Beau & Aero in Santa Monica

Beau & Aero is the curiously creative collaboration of Baelyn Neff and Jessica Seaton. This new shop in Santa Monica is the place to find vintage clothing, vintage shoes, new designers, handmade jewelry and accessories on the west side. Carefully curated, it is an eclectic combination of vintage finds (cashmere sweaters, ethnic ponchos, Pierre Cardin coats, a 1930s crocodile clutch) and newer jewelry pieces. A necklace from Seaton's own collection has three gilded snake vertebrae charms dangling from a delicate gold chain. Even the walls are adorned with works from locals like painter/illustrator/Incubus front man Brandon Boyd. Artist Jocelyn Marsh's mini dinosaur skeleton sculptures are made with metal molded from tiny bones and embellished with chains and taxidermy bat wings. Checkout the boutique website and see more of the natural and native inspirations of the shop owners.

Raw Edges Exposed @ Em and Co.

EM & Co, a West 3rd Street boutique, supplies fashion-conscious shoppers with a well-orchestrated mix of fashions from world-class designers (i.e., Vivienne Westwood, Iodice, Stella McCartney, JC de Castelbajac, Beatriz, Anna Sui), as well as innovative styles from emerging L.A. talent. Featuring over 30 lines from around the world in its gallery-like space, EM & Co is also an active supporter of local talent, hosting monthly art exhibits and other events featuring local artists and designers. Greta Back's first solo exhibit in Los Angeles, "Raw Edges Exposed," explores the various aspects and symbols of her new-found freedom. Moving to L.A. from Seattle in April 2009 was not only a fresh start, but a way to conquer her fears, particularly her fear of sharing her art with anyone. This series is an investigation of color. She dug up long-buried bits of knowledge picked up in color theory classes, while studying sculpture at the Museum School of Fine Arts in Boston, and re-learned the many ways that colors push and pull against one another. Since Gouache is a medium that doesn't blend, she chose to use pixels to represent a broader area of color, while seeing how the smaller units interact with each other, in a newly-found freedom.

December 16 - January 19, 2011
Em & Co.
7940 W. 3rd St.
Los Angeles, CA 90048

Short Winter

There is never a season without shorts in Los Angeles. Savvy ladies have been sporting pleated styles long into these winter months. Highwaisted styles are key for the right look in classic cotton and feminine silky textures. Whether she is casually running errands or out to shine, California girls dare to bare their legs through to the new year.

www.directiveswest.com

MOCA's Happening

Los Angeles' Museum of Contemporary Art marked its 31st year Saturday with celebrities in tow. Conceived by artist Doug Aitken, the event was renamed "Happening," rather than the usual Gala. The Artist's Museum Happening in downtown L.A. created a "culture collision," with live art installations and musical performances from artists such as, Devandra Banhart. Stylish celebrities like Mila Kunis, Kate Bosworth, Malin Ackerman, Rachel Bilson, Rose McGowan and Chloë Sevigny all made an appearance for the evening, while fashion insiders like Gwen Stefani and Marissa Ribisi made it a date night with their famed husbands, Gavin Rossdale and Beck, another performer of the evening. Kirsten Dunst, showed up with close friends and Rodarte designers Kate and Laura Mulleavy. After the evening's performances, Aitken surprised the crowd with an interpretation of a cattle auction during which guests looked on as auctioneers raffled off conceptual cattle beneath a light installation. The artist used a chorus of fast-talking country auctioneers to accompany percussionists who played on hollowed-out wood dining tables of his own design.

www.directiveswest.com

Unique LA + Apt 3 Pop-up Shop

Unique LA, the indie designer show held downtown that is growing in popularity each season, recently celebrated a more permanent opening, of sorts. Teaming up with two of LA's influential retailers, Apt. 3 and H.D. Buttercup, the show has created a pop-up shop worthy of the most refined and sophisticated shoppers the city has to offer. The combination of furniture, designer clothing, accessories, gifts and more creates a true lifestyle approach with this new boutique. For its opening party, the 4,000 square foot space was jam packed with hipsters, fashionistas and the like. The large section of H.D. Buttercup belongs to this first in-house pop-up shop for four months, at that point, organizers are looking to expand with a permanent location in San Francisco.

LA Fashion Week

Although it lasts longer than a week, Los Angeles made a strong showing again this season for its edition of Fashion Week. With events and shows spanning across the city, one of the major draws was downtown's Concept Fashion Week featuring, martinMartin, Jen Awad, MILA, Mike Vensel, Elmer Ave, Fremont, among others.

LA Fashion Weekend returned to the Sunset Gower Studios for a full schedule including, Joyrich, Balthaczar, JLMarks and the Green Initiative Humanitarian show featuring several promising contemporary designers using eco-friendly practices. Other events like, Project Ethos in Beverly Hills and a runway show at Exchange LA drew crowds to view the spring lines of designers Anthony Franco, Ashton Michael and hometown favorite Skin Graft. Brands like Siwy Denim and up-and-coming AI FOR AI chose retail boutiques to offer an intimate and up close look at their next collections.

Runway Presentation from Directives West FIRST.LA

Returning for a second season, FIRST.LA hit the runway, marking the kick off to another season's market week. Offering an exclusive first look at the best contemporary styles for spring 2011, Directive West's market analysts selected some of the best emerging brands and designers to shine a light on. Under the twilight of downtown LA, the show featured local favorites Whitley Kros, BOYFRIEND/GIRLFRIEND and Yana K., as well as promising up and coming lines, AI FOR AI, Moon Collection, Champagne and Strawberry, A. Mullier, COUTURE by W., fraiche, gwynedds, and R.P.S. The upbeat vibe was in full gear as industry insiders crowded into seats and grabbed the best standing option available for the sneak peek into some of the lines bringing a positive outlook to spring business.

The spring 2011 contemporary trends include:

Sheer Encounters - bringing femininity and vintage romance to the season in cool neutrals

Leisure Life - effortless dressing catches on with a hint of classic Americana

Global Affairs - multi-cultural destinations inspire eye-catching prints and eclectic color

Precious Armor - minimalist appeal through textural manipulation and modern refinement