Party Down for LA's & NY's FNO all on September 6th, NYFW shows at Lincoln Center, & NYFW Beauty Lounges

By Laura Medina

"Keeping Up with the Kardashians" star & FNO LA's campaign model, Kendall Jenner.

Come September 6th, make like a chic fashionista and use the glamorous Los Angeles' Fashion Night Out to party, shop, and hang-out like your favorite movie/television celebrity or escape to Manhattan then swan around like your fanasty Park Avenue socialite or be a Holly Golightly on New York's Fashion Night Out.

Mind you, both Los Angeles and Manhattan are both international fashion hubs.

Anna Wintour may dictate the date and time from Manhattan's fashion machine's media and commerce steering wheel; but Los Angeles is the engine that drives the manufacturing and the desire for American culture of denim and trends.

E!'s "Fashion Police," Joan Rivers, Kelly Osbourne, Giuliana Rancic, and George Kotsiopoulos come out in full force with Los Angele's pro-civic (and the City of Angels' unofficial cheerleader) Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; Vogue's West Coast Editor, Lisa Love; "Pretty Little Liars" Lucy Hale; and Fashion Night's Out Los Angeles' campaign model and "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" star, Kendall Jenner.

In the behind-the-scenes video of this year's FNO LA billboard campaign, they had to specially construct a life-sized shoe box with life-sized tissue so Kendall can be a life-sized doll popping out of the human-sized gift box, Los Angeles' hottest starlet as a present to Fashion's Night Out.

In Fashion's Night Out Los Angeles public service announcement 2012,  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHHJcgPFGJA&feature=youtu.be,

it is not just celebrities who came out in full force but Los Angeles' top fashion designers came out.

Los Angeles' influential designers;  the hot pink and trendy Tarina Tarantino, the Sixties's Palm Springs Prep, Trina Turk; and Brochu Walker's Lauren Walker & Lisa Brochu, step out front and put a face to Los Angeles' $5.7 Billion dollar garment manufacturing, denim, and contemporary fashion industry.

They showed that there is more to California fashion than celebrity brands.  These women proved they're commercially successful to have style influential on the country and the world.

If you want to party and shop with E!'s "Fashion Police," "Pretty Little Liars" Lucy Hale, and Kendall  and Kylie Jenner, "Kendra On Top" Kendra Wilkinson, and Tarina Tarantino, get thee to the Beverly Center at 8500 Beverly Boulevard at 5:00 pm.  

Unlike NYFW, there is FREE PARKING aplenty at the Beverly Center from 3:00 pm until 11:00 pm.

Los Angeles got NY beat when it comes to entertainment galore, so expect a lot of dancing and singing along with your tapas and cocktails with your shopping.

Lucy Hale will host a fashion show at 7:00 pm, the lineup is: Macy's, True Religion Jeans, Traffic, Diesel, Max&Co,. J. Lindeberg, and Lacoste.

At 9:00 pm, the fast-fashion retailer taking the country by storm, XXI Forever will throw its own runway show.

The Opening Ceremony and the fashion shows will at Beverly Center's Center Court on Level Six, starting 5:00 pm until 11:00 pm.

The big official Opening Ceremony for FNO LA may be the third year running at the Beverly Center but the long-standing trend-setter, Fred Segal on Melrose/Ron Robinson has been rocking FNO LA since the beginning.  Four years running where fashion fanatics can get really up and personal with their favorite designers and get first-hand makeover from the freshest cosmetic brands.  Fred Segal's loyal customers of legendary musicians will return the love by performing there, again, on September 6th.

If the Beverly Center is big and mainstream then Fred Segal is personal with more impact.  Fred Segal was the FNO LA root that flowered into FNO LA at the Beverly Center.

If your Fashion's Night Out fanasty is more Truman Capote's "Social Swans" or "Holly Golightly," then take the easy jet on the East Coast, up to Manhattan, where's an equal amount of Gossip Girls rocking it out on the Big Apple.

BlackBook & Oxygen are going to rock it out in New York on FNO at Bagatelle, fueled by Grey Goose Vodka.

In celebration of Fashion's Night Out, Tracy Reese will host her 3rd annual FNO dance-a-thon for a night of music, dancing, and shopping from 6 – 10 p.m.at her flagship boutique in New York's Meatpacking District (640 Hudson Street).

