Rodeo Drive's fashion houses attract design star-power for housingwatch.com

Rodeo Drive's fashion houses attract design star-power

A round-up for housingwatch of famous architects and their retail projects on Rodeo Drive including OMA Rem Koolhaas' Prada store, Angela Missoni (designer of the all white Missoni boutique) and Frank Lloyd Wright's Anderton Court. Inside, the Missoni boutique evokes memories of Milan's famous shopping street Via della Spiga, with a long corridor punctuated by doors to smaller rooms. Look for Converse shoes made with Missoni fabric in April at the just opened flagship store.


I think the Chanel store is a well executed example of architecture serving the brand. Just looks elegant.

Custom Yoka Bear show at Black Maria Gallery

100.1, originally uploaded by DKE Toys.

Blank bear to art: from the team that brought you the Darth Vader mask show comes customized Yoka's by artists at Atwater's Black Maria Gallery. Show runs through March 2.

Opening: Thursday, Feb 18, 7:00 – 10:30pm
Black Maria Gallery
3137 Glendale Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90039

Wolfgang Puck unveils Oscar food: Smoked salmon and chocolate statuettes

Wolfgang Puck unveils Oscar food: Smoked salmon and chocolate statuettes

A guest post for Eating LA: always impressed by how many press people show up for a dinner dance preview. Spago's Sherry Yard shows off her heavenly baked Alaska.

Airstreams, Modern Homes Draw Fans to Palm Springs

Airstreams, Modern Homes Draw Fans to Palm Springs

Super-cool looking Airstream trailers, house tours and vintage collectibles: Palm Springs Modernism Week as seen in HousingWatch.

Irving Penn's Small Trades at Getty Center

File this in the better late than never category: checked out photographer Irving Penn's "Small Trades" exhibition of 252 platinum and rich palladium prints at the Getty this week which closes Sunday 1/10. Penn worked with these negatives over 50 years creating intimate but revealing studio portraits of tradespeople in London, New York and Paris. These psychological portraits, set against a neutral background, are revealing decades later and emblematic of Penn's fascination with "dissolving cultures"and worlds that would disappear. Some of these trades are long lost: no need for coal or ice men these days or even chamois sellers.

The Getty Center is open until 9 p.m. on Saturdays. Parking is free after 5 p.m. on Saturday as well, otherwise it's now $15. Admission is free.

L.A. Arts Month

Howdy 2010! Postings were light at the end of the year: lots of conflicts such as paid work, family (Martin returned from six months in India!), the holidays, a biennial bout with some kind of flu and a new blogging gig for AOL TripVine: LA Suite Life where I cover all that's new, different and hopefully, interesting about SoCal hotels.

In anticipation of L.A. Arts Month (more at blogdowntown.com), I checked out the second half of MOCA's Collection: MOCA's First Thirty Years their comprehensive historical survey of the past 70 years of contemporary art at the Geffen Contemporary (with an emphasis on NY and Calif. artists). Felt like a trip to my own office as many of the artists showcased are among my faves and I look at their work everyday. Ok MOCA has the originals but it was a pleasure to see them given the grand museum treatment: Edward Ruscha, Barbara Kruger and Hiroshi Sugimoto's black-and-white photos of luminescent cinema screens. A number of John Baldessaris and Catherine Opie's still searing self-portrait are here as well. Looking forward to seeing the first half of the show at MOCA Grand Ave. soon.

Griffith Park Festival of Lights Goes "Green"

Thanks to the heads up from L.A. Observed today regarding the annual DWP sponsored Holiday Light Festival (cutesy designs + Xmas music and traffic jam) through the park is vehicle free December 4 - 17. Bikers are welcome this Thursday Dec. 3 from 5 p.m.- 10 p.m., which is great news. I rode my bike along with the cars one year and it was truly unpleasant. Check the website for parking info.

Photo is from December 2008: Snow on Mt. Wilson. Saw some this weekend dusting Mt. Baldy.