HD Buttercup Opening - Official Photos & Video

Some much better visual coverage of the Unique LA / Apartment 3 + KidViskous grand opening at HD Buttercup. Thank you to the over 1600 people who attended!

Photos by Justin Sullivan, and video by The Video Mouse. Enjoy!

Tiffany got caught snapping

HD Buttercup: Design Center Grand Opening from Chris Laughter : The Video Mouse on Vimeo.

More photos (like, 100 more) after the jump.

Daft Punk's "Derazzed" from the upcoming TRON Soundtrack

I AM SO EXCITED

 Not so much for the movie as much as Daft Punk's involvement--they could be selling maternity wear and I'd be stoked. I have never seen the original 1982 TRON, but the filmmakers for the very late sequel TRON: Legacy really couldn't have picked a better act than Daft Punk to create the soundtrack. I mean, they themselves are robots. Recruiting name brand musicians to score entire films always attracted much attention for soundtrack sales, Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails most recently (and a bit randomly) scoring The Social Network. It's a good bet to assume The Butterfly Effect soundtrack didn't sell too well.

Video after the jump:  

Fashion Gone Teletubbies - Amy Finlayson by Justin Ridler

An exclusive for Fashion Gone Rogue, photographer Justin Ridler shows adding fur to swimwear can remedy even the coldest winter beach outings. I'm loving the bright colors that are just a little reminiscent of Teletubbies?

More after the jump: 

The Real Housewives of Cybertron - Lernert & Sander Shoe Design

 To celebrate the launch of their new Shoe Galleries, high-end UK department store chain Selfridges hired Dutch artists Lernert & Sander to "take iconic shoe design to surreal extremes." The result is a collection of shoes made from mundane household appliances you'd think were taken straight off the feet of the Transformers' stay-at-home wives. I particularly love the baby pink dishwasher clog--so Candies.

Artists Lernert & Sander plot the demise of a very suspecting chocolate bunny

More after the jump: 

JOYRICH Photos FOUND!

Thank god, I found my lost photos from the LA Fashion Weekend Joyrich runway event last week! Turns out my digital camera decided to reset it's date to 2005 (I mean, who wouldn't want to go back to 2005?), and the photos were in that year's folder. I've already talked this event out in my earlier post, so click through to enjoy all the blurry photos (I'm in desperate need of a camera upgrade if anyone has suggestions)!

JL Marks designers in a sequined flurry 

More after the jump:

Unique LA & Apartment 3 Hipster Slam HD Buttercup

Last Friday was the launch party for the Unique LA / Apartment 3 store at HD Buttercup in the Helms arts district. It's located in this fantastic plaza that was formerly a family owned bakery, and now houses restaurants and upscale furniture stores. An absolutely gorgeous and historic location, it's still a bit bare compared to other shopping destinations, so this fashion boutique is a step in the right direction for the area. 

The event was PACKED with all types of people and some of the more refined and sophisticated (read: steadily employed-looking) breeds of LA hipsters and fashionistas. The retail boutique is a joint effort initiated by indie designer show Unique LA who brought on boutique/fashion consultant Apartment 3 to collaborate on the project. They soon found a home in the 4,000 sq ft furniture store HD Buttercup, who offered up a generous section of their store for a minimum four-month run. Apartment 3 was one of my retailers and we frequently collaborate with sample sales and events, so the adorable Apartment 3 mama Kristin Knauff asked KidViskous to be one of the featured designers! Thanks Kristin!

Lanvin for H&M Teaser Image and Video

Behold, four outfits from the upcoming Lanvin for H&M collection that is launching November 23, 2010. A perfect collaboration for the holiday season, French fashion house Lanvin brings it's timeless glamour and never-ending savvy for designing the chic and sexy short dress to the retail chain. And how FIERCE is that old woman?? Her name is Jane Schmitt and she needs to be front and center, so incredibly cool. The other models, shot by David Sims, are Hannelore Knuts, Tati Collitar (who's looking quite Scarlett Johansson-y) and Natasha Poly. My fingers are crossed that those over-sized sunglasses will be for sale as well.

ASOS Sells Clothes and Crushes

I don't know how long cheap/chic online shopping giant ASOS has had this option, but they have videos of their gorgeous British models catwalking in the very pieces you're perusing. Instead of shopping for clothes, I found myself shopping for boys--and I love it.

JOYRICH at Los Angeles Fashion Weekend - POOF!

Edit Oct. 24th: I actually found the photos! They're all here for you to enjoy, so don't mind my bitching!