Tracy invites guests to show-off their dance moves, in the boutique and even in the store’s windows, with DJ Brooklyn Dawn keeping the music going all night. Tracy Reese and DJ Brooklyn Dawn will judge the dance-a-thon and prizes will be awarded every hour to the evening’s best dancers. Those not up for dancing can enjoy the music and wine from Clos du Bois while shopping the night away. Guests who spend more than $400 will automatically be entered in a raffle to win a piece of their choice from the new Tracy Reese fall 2012 collection.

In celebration of Fashion's Night Out, Michelle Smith of Milly will celebrate her fall 2012 collection at the Milly Madison Boutique located at 900 Madison Avenue from 6 – 11 p.m. Guests can meet the Milly designer while taking fun photos in the Milly photobooth and enjoy champagne provided by VOGA. Milly will be donating a portion of proceeds from FNO merchandise sold to the New York Aids Fund.

Leading up to FNO, Michelle Smith will hold a contest from Aug. 23 – Sept. 6 where Milly Twitter followers have the opportunity to tweet their “Future Perfect” Pinterest board along with the hashtag #MillyNYFashionWeek to @MillybyMichelle. The winner will be announced via Twitter, Facebook and at the FNO event at the Milly Madison Boutique on Sept. 6 at 9 p.m. The winner will be awarded a 2-night stay at the White Barn Inn, 2 tickets to the Milly by Michelle Smith Spring 2013 fashion show, $500 credit at Millyny.com or at the Milly boutique and the opportunity to have their board posted to the Milly Pinterest page from Sept. 7 – 30.

To celebrate the launch of the fall installment of The Shops at Target, Target will host a pop-up store for one night only from 5 – 10 p.m. at Highline Stages located at 441 West 14th Street. The pop-up store will offer guests the first chance to shop the four limited-edition collections, which includes apparel and accessories for women and men and home goods, before they launch nationwide on Sept. 9 at all Target stores and Target.com. The four shops include local boutiques’ Kirna Zabête and Odin, as well as The Curiosity Shoppe and Patch NYC, with merchandise ranging in price from $3 to $199.99. Quantities limited per guest.

Guests will have the opportunity to shop the four collections before they hit stores nationwide on Sept. 9, as well as enjoy drinks and snacks and even an ice cream truck where they can “tweet for a treat.” Special line host, Ross Mathews (known as Ross the Intern on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno) will be choosing four lucky guests for a chance to win a $250 gift card and enter the pop-up store first and shop alongside the four shop owners


Guests are encouraged to put their best fashion foot forward for a chance to win a $250 Target gift card. Special line hosts will select lucky guests to enter the pop-up store first and shop alongside the four shop owners participating in the fall installment of The Shops at Target.

Regardless, on Fashion's Night Out, no invitations or rsvps required. Just take your pick and you can rock it out like a rock star.

If you truly want to see the real deal, live in person, here is a list of actual New York Fashion Week runway shows at Lincoln Center.

If the Beverly Center in Beverly Hills, is the hub of Fashion Night Out's Los Angeles ;and Fred Segal on Melrose is the root, then Lincoln Center is the epicenter of New York Fashion Week and the Empire Hotel is the unofficial social hub.

Go to the Empire Hotel's roof top on Friday, September 7th at 2:00 pm for Nautica Men's Spring Fashion Presentation, expect a lot of meat candy.

The Custo Barcelona Spring 2013 Runway Show on September 9th at 3:00 pm, is more bright, sunny, and wacky LA than serious and somber NY, but it's a major fashion player.

A fave among the "Real Housewives of New York," society fashion designer, Zang Toi is doing his runway show later at 7:00 pm on Sunday, September 9th.

A Los Angeles fashion house done good is Bebe.  Believe it or not, the average New Yorker is more hot for this super sexy, trendy brand than under the tents at Lincoln Center.

Carlos Miele, the NYFW standby, shows the next day, on Monday September 10th at 11:00 am.

Satellites of beauty pop-up lounges are there to recharge and repouf the fashion-weary fashionistas.

Frederick Fekkai offers blow-outs on Fashion's Night Out...

as well as The Royal Treatments at the Empire Hotel rooftop.

Once they clear away FNO NY, the charity Love Makes the World Go Round, will pamper exhausted stylish souls with Uma Thurman's brother offering yoga training.  Staff will see how stress and toxic you are through holistic tests then rub those away through messages and facials for two days, Friday, September the 7th to Saturday, September the 8th.

Fashion does make the world go round.

Karina Zabete & Odin for Target, for Southern Belles & Beaus Gone Manhattan

By Laura Medina

No sticker shock here.  The price list with the ensemble from Kirna Zabete for Target Fall 2012.

