A Galaxy of Stars stormed Divine Design Gala's red carpet for Project Angel Food

By Laura Medina

That night's Honoree, Kelly Osbourne speaking with Rocco G. of Fashion News Live and David Arquette chatting with CNN.



After nineteen years running, Project Angel Food's Divine Design Gala is now a well-established holiday tradition in the City of Angels. Their glamorous Gala initiates their fabulous Divine Design Sale that commences the holiday season in Los Angeles.



In this current economic climate, warm-hearted celebrities from entertainment and fashion showed up to provide tremendous support for people who needs Project Angel Food more than ever.






As this year's "Women of Style" Honoree, Kelly Osbourne was truly touched by the honor-and what the charity consistently does every year, every month, and every week.



"It's a real honor for me. I've been excited for this event for a very long time...Not just because of the award but for what this charity does."



"The awareness it brings, the support, it give for people suffering with terminal illness, not just AIDS, but from cancer as well, which is very, very fabulous."



"They make 13,000 meals a week. I was in the kitchen this morning. I was up really early morning out there."



"I knew what they did but I never realized the quality of the food and how much they put into it and the nutritional value of every meal and how they design it for each person. It's just fantastic."

Debi Mazar discusses the importance of Project Angel Food in this day and age.

"Project Angel Food is so relevant in this day and age. We have forty-five million people who are dealing with domestic hunger in our own country....People are cutting between WIC and food stamps,...there's isn't enough for their babies' formulas, force to cut it in half."

"Hence, you know, babies are not being well-nourish. The sick are left not to be well-nourish because they cannot afford their food. Organizations, like these are very important."

"I'm a cook myself. I feed the homeless. I'm very happy to be here in honor of what their mission is, tonight and to respect friends of mine who I lost to AIDS...A lot of people can't afford health care and they can't afford food. When you're sick, you don't want to cook. In order to get better, you need your nutrients so, it's very important."

In regards to Project Angel Food and attending events such as the annual holiday Gala, "It's a loving organization. It's non-profit. All the proceeds go directly to the people. It's about getting the word out there and educating people."

Peter Gurski, Project Angel Food Board Member and Divine Design Co-Chair.

The person who can really bring it home and reinstate the charity's importance during this current economy is Peter Gurski, Project Angel Food Board member and Divine Design Co-Chair.

"More relevant than ever in this climate. Even though there are more modern medicines for who are sick, people develope an immunity to all sorts of drugs. Especially in this economy, when they get sick, they rely more on us because we don't charge for meals. We cook and deliver them. Frozen food program...we give clients a whole week's worth of meals all at once or daily. We offer breakfast options. We feed the kids if they're sick. We cover the whole spectrum now. We take care of people who are sick from AIDS, cancer, and other life-threatening diseases."

David Meister, fashion designer, being interviewed by CNN.

To wrap this up, long-time supporter and loyal contributer to Divine Design Sale and Project Angel Food supporter, fashion designer, David Meister reminds folks how important the charity is today and how great the charity sale is in supporting the organization.

Pondering on how Divine Design Sale and Project Angel Food changed over the nearly twenty years,..."Especially with any AIDS-related charities, it kinda dwindled away. It's still here. It hasn't gone away."

As for doing your holiday shopping at Divine Design Sale's 50% to 90% off discounts..."It's still important we remember that. It's important to give back. It's a great cause. Everyone gets great deals, great shopping. All the money goes to such a great cause. All the proceeds go back to the cause. Amazing."

"They do such great work, Project Angel Food. It means a lot to these people having their food delivered."

"Been giving to Divine Design for five to six years...I think...it really changed."

"I think it's just as important, always been such a pleasure."

If you want to jump into the joy without the guilt, shop this Saturday's 70% off sale, Sunday's 80% off sale, and the finale's 90% off sale on Monday, from fur to furniture to Kiehl's skincare.

Remember, every $5 dollars spent goes into cooking a meal to feed a sick person back to bouncing health.

