Fashion Bash

Tonight's a great chance to save on designer brands at the Sassy City Chicks Fashion Bash!

Head over to Petersen Automotive Museum between 5:30 - 10pm (a GREAT venue for this kind of thing, by the way!), and pick up designer duds for huge discounts.  


In the past, we've scored Hale Bob dresses, gorgeous necklaces, gifts for friends, and free massages.  It's an LA sale worth perusing.  But get there early, woman in line for a sample sale usually mean business!


Photos: sassycitychicks.com

Shop for a cause

Just in time for Earth Day (April 22nd!), L.A. boutique, Revolve Clothing has a great promotion starting today.  Bring in a pair of old jeans, and receive 20% off your in-store purchase!

Need ideas of what to get in place of you old jeans?  Pick up The Legging by Joe's Jeans - perfect for flowy floral spring and summer tops.

Photo: Revolveclothing.com

Sunday Sample Sale!

For ABNI readers *slightly* north of Los Angeles:


A good friend, who happens to be the designer behind the delicious luxury bathrobe line Daddy's Favorite, is having a sample sale on Sunday, 9am - 2pm!

Where: 532 N. Santa Cruz Blvd.
Los Gatos, California


A percentage of the proceeds will go to the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital School.  


It's a great chance to pick up a treat for yourself, or a gift for a girlfriend!  Don't miss it!


Photos: daddysfavorite.com

Sample Sale!

A stylist friend of ours just sent us info on a big sample sale this weekend, and swears it's worth a visit!

Grai is having a 3-day blowout in downtown LA.  Visit Satine Boutique online to see some Grai pieces (while you're there check out some great Alexander Wang dresses and tanks on sale!).

Fashion Field Trip

Hi Readers,


We're back from a fashion field trip to Las Vegas for the annual Project and ENK fashion trade shows, where we got sneak peaks at fall 2010 lines, and we're excited about what we saw!!


Los Angeles based line Kova & T has some great pieces coming out next season, as does one of our favorite (but affordably out of reach) lines - Foley + Corinna.  


One trend with some potential staying power is military inspired jackets, like this one from A Common Thread (which also includes a great faux fur stole - combining two trends in one in a very chic way).

Photos: shopbop.com

Loving the look ... your thoughts?

Model and intern Milan Bertone looked fierce at the Jerell Scott Fashion Rocks event during LA Fashion Week.

Ready for the amazing part? She scored this fun, printed mini dress for 50¢ at a vintage store! Then, she styled herself by wearing the dress backward, adding a wide black leather belt, and on-trend buckled boots.

Your thoughts?

Photos: abni

Sample Sale!

Find funky, edgy-yet-feminine pieces at the Michelle Mason warehouse sale this Saturday and Sunday 10am-5pm.

Click the image for details.

Eco event!

The fabulous sustainable fashion experts at EcoStiletto.com invite you to a cocktail party to celebrate "green beauty and health" at Organic Pharmacy in Beverly Hills!

On Tuesday, October 27th from 6-9pm, enjoy mini makeovers and mini massages while drinking organic beverages.

Remember to RSVP (info below)!

Photos: ecostiletto.com

Fashion Rocks

My Friday night red carpet arrival at the Chic Little Devil Fashion Rocks party at the Cooper Building.

Check back soon for more photos and video of the Jerell Scott and Korto Momolu fashion shows!

Photo: abni

Flip Fashion

"Love is real, spread it." With a motto like that, it's no surprise that the designer behind Puja, an L.A. based line of jewelry, is a darling guy named Joshua.

Joshua with his jewelry line, Puja

I met the young designer on Friday at one of dozens of Fashion Week festivities, at the "Flip Fashion Not Humanity" Charity Sales Event (10% of all sales donated to Keep A Child Alive) at Bar Marmont.

Inspired by his half-Indian heritage, Joshua brings his designs to life in Delhi, India. Some of his designs incorporate traditional Indian enamel, but with a new twist -- instead of intricate work with many colors, in Puja we see solid, bright, bold colors -- perfect for the return of 80's fashion.

All the jewelry is unisex, and I adored the harness I tried on (which I didn't get a photo of - aah!).

Photos: abni

Who What Wear...When? Tonight!

Hillary Kerr and Katherine Power, founders of my web site obsession Who What Wear, are having a book signing in L.A. tonight! Now's your chance to meet the talented twosome yourself.

I have their book, and love their style insights and guidance.

**Update: As much as I would have liked to attend this event, a major traffic "experience" (which required serious meditation from yours truly) on the 101 completely destroyed my evening. Here's to hoping for another event with the fabulous fashionistas soon!

Photos: amazon.com, whowhatwear.com

Saturday Sale

Don't miss out on this dream sale at one of my favorite (and often unattainably expensive) L.A. boutiques!

Save $$, Save Lives

Starting tomorrow (July 30 - Aug. 2nd) get 30% off at any Gap, Inc. store, including Gap, Gap Outlet, Banana Republic, Banana Republic Factory Stores and Old Navy, and 5% of your purchase goes to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS)! Go to www.lls.org/gap to print out your Gap Give & Get coupon!

Discount for you, donation for them...everybody wins!

Click the photo below for more info on how you can help fight blood cancers.

Photos: lls.org

Mr. Marciano at The Grove

If you enjoy Marciano's bold colors, wild prints and overall glam style, pop over to The Grove tomorrow, June 12, from 6-9 PM for "an exclusive chance to meet Marciano's Head Designer [Alejandro Blanco]."

If that doesn't interest you, perhaps champagne, hors d'oeuvres and double points on any purchase will.