A pair of Virginia Southern Belles turned Manhattanites, sorority sisters Sarah Easley and Beth Buccini, found out they were and are part of a long line of tradition of Southerners who fell in love with the bright lights, the art and culture of the Big Apple.  Still, they realize there is a style aesthetic that failed to bridge the gap between Urban Hipster and Southern Primpness.

Easley and Buccini also know they're in one of the world's fashion capitals and that there is a plentitude of design talent that fit their NY-meets-Southern aesthetic.

They formed Kirna Zabete the Boutique so they can gather and collect all these designers underneath one roof so shoppers can go to a comprehensive one-stop shop. 

In the 14 years since Easley and Buccini formed Kirna Zabete, aspiring Gallery Girls aka "gallerinas"...well-educated, well-bred girls getting their foothold on the career ladder as gallery assistants (New York's version of the "D-Girl" aka Development Girl)...finally discovered the appropriate appearance requiring the right balance of edgy avant-garde hip and office chic. 

Manhattan's equivalent of a Development Female Assistant...the fashion magazine girl assistant...has also come to rely on Easley's and Buccini's good taste.

Knowing that these Gallery/Magazine Girls are just starting out, highly attuned brains with basement budgets;...and that other girls in other parts of the country, are gawking in from the outside, wanting to be those female assistants in those industries, Kirna Zabete decided to share the love with the rest of the country to those aspiring young ladies and bring their Southern Belle-turns-Manhattanite Gallerina (the art gallery's version of fashionista, think "Sex and the City" Charlotte York) boutique to the rest of the nation.

Conscious of who their customer is and what she needs and what she can afford, Easley and Buccini picked pieces that can be mixed and matched, priced at under $100 each.  A gallerina can easily support these pieces.  They didn't stint on quality.  A leather jacket is the pricest at $199.

Kirna Zabete witness countless times how those hard-charging young women rolled up their blazer sleeves, so they offered super hip Lip bracelets and rings to show off, ranging from $24.99 to $9.99 a pop, pretty easy to be New Wave hip.

The tailoring and the construction retain the prim Southern Belle but done in funky Downtown Hip animal and lip prints and in utilitarian grey or classic black & white fabrics. The shirt dresses are long enough to be demure but the sheer fabric makes it breathable during a urban heat wave.

Ready to work on the September 9th launch, regardlesss if you're a rising gallerina or as fashion magazine assistant.

Learn more about Kirna Zabete's history on http://abullseyeview.com/video-kirna-zabete-at-target/

This long-standing traditon of a Southerner excited to be make it big in the Big Apple is not an exclusively a female-only thing.

Many a young man dreams of striking it big...plus the Deep South and New York are both on the East Coast...so there is an easy attitude connection, especially if he is an artist and/or a writer or aiming for a higher social profile,  a young Southern man also needs to fill in the gap between Southern rural with urban functionality.

He, too, is of the same attuned brain with bargain basement budget.

The fine gentlemen duo of Eddy and Paul, behind Odin, are here to help when they roll out their picks of Target, on the same day with Kirna Zabete, September 9th.

Their style mantra...fit equals comfortable, not comfortable meets sloppy.

Eddy and Paul, too, did not stint out on quality.  Their wardrobe investment, the moleskin blazer, tops the collection at $99.



Watch http://abullseyeview.com/video-odin-at-target/, Paul and Eddy explain how they curate their New York shop for a nationwide audience.

The Fashion's Night Out on September 9th is a warm-up to all these great clothes debuting on Target on September 9th.

Rev up your heels ands sneakers!



Luke Perry & Jennie Garth celebrate Back to School at Old Navy's Western Hoe Down

By Laura Medina

Photos by Michael Simon

Old Navy celebrates the Back-to-School Season honoring the great classic high school drama, the original "Beverly Hills 90201"...but with an update.

In it's current television ad campaign linking the original "Beverly Hills 90210" with today's CW's "90210," Jennie Garth, now a high school teacher and guidance counselor, still plays the game with Luke Perry and Jason Priestly in the hallways.  She challenges them to wear Old Navy jeans to win her approval.

At last night's hoe down party, old "Beverly Hills 90201" flames, Jennie and Luke, not only carried the torch,  they helped guests at Old Navy's denim "Blues Bar."  Luke discussed the importance of hip to waist measurement.  Jennie politely fulfilled every customers' wishes.