Think of Divine Design as glitz without the guilt.

Cecil Beaton: The Art of the Scrapbook by James Danziger

By Laura Medina

Sir Cecil Walter Hardy Beaton was noted for a lot of things and innovations spanning decades but this celebratory tome profile for a slight but significant contribution he made to the fashion world-the mood board.




Specifically, he turned the humble scrapbook into a fashion industry standard, the mood board. A visual rough draft to keep art directors and designers in-line and on track of their visionary goal and as an aid to keep their concepts and collection concise, Mr. Beaton took intimate snapshots, inspiring photographs, and significant keepsakes, organize them into a cohensive idea, making him the iconic fashion photographer for Vanity Fair and Vogue.


His hobby of scrapbooking or "mood boarding," proved to be invauable aid when he later moved on as a stage and film designer for the classically-styled but glamorously durable "Gigi" and "My Fair Lady."

The craft of scrapbooking or the art of "mood boarding" taught him the skill of composition, juxaposition, assemblage, and color and style coordination in unifying themes and ideas.

Great for art direction for fashion magazines and set design for movies.

As a holiday present and a homage to Sir Cecil, Assouline and author, James Danziger (Picture Editor of "The London Sunday Times Magazine" and Vanity Fair's Features Editor who championed Annie Leibovitz) compiled these insightful and rare compositions from Sir Beaton's private collection then makes them available to the public for the first time.

One more reason to throw in the glitter.

Little Girls and Big Girls love vegan The Painted Nail by Nubar

By Laura Medina

When Katie Cazorla wanted to open her own nail salon, obviously she was searching for the right nail polish.

From a flyer and a good-word-of-mouth, Ms. Cazorla was led to Nubar, a guy who manufactures nail polish for all sorts of companies.

Those two came at the right time and the right place.

Nubar's cousin was diagnosed with lymph node cancer. The chemotherapy ravaged her self-esteem as well as her immune system. What is even more heart-breaking due to the weaken immune system, the typical chemicals in mainstream cosmetics are too harsh and too toxic for a cancer patient.

He could not stand watching his cousin suffering from depression. He knew if he can manufacture a nail polish that is gentle and safe enough for cancer patients; he can perk them up with a little something to make him and patients, like his cousin, happier.

However, he met resistance from the mainstream retailers and companies in supplying the public with carcinogenic-free, Toulene-free, and phthalate (DBP)-free nail polish; who were not convince that something safe and healthy can be glamorous and glitzy. Nubar was dishearted they were interested in the buck than people's health.


It was all the matter of meeting the person at the right time at the right place.

This is where Cazorla came in. When she found out that Nubar can and does make nail polish safe enough to nibble on. She convince him why supply only to nail salons when you can take it retail? When she learned how much it costs to make then sell at a reasonable price point for under ten dollars, Cazorla envision a viable market where both little girls starting to wear cosmetics can play safely with nail polish and big, health-conscious girls can still be glamorous without worrying about the toxicity of their makeup.

This new endeavor is now named, "The Painted Nail by Nubar," honoring the man who diligently concocted a new and safer nail polish formula that is vegetarian-based.

They threw a big send-off at Ron Robinson Apothia on Melrose almost a month ago where little girls and big girls partake organic, vegan The Painted Nail manicures, juicy cocktails, and a candy land of Jelly Bellies, lollipops, and cupcakes.

Katie and Nubar do prove that yes, you can be good to your health and the environment while having fun with your nails.

Lanvin for H&M for both Women & Men

By Laura Medina

It's coming...Lanvin for H&M is going hit stores this Saturday.

Here is a sneak peek of the ensemble, the pieces, and the prices.

This above ensemble combined is the same price as one of the dresses. With the red pumps, the t-shirt dress, shades, the black tulle crop jacket, and chain belt, it costs $248.80.

Joining a short but select line of designers, including Karl Lagerfeld, Lanvin's Artistic Director, Alber Elbaz was excited about designing a capsule collection for the mass retailer in reaching a new and bigger audience.