Photos: marciano.com

Matt & Nat update

Hundreds of people showed up for the chance to catch one of 30 Matt & Nat bags thrown lovingly out of a 4th floor window.

I wish I could have been there! Check out this footage from the event (big thanks to Andrea from Matt & Nat for sending me the link!):

Video courtesy of Matt & Nat

Sample Sale Friday

For some people in my life, today was commencement.  For others, it was moving day.  For me, it was Sample Sale Friday!  

I spent a few short hours in the Fashion District of darling downtown Los Angeles hoping to find some bargains at the Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent and Myne sample sales.  After scoring free parking at a broken meter (which I called in, just to be sure I could park there.  Yay for good karma!), I wandered over to the Cynthia Vincent showroom where a dozen or so women were moving quickly through racks and racks of marked down designer duds.

My strategy at sample sales is always the same.  Walk into the room calmly, survey the situation, and then grab everything that might fit.  

After pushing aside hanger after hanger, I managed to accumulate quite a pile of clothes to try - silk sheath dresses and tops, linen pants, metallic shorts, slip dresses, cashmere sweaters and assorted other items.

Breaking my own sample sale rules, I wore a dress to the sale.  So, I had no choice but to strip down for the try-ons, attempting to be as discreet as possible in a room full of women wearing leotards and bodysuits.  (In my own defense, it was really hot out today!)

I was able to quickly eliminate some of the dresses, the metallic shorts and the cashmere sweater, but the linen trousers and one silk jersey top stood out as instant must-haves.  

Both pairs of white linen trousers I had grabbed fit me perfectly (miraculous, I know) - one was just the right length for flats, one was just the right length for heels.  I tried on each pair multiple times and finally decided, that for the bargain price of $50 each, I had to get both.  White linen trousers are a timeless summer staple that every woman needs, and finding two pairs of white linen trousers that fit can have no alternate explanation other than fate.  

After the success of the Cynthia Vincent sale, I was ready to call it a day.  But I dutifully hopped over to the Myne sample sale two blocks away.

Although the prices were extremely enticing, and most of the styles were up my usual alley, none of the silk dresses or tops truly caught my fancy.  But, for my readers, I tried a few of them on, and I can report that Myne items are well made and silky soft.  

Overall, a tremendously successful Sample Sale Friday.  

Photos: laist.com, ABNI

Reiss' Pieces

I am a Reiss girl.  I have been ever since my cousin introduced me to its fabulousness in the U.K.

The summer I worked in London I OD'ed on Reiss, stocking up on a most perfect work shoe, a fool-proof black pencil skirt and a figure flattering summer dress.

A few months later I had a 4 hour layover at Heathrow (boo!), but thankfully it was at a terminal with a Reiss in it (yay!).  I scored a marked down L.A.-friendly "winter" coat.

So when Billion Dollar Babes announced their Reiss shopping event, I RSVPed immediately.

  

Well...I just got back from the event on Robertson and, sadly, I was underwhelmed.  The prices seemed marked up to compensate for the 20% discount on everything in the store, and the pressure to follow trends seemed to have taken their Spring/Summer collection away from their more signature wearable feminine designs.

They did, however, have some fantastic items in eye-catching blues, yellows and pinks...just a little out of my price range.

Photo: billiondollarbabes.com

Project Runaway

I haven't bothered with Jordache since...oh say, 1987.  Something about the brand always screamed 80's to me.

Wait, what?  The 80's are back?

In celebration of this fashion reawakening, Jordache is launching Heidi Klum's Spring 2008 Collection at the Beverly Center Bloomingdale's.  Tomorrow (Wednesday), between 6:30 and 7:30 pm you can meet Heidi Klum and get a free t-shirt when you spend over $100.

Photo: msnbc.com

Spring Cleaning

Ever wonder how you can clean out your closet and do a good deed at the same time?  Well it's your lucky day...

A Day of Beauty, part of Big Sunday 2008, has arrived.  Donate your gently used clothing to help women in need at the Good Shepherd Shelter for Battered Women with Children.

Donations can be dropped off at 1715 North Gower 90028 from 9am to 6pm on April 26th and 27th for the event on May 4th.  

Click on the above links for more information.

E.vil Excursion

An Earth Day field trip to Fred Segal in Santa Monica proved to be simply enlightening.  Not only did I score a great aubergine tent dress (to be belted, of course) and fiery red top by Frenzii, I also discovered a fantastic style of hat for we smaller-headed people, and stumbled upon a cheeky event celebrating eco-friendly fashion.

First up was the hat department.  Designer Odd Molly created an adorable 20's inspired crochet hat for their Summer 2008 collection.  I fell in love with the "Smallville Sunhat" in grey as soon as I saw it on the shelf.  Assuming it wouldn't fit me (my only baseball hat is size "youth"), I walked away until Lauri of Fred Segal Hats stopped me and insisted I try it on.  Not only did it fit, I learned that other hats inspired by 1920's style tended to fit me too!  So, proud owner of my first non-weather related hat, I am now transitioning into becoming a hat person.  I cannot tell you how excited I am to explore this whole new world.  (Note: The photo does not show the adorable and perfect purple bow on the back.)

Then came the clothing shopping, where I found two great summer pieces by Frenzii.  This was no small feat, mind you, amidst the dimmed lights, DJ-pumping music and groups of rhinestone-encrusted t-shirt wearing employees gathered around cocktail tables covered with pretty beverages.  Although it was a challenge, I was happy to shop during the set-up for a Heal the Bay benefit thrown by fashion line Queen of e.vil and Svedka Vodka.  

Photos: pictopia.com, oddmolly.com, bizbash.com