It wasn't all about just Luke and Jennie but celebrating the end of Summer, returning to school, and beginning of Fall, when everyone gets serious about fashion.

Old Navy threw down a Country/Western Hoe-Down, part denim bar/general store, a crafting station, and a pop-up shop, to help get guests get ready for Fall while letting go of the dog days of Summer...and thank God for that.  Fresh pair of denim for a fresh start for a new season.

Out with pretensions. In with corn dogs and BBQ meatballs.  It's fashion's idea of a country fair...with flair.

At Old Navy, they have a saying, "There's a pair of jeans for everyone."  Guests had their pick of cuts, style, length, and color.  The women's jeans came in the curvy Sweet Heart, the mid-rise Flirt, and the low-rise Diva.  With this myraid of choices, people found that perfect dream jeans right away.  It didn't hurt that Luke and Jennie helped pick the jeans for them.

Another cool thing was the overlooked but oh so adorable glass beer mugs, shaped like an engraved cowboy boot with the Old Navy logo slapped on.

Old Navy's pop-up denim shop isn't a one-night stand.

Sure, Luke and Jennie and those yummy country fair treats may had disappeared into the night.

However, at the corner of Beverly Boulevard and Gardner Street, at 7470 Beverly Blvd. (between N. Vista St. and N. Gardner St.) Los Angeles, CA 90038, a block away from The Grove, Old Navy's Denim Bar is still there today and the rest of this weekend, welcoming the public.

Denim is ripe for picking.



Clos du Bois Rouge went Moulin Rouge at Bar Marmont

By Laura Medina

Photos by Charley Galley of Getty Images 

Eva Amurri, Jamie King, & Mandy Moore, left. Clos du Bois Rouge Wine, right.

In a tiny but very much an insider spot, Bar Marmont, nestled beside Chateau Marmont on the edge of Sunset Strip, Clos du Bois threw a Moulin Rouge party befitting the launch of the its new red wine, Clos du Bois Rouge...obviously.

Eva Amurri, Jamie King, Mandy Moore, and Jessica Lowndes mingled with the crowd without hassles.

Shoot, guests were too busy imbibing the new red wine to care who's famous or not.  As far everyone was concerned, everyone was fabulous.

Mind you, this wasn't a drunk frat fest.  It was a French-themed party.

Sure, the mini tabs of mignon filet wrapped in glazed bacon, cups of shoestring pomme frites, fried balls of artichoke beignets, and fingers of powder-sugared croque-monsieur sandwiches kept everyone from being sloshed satyrs and satyresses.

Other than the main star of Clos du Bois Rouge, the main attraction was the Crepe de la Creme cart, too good to pass up.  Guests savored the savory crepes as their main dinner then rushed back, drooling, for the gooey Nutella/strawberry/almond/banana mix encased in crunchy crepe cases.  Save the savory crepes for dinner and the dessert ones first thing in the morning.  Dessert crepes make great breakfast.

In between the French food fest, people posed in the photo booth and hanged with the Can-Can Dancers kicking up their heels.

Vive le Clos du Bois Rouge Vin.

Alan Cummings & Sam Trammell show their Love for Kiehl's Manhattan Beach Grand Opening

By Laura Medina

Alan Cumming, actor, The Good Wife-left. Chris Salgardo, President, Kiehl’s USA-middle.  Sam Trammell, actor, True Blood-right.

Kiehl's used their grand Manhattan Beach opening as great, one-off fundraiser for Project Angel Food, where Kiehl’s and co-hosts Alan Cumming and Sam Trammell will pledge a donation of 1% of all 2012 purchases from Kiehl’s Manhattan Village to benefit the charity that cooks and delivers fresh meals to those stricken with HIV/AIDS and cancer...man, women, and children.

Project Angel Food's CEO, Margaret Steele was on hand to celebrate the opening, along with Alan, Sam, and Chris, for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, making Kiehl's the official member of the community.

For local Manhattan Beach government officials and Mayor, City of Manhattan Beach, Wayne Powell,

this was a big deal.  Hollywood Glamour descended upon their beach-chic, small town. 

Star-struck locals and local Kiehl's fans lined early for this rare star-studded event.  the first 50 guests to arrive after 11:00 AM on August 17 received a complimentary Creme de Corps 4.2 oz and a Lip Balm #1.

The glam-slammed locals were really impressed by the free gourmet lunch buffet.  The free facials went non-stop for three hours.


But let's get to the important things, what Kiehl's products Alan and Sam use....

