Military School Girl Hip by Susan Bessire

By Laura Medina

Susan Bessire

Susan Bessire is a quintessential Los Angeles designer, mixing the hipster uniform elements of military salvage gear with the craftsmanship of asymetrical tailoring while stretching and warping the boundaries of leather.

Yet, when composed together, the effect is edgy school girl rock.

The army green, wool military band jacket with asymetrical double-breasted lapel and wrap miniskirt with white piping has this jaunty innocence about it.

The ease of the sweater dress is injected with a screen print of a guitar.

The black cardigan with ruffle trim and the slouchy cargo may appear edgy afar but up close, looks wearer-friendly.

The maxi dress with a draped, asymetrical slit is about as edgy as it gets.

For all her edginess, Ms. Bessire constructed a hip but school-friendly collection for the high school girl who wants to stand out without being kicked out.

Mikey Koffman & The Gallery LA's KTLA LA Fashion Weekend

By Laura Medina

KTLA's The GalleryLA Fashion Weekend Runway Show at Sunset Gower Studios.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTz0N2IJqMM

Who says Los Angeles or Hollywood is nothing but glitz-out bedazzling and rhinestones?

Mikey Koffman's The GalleryLA, in collaboration with KTLA's (Channel 5 locally within Los Angeles), proves otherwise.

A dash of prep has been tossed in for good taste to tame down the preceived whackiness of what outsiders assume is Los Angeles/Californian fashion.

Here are the strongest collections from the two nights show, Doctrine for women and Civil Society for men.

The wearer-friendly Doctrine showcases what is the best in Los Angeles, high-tech, lightweight denim that moves along with the body while retaining its shape and tailoring. Nothing saggy here.

The cutting-edge denim in flares, capris, and culottes-yes, culottes-reflectes the taste and yearning for the free-wheeling, devil-may-care Seventies when gas prices hit sky high, a war was raging on, people let loose their frustration in dance music (disco), and women took full-range of their hard-won but never-ending liberation.

This is Americana Sportswear at its full speed where the American Preppy Woman took charge.

A simple dose of a mustard yellow rib knit turtleneck sweater makes the super-tight but stretchable jeans appealing to the girl-next-door.

Doctrine revisited the American Woman persona in pairing the Western Ranch Blouse with a printed scarf, knotted at the neck instead of a necklace. The interfering skirt was replaced with a pair of culottes with pussy bow blouses or rosettes and riding blazers and those renewed classics of tan leather riding boots.

The subgenre of American Women sportswear was the Southern California item of the flowing linen or cotton tunic with embroidered neckline and collar. Yes, it received the hippie treatment of a fur vest but for hot days and cold nights for the forever-on-the-go American woman, she cannot think of a better pairing.

The foundation of these changings and pairings are the high-tech denim capris, refining the skinny jeans, giving them more mileage or low-slung rise flares in bringing that Seventies sexy back when Parisian chic met Hollywood hip.

KTLA's highlight runway video on second night with Civil Society.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAYE4TNGQRI

Civil Society, likes its namesake, has built a niche of "the gentleman hipster."

It never relinquish of reincarnating the functionally classic military parka and flight jacket and vest then sprucing them up with the preppy mainstay of neckties and bow ties for the rising league of refined Fine Young Gentlemen or Dandies who are still sporty enough to wear gloves while roaring their motorcycles.

Civil Society also retooled preppy style, fabrication, and tailoring. They took knits then resewed them into collared blazers. They slimmed down the frumpy and puffy fishing vest, attached a hoodie and furnished it with zippered military pockets. They replaced the cliche Navy Sack Blazer with a sleeker motorcross jacket.

They opened and ended their show with their new and emerging generation of customer, an eight years-old boy wowed the crowd by tipping his cap to them. Then, he finished it off by titling his aviator shades. All awhile doing it in a bow tie.

Civil Society proves a man can still be hip without being rowdy and still a gentleman without being dowdy.

Twentieth-First Century Dandy.

For the Stylish, Hip, & Active Mom

By Laura Medina

Alo's eco-sports cami, halter polo & pleated skirt. Divine Wear Scuba Jacket.

Get a jump start on Mother's Day by honoring both your mom and Mother Earth.

She will like you better if you give her Alo's ecologically-minded activewear and Divine Wear Scuba Jacket for her yoga and Barre classes than a box of chocolates.

