Kristin's List: A Guide to Cultivated Los Angeles

Today is the last day to see “The Art of Motion Picture Costume Design” exhibit, which features costumes from some of the top films of 2007, including costumes from “Marie Antoinette,” Academy Award winner for Best Costume Design 2007.

Among the films being represented are “Atonement,” “The Golden Compass,” “Enchanted,” “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street,” “Elizabeth: The Golden Age,” “Beowulf,” “300,” “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” and “Nancy Drew.”

WHEN: 10am-5pm Mon-Sat, closed Sunday
ADMISSION: Free
WHERE: FIDM Museum (Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising)
ADDRESS: 919 S. Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90015
PHONE: (213) 624-1200 ext 2224
WEBSITE: www.fidm.com
ADDITIONAL INFO: The exhibit closes April 12

The Art Deco Society presents “The Devil Wears Dada,” an entertaining lecture on the influence that Dadaism and Surrealism had on costume and fashion during the Art Deco era. Lecturer Aaron Rubin will present images of the absurd in both fine art and fashion to paint a fascinating picture of an unusual collaboration between the arts.

“The Devil Wears Dada” was first presented at the 2007 Queen Mary Art Deco Festival. Mr. Rubin’s engaging style of speaking and extensive collections of images, coupled with careful research and a personal flare for the dramatic, bring this bohemian era and its vivid personalities to life.

WHEN: 2:00pm
ADMISSION: $10 General/$8 Seniors & Students/$5 Members
WHERE: Egyptian Theatre
ADDRESS: 6712 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028
PHONE: (323) 692-3431
CONTACT: www.americancinematheque.com

Infusing contemporary African dance forms with jolts of high fashion and street culture, Julie Dossavi presents a collection of dance pieces accompanied by live African percussion, voice and electronics. In the production of “P.I. (Pays) or Présentations Intimes” the French Dossavi draws on club culture, gymnastics and tribal ritual.

Dossavi has collaborated with influential choreographers Philippe Decouflé and Joseph Nadj while also crossing over into the worlds of video and fashion through projects with Jean-Paul Gaultier, Nina Ricci and Angelique Kidjo.

WHEN: 8:30pm, April 10,11,12,13
ADMISSION: $20 General/$16 Students & Alumni
TICKETS: www.redcat.org
WHERE: REDCAT
ADDRESS: 631 W 2nd Street @ The Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90012
PHONE: (213) 237-2800
CONTACT: www.redcat.org

The gallery/retailer New High (M)art opens its latest pop-up shop “World Fringe: An Ethno, Boho, Afro, Pow-Wow,” which sells hard-to-find ethnic-bohemian designers like Telfar, Society for Rational Dress, Brian Lichtenberg and Death/Traitors. The “World Fringe” installment, the first in a series of thematic shops, will only be open for nine weeks.

WHEN: 12pm-6pm daily
WHERE: New High (M)art
ADDRESS: 741 New High St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
PHONE: (213) 621-7822
WEBSITE: www.newhighmart.com
ADDITIONAL INFO: Shop closes June 7

For two days preview Givenchy’s Fall ’08 women’s collection at Barney’s in Beverly Hills. Under chief designer Riccardo Tisci, Givenchy’s haute couture and women’s ready-to-wear collections combine dark gothic touches with space-age minimalism.

Founded in 1952 by French designer Hubert de Givenchy, the brand was most famously worn by Audrey Hepburn in such films as “Sabrina” and “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”

Samples will be showcased and special orders accepted.

WHEN: 10am-5pm April 3-4
ADMISSION: Free
WHERE: Barneys New York
ADDRESS: 9570 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90212
PHONE: (310) 276-4400
BARNEYS WEBSITE: www.barneys.com
GIVENCHY WEBSITE: www.givenchy.com

Described by Christian Dior as “the master of us all,” Cristobal Balenciaga opened his first boutique in Spain in 1914. An updated Balenciaga store, filled with natural, raw and artificial architectural elements, has opened on Melrose Avenue. The futuristic look is the creation of Balenciaga’s new head designer Nicolas Ghesquière and artist Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster.

Consistent with the collections developed by Nicolas Ghesquière, a geometric, graphic and organic atmosphere reigns in the store. The light changes in the artificial sky, giving an impression of climatic and seasonal time changes. Common design elements include the artificial “black asteroid” used as cash register, and the “iceberg” used as an accessory display.

WHEN: 11am-7pm Mon-Sat
WHERE: Balenciaga
ADDRESS: 8670 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood, CA 90069
PHONE: (310) 854-0557
WEBSITE: www.balenciaga.com

Carol Young Undesigned, the eco-friendly boutique that sells urban nomadic apparel for women, is holding its spring sale through April 6th. Select footwear by Trippen and Cydwoq will be marked down, as well as jewelry by French designer Ombre Claire, and clothing by Carol Young Undesigned.

WHEN: 12pm-6pm Tues-Sat, 12pm-5pm Sun
WHERE: Carol Young undesigned
ADDRESS: 1953 1/2 Hillhurst Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027
PHONE: (323) 663-0088
WEBSITE: www.undesigned.com
ADDITIONAL INFO: Spring sale is from March 25 thru April 6

The Gen Art’s New Garde fashion program has opened a pop-up shop, scheduled to close on March 30, which features the work of three emerging LA designers – JMary, Jesse Kamm and Les Sang Des Betes. The Silver Lake design store A+R is housing the temporary store and will also be selling clothing and accessories from Gen Art honorees Anita Hopkins, Brooks Salzwedel and Jeffrey Sebelia.