A man who makes Crocs fashionable with Summer-friendly cropped trousers, "The Good Wife's" Alan Cumming said it was like making Sophie's Choice in trying to pick which one is his favoritie Kiehl's goodie.

He starts off with the Ultra Facial Cream but he loves, how with five drop of the Midnight Recovery Concentrate at night, makes his face all smooth and tanned.

Alan may say he's beyond gender but actually, he's camera-ready when he dabs tinted Lip Balm SPF 15 on his lips.

Filming out on the bayou can be harsh on a man's face.  HBO's "True Blood" Sam Trammell can't survive the heat and the sun unless he has his Kiehl's sunscreen on hand at all times.  "My face gets dry all the time and it has sunscreen."

Now, you know.  Alan gets camera-ready with Midnight Recovery Concentrate at night-to look all tanned-then tops his lips with tinted Lip Balm SPF 15.  Sam protects and nourishes his skin with Kiehl's sunscreen.

Le French Fashion Truck Coming to You Soon, the TransAtlantic French Fashion Tour 2012.

By Laura Medina

If you are one of the lucky select to trendspot at MAGIC/PROJECT/POOL then hit the devilish but oh so freakin' fun parties at the hottest nightclubs at the hottest casinos/resorts, French fashion designers are at MAGIC's doorsteps right now at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Since MAGIC/PROJECT/POOL is all about giving fresh, emerging designers their first break while keeping every city's and town's trendiest boutique uber-fresh, this is an opportune time to shop and spotlight France's newest and brightest talents.

Mind you, this isn't about the big brands already domineering the global marketplace, such as Dior and Chanel, design houses born hundred years ago, now established.

Nope. For the Brooklyn-based, now on the road, TransAtlantic, the exclusive wholesaler of French luxury brands, is going on the road to bring French fashion and culture across America.

What great combination-an All-American Air Streamer Van, stocked with the freshest and the newest French fashion, making the All-American, cross-country road trip.

It's the TransAtlantic French Fashion Tour 2012!

For Jean-Baptiste Langlais, the founder of TransAtlantic Showroom, this tour hits two birds with one stone.

First, as a Brooklyn-based showroom, he noticed that nobody visits Brooklyn when everyone is fully booked with runway shows and other appointments in the Big Apple of Manhattan during the chic, crazy New York Fashion Week.

Mr. Langlais thought bringing the French Fashion Truck to where the masses are, as in MAGIC right now until August 23rd, is a kind and convenient gesture to the busy buyers and excited writers.

Plus, the concept of hitting the road is a great way to learn about America and the various American marketplaces in different cities.

Again for those shopping MAGIC/PROJECT/POOL, the French Fashion Truck is already there until August 23rd.

For those who are extremely luck to hit the jackpot and attending New York Fashion Week, Jean-Baptiste and the French Fashion Truck will be there for you.

Here are the French Fashion Truck Tour Dates...

TransAtlantic Road Trip Schedule

August 10-13 San Francisco

August 14-17 Los Angeles

August 19-23 MAGIC, Las Vegas

August 24-25 Aspen

August 26-28 Dallas

August 29-30 Austin

September 1-4 Miami

September 5-6 Atlanta

September 7-12 New York City

September 13-15 Chicago

Regardless, Jean-Baptiste is nice guy...and a really cute, good-looking guy.

It never hurts to drop by and say "hi" to him and those fresh French fashion.







LA is Lucky to host Lucky Rice Asian Food Festival

By Laura Medina

Danielle Chang, the founder of the now traveling Lucky Rice Asian Food Festival, decided to show the City of  Angels some love and gathered the best Pan-Asian chefs of Los Angeles underneath one roof.

Actually, the food fest took over the back area and rear loading zone of upscale furniture warehouse, H.D. Buttercup in historical Culver City but no harm done.

Hungry haute cuisine hipsters, fashionable foodies, and thirsty scenesters, such as Lisa Ling and LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy, eagerly skipped the London Olympics to get their fest on...and who would blame them?!

A balloon artist twisted ballon fascinators and hats. 

The festival was divided into three sections: the furniture lounge was the VIP section where folks enjoyed dessert first, Sang Yoon's Lukshon carrot cakes and Gary Hayward's and Andrew Mirabito's Bombay Sapphire Gin cocktails and the guests were thrilled watching those gents sling those cocktails.

