Summer Shopping with GlamAmor!

Come join me for some summer shopping! I'll be turning my courtyard into an open air store for the evening. Check out the GlamAmor collection in person...look through the racks, try on the clothes, and sip some cocktails while you shop. Or just drop by to say hi. Everyone is welcome!

Saturday, August 14th

5:00 - 9:00 PM

Kimberly's place in Santa Monica

Details are on Facebook as well. If you're thinking of attending, please shoot me an email and I can give you any info you might need. I hope to see you there!

Out and About--Americana in Santa Monica

Last night took me to the Jeanie Madsen Gallery, which was hosting a cocktail party for the city's business owners who are with the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce. Santa Monica is an exceptional place to both live and work, and it was great to meet many of the people whose talent and experience makes this city thrive. 

The city's events are held at a different perfect place each month, often right along the beach with the sun setting and they're catered by some of the best restaurants and wineries out there. Jeanie Madsen invited everyone into her gallery this time around and it couldn't have been better. First, it's in a beautiful spot right next to the Georgian Hotel on Ocean Avenue, which is straight out of Hitchcock's To Catch a Thief.  I actually had the movie on as I was getting ready for inspiration and of course I dressed accordingly...

In addition, the gallery's exhibition happened to be a collection of images--paintings, photographs, even clothing--celebrating Americana. I could not believe it! I was very happy, as you can imagine, since I'm not sure you could find a bigger fan of Americana than me. I mean, GlamAmor--which is clothing from the 1950s and 1960s--is alllll Americana.  What a great setting for the party.

The place was packed with people from the very start of the evening until the end. We all enjoyed great wine, great food, and a beautiful evening as the sun finally peeked out from behind the clouds. Thank you Santa Monica!

 

Welcome to the gallery

 

 

Our beautiful hostesses for the evening, Jeanie and Mary

So great to meet you!:  1950s lemon cotton pleated swing dress, 1960s white leather purse, 

white Charles David strappy stilettos, silver hoop earrings, 

 and clear necklace custom made for GlamAmor

One of the things that makes Jeanie's gallery so special is that she has one part of it devoted to her own fashion boutique. Here she sells one-of-a-kind pieces--clothing, shoes, and jewelry--designed by her and others that are truly works of art. I've always considered my vintage dresses art as well with their color, design, and the fact that each is unique, so Jeanie and I really hit it off discussing our wearable art. 

Me and Amanda

What's great about living in Los Angeles is being exposed to so much talent, and I was lucky enough to be able to meet the artists featured in last night's show. The paintings and photographs that hung on the gallery walls were wonderful and reminded me of the same optimism that I feel in my clothing from that period.  If you don't already know about people like Mark Hobley and Brian Parillo, then be sure to check out their work.

Brian speaking with Erika about his beautiful photographs

An impressionistic take on the Georgian Hotel next door

Ended up at the gorgeous Georgian for drinks after the party

Sitting on the porch of the Georgian--whether for brunch or late night drinks--makes you feel like you're in the south of France with all the palm trees and the ocean right across the street

It was great to meet everyone!

The Style Essentials--Marlene Dietrich Stuns with Style in 1930's MOROCCO

Last night I indulged in watching Josef von Sternberg's 1930 classic Morocco before heading out for my Saturday evening. It's a perfect hot summer movie as Von Sternberg's cinematography really captures the heat of Morocco, and I'm a sucker for any of those black and white movies that are set either in the jungle (like Red Dust) or the desert. Von Sternberg's cinematography also happens to be one of the main influences on a genre that I love--film noir.

Morocco stars his frequent collaborator and muse (and rumored lover), Marlene Dietrich. Von Sternberg is known for giving Marlene her image and making her a star. The way he lit her for film was absolutely incredible, as you can see in the images below. He also cut out any superfluous dialogue for her to avoid that heavy German accent stumbling as she learned her way in film. He taught her to move languidly through scenes and gaze at seemingly unimportant objects (like a lamp) for six seconds so that he could make her body and face the focus of every scene. And that body and face were outfitted in some magnificent costumes from Paramount designing legend Travis Banton through their pictures together, such as Shanghai Express, Blonde Venus, The Scarlet Empress, and The Devil is a Woman.

In Morocco, though, the costumes included one that became iconic--Marlene in a tuxedo. It was a shock to the public and made an enormous buzz when it came out. Keep in mind that these were the days in America when women did not really wear pants much less a man's tuxedo.

And not only did she don a tuxedo to do her singing, but she seduced two men while dressed like one--including the beautiful Gary Cooper--and also dared to kiss a woman in the audience during her number.  This was in the pre-Code days of Hollywood and allowed her to get away with being so bold. After around 1932, the censors would have never allowed that kiss on film.

