used anywhere from music festivals to dorm rooms. Even the tallest athletes such as Weems the Broncos player fit on the lounger and enjoyed trying it out. 

Courtney Conlogue the pro-surfer who attended the event tried out the loungers which are perfect for relaxing on the beach. I interviewed Conlogue as well who said she enjoyed the event and was looking forward to the ESPY awards. She was wearing a stylish Billabong dress and Jack Purcell sneakers perfect for the sunny Los Angeles day. 

Other interesting vendors included BestofLegacy a company that creates professional scrapabooks for athletes and celebrities so they can save their press coverage and give them to family and friends. Many of the football players and other athletes stopped by this interesting booth. 
All in all it was a great event with many new and exciting products. I enjoyed the chance to interview celebrities and athletes about their style while checking out these interesting companies and getting excited for the ESPY awards!

4th of July fun: Rock n Roll retro style

This 4th of July embrace the retro styles of the summer and design a bold look for your sizzling holiday weekend! Here is some inspiration styled by me to get you started! 

I love this star clutch by Kate Spade. It adds the perfect pop of pattern to my 60s outfit. Also I made this outfit truly vintage with this one of a kind bandana from my grandmothers closet. 

I also added this red bandana in my hair for an authentic look. I made my lips pop with my new favorite nyx red lip cream. Top it off with these Dolce and Gabana cat eye sunnies for the perfect outdoor BBQ style. 

I love how this button up jean skirt from the Gap hugs my curves. You can wear it high waisted or mid waisted making it a versatile piece in your closet. I chose high waisted with this lace up crop top from guess for an edgy patriotic look. 

Rock n Roll USA! Live it up in style this weekend wherever you are! 

CerisesduMatin for LA Elements magazine

Go check out my new article on Ellie Goulding's amazing performance during Coachella music festival in April published on LAelements.com! I'll be doing special guest Snapchat reports for LA Elements magazine so add them @laelementsmag and stay tuned! http://laelements.com/special-report-coachella-2016-weekend-two/

Fashionable Friday: Talking about the future of wearable tech with Kristine Upesleja

I got to interview Kristine Upesleja of Madison's innovative textiles and the FIDM textile science department today and I wanted to share what I learned with you! If you haven't read my article on the melange wearable tech tradeshow you can learn more about the presentation she gave there as well! Since she is an expert in this field I decided to ask Upesleja some questions about the direction of wearable tech in the future. Read on to find out all the new and exciting things coming up in fashion's newest field! Remember you heard it first here!

I’m the Textiles & Materials Manager at FIDM/ Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising.

I established the Innovative Materials Collection in the Textiles  & Materials Department in the Library. It includes garments made from coffee grounds, milk, recycled cassette tapes, or the Tommy Hilfiger solar panel coat just to name a few items in the collection. Once a year I curate an Innovative Materials Conference that travels to the other campuses in San Francisco, San Diego and Orange County. It was also shown abroad at the Academy of Art in Riga, Latvia.

Two years ago I established my own consulting  firm MADISONS – Innovative Textiles & Materials Consulting. I’m passionate about educating future designers, professionals and anybody who wants to listen about the possibilities in the textiles and design world. My website www.madisonsinnovative.com

is a source of information. You can also find me on FB and Twitter.

What do you see for the future of wearable tech? 

The ‘term’ wearable tech is diverse. As I mentioned in my presentation when we talk about wearable tech we mainly think about devices and accessories  that are connected to our phones. But it is more than that. It means to engineer  fashion which means bringing in new materials and new ways of making things. What comes to mind is tech clothing, emotional tech, the Bio lab and 3-D printing as an engineering  tool.

How would the 3D printer be integrated into that?

3-D printing is on the rise. We soon will be able to custom print our own garments including shoes

from home or right on the spot in a store. Materials are changing from plastics to natural fibers.

Korean engineers have created a system for 3-D printing ultra thin fabrics for both electrical circuits as well as wearable applications. Beyond the fashion world of wearables the medical market has adopted 3D printing in form of band aids and sensors.

What are the cities where you see this innovation happening the most?  

There isn’t a specific city I would point out. In high fashion it is the Netherlands with Iris Van Herpen on the forefront. She however collaborates with Julia Koerner, who is an architect professor at UCLA’s SUPRASTUDIO. Julia has created her own ready to wear 3-D line.

Michael Schmidt ( LA) and Francis Bitonti (NY) created the Dita van Teese dress. Bitonti is very active in the 3-D industry.

Major 3-D printing company Stratasys is located in Minnesota.

The other most important company is Materialise in Belgium

Nervous System is located in Somerville, MA.

Shapeways is Dutch founded, NY based.

Do you think the wearable tech industry is available for new ideas and innovations?

Absolutely. It seems that almost every day a new wearable tech conference is happening somewhere to bring engineers and designers together and to try to figure out how to collaborate and create something really wearable. But it’ll take time.

Right now it seems like tech companies dominate this field with google glass and apple watch etc. Do you think that will shift towards fashion in the future?

Nobody is even thinking or talking about the Google glass anymore. It’s out out out!! and never was in.

This is an example of bulky, non-efficient wearable tech in fashion.

There is still no aesthetic sensibility when it comes to wearable tech in fashion. This is the big challenge for both engineers and designers. A completely new approach and expertise is required. Designers need to explore electronics, software, bioengineering, and an entirely new retail world.

If it comes to phone related devices such as wrist tech the development is so fast that almost every few months a new generation of devices hits the market.

However what we see is that tech clothing is on the rise. It’s predicted to overtake sales of fitness trackers in 2016. ( Ralph Lauren smart shirt, Athos shirt etc.)

Coachella essentials

I'm heading out to Coachella this weekend and packing all my festival must haves! Here's a look inside my Coachella purse and a list of my favorite basics for the best desert vacay! 

Billabong tassel purse- I love this purse because it goes with almost anything and the long tassles and crochet knit makes any outfit Coachella ready! 

Kate Spade summer hat- this cute white hat is perfect for keeping the sun away and complementing any outfit at the same time! 

Dolce & Gabana sunnies- my favorite pair of retro cat eye D&G sunglasses with this floral print are the perfect statement piece for Coachella eyewear

Guess wallet- I love this brightly colored wallet because it holds all my forgotten gift cards while still being sleek and slim fitting in my purse

Victoria's Secret sunset lipgloss- this is my go to lip gloss for festival season because it has spf and a yummy flavor don't forget to protect your lips from the sun too! 

See you at the festival follow me on IG and check out my SC takeover of LAelementsmag today for all the latest from Coachella!