Cookie and davy jones

Karate kick. Kung fu grip. Jujitsu flip. Its fun to the power of 3.

And he totally knew who i was, what?!

I just met jason schwartzman!

La skyline downtown im drunk

Seriously she rulez

I loves the megs!

Megalonius jamming at warehouse

Super ridiculous warehouse party

Rainy la traffic

Sending this from my phone...

...bc this mobile blogging blows my mind. Pls digg www.la2day.com/fashion/its_easy_being_green

Whoa!

I can blog from my phone? Really?! This is going to rule!

guerilla style

This was crazy. I was lucky to find out randomly that No Age would be playing a show at the LA River on Saturday afternoon, so of course I dropped everything and went. How many chances do you get to see a totally awesome band play outdoors, only a few feet away from a river no less! It was amazing. Unfortunately, the cops intervened after only 4-5 songs, but that was long enough to really enjoy life on a Saturday afternoon, listening to cool music echoing through nature, and watching a dude in a coon hat shred with the water flowing along behind him. Here is a video of it from their Myspace, but it doesn't do the experience any justice at all. I'll post a picture later.

The Return of the Top 10

I realized I haven't done a Top 10 in a while so this one's for you! I post this under duress so forgive my hasty annotations...

10. Famima - Basically an upscale 7-11, this Japanese import is really neato. Where else can you get cereal, toilet paper, M&Ms, Japanese snacks and candy, sushi that won't kill you, and turkey and brie paninis till 2am? Certainly not your regular corner store!

9. Earnest Sewn skinnies - These have always been a favourite but recently they just started to fit again. Praise the Lord! And thanks to vegan food as well.

8. Chez Les Ye-Ye - Sunday nights at Mountain Bar = French pop dance night! In Chinatown, who knew? The crowd is a bit sparse, but who cares? Any place I can go to have a beer and hear "Roller Girl" pretty much rules.

7. Irina Lazareanu - She is my favourite model. I find her so striking, and I'd be lying if I said my bangs weren't completely inspired by her.

6. Opening Ceremony - This Olympic-themed boutique started in New York but now has a Los Angeles outpost. It's like a labyrinth; each corner you turn you will find new rooms, nooks, and surprises! Hard to find labels like Proenza Schouler, Mayle, and Rachel Comey, up and comers like Souvenir and Katy Rodriguez, and even pieces from Topshop. Barneys has dropped to silver, and this place is the new gold medalist for me.

5. Weirdo Rippers - This album by No Age, a Los Angeles punk duo, has been getting a lot of acclaim since they got signed to SubPop. Just recently they have been featured in publications like i-D and The New Yorker. Pretty amazing for a band that regularly plays The Smell, which graces the album cover. It's a nice piece of work, very stripped down, raw, but still manages to be pop.

4. Sirens & Sailors - An adorable boutique in Echo Park that is a haven for LA designers, and indie designers from all over. They carry a great selection of obscure labels, for those with a true appreciation for the offbeat.

3. 323 necklace - Scored this area code necklace at the above mentioned store. LA is home now!

2. Potions Made by Children - This is my friend's...er...band. Okay, yeah they're a band! A good one. And their videos will make you laugh and coo.


1. Downtown LA - I don't know if this can be considered a well-kept secret anymore, but downtown is the new Eastside. Everything my little heart desires is here: Dance Right at La Cita, cheap but ridiculously fresh sushi at Hama Sushi, bands and crazy parties at the 6th St. warehouse, bargains at the Alley (just beware of fakes!), and more and more and more to still be discovered.

Aaaannd another...

Just released a new article for la2day. It's about my absolute favourite vintage store. Check it out.

Scream! Cry! Pray! Confess!

At the risk of seeming like a dopey and doting fanatic, I must share this video! The Mae Shi, my favourite Los Angeles band, has released a video for their crowd-pleasing tune, "Run to Your Grave". For those who aren't familiar with them, they are an experimental pop band that messes around with omnichords, light-sensitive synths, wireless guitars, and basically anything that makes noise. They are certainly the most superfun band you will ever see. If you don't believe me, check out the video. Watch them rock out, and just be too cute for words here.

Support!

Hey BOS readers, please check out this article I wrote for the style section of la2day.com here. It's about a really beautiful LA-based clothing line called unhee. Thanks!

Je t'adore, Monsieur Lacroix

Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks have come and gone, with many standout collections from my usual favourites. I loved the art-student-chic at Chloe; the signature jewel tones at Lanvin; the fresh monochromatic styling at Moschino; the whimsical prints at Wunderkind; the easy dresses and separates at Marni; and the Gatsby-esque paperdoll ensembles at Miu Miu.





But the collection that really mattered--the collection that had me nearly falling out of my seat in complete and utter delight--was Christian Lacroix's. I couldn't believe my eyes as I perused through look after look, being overstimulated by the array of illustrious prints and exquisite hats. I thought to myself: This is inspiration incarnate. To call these pieces 'gorgeous' is an understatement. Monsieur Lacroix has produced a nearly perfect collection that is both timeless and avant-garde. His brilliance has me asking: Karl who? Miucca who? Nicholas who? There is only Lacroix.



View the entire collection here.

Hannah Takes the Stairs

Take a digital camera, point it at amateur actors, and....GO. No real script--just young people contemplating out loud about work, life, love, and everything else debilitating about being twenty-something. It sounds like a recipe for disaster, but there is something there. It's something I just discovered called Mumblecore--an American independent film movement that employs all of the above. Cinema verite meets French New Wave, with a sprinkle of Woody Allen and a dash of Richard Linklater.

Hannah Takes the Stairs is the most recent release under this genre. It's been widely criticized for being "pretentious" or too "indie". What does that mean? Isn't it pretentious to break a film, or filmmaking style down based on having an indie/hipster following? The critics (actually lay people/paramount hipsters who find it impossible to come down from their soap box) refuse to see this film for what it is. It's a simple story about a girl who's not sure what she wants, so she has to bounce through relationships to find what makes her happy. It is conceived somewhat experimentally, though the idea of improvisation is not new in filmmaking. To me, there's nothing wrong with taking an old idea and running with it. It's kind of exciting that director Joe Swanberg has brought this style back in the age of boring trilogies and high-octane action flicks. I need something I can relate to, and this film is it.

The element of improvisation makes it hard to believe you're watching fiction. When you see Hannah and any one of her men kiss, it feels as if you're there, awkwardly spying on them. When the actors speak, it's like you're witnessing their thought processes. Their speech is slightly disjointed, yet always articulate. Greta Gerwig as Hannah is amazing--with every perfectly timed sigh, every truthful insight. Some people may find her observations about chronic dissatisfaction and the manic nature of crushes mundane and palpable. For me, however, it can be very inspiring to hear someone verbalize things that cross my mind on a daily basis. I can find myself in a character like Hannah, which is what's so engaging about this film. I hope one day I can have a happy ending much like hers. Bathtub, trumpets, and all.

Trailer: