Pure, Unadulterated Joy

#JDVTravel at #StyleFashionWeekLA was a blast @MalanBreton's #fashion show.

By Joy A. Kennelly

Part of the fun of attending Style Fashion Week LA is seeing what all the attendees are wearing to highlight their fashion style and also bumping into old friends I generally only see at events. Here's me and Rocco of Fashion News Live after the show.

Rocco of Fashion News Live with Joy

It was fun to attend Malan Breton's Asian-inspired fashion show as it opened Style Fashion Week LA with a very distinctive flavor which included live music, a mini-doc, and interesting couture fashions designed from brocade in bright colors and also very soft colors.

Here's a few pix to entice you to click over to our fan page for all our Fashion Show coverage here.

JDV Travel Member, Isabelle, enjoyed Style Week Fashion LA Show

One of our JDV Travel members, Isabelle, enjoyed the excitement and original fashions displayed throughout the floor.

Male model wearing Malan Breton design

 One of the many bright suits the male models wore to open the show. Definitely could see the Asian influence here. And one of the sophisticated gowns also shown.

Don't forget, for more fashion highlights, please click over to our Joie De Vivre Travel fan page here.

Malan Breton's classic brocade gown

@ks_saturday kicked off Summer Solstice early by throwing a party at The Roof on Wilshire

Kate Spade Saturday, the brand known for channeling the spirit of Saturday 7 days a week, kicked off the summer solstice early by throwing a party for select fashion media and celebrities.

Guests celebrated the weekend at The Roof on Wilshire, which was decked out Kate Spade Saturday style with carnival games, bright yellow cocktails, and models showing off the latest collection.

EMMY ROSSUM

(Wearing Kate Spade Saturday’s Cut-Out Flare Periwinkle Dress along with Hyper Pink Envelope Clutch)

FREIDA PINTO

(Wearing Kate Spade Saturday’s Overlap Top in White & The Skinny Jean in Blue Dust Splatter along with the Gold Lock Crossbody in Pale Mauve, Espadrille Flats in Crosswalk Stripe, and Confetti Statement Necklace in Black/White)

ZOEY DEUTCH

(Wearing Kate Spade Saturday’s Criss-Cross Dress in Black and All Along Mini Satchel in Tawny)

CAT DEELEY

(In Kate Spade Saturday’s Leather Terracotta Drape Jacket and a Pale Mauve Drawstring Pouch Bag)

LYDIA HEARST

(Wearing Kate Spade Saturday’s Mini A Satchel in Hyper Pink)

The party proved that #Saturday Is the best day of the week, hands down!

Visiting @LukeStoreyStyle with @SchoolofStyle Downtown LA @standarddtla and other news #Fashion #Style #Stylists

By Joy A. Kennelly

THE SCHOOL OF STYLE

Although I'm not a stylist, I've represented a few, dressed customers when I worked in retail, have assisted stylists who styled my clients for their red carpet appearances, and assisted with pulling clothes for fashion news segments when representing the Beverly Center, years ago.

Remember Actress Yari DeLeon? I assisted Stylist Jennnifer Margolin to help her pull this look together for Yari's red carpet appearance with the Lincoln Lawyer.

As a result, I understand this world and enjoy it because I also studied Fashion Merchandising and worked in retail for many years. I would never want to be the key stylist though because it's too much responsibility!:)

That's why I enjoyed popping in to hear Stylist, Luke Storey, during his School of Style at the Downtown Standard as he taught this past Sunday.

Here's some of the students who attended.

Here's Luke's bio to give you an idea of his styling qualifications (caught him in action teaching.:)   "Luke Storey is a wardrobe stylist currently based in Los Angeles. In his 14 years as a stylist Luke has worked with a diverse range of artists such as Marilyn Manson, Foo Fighters, Sarah Machlahan, Daughtry, Rilo Kiley, Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, No Doubt, Kris Allen, TV On The Radio, and many others. 

Luke has also appeared on the hit television shows The Hills, America’s Most Smartest Model, and Glam God.