WHEN: 12noon-7pm Tues-Fri, 11am-5pm Sat-Sun
WHERE: A+R
ADDRESS: 1716 Silver Lake Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026
PHONE: (323) 913-9558
WEBSITE: www.aplusrstore.com
WEBSITES FOR FEATURED FASHION DESIGNERS: www.jmary.com, www.jessekamm.com, www.lesangdesbetes.com

As part of the Hammer Lecture series, Hiromi Nakamura, curator at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, will discuss the distinctive vision of a new wave of young female photographers who reflect the immediacy of Tokyo’s fashion and street scene.

Nakamura will focus on the work of two very different rising star photographers – the glamorous, hyper-colored portraits of Tokyo fashionista Mika Ninagawa, and the poignant, reflective images of everyday Tokyo by suburban mother Mikiko Hara. These women’s work will be looked at in the context of social, cultural, and technological changes in Japan.

WHEN: 1:00pm
ADMISSION: Free
WHERE: Hammer Museum
ADDRESS: 10899 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90024
PHONE: (310) 443-7000
CONTACT: www.hammer.ucla.edu
ADDITIONAL INFO: The photos of Ninagawa and Hara will be on view at the UCLA Anderson School of Management starting March 14.

For two days preview Belgian designer Dries van Noten’s Fall ’08 women’s collection at Barney’s in Beverly Hills. Samples will be showcased and special orders accepted.

Dries van Noten’s work is characterized by a creative use of prints, colors, original fabrics, and layering. He has a faithful and passionate following despite the fact that he does not advertise. Running a completely self-financed company, Dries van Noten creates four collections a year for both men and women.

WHEN: 10am-5pm
ADMISSION: Free
WHERE: Barneys New York
ADDRESS: 9570 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90212
PHONE: (310) 276-4400
BARNEYS WEBSITE: www.barneys.com
DRIES VAN NOTEN WEBSITE: www.driesvannoten.be
ADDITIONAL INFO: Trunk show is happening March 13 & March 14

Gen Art presents “The New Garde: Kicking Off Los Angeles Fashion Week” fashion show, which will feature the Fall ’08 collections of three emerging LA designers – JMary, Jesse Kamm, and Les Sang Des Betes.

Each collection will be showcased in separate customized installations with live models. The Gen Art Fashion Program has launched the careers of such avant-garde designers as Jeffrey Sebelia and Kit Pistol, Geren Ford, and FORM by Jerry Tam.

Gen Art and the Silver-Lake based design store A+R are teaming up to present The New Garde Pop-Up Shop. Current collections from the featured “New Garde” designers will be available to purchase from Saturday, March 8th through Sunday, March 30th.

WHEN: 7pm pre-reception, 8pm model presentations, 10pm after-party
ADMISSION: $50-$90
TICKETS: To purchase tickets visit www.genart.org
WHERE: Park Plaza Hotel
ADDRESS: 607 S. Park View St, Los Angeles, CA 90057
GEN ART WEBSITE: www.genart.org
A + R WEBSITE: www.aplusrstore.com
WEBSITES FOR FEATURED FASHION DESIGNERS: www.jmary.com, www.jessekamm.com, www.lesangdesbetes.com

For two days Yves Saint Laurent will be presenting its spring/summer ’08 collection at its Beverly Hills store. Champagne and hors d’oeuvres will be served.

WHEN: 11am-5pm Fri, Feb 29 & Sat, March 1
ADMISSION: Free
WHERE: Yves Saint Laurent
ADDRESS: 326 N. Rodeo Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
PHONE: (310) 271-4110
YSL WEBSITE: www.ysl.com

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Fendi’s infamous Baguette shoulder bag, creator Silvia Venturini Fendi commissioned contemporary artists to work their magic on blank canvas Baguette bags. Such artists include Jeff Koons, Mark Bradford, Delia Brown and Karen Kimmel.

Check out Fendi’s newly renovated Rodeo Drive flagship store while the one-of-a-kind bags are on display until February 26th.

Fendi is also selling a limited number of do-it-yourself Baguette kits that include a plain Baguette and ten pantone colors to customize ones own look. The kits retail at $1,300.

WHEN: 10am-6pm Mon-Thur, 10am-6:30pm Fri-Sat, 12pm-6pm Sun
WHERE: Fendi
ADDRESS: 355 N. Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90212
PHONE: (310) 276-8888
WEBSITE: www.fendi.com

From January 18 thru January 20 the TASCHEN bookstore at the Farmer’s Market in Hollywood is having its annual warehouse sale. Thousands of slightly damaged and display copies will be on sale for 50-75% off.





WHEN: 9am-9pm Fri, 9am-8pm Sat, 10am-7pm Sun
ADMISSION: Free
WHERE: TASCHEN
ADDRESS: Farmer’s Market, 6333 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90036
PHONE: (323) 931-1168
CONTACT: www.taschen.com