santa monica Archives - LAFashionsnob.com

Press Preview at +Beryll

Jun 01 2012

I had the opportunity to check out +Beryll at their Santa Monica headquarters during their press preview one afternoon. My friend Jackie was the gracious “hostess with the mostess” and looked dazzling in the chic convertible dress by the brand. I also met the designers/husband-wife team Sigmar and Petra. Petra is in charge of the womens line, whereas, Sigmar is the overall chief designer and owner, but focuses on the menswear. The brand is entirely manufactured in Los Angeles and emphasizes the slogan, handcrafted by good people- worn by good people, which, according to the brand means, “comes from a pure place, expressed by designs that are not necessarily for the ‘Mother Theresa Good’, but all the ‘good people’ like artists, actors, musicians, athletes and especially local heroes that day-in/day-out do good right at home.” The Bergs work with exceptional artisans to create timeless and luxurious pieces like silk tops, dresses, maxi skirts, knits, jewelry, limited-edition sunglasses, bags, jackets (that leather motorcycle jacket was butter!) etc. I would have to say that my favorites from the womens collection were the silk and cotton tees, red motorcycle jacket, silk maxi skirts, the Kenya Necklace and the oversize leather clutches. The separates are versatile in that you can easily dress up the silk maxi with one of their cotton tees and vice-versa. The tees are 100% organic cotton and captures either the attributes of the ocean or features one of Sigmar’s photo art. The line is on the radar of many well-known celebrities, such as: Katie Holmes, Steven Tyler, Angelina Jolie, Drew Barrymore and others. During the reception, they had a mini-photo shoot going on with models: Nicky Belardo, Jessica Today, Logan Martin and Ashley Caple. They all looked amazing and represented the brand quite well.

+Beryll is available at their flagship store in Santa Monica, in high-end stores around the country and Beryll.com.

Huge thanks to Jackie, Sigmar, Petra, the models and staff. As a thank-you, I was gifted a pair of their limited edition shades. Each pair of sunglasses is handmade and feature nickel free surgical steel and hand polished Italian acetate. The premium lenses provide 100% UVA, UVB and UVC protection. The sunglasses also come with a nifty protective hard case and cloth case.

** “Four Ways to Wear the +Beryll Convertible Dress”** (provided by +Beryll)

Kao Pao Shu Showroom Grand Opening

Aug 15 2010

Emerging brand Kao Pao Shu held their showroom grand opening in Santa Monica. The showroom is housed in a converted 5000 sq. ft. warehouse. It was a bustling evening, filled with shopping the collection, getting your portrait taken by Kao Pao Shu designer Naida’s husband-Marco, watching a live photo shoot with models styled by Studio DNA Salon and stylist- Devon Poer; and enjoying hors ‘d ouvers. I viewed the collection of tops, skirts, dresses and handbags made from the signature ribbons, webbings and fabrics found around the world. I had the delightful opportunity of meeting the brain behind the designs- Naida Begeta, born in Bosnia and graduated from the Sarajevo Academy of Fine Arts with a degree in product design. All her pieces are manufactured here in the US and are a hit in Japan (I can even see hints of Japanese influence in her avant-garde creations). I also watched as the four models got styled in couture make-up by Studio DNA Salon and after getting styled by Devon Poer, were escorted to the makeshift photo studio that was set up in a corner of the warehouse. It was exciting seeing the live photo shoot taking place and the incredible energy from the photographer, models and guests.

Kao Pao Shu showroom is located at: 1906 Olympic Blvd. Santa Monica,CA 90404. Ph:(310)453-1919. Hours: Monday – Friday 9:30am-6.30pm or Saturday by appointment.

Special Thanks: J; Francesca Albanese- Marketing Manager at Kao Pao Shu; Naida Begeta; Photographer- Marco Schillaci; the models: Chelsea Freeborn, Diana Butova, Sabrina Setarah, Morgan Blimendane; stylist: Devon Poer; Danny LeClair and the hair/make-up team at Studio DNA Salon; the volunteers and DJ.

Shecky's "Girls Night Out"

May 31 2010

What could be more ideal for a fun night out….shopping, free goodies and cocktails. I’m talking about the multi-city girls only event- “Shecky’s Girls Night Out.” I attended the recent one held at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. After checking in, I walked to the back of the venue to receive my coveted Shecky’s goody bag. Now ladies, when I mean coveted, I mean the goody bag is one of the main reasons to buy the ‘general + goody bag’ ticket (which guarantees a bag) and attend this event. The cute pink tote is filled with over $100 worth of the latest must-have products from brands such as: Dial, Venus, Veet, The Body Shop, Colgate, Rembrandt, Suave and Jergens.

That evening, I had my picture taken on the Shecky’s red carpet and also at the Veet booth, where guests could get their pictures with two gorgeous Veet models. I browsed the vast array of vendors, including The Body Shop Lounge. The helpful Body Shop consultants spoke about their latest campaign, “Stop Sex Trafficking of Children & Young People.” With every purchase of the ‘Soft Hands Kind Heart Hand Cream’ or the ‘Bag for Life,’ Body Shop with donate a certain amount of money to their campaign partners, ECPAT and the Somaly Mam Foundation. For more information on how to help out or to buy Body Shop products (I purchased the ‘Bag for Life’ for $5 at the event and is available online for the same price), go to www.thebodyshop.com/stop or www.ecpatusa.org or www.somaly.org. I spotted a rack of clothing that had been recycled from vintage pieces by designer Bridgett Artise of Born-Again Vintage. Each piece was very unique and creative. Being a designer who loves to deconstruct recycled clothes myself, I instantly became a fan. She is also the co-author of the book, Born-Again Vintage: 25 Ways to Deconstruct, Reinvent, and Recycle Your Wardrobe. Check out her site at www.b-artise.com! I do adore good skincare products…which is why I stopped by the Epicuren booth. I learned that Epicuren is made from natural ingredients (the cinnamon vanilla exfoliant is actually edible!) While one of the consultants, Heather, was telling me about the brand, she also gave me a soothing hand treatment. Afterward, my hands felt relaxed, smooth and smelled really good. Check out www.epicuren.com for more information. I stopped by the booth of accessory designer, Enovia Bedford of Accessory Remix. She was featuring chucky necklaces with neckties and bowties, ‘Chain Shades’, and chalkboard earrings! Check out www.accessoryremix.com for purchasing and more information. Towards the end of the evening, I happened upon my designer pals, Kami Shade and Rachael Broussard, selling their lines. I “hearted” the leather and sequin mini-dresses. Their websites are www.kamishade.com and www.etsy.com/shop/Supastarclothing for Rachael’s line.

I thoroughly enjoyed my evening. The place was packed and everyone had a blast. I would like to thank J, Blair Riley the Communications Coordinator at Shecky’s, Heather Lindbergh of Epicuren, Enovia of Accessory Remix, Bridgette Artise, swimwear designer Laura Soares (www.laurasoares.com), Kami Shade and Rachael Broussard, the ladies at the Body Shop, Julienne of Veet, Aidan Ivy and Keith Kirkwood-the Veet models, the vendors and Shecky’s volunteers.

Tag - santa monica