In 2008 Luke founded School Of Style, a school for aspiring stylists. During a series of courses Luke teaches every aspect of the business and art of wardrobe styling. School Of Style currently offers classes at Smashbox Studios in Los Angeles, and Ace Hotel in New York City."

Similar to the Musicians Institute (where I taught social media and produced social media seminars), this school gives students a leg up in the fashion industry (just like Musicians Institute does for musicians. All musicians should check out MI's open house on July 20 in Hollywood. Register quick cuz it fills up fast: http://www.mi.edu/open-house)

It's not just the education, but also all the connections you make when joining an established vocational school in the industry you're pursuing. The School of Style creates great opportunities and more.

If you love fashion and want to cut ahead of the pack to learn what it takes to become a successful stylist faster, then you may want to consider taking School of Style vocational courses because I don't think there's another intensive like this, but correct me if I'm wrong.

Plus, the Downtown Standard is so cool you'll enjoy being there regardless. (Here's the ping pong room, and the rooftop pool is really fun too.)

For the short time I was there, Luke spoke on what will get you fired, what will get you hired, the do's and don'ts of styling from the business angle and more. He's funny, tells it like it is, and pulls from his years of experience which I liked. Plus, his words of wisdom apply to any industry even if you decide a career in styling isn't for you.   And lastly ladies, he's a cutie so not hard on the eyes.:)

When I spoke to students at the break they said they enjoyed learning about how to price their services, pursue assistant work, build their stylist portfolio and billing tips too. A few I spoke to had gone to college to pursue other degrees and careers, but decided to pursue fashion because they enjoyed it.

Fashion Blogger and Film/Commercial Wardrobe Stylist, Anika, who was in attendance said, "You can really make anything you like to do happen." She feels her social work background comes in handy for styling because it helps her to easily build rapport with clients. 

Another stylist I met was Bree Cooley who surprised me because I thought everyone attending was a student, but she's actually someone who attended to recruit for her styling business.

She  has 17 years experience working in the film industry as a Wardrobe Stylist & Costume Designer if you're looking for an internship.

You may recognize her from her fashion blog too: www.stylistdiva.com. 

Because she's plus size like me, I asked her all my personal styling questions to which she graciously answered.

She told me contrary to what the fashion industry and editorial mags (my slang, not hers) would have you believe, over 65% of women are over size 14. 

So there ya go Ambercrombie and Fitch CEO! LOL Abercrombie & Fitch's plus-sized controversy heats up; celebrities weigh in 

That goes the same for all the myopic Hollywood producers who think only size 0 are relatable to America. Get a clue.

The majority of American women like to eat and we're not going anywhere any time soon! LOL

Oh, and if anyone knows Melissa McCarthy, please give her Bree's info because she gets your body type girlfriend! And her parting words of advice for all the plus size girls in the house, "Be confident in who you are. Be healthy. Own your body." Great advice for everyone to follow.

Taking Luke's courses not only helped accomplished stylists with connections, but also those who were just getting their feet wet like Visual Merchandizer, Tony who enjoyed the Do's and Don'ts and proper etiquette for this career. He especially enjoyed hearing the Superman analogy which you'll just have to attend to hear in person.

School of Style offers aspiring stylists the tools they need to get discovered and learn what they need to know.  Check it out!

And tell Luke and Lauren Joy sent you: www.theschoolofstyle.com

Oh, and if you are really interested and have time tonight, Wednesday, July 17, 2013, check out this cool class they're offering! 

And in other fashion news....

ASHLEY BY DESIGN

"The Ashley DeRamus Foundation, a Birmingham-based charity founded for and dedicated to the education, advancement and quality lifestyle of children and adults with Down syndrome, is pleased to announce the debut of its fashion line specifically tailored for females with Down syndrome – a perfect fit that is hard to achieve off-the-rack.