Like most haute couture designers today, they are now wondering how to translate their skills, knowledge, and expertise to a wider audience that demands top-notch quality at more grounded prices,..."What does luxury mean today? Can luxury be exclusive and democratic at the same time?"

Expressing the challenge of transferring haute couture craftsmanship to a wider market without sacrificing taste, "How can we translate the essence of luxury to the a wider audience? The world around us is changing rapidly and I find myself asking these questions more and more."

He explains the process as..."Designer's work is usually tailored to a very small group of people, but the collection of H&M was about trying to translate the dream of luxury to the masses. It was almost like going back to school for me."


Both women-and men can have that taste of luxury, just in time for the holidays when anyone needs something special and extra.

For New Year's Eve, there is a tad touch of Lanvin's Alber Elbaz from the quirky but cute blue loafers and floppy indigo bow tie but the tuxedo suit should be a wardrobe foundation for any man.

Due to construction delays, this Friday's official opening of its largest store in Caesars Forum in Las Vegas, has been pushed back to December 10th, from 7pm to 11pm. Hopefully, there will still be some enough Lanvin left for this mega-store opening. It's open to the public but you can rsvp through the hotline, (877) 303-4396.

A total of 200 H&M stores worldwide will premiere this exclusive line this Saturday.

The World of Assouline

By Laura Medina

One of Assouline's founders, husband, Prosper Assouline & American Dior Book.

When Ms. Martine Assouline was pregnant with her child, it was not the only thing gestating.

Her pregnancy gave her the time to ponder and ask her husband, Prosper-who was one of the best art director she knows-what he thought of starting up a publishing company that makes books they can never find or books that reflect their passion for the arts, fashion, travel, and culture in the best way possible which were difficult to locate at that time.

This is how they gave birth to Assouline, the erudite publishing house that publishes volumes dedicated to the developments of Chanel and lifestyle folios such as "The Gypset," (a picture book on the Jet Set who live in remote, exotic places) and decor, "American Designers at Home." They even put a recipe book by American designers, "American Fashion Cookbook."

Prosper Assouline working the crowd at the South Coast Plaza boutique.

It was never an idea of business, but it was an idea of creativity.

"Too, to touch new themes, new ways to make them. Little by little, we started by that."

Assouline Publishing is all about pleasure-what make Martine and Prosper happy-as in they focus on publishing books on subjects that brings a smile on their faces, whether it be home decor or gastronomy or fashion. They want to take their favorite subjects and do it well.

They went from a little distributor to one of the world's best distributor came to them and said they were interested in Assouline. At this stage, the Assoulines can take risks on bigger projects with service. They also became international very quickly.

Soon, the big American publishers were buying their books and coming in.

This was the signal for the Assoulines to come over to America and take it in bites-gourmet bites.

The Assoulines partnered with Chef Ludo Lefebvre of West Hollywood's Bastide French Bistro and turned it into an intimate bistro-cum-bookstore on the hidden strip of Melrose Place.

Martine, " We met the chef, he's a lover of good wine and good books...We decided to get together over a shared pleasure of good books, food, and wine. A good combination."

What happened was their first West Coast outpost, a treasure trove of a bookstore nestled inside a French bistro.

"The is the first time we have it this way. It wasn't our idea but an of Lefebvre. But, I love it."

"This place is gorgeous. This place is spectacular because it has souls and charm. It is all about what we like. It is all about library. It is all about installation. It is all about pleasure. It was the right place."

The "American Dior" Book Launch party

As Assouline becomes more well-known, Martine and Prosper feel it is time for them to come to America to make their own creation with their own name.

It was also when the people behind South Coast Plaza, bereft of a bookstore, met the Assoulines at a dinner party and were pleasantly startled they carry the brands that the couple profiled in their books. It was a match made in heaven.

The opening party for the new incarnation of Assouline was hotly anticipated. Assouline Bookstore has grown into an art gallery and luxury goods boutique centered around books.