Obviously, the man of the night was Chef Sang Yoon, of My Father's Office (this scribe's favorite deluxe burger with kobe beef smothered in sweet onion and blue cheese) and his second restaurant, Lukshon, was the restaurant of the night.

People can have and did had dinner and dessert based on his booth alone...Cured Hawaiian butterfish/pickled watermelon radish, Nahm Jim and Sichuan lamb tartare/pickled chiles, cumin, scallion, MaLa flavors as starters then having Pork confit lettuce cups/black bean ghee, slaw, kimchi vinaigrette, with pig ear as one of multiple main dishes dotting the warehouse.

Since it was his carrot cake that greeted guests, it was only fitting that Chef Yoon polished his dinner course with caramelized pineapple ice cream sandwiches.  The coconut sticky rice/kiwi soup topped with mango makes for a great leftover/hangover breakfast treat.

Chef Yoon's booth wasn't the only hit at the food festival.

People were lining up for...of all things...airline food.  Actually, it was Hawaiian Airlines' Executive Chef Chai Chaowasaree's, of Chai’s Island Bistro in Honolulu, kataifi and macadamia nut encrusted jumbo black tiger prawns with pineapple vinaigrette that had people coming back for more.

It was a giant of a shrimp, wrapped in bacon, wrapped in rice noodles, stuck on a skewer, then deep-fried in macadamia oil, then sprinkled in crushed macadamia nuts.  Multi-cultured and fried, fried in bacon, just like this scribe!

The chefs didn't have to be Asian or Asian-American to be showcased at the festival.

Sue Feniger debut her new multi-cultured snack/street food restaurant, Street, at Lucky Rice.  She wanted the munchers to focus on her Tatsuta-age fried chicken with yuzu kosho sauce and pickled vegetables but snackers were grabbing and munching on the savory/sweet glazed popcorn.  Why couldn't more chefs and snack manufacturers cook up more of these emerging East-meets-West savory/sweet glazed popcorn...as Cracker Jacks for adults?

All this grazing, sampling, snacking,...ok, all this gobbling and feasting sure works up a major thrist.

Thank god, the organizers offered an equal vast array of yummy cocktails that span Asian cuisine as much as the food did.

This scribe, with a festival manicure, guzzled down Bombay Sapphire Gin East's Eastern Market cocktail of bing cherries, lime juice, black pepper and rosemary syrup, garnished with a rosemary speared cherry or sprig of rosemary floating.

For something equally light and refreshing, St. Germain's Whatamelon No. 3, a swirl of Corzo Silver Tequila, watermelon, mint, lime juice, agave nectar, garnished with a mint sprig.

 

Not to be out-done and remember, the Lucky Rice Asian Food Festival is about educating people about Asian culture, heritage, and history through food and drinks, Gary Hayward and Andrew Mirabito of Bombay Sapphire Gin, want to subtly hint that Singapore was a British colony.

In homage to the London Olympics, Queen Elizabeth's Jubliee, and that Singapore still has a spot of Brit in it and that today's England has a sizable Asian population, these handsome gents were whipping two Brit cocktails...

London Calling is concocted from Bombay Sapphire EAST, fresh lime juice, agave nectar, fresh ginger, club soda, and pomegranate juice.

Lemongrass and Elderflower Collins is a modern Tom Collins with Bombay Sapphire EAST, fresh lemon juice, St. Germain, lemongrass, and club soda.  This was the first cocktail that greeted me.

Not to be out-shone by Chef Yoon, the Lucky Rice Asian Food Festival was a constellation of other Pan-Asian star chefs.

The line, for Bryant Ng's Spice Table dish of spicy lamb bacon, corn, soybeans, fried pine nuts, laksa dressing, was so long that this scribe gave up and moved onto...

Susur Lee's Mexican goat cheese tart with Chinese duck sausage...

Jenee Kim's Bulgogi and kimchi fried rice...

Charleston's Jet Ti's Five spiced pork belly on crispy bao bun...

Diep Tran's Blistered corn with Red Boat Fish Sauce scallion oil Cucumber & apple salad with basil...

Truth be told, this scribe's favorite Asian restaurant is Chef Mohan Ismail's RockSugar.  His BBQ lamb short ribs with Spicy Thai beef salad with toasted rice was a double hitter of lamb, lamb.

Can't forget dessert, dessert, dessert...

Thank god, the dishes are reasonable tapas-portion, or else, no one would looked fashionably cocktail chic and none of us would had room for dessert.