A week before Mother's Day, Target is going to launch Calypso for Target for an one-month stay from May First until June 11th. Here is the sneak peek of the Bohemian-Jet Setting line.

Inspired by lounging on a beach, somewhere in India, the Calypso for Target home and jewelry elephant-based line make chic but carefree gifts for mom. She will find them adorable.

Jessica Elliot "Just Like Mama" Jewelry and Guy & Eva necklaces also make special trinkets.

They go well with Franklin + Gower's sporty, tomboy-inspired but fashion-forward preppy blazers and lean, mean bermuda shorts in chic fabrics and trims.

Your mom will appreciate these easy but urbane black cami maxi dresses from Bella Luxx, on the left, and the Urban 1972, on the right. They can be dressed up with the above jewelries from Jessica Elliot and Guy & Eva or the arriving Calypso for Target collection on May First.

Think out of the candy box, the perfume, and the flowers. Give her stuff she wants to use.

Here's to hip moms.

Sue Wong's "My Fair Lady" Fall 2011 in the heart of historical Hollywood

By Laura Medina

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-Df7fRsw48

On a beautiful sunny, warm day in the heart of historical Hollywood, the town's former glory rises up again, like clockwork, on Sue Wong's elegant fashion installation and champagne brunch as the highlight of Fashion Week LA.

Doing it on her own terms, the cultured and scholarly cocktail and eveningwear designer mined Olde Hollywood and the history books for her Fall 2011 Collection. Inspired by the Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison gem, "My Fair Lady," Ms. Wong, not only adapted it as the name for her Fall collection, she dived right into it.

Using her precise research and the Edwardian Era/late 19th century setting of the movie, "My Fair Lady," Ms. Wong reached out and brought back a different type of sensuality that have not seen daylight in a long time, the womanly full-figure molded into "S-Bend" and dipping emphasis on the plunging mono-bosom, not the pushed-up cleavage of mid-century twentieth-century or today's Victoria's Secrets' bras.

Mind you, Ms. Wong knows she is dressing for the twentieth-first century woman who yearns of classic glamour without the caged trappings.

She replaced the ribbed corset with accurate seams and tailoring then incorporated spaghetti straps and tie-back halter necks for more ease and breathing room.

Model, Jamie Hilfiger

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtrQnyYFvlA

Bridget Marquardt, formerly of E!'s "Girls Next Door."

Long-held by established Hollywood actresses then now, embraced by Young Hollywood, such as Kelly Osbourne, several generations of celebrities showed their love for Ms. Wong.

Fans, both mature and young, pose in their Sue Wong outfits in Ms. Wong's mirrors.

Ms. Wong has a legion of fans who come from all walks of life.

To return the love, Ms. Wong graciously opened the doors to her top-secret, historical mansion in the heart of Hollywood to them. This wasn't a plain red carpet but a fashion installation and a champagne brunch to reward their loyalty.

Halter Dress with plunging V-Neck and embroided skirt from "Black/Nude" segment.

Using her historical mansion and a lunch and dessert buffet (with a bar, of course) as backdrops for her massive and diverse cocktail and eveningwear collection was very convenient to showcase her Edwardian collection. Fitting (pun intended), since her mansion was built around the late Edwardian or early Twenties, furthering highlighting the Edwardian details. Ms. Wong was gracious to allow guests and press to have full-range and full fun of her home. People had fun darting from nooks and crooks, posing in her bedrooms and bathrooms, pretending to be models themselves, posing in her mirrors.

Champagne Gowns and Coats at the Champagne Brunch.

The mansion was expansive enough to fully display the six-segmented collection: Black/Red, Black/Nude, Brown-Gold, Champagne-Ivory, Platinum, and Cobalt.

Models either posed on pedestals in the living rooms as living statues...

Or, they gathered with Sue Wong for a group photo shoot in the sun room...

To keep the action going, models saunter among the dining guests, socialites, and press without accidentially dipping into the pool...

Eventually, both guests and models...and photographers made their way to Sue's sculptured backyard and pation where the crystal-beaded collection came to life under the sun.

Watching the glided Edwardian ladies in bedazzled and plated lace brought the mansion and garden to life.

But, it is still hard work. Ms. Wong sheparded her models. They posed and walked in the hot sun while celebrities and guests finally retired and sun themselves in her back patio deck and backyard with manicured hedges and trails and the fountain, sipping...what else...white wine and champagne.

Viviana Vigil, formerly of LXTV.com/First Look, now REELZ Channel host.