I am DEVASTATED! All my photos from last Friday's LA Fashion Weekend event are poof gone somehow. Poof are the photos of cute Japanese fashionistas, icy models-types, stylists, photographers and this stunning woman who was dripping in gold dome studs with red lips and a tight high bun that I was obsessed with (and her generic boyfriend was dismayed by). But I do have a few iPhone photos of the night's activities at Sunset Gower Studios in Hollywood. Chevy Volts were parked outside for perusing/making out in, there were a few designer vendors selling their quasi-interesting wares, but of course everyone crowded the open bars.

I came thinking this was a runway show only for the LA via Japan streetwear line JOYRICH's SS11 collection, whom I reviewed a few months ago for Style In Progress magazine. So I was confused to see droves of older, stylistically typical LA "clubbing" crowd at the event. Turns out it was a medley show with labels JL Marks and Balthaczar, both of which I found to be uninspired and have poor quality craftsmanship--figures. Joyrich on the other hand was hot mess of 90s throwbacks with acid washes, moto and denim jackets in mustard leather, leopard and floral, printed leggings and bodycon dresses with a touch of 50's rockabilly/Rosie the Riveter takes the war effort to the beach. The collection was cohesive, exciting, clearly well-made and just much more my personal style. And doesn't hurt the designers had confetti cannons to complement their walk-on applause. Now I feel like I need confetti canons at all times.

More after the jump:

You're Invited: H.D. Buttercup Store Opening Party

I'm very excited to have KidViskous selected as one of the featured designers at the Unique LA / Apartment 3 pop-up store at the celeb-approved H.D. Buttercup furniture store in the upcoming (I think it's actually here) Helms Bakery arts district of Los Angeles (Culver City specifically). Come party, see Nikki from Silversun Pickups/Boom Bip DJ, fall in love and well, it's an open bar party surrounded by beds people!

Friday, October 22nd 2010

8 - 11 PM

3225 Helms Ave, Los Angeles

RSVP: www.uniquelaapartment3opening.eventbrite.com

Freja Does Fall for Dossier F/W 2010

This latest shoot for Dossier with Freja Erichsen--my fave model right now--has me up in all kinds of nostalgia for an East Coast fall. Shot by Cass Bird and styled by Gillian Wilkins, I love how beautifully simple and unpretentious this editorial is. Summer's over L.A., you missed your chance now cut the heat out!

More images after the jump:

Banksy's Simpsons Intro: Exposé or Self-Promotion?

Last night's Simpson's opening credits by well-known British graffiti artist Banksy makes an almost humorlessly bleak statement on the show's production, which is done in Korea. What is confusing is how the show has both reached out to Bansky and greenlit a story that portrays The Simpsons as being manufactured by sweatshops, child labor and even exploits particularly beloved animals real and fictional like pandas and unicorns. Despite the obvious exaggerations, I can't help but wonder what purpose(s) Banksy's credits served: Exposing the dark side of the animation industry? Complete self-promotion on a TV show that reaches millions of untapped viewers for the artist? A testament to The Simpson's unshakable reputation? Or perhaps, like so many artists have done and Banksy has championed, merely to create a dialogue about corporate and creative hypocrisies? Maybe just a "fuck you" to art critics and Simpsons watchers alike?

Click through to read more:

Fendi's Mall Madness; Chloe's A No-Show

One of the leaders in designer handbags for decades, Fendi’s newest retail location opens in a most unlikely location: the mall. Their official opening party last Thursday night--hosted by Chloe Sevigny in conjunction with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s Avant-Garde members--had the rare absence of car-to-door valet service that most designer openings have, because, well, patrons had to park in the Macy’s section of the expansive mall parking lot. But this is not just any mall: the Beverly Center houses the usual Panda Express and Banana Republic, but also has Louis Vuitton, Burberry, D&G and Christian Dior for local Beverly Hills consumption. Still, it was a bit unsettling to take the escalators dressed to the nines alongside regular mall shoppers, children, pretzels and all.

 Champagne and wine flowed while waiters with model-good looks carried trays of minuscule appetizers and desserts.

Despite the questionable location, the intimate gathering attracted an eclectic crowd of hipsters, fashion elite, celebrities, art patrons and serious shoppers to the small yet chic boutique bursting with an enviable range of covetable leather, sequin and beaded bags plus some of the fiercest six-inch heels I’ve seen in a while. One woman in a sore thumb turquoise velour sweat suit reportedly dropped over $10,000 in a matter of minutes--normal. Luckily, twenty percent of sales that night will go to benefit LACMA. 