'We came up with the idea for a fashion line for girls with Down syndrome because it has been so hard to find clothes for Ashley over the years, making shopping more of a hassle than an enjoyable experience,' said Connie DeRamus, mother of Ashley DeRamus, the 30-year-old founder of the Ashley DeRamus Foundation who has Down syndrome. 'Those with Down syndrome tend to have different body types than most clothing lines are made for, and we wanted those with Down syndrome to feel just as confident as anyone else, so the idea for the fashion line was born. These clothes are meant to fit without alterations and to make those who wear them feel beautiful.'

Along with her mother, the line was designed by Ashley, the inspiration and namesake of the foundation. They will both travel from Birmingham, Ala., to debut the fashion line at the National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC) Annual Convention held July 19-21, 2013 in Denver, Colo.

While there, the Ashley DeRamus Foundation will display their designs at a booth equipped with dressing rooms and full runway for those to try on and model the new styles, which can be purchased at the convention or online at www.ashleybydesign.com. 

(Side note, was hoping to have some designs and a picture of Ashley to share with you, but the publicist never responded. I hope you go to their website to see a few though.:)

Ashley DeRamus, the 30-year-old founder of the Ashley DeRamus Foundation who has Down syndrome, and her mother Connie came up with the idea for a fashion line for girls with Down syndrome because it has been so hard to find clothes for Ashley over the years, making shopping more of a hassle than an enjoyable experience. Those with Down syndrome tend to have different body types than most clothing lines are made for, and Ashley and Connie wanted those with Down syndrome to feel just as confident as anyone else, so the idea for the fashion line was born. The new styles are meant to fit without alterations and to make those who wear them feel beautiful."

Fashion Digital Los Angeles Conference Wrap-up Part 2 #Fashion #Ecommerce

By Joy A. Kennelly

Fashion Digital LA recently wrapped up at the Director's Guild of America and what a powerful conference it was. I met upper-level executives from Nordstrom, ShoeDazzle, Jurlique, numerous smaller fashion brands like Apliq and Ellie, and major tech companies like Google, Amazon and more.

This is my kinda conference - where tech intersects fashion and people have been in the business a little longer than their 20's, but they're there to liven things up too like the founder of Apliiq.

Founded in 2008, Apliiq is a customizable clothing company that collects rare, deadstock and recognizable textiles and applies them to everyday garments. (From his press release.) Aren't these cute? 

The reason I enjoy fashion is I have an AA in Fashion Merchandising, represented a few stylists, worked in retail for five years and have covered LA Fashion Week and other major fashion events across the country for over 7 years. My wardrobe may not always reflect the latest fashions, but if money was no object I would be a fashionista!:)

I love hearing amazing fashion icons discuss their passions, business practices and experiences in this realm. Especially as I continue to build my online women's community for female travelers. I always find you learn something from everyone regardless of whether or not it's in your exact industry. This one just happened to fit in perfectly with what I'm working on.

Smart people's practices translate across every industry.

And smart people were there at the DGA in full force. First up, was Lubov Azria, Chief Creative Officer, BCBGMAXAZRIA GROUP, who was interviewed by Annie Georgia Greenberg of Refinery 29, both true fashionistas.

Lubov was warm, gracious, humble and nothing like I expected from one of the world's most recognizable tastemakers. And Annie was a very good moderator, not injecting herself into every question. What a breath of fresh air!

Sometimes younger fashion people can be so snobby and none of the speakers, attendees, and vendors at Digital Fashion LA were anything like that which was really refreshing. It was an extremely professional conference on many, many levels. I was very impressed. Green Pearl knows what they are doing.

Back to the conversation. 

Lubov explained rather than selling a brand, she feels they are selling a lifestyle. I heard that a lot from many of the speakers and it made sense. She also explained the simple truth, "No one needs more clothes." That's why her company focused on consumer's wants vs. needs and catered to those who really believe in the brand, in particular, her elite customers - those who spend money. She stated that 20 elite customers can bring in 1 million in sales. Whoa!

Her motto is based on Henry Ford's quote, "If I asked people what they wanted, I would have heard faster horses, but I made cars." She wants to inspire people to live inspirationally. She also said they are driven by providing a mix of high and low design, not merchant driven. 