Viviana and the other guest-and press (such as this intrepid reporter/photographer) made themselves right at home after working the red carpet and trailing (ok, nibbling and sipping) models, soaking up the rays in plush velvet chaises and lounges among the marble.

This is what everyone around the world thinks, assumes, or dreams what Hollywood should be, a gracious host, a plush luncheon, and beautiful people from all walks of life, the producers, the starlets, the celebrities, established socialites, models, and don't forget the press...schmoozing and lounging all together under the warm California sun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xkEQAiGBhI

Thank you, Ms. Wong for making the dream real for one sunny afternoon in March.

If you really want the whole affair in action, click on the Youtube link above.

The Junior League of New York honors Ms. Mary J. Blige

By Laura Medina

Lisa Hathaway Stella (NYJL President), left. Honoree Mary J. Blige, middle. Mistress of ceremonies Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), right.

As winter loosens its grip on the Big Apple, New York Junior League awarded Ms. Mary J. Blige with Award for Leadership and Excellence at the organization’s 59^th Annual Winter Ball, to be held at the historic Plaza Hotel on Saturday, March 5, 2011.

They recognized Ms. Blige's work for her The Mary J. Blige and Steve Stoute Foundation For the Advancement of Women Now (FFAWN), which she founded with music and branding impresario Steve Stoute in 2007. FFAWN (www.ffawn.org) is an organization dedicated to helping women overcome their personal difficulties and reach their full potential in life. FFAWN assists women through a range of programs that encourage women to realize their dreams and pursue their individual goals.

Five hundred guests showed to witness the nine-time Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter, record producer and actress being presented with her award. The Winter-themed ball, "Elegance Throughout Time," at the Plaza, celebrated the last hurrah of what was a bone-chilling season.

The sponsors included Van Cleef & Arpels and Moet Hennessy. Auction items include a Prada bag from the Spring 2011 Collection, a diamond pendant designed by Patricia Daughn, an exclusive golf outing for four at one of Trump Golf’s world-renowned courses, a seven-night stay at the Leading Hotels of the World’s Royal Myconian or Myconia Imperial Hotel in Greece, and a two-night stay for two at the Montage Deer Valley Hotel and Resort.

Life is a Cabaret for Valerjie Pobea

By Laura Medina

For Fall 2011 at Los Angele's Concept Fashion Week at the esteem ACE Gallery, life is a cabaret.


Ms. Pobea mined another little-known Seventie's fad, the movie "Cabaret." The movie that launched Liza Minnelli's singing and acting career.


It was also the precusor to punk and goth, the pale foundation and the black, smudged eyeshadow and lipstick which ironically was considered trendy makeup to the emerging influence of early, silent movies where contrasting cosmetics is needed to express facial emotions on the screen.


Late Thirties Germany was also the decadent and liberating louche Weimar Republic where formerly repressed Germans let loose in the nightclub, and hence, the cabaret scene.

A model doing the Charleston.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5G3hyvEynU

Ms. Pobea evoke the sinster and naughty vibe in a theaterical clown ruff collar and severly black, wool Germanic military maxi dress and coat.

She made good use of the closest-sized installation room where most of the designers held their live art performance/presentations. Her third model was the livliest. Her third model channel Liza Minnelli, dancing the Charleston, and slithering with a chair in the Kit Kat Klub.

For a fashion event that aimed to showcase the hip and the cool of predominately Downtown Los Angeles, the alternative to West Hollywood facade, Ms. Pobea stood out among the hipsters with her energetic installation.

Before it hits the catwalk, YSL Spring/Summer 2011

By Laura Medina

Before the supermodels set foot on tomorrow's catwalk at YSL, here are the hottest picks from the Spring/Summer 2011, titled, "Manifesto."

What is the "Manifesto" for the hot weather?

It's Stefano Pilati's reaction against twentieth-century extreme masculinity by embracing female empowerment and feminism.

For this collection, he used the Twenties and the Thirties with a sultry color palette. Mr. Pilati said that during that time, women came into their own in arts and philosophy.

With the sporty and elegant jumpers, halters, and rainforest hues, Mr. Pilati has also mined the original Yves Saint Laurent's archive during his Seventies hey days.

Mr. Pilati is very aware how macho our world has become. He wants this collection to admire and celebrate feminine strength and power.

These are the sneak peeks of what might set foot on the runway tomorrow in Paris but the Beverly Hills store will have these outfits tomorrow.