Serge Gainsbourg Tribute - Hollywood Bowl

If you're wondering about the delay on this post (if you visit me regularly, you know I post every other day) it's because I've been sulking. I had the experience of a lifetime on Sunday and the battery in my camera died just before the event began! I was lucky enough to have tickets to attend a tribute to Serge Gainsbourg at my favorite venue the Hollywood Bowl, and I must say it was the best concert I've ever experienced! So, I should just be satisfied with that but I so wanted to share the beauty of the Bowl with all of you... And there were some very inspired outfits worn by members of the audience.... another missed opportunity.... I am not whining! It was a lesson learned! I suppose I'll just have to get tickets to another show before the season is over to do her justice! 

My girlfriend and I brought our picnic inside the venue - most people bring wine and cheese and the like - but some people like to eat at the tables provided near the parking lots. It's like a tailgate party of sorts...

The program included among many talented artists, Beck; Sean Lenon and Charlotte Kemp Muhl (their band is The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger); and Claude Vanier who composed and arranged Serge's most influential concept album "Melody Nelson" performed for his first time in the US. It was by far the highlight of the evening!

A couple friends I made along the way...

The Hollywood Bowl's distinctive band shell. The structure is a set of concentric arches that first graced the site in 1929. It has been replaced many times over since then. Nestled in the Hollywood Hills, with the Hollywood Sign to the Northeast, it is the largest natural ampitheater in the US with a capacity to seat 18,000. When lit at night it is incredibly dramatic and exciting... and I didn't get a single shot! Not whining... The box seats in the front are considered the choice seats, and people "own" them the way one would own a box seat at a sporting event. I saw a concert in one once, and I have to say, I felt a little confined. I actually prefer the benches to either side. And they are less pricey!

Serge Gainsbourg was a French singer-songwriter-poet-actor-director. He is widely regarded as one of the world's most influential popular musicians. His music was tough to categorize as it followed genres like Jazz, ballads, mambos, lounge, reggae, pop (including adult contemporary pop, kitch pop, yeah yeah pop, 80's pop, pop art pop, prog pop, space age pop, psychedelic pop, and erotic pop), funk, disco, calypso, Africana, bossa nova, and rock and roll. Wow. 

Serge Gainsbourg was also quite the playboy. He wrote songs for, performed with, and seduced some of the most beautiful women in the world. His longest relationship was with the lovely and talented style icon Jane Birkin. 

(photo via Teemix)

They were never married but shared a tumultuous relationship for thirteen years and gave life to one of my favorite singers - Charlotte - in 1971. Jane collaborated with Serge on many songs, the most notable and controversial "Je T'Aime Mois... Non Plus". It was originally written for Brigitte Bardot (and there is  an original recording with B.B. in which she is said to actually orgasm) but released with Jane performing all the simulated orgasms at the climax of the song. It was banned by the Vatican... and inspired the disco hit by Donna Summers "Love to Love You".

(photo via LIFE)

(photo via mademoisellebardot)

Jane and Brigitte in "If Don Juan Were A Woman" 

The model-actress-singer Bambou - Serge's last serious relationship which produced a son "Lulu", who also performed Sunday night.

 Serge died of a heart attack in 1991 after years of living life indulgently and passionately. His funeral brought Paris to a standstill. French President Francois Mitterand declared him "...our Beaudelaire, our Appolinaire". 

Saturday Morning Los Feliz - Strawberry Basil Smoothies

Well, until yesterday we almost made it through the summer without wilting entirely! Between the heat and unexpected humidity I've been looking for ways to cool down. A nice cold smoothie is a good start... With fruit fresh from the farmer's market I like to elevate the flavor with fresh herbs. There are many combinations - mint with just about any fruit, for one - but my favorite combo is basil with strawberry!

Begin building your smoothie with a few cubes of ice for extra-frosty-goodness; add a couple scoops non-fat frozen yogurt of your choice (I love Trader Joe's "Pleasantly Tart Plain Non-Fat Frozen Yogurt); pour in a couple cups orange juice; throw in five or six plump berries and tear a few basil leaves (or as many to your liking). Blend away! You may have to add a little more juice along the way...

Let the cool down begin! 

Tell me friends, how are your surviving the last gasp of summer?

First Impressions - Los Feliz

Dressing the entrance to your home seems to have much in common with putting an outfit together. When you consider its importance - how it is the first impression before going a little deeper into someone's personal space - it's no wonder there is so much thought and personal aesthetic considered in these eclectic Los Feliz residences. Architectural styles are as diverse as this LA community, and sculptures, reliefs, hardware and the like serve as accessories.