Marlene became known in Hollywood for wearing trousers quite often--both in real life and on film--and was absolutely stunning doing it.  Literally stunning, I should add. I've heard a story of her at Bullock's Wilshire in white pants and matching overcoat and stunning the entire place into silence because she was so gorgeous walking into the department store. Many stars today have been inspired by this look...Sharon Stone quickly comes to mind. Modern designers, too, will often incorporate tuxedo pants into their collections for women now. Yves Saint Laurent was one of the first and famous for this look.

Here's the scene where it all started...Marlene in the tuxedo

Marlene also wore dresses extremely well. Von Sternberg was known to be a bit of a tyrant (as well as Marlene's Svengali) and made her lose weight before putting her on film.  I should point out that this was the 1930s when dresses were cut on the bias, too, which meant that dresses hugged every curve of Marlene's strong body. And the characters she played were usually some sort of fallen woman--in Morocco, she plays a cabaret singer who's hiding out from some sort of past--so Von Sternberg could really stretch the limits of what Marlene would wear on film.  Banton designed loads of dramatic clothing that included luxurious materials like feathers and would often showcase Marlene's famous legs.

In the end of the film, Marlene's character must chose between the comfort of Adolphe Menjou's money and the love she feels for Gary Cooper's poor French legionnaire. The potential redemption of love is an ongoing theme in Von Sternberg movies, so you can guess who she chooses. The film ends after the scene below, with her following the French forces into the desert...just a white silk blouse, tulip skirt, scarf, and heels that she promptly kicks off to march in the hot sand after the hot Gary Cooper.

Out and About--Racked LA/DNA/Hearty Magazine Party

Last night took me to Hollywood to party and shop a pop up store at Space 15 Twenty. There were several great groups involved in it--Racked LA, Designers + Artists (DNA), and Hearty magazine--so I was excited to go.  I'm really impressed by DNA, which is a collective of various artists. They join together in these pop up shops, which gives artists wonderful exposure and shoppers the opportunity to check out future trends and meet some fantastic fashion talents. The event was well run, well attended, and everyone had a great time. I loved meeting everybody and sharing a bit about GlamAmor!

Sunset in the neighborhood--the iconic Capitol Records and the Broadway Hotel nearby

The open air courtyard where the pop up store was held complete with DJ Lady Sha and cocktails

Racks of clothes at Racked LA

"I love your dress!":  1950s citron and lace Miss Elliette cotton swing dress, 1960s black patent leather handbag, black leather Charles David stiletto heels, 1960s onyx and silver bangle bracelet, silver hoop earrings

Last time I wore different accessories with this dress. This time I wanted black to be the main accent color, so I included the Charles David leather strappy stilettos and the onyx vintage bracelet to pick up the accent of black in the outfit. Essie's Waltz manicure. Essie's Watermelon polish on toes.

DNA's LuAnn looking chic in shorts lit by a lamp on the hot summer night

DJ Lady Sha rocked the event

LA Vintage Exhange's Courtney surrounded by her fans and in action

Unnur and her fabulous clutches, one of the many tempting purchases of the evening.
More tempting purchases below.

Shoes and shoes and shoes indeed

Shoes absolutely filled the rooms, starting with the ones sold at LA Vintage Exchange

Everyone wore wonderful shoes as well.  Platforms were a big look of the evening.  I love how this gal paired wooden platforms with white anklets.  And her cute vintage minidress was well matched against the warm tropical wind that kept blowing through the courtyard.  Her glam red lip and short hair reminded me of a modern Edie Sedgewick.  That hair cut is actually close to a style I wore a while ago.  Love the combination on her.

Yet another tempting purchase of the evening was those vintage inspired bathing suits she's looking at.  Aren't they great?

Another shoe trend of the evening were glamorous sandals, usually paired with a breezy beachy dress and oversized bag. I should say that this may be a trend in other parts of the country, but here I find it to be more a way of living. We do live near the beach, it is usually warm (this night was especially so), and we're outdoors a lot. Thus I would say it's become one of the quintessential Los Angeles casual looks. The dresses range from maxi to mini, as with the girls below.

And of course, LA does denim.  This girl does it right.  Beachy hair, a plain white razorback tank top, oversized bag (love hers in that butter yellow leather with just the right detail), fitted light blue jeans.  Love the jewelry and even love the texture of whatever it is that she's carrying.  Thumbs up.

The place was lit with a warm glow throughout the balmy evening

It was a great night!