For those unfamiliar with real, modern day Asian food, the Japanese have a thing for french mousse cakes because they're light, airy, and tiny like Sung Kwon Yang of Mango-passionfruit mousse and matcha green tea mousse cakes, more tea cakes than a huge American slice.  Her tea cakes were easier to handle to balance all these spicy, savory dishes.

The hipster/intellectual ice cream truck, COOLHAUS was the finale treat to cool down those peppery taste buds.

Sure, the Candied ginger ice cream + snickerdoodle cookie sandwich and the Candied ginger ice cream + snickerdoodle cookie were more acceptable to the young haute cuisine hipsters.

For the more experienced...and jaded palates, the heat and bitterness of the wasabi was a perfect match to dark chocolate's sweetness while ice cream's creaminess soothed wasabi's flame in the Chocolate wasabi ice cream + Double chocolate & sea salt cookie sandwich was a surprising elegant palate cleanser.

An adult ice cream where the heat is evenly tempered by the sugar and cream, great for diabetics wanting to get their treats on.

Ooohhhffff, this was a World Championship to L.A.'s Food & Wine Festival Olympics where afterward, guests just had to rest and recoup before retreating to bed, fulfilled and rested for the next gastromony galores, L.A. Food & Wine Festival and L.A. Times' TASTE Festival at Paramount Studios.

This Fashionable Foodie is recharging and revamping until the next food fest.

 

Murad is here to Bust those Back-to-School Blemishes and Zits

By Laura Medina



Three or two years ago, this scribe had an exclusive scoop and perk interviewing Shanna Moakler when she launched her upscale but sultry Smoak Cosmetics Line at Ron Robinson Apothia on Melrose.

During the interview, she gave me and my readers this precious advice...when she told her mom, at age 12, she wanted to be in beauty pageants and modeling, her mother told her this very wise advice, "Shanna, if you want to live on your looks, you better take care of your skin."

Shanna and this scribe have been living on this advice for a very long time.

This scribe still very much remembers the hideous bumpy blackheads and pimples that comes along with puberty...and watching her acne-scarred mom spending a fortune on scar-concealing makeup.  Based on experience, the stress of "being a better you" during Back-to-School season only makes things worse.

However, teens of today should not be passive and practice bad habit of popping pimples and bad hygiene habits.  Why? The popped pimples and blackhead blemishes become the acne scars of tomorrow, where as adults, they will pay thrice the money and undergo thrice the pain of erasing those bad habits.

To save money in the future, it is better, cheaper, and easier to set in motion, good hygiene and health habits as soon as those pimples emerge.

Skincare technology has vastly improved since the Eighties (yes, this scribe is that old and remember the days of only having limited acne cream as choices).

Today's teens or adults suffering from adult acne and stress have it way easy in convenient sprays and wipes for the active, healthy lifestyle; and they don't smell medicinally weird either.

Whether you're the popular cheerleader teen or the in-demand executive, all you have to do is stash the wipes in your backpack or purse or tote or hide a spray in your locker or drawer or put it on your dresser or bathroom.

Having healthy, clean skin as an investment is easier now than before.

Murad's Clean Scene Collection contains 5 items...

Craving for Clean Foaming Cleanser gently wash away dirt and makeup for squeaky-clean skin that’s soft, smooth and hydrated. This foaming cleanser creates a luscious lather, for a fresh way to start and end each day.

Gaga for Glow Gentle Facial Scrub for soft skin that never gets mixed up with a rough crowd, dismiss dullness with this gentle facial scrub. It deep-cleans to minimize the appearance of pores and gets rid of excess oil, revealing super smooth, glowing skin.

Crazy for Clear Spot Treatment says bye-bye to blemishes and hello to clear, healthy skin. This targeted spot treatment starts healing breakouts on contact while helping to prevent new ones.

Begging for Balance Oil-Free Moisturizer shuts down shine and get hydration in check with this oil-free moisturizer. Use it daily for a smooth, balanced complexion and develop a healthy relationship with your skin.

Down for Defense SPF 15 Moisturizer, don’t get burned! Give your skin a fresh dewy glow and protect it from UVA/UVB rays with this SPF 15 moisturizer. (You’ll thank us later.)

Murad's Clean Scene may skew tween or teen but they have other acne-busting items that both parent and child can share together, making it easier to carry and use while shaving the skincare budget in half.

Here are some acne-busting products that both parent and child can share and share alike while sweating it out during Back-To-School during the Dog Days of August...paying for all that school supplies can make anyone break out...