My point exactly!

Paul Smith sunglasses; Isabel Marant sweater; Helmut Lang bandeau; Calypso cummerbund with vintage brooches; vintage skirt; Siegerson Morrison sandals.

How do you feel about these parallels? Do you think your home communicates in a similar way to your style of dress? It's so mysterious to me - my mother taught me not to judge a book by its cover... What do these entrances say about their occupants?

Happy Trails (Snack Shack) to You - Griffith Park

Griffith Park is over four thousand acres of rugged trails, golf courses and world-class activities like Griffith Observatory (you may know it from the movie Rebel Without a Cause), The Greek Theater and the LA Zoo to name a few. If you are visiting from out of town and want a perfect view of the Hollywood sign, the hike around the observatory is mandatory. I live at the base of the park, so it's a very accessible, very big part of my life. Thanks to a back injury my hiking lately has been limited to the steps of this snack shack in the woods! What awaits me there is home-baked goodies like savory and sweet tarts, cookies, pies, yummy sandwiches and lemonade or latte to wash it all down. There are plenty of Vegan offerings as well. To find this shady shack just head north on the Fern Dell entrance to the park and you'll eventually see it tucked away to the left. No need for guilt - you can always enjoy working off the calories in the nearby trails!

 My selections included a maple scone, a cheese and chive scone, a lavender vanilla shortbread cookie and strawberry lemonade!

... all enjoyed under the canopy of the most beautiful tree...

There is also a playground area on the other side of the street - be sure to bring the whole family!

Modes of Transportation and Style

When I was a little girl I remember being really taken with the Cartier clock in my father's 1979 Lincoln Continental Mark V. Many years later I realized how common it was for fashion and luxury brands to brush elbows with the car culture. At the turn of the century Alfred Dunhill catapulted his father's saddlery business into the twentieth century by designing for the growing demand for automobiles. "Dunhill's Motorities" were a line of accessories for the car and driver. Picnic sets, gloves, leather overcoats, goggles - all were considered de rigeur for motorists of the era. The cars themselves could be adorned with horns, lamps and "everything but the motor" designed by Dunhill. In the time since, cars have had their status elevated by collaborations with brands such as Guicci, Paul Smith and Eddie Bower to artists like Damien Hirst and Jeff Coons. I myself had some success in the early aughts with a line of vintage handbags emblazoned with hand painted vintage cars. Life in Los Angeles can hardly exist without a car. It is a sprawling city with limited access to public transportation. In this town, your car can not only become your mode of transportation but your accessory, or statement about your aesthetic and status. Considering how much time you spend in your car, and how much it is relied upon, this pursuit is more significant than you'd imagine! The common term "nice car, sh*t house" might give you an idea of what I'm talking about... The idea for this post came to me during a walk in my neighborhood, camera in hand. The three cars I spotted inspired three different looks. You never know when inspiration will take hold, or why, or how - all you can do is hope you will always feel it!

This 1960 Metropolitan was originally created as an economical transportation alternative in the "bigger-is-better" era of the car. It was deemed "sub compact" before the term existed. I was so thrilled to discover it outside my door! Brian, the owner, came to retrieve it just as I was approaching with my camera. He said the gas gauge no longer worked and he ran out of gas! Apparently the hood ornament was not original to the car but was true to the style of the era. (Brian really knows how to accessorize a car, wouldn't you agree?) She's obviously lounging pool-side at the Beverly Hills Hotel!

 Vintage dress from Melrose Trading Post; JCrew socks; shoes sourced on Hollywood Blvd. in a shop where exotic dancers and ladies of the night no doubt shop!

Vintage brooch and buttons

This Westfalia (converted VW camper van) is so perfectly suited for the West Coast! This one didn't conjure images of hippies... I imagined one of those family road trips to Disneyland circa 1971!

 Here's my take: vintage tunic and JBrand coated jeans.

Vintage daisy brooch amidst Murakami Daisies! 

 Kate Spade "Thai Oil" Mary Jane; vintage rattan and celluloid bag.

Not sure of the year of this Benzo but I love the 70's vibe - and this emerald color is such a hot hue this season!

Catherine Malandrino silk blouse; JBrand high rise "Hazel" wide leg jeans

Miu Miu shoes.

Curious to know where you find outfit inspirations - outside of the obvious!