Celebrities included stylist Brad Goreski (who tweeted a photo us wearing our bow ties!), a bespectacled Abigail Spencer, a very chilly Jeffree Star and an all too brief appearance by the now super svelte Kelly Osbourne and an exceptionally tight-skinned Sharon Osbourne. But the big no-show of the night was the host Sevigny herself. Speculation says she skipped out in favor of the Elle and Express ’25 at 25’ event, and perhaps came back to the boutique later to help sweep up.

Fendi, Beverly Center, Level 7, 8500 Beverly Boulevard; 310-289-1704

Stylist Brad Goreski (The Rachel Zoe Project) and I having some bow tie love. He was really the nicest, most gracious TV/fashion celeb I've ever met and he made sure to ask everyone's names and was happy to take a photo with us. P.S. He's 10x cuter in person.

More Fendi opening party photos...

LOVE / LUST : Leather Pleats and Killer Heels

LOVE:

Kova&T Decker Leather Skirt - $330, RevolveClothing.com

Saw this piece at Revolver SF in San Francisco, and it has that really soft buttery leather that's just aching to be taken out.

LUST:

Sam Edelman Lorissa Stud Pumps - $199, RevolveClothing.com

I was originally going to do a different "Lust" until I saw these heels on the model in the Kova&T skirt. Just be sure not to have your heel under your ass if you fall.

James Franco in Drag for Candy Magazine

 Billing itself as "the world's first transversal style magazine," Candy magazine features fashion shoots that cross gender lines in ways that aren't just your usual camp but flawless style icon impersonators (the Barbara Streisand guy, omg)and beautiful high fashion editorials with some seriously stunning models. I'm absolutely obsessed with this magazine after seeing the teaser video for their second issue with actor James Franco gracing the cover, shot by Terry Richardson.

CANDY 2 from Luis Venegas on Vimeo.

Created by Madrid-based publisher Luis Venegas, whom himself goes in drag as Anna Wintour in this issue, the issue goes on sale October 24th in select stores all over the world. I actually put in my calendar alerts to go buy a copy at Opening Ceremony in Los Angeles.

What do you think about Franco in drag?

Haute Halloween Ideas Right Off the Catwalk

I put together some Halloween costume ideas courtesy of the catwalk. It was hard to pick out theatrical pieces that don't scream Lady Gaga, but here are some looks that could make good costumes that no one reading this can possibly afford.

Two-Face from Batman

Alexis Mabille - Spring 2010 Haute Couture

Abominable Snowman / Unarmed Chewbacca / The Dude Drunk People and Children Want To Hug

Chanel - Fall 2010 RTW

Conjoined Twins

Comme des Garçons - Spring 2011 RTW

Sexy Skeleton

Jean-Paul Gaultier - Fall 2010 Haute Couture

Mary-Kate Olsen

Elsa Schiaparelli - 1938

Hypochondriac

Comme des Garçons - Fall 2010 Menswear

Burn Victim

Hussein Chalayan - Spring 2011 RTW

Me, Circa 2007

John Galliano - Spring 2011 RTW

Fabric Sample Moth

Viktor & Rolf - Spring 2011

Recession-Era Stock Broker w/ Gambling Problem

Dolce & Gabbana - Fall 2010 RTW

Blind Person

Adam Kimmel - Fall 2010

Frank Miller for Gucci "Guilty" ... in 3D?

An unexpected collaboration of comic books and designer fragrances, Frank Miller, the writer/director/graphic novelist responsible for titles like 300, Sin City, and yes, RoboCop 2 and 3, brings his action-thriller film noir style to Gucci's newest fragrance "Guilty".  Starring Evan Rachel Wood, the actress traverses a Gotham landscape and pauses to have a wet dream about her guilty pleasure, seasoned superhero veteran Chris Evans (Silver Surfer, Fantastic 4, The Avengers) when she smells her own perfume (I guess?). I love that they made a 3D version because you know, we all totally have 3D glasses lying around.

If anything, this is a pretty great ad for those killer platform stilettos she wears, but until smell-o-vision is commonplace I probably won't be throwing down bones for what comes out of Gucci's cauldron. Now feel-o-vision is what I'm looking forward to, hopefully True Blood will pioneer that.

Danish Puppetry Meets Pagen Poetry: Sky Lucy Young

An inspiring S/S 2010 graduation collection entitled "Off The Wall" by 21 year-old by Sky Lucy Young, a half-Danish, half-British graduate of the Copenhagen Fashion Design Academy. Citing Bjork as her predominant muse, the layering of flitting details over heavy knit fabrics--woven by her mother, Marianne--creates a sort of Scandinavian kabuki theater effect that's playfully melancholic. Student collections are always the most exciting to see since they're forced to be resourceful in their innovations when working without an iceberg-building budget. And I think that last mask has just given me my Halloween costume idea...