They felt very welcomed here since they are surrounded by the fashion houses they did books on, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Dior, and they press every book there was on Chanel.

They are a perfect addition to South Coast Plaza.

The accouterments, they sell, are there to support a personal library and they are limited edition replicas of artifacts from the Musee de Louvre, such as the sculptured bookends. Even the carpet and couches are for sale.

In the back, they have an art gallery of rare map prints.

This particular Assouline boutique is the only one that offers building a personal library for the home, whether it be a bookshelf or a whole one in a home. It is the literary version of interior design, centered around books.

It is the only Assouline store to sell gifts and rare sets of books nestled in their own book trunks, such as the American Dior line.

A rare limited set of books focusing on the relationship between America and Dior. Martine and Prosper only printed out ten of these books. Each book is a linen-covered gift box. The behind the front cover houses a gift wrapped in red with a white bow. The very first page holds a hand-printed silk scarf of the American Flag by Dior.

On the tonight of the "American Dior" party, three people already bought three of these books.

Assouline, whether it's a hidden library in a French bistro in West Hollywood or a full-service gift/book boutique to serve a bibliophile's dream library (it is obvious Martine and Prosper are book lovers), is a place where books are treasures.

Glittering Holiday Skin from "Burlesque" with Cher & Christina

By Laura Medina

"Burlesque, the Movie" with Cher & Christina Aguilera

Save "Harry Potter" for the kids.

Coming November 24th, Cher and Christina Aguilera are going to bring down the curtain then high-kick the glimmering holidays into high gear in this movie musical, "Burlesque."

A story of a small-town girl trying to make it in the big, bad city while a legend is ready to pass on the torch. In a retro-Forties nightclub, these ladies cross path then watch the glitz explodes.

clickR Skin Care Pearl Wash

Concocted from minerals worthy of two divas, clickR Skin Care, as the movie's official skincare, provided Pearl Wash and Diamond Dust Skin Polisher to make the dream more attainable.

The Pearl Wash's tea tree and jojoba oils firms and tightens pores, calms irritations, and fades scar pigmentation.

clickR Skin Care Diamond Dust Skin-Polisher.

The Diamon Dust Skin-Polisher is packed with anti-oxidants to protect and detoxify. The diamond dust, not only imparts a twinkle. It polishes the skin gently to even out skin tone.

Now, you can be a holiday diva glittering with a pearly glow and a diamond shimmer.

Haute Chocolate & Haute Contemporary Go Together

By Laura Medina

In last Monday's episode of "Gossip Girl," Blair Waldorf was swinging between trysts the equally classy but naughty Chuck Bass and calming her urges by munching on beautiful bonbons nestled in gorgeous gift boxes.


Too bad her and a dapper box of Kenneth Cole chocolates never met, they would be an equally elegant pair-without the drama.


They're a classy pairing. She in a black silk Milly's Selina Bow Blouse with white and gray speckles and black bows. Her breezy top is available now at http://www.saksfifthavenue.com/ for $171.


It coordinates well with this special box of dark chocolate ganache and caramel truffles especially made for Kenneth Cole by the fashionable chocolatier, Jonathan Grahm of Compartes Chocolatier of Brentwood.

With a heritage deep in the gourmet food business, Mr. Grahm knows his flavors, textures, and ingredients in blending yummy but distinct truffles and toffees.

This fashion-forward dandy of the chocolate world had earn raves from Faith Evans, Maria Shriver, and the Discovery Channel for designing his bespoken Signature Truffles for them.

As this scribe types, Mr. Grahm is customizing a batch of Dreamworks custom chocolates.

His Brentwood chocolate boutique may appear quaint on the outside but it's full-throttle inside, constantly whipping one-of-kind flavor combinations and fun textures.

If you want to snack and sample, please put in a $20 reservation for this Saturday's Chocolate and Wine pairing and live the "Gossip Girl" life in Brentwood.