The days of scaring your kids and being embarrassed by opaque masks are over...unless you want to scare the daylights out of your baby brother or sister.

This clear, transparent antioxidant-rich mask restores, revitalizes and balances combination skin while exfoliating dead skin cells and trapped impurities. It softens, conditions and hydrates your skin.  This clear eraser of an exfoliator is good enough to hang with your boyfriend (your and the kid's), good enough for your acne-addled son, and brave enough to face your dorm-suite mates.

This Clarifying Body Spray is great for the active, acne-popping, athlete of a son or a soccer-star of a daughter or a gym-nut of a dad or mom,  great to carry in your gym bag or backpack. Its 360 degree spray lets you get to those hard to reach areas and helps keep your skin clean, clear and treats/prevents breakouts.

It eliminates 99.9% of surface bacteria in 60 seconds! Clarifying Cleanser clears blemishes before they begin and helps prevent new breakouts, leaving your skin soft and supple. Spray and go, sure is better than the good, olde days of spill and swipe with a drying toner and sloppy cotton balls.

Need a refresher between gym classes-your and the kids?  Murad’s new Acne Clarifying Wipes are clinically proven to keep skin clear by removing dirt, oil and bacteria, and the oil fighting formula comes in a pre-moistened, ultra-soft wipe that reduces shine while balancing and toning skin. The Acne Clarifying Wipes (available September 2012) can be used before or after your workout or even for a quick touchup throughout the day when you want to refresh your skin on-the-go!

With makeup becoming more like skincare or people just too busy to do 100-step skincare ritual or lighter the haul, the better, Murad's Skin Perfecting Primer Acne and Shine Control is something the daughter will steal from mom's purse or mom will kindly "ask to share" with the daughter.

Don't let the foundation-appearance fool you, it is light-weight enough to melt into your skin.  It doesn't look like cruddy, crusty tinted, mismatched acne cream of yore.  No shame here.  It melts right into the skin, without a trace.  As it soaks into the skin, it controls acne breakouts, reduce oil and minimize appearance of pores. Universal shade provides the perfect skin tone match.

Great for as evening date makeup alone or underneath sunscreen or foundation or up the ante with BB Cream (more on that later).

With the whole family investing in these up-the-minute, preventative, and preserving Murad Skincare, you all will save tons of money on laser peels and painful, plastic surgery on future acne pockmarks/scars, age/sun spots, and those pesky wrinkles.

Trust Shanna Moakler and this scribe, your kid will be thankful for instilling good skincare habits and you will be proud to have great-looking kids, with matching self-esteem,  in their adulthood, making them great catches.

Stefano Langone & Teen Vogue sing farewell to Summer, Hello Back-to-School

By Laura Medina

Stefano Langone singing at Universal CityWalk, left.  Teen Vogue Back to School ruway show, right.

Out with the London Summer Olympics.  In with school.

As Summer and the Olympics wind down,  Back-to-School is literally heating up in the dog days of Summer.

Universal CityWalk says goodbye by hosting American Idol finalists in its Music Spotlight Series.

The Grove, in Hollywood, welcomed the school year by throwing one hot runway show and a Cher Lloyd concert.

Universal CityWalk's Music Spotlight Series, saved the best for the waning days of Summer.

Girls devour him.  Guys want to be him.  Before he hits the stage, Stefano Langone shares who is he wearing and his skincare tip.

As long as he can remember, Stefano has been borrowing and using his mother's white Oil of Olay facial lotion growing.  Now, her healthy habit is what keeps his face nice, supple, and smooth...enough to keep fans screaming.

His simple but chic ensemble of a John Varvatos vest and a pair of G-Star Raw jeans made an impact on the ladies on a hot, sweltering August night.

He is grateful for Creative Recreation sneakers.  They supported him when he was competing on American Idol.

Overall, Stefano tries to keep fresh, simple, and of course, sexy.

As soon as Stefano Langone waves so long to Summer at Universal Citywalk's Music Spotlight Series,  Teen Vogue says "hello" to school by throwing a runway show and a Cher Lloyd concert at The Grove.

Britannia and the London Olympics still lingers on in the Fall Collection.

This scribe warn ya' that the equestrian influence still holds sway for Fall in riding helmets, boots, and blazers.  The English Town and Country parkas swing like capes.

Ziggy Stardust a.k.a. David Bowie's early Seventies Glam Rock morphed into metallic foil.

Hang onto your riding boots because those wise investments will help you jump into Fall, London's Calling.