Now this is the part I found fascinating and other e-tailers will too potentially. When asked her e-commerce strategy, Lubov said they believe in engagement specializing in how the customer goes on their site. They listen to customer feedback, consider communication very important and make it easy for the consumer. They also believe in Geo targeting, use Facebook, emails, and blogger partnerships - they create events because both experiences online and in-store are very important.

See? Us bloggers are important!:) 

Lubov supports a charity helping disadvantaged children and was touched to hear a young child had enjoyed her site because it's "the store that's open and never closes. It's fun and you can shop whenever you want." Thus, providing a small escape from the harsh realities of this child's life.

When asked by the moderator for an example of another company doing it right, Lubov offered Net-A-Port as an example of catering to consumers as a brand that does it best. She loved the whole experience of buying from them - the smell, the art and the packaging. Packaging is key! Made me want to buy something just to see what she was talking about!:)

Back to online though, she did share they are limiting their partnerships to keep consistency with their brand. Too many people don't properly use logos, colors or style which affects the brand overall. It's very important to stick to your brand dna - be very clear to your customer who you are. People buy because of what you do. The company's main focus now is on personalizing the experience across all platforms and methods of outreach. She wasn't the only speaker to mention that either.

Many were limiting affiliate marketing except for Pinterest to keep their content consistent with their brand. Currently, BCBG is redesigning the site, including more video (great to hear since that's something I'm including in mine!) with bigger windows, more zoom ability - making it so the customer doesn't have to think and making it easier, more effortless through digital.

She kinda pooh poohed many of the 360 camera shots of images claiming video was much more interesting and engaged more consumers. 

However, for many companies I'm sure it's a viable alternative. Plus, as a consumer, I like those visuals. What I hate are tiny thumbnails that make it hard to see the image. Otherwise, I'm cool with seeing it rotate and find it fun to spin the product.:)

Lubov wasn't the only person to say video was key throughout the day either.  Both Mary Cooney, AVP - eCommerce, Kérastase & Shu Uemura Art of Hair (seen above) and Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, Founder & CEO, Joyus.com said basically the same thing. (Loved her site name.:)

Here's a fun example from Joyus:    Sukhinder said with video there is more of an implicit trust because people don't feel like they're being sold to. It's just part of an authentic story about the brand. She said it's rare that the founders are involved in the actual video because she preferred to use Network Chefs, stylists, makeup artists and others who are known and unknown to tell the story.

One interesting tool they also employ is adding the shopping cart right in the video making it very easy for the consumer to purchase if they like what they're watching. "We want our customer to be serendipitous," said Sukhinder. "Video is very impactful."

Her company uses curation with a trusted personality aligning with the woman they are selling to which creates a user experience akin to discovery. There's a direct connection to the consumer similar to many of the popular direct selling companies like J. Hilburn which was mentioned in another session. 

David Towers, Vice President – Ecommerce, Wet Seal's advice regarding how video is presented was to keep it short, focus on one item, 2-3 min max, and don't give too many choices. A sample merchandising formula is to create a look, but don't talk about everything. Keep the focus on one product.

Good advice, don't you agree?

That said, make sure it's viable from multiple viewpoints - ie Kindle, cell, mobile and PC. David feels mobile is taking over with his demographic - teenagers. That's why he felt it was very important to have a responsive design. 

Eric Koger, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder, along with his wife/partner, Susan Gregg Koger, Chief Creative Officer & Co-Founder, ModCloth, agreed during their session too. With over 1 million sales in 2012 alone, I think I'll listen to what they have to say. 

They employ many cute marketing programs that have been extremely successful in engaging their community. They keep their product line live on the web forever and as a result, any time someone is shopping if they see something they like, Modcloth will accomodate their request if enough people click their "I need it" button. This allows Modcloth to bring back outdated and sold-out items according to customer demand.

It also provides Modcloth with an accurate assessment of customer trends. Another cute idea was having a "love list" which entails clicking a heart similar to a "like" button on Facebook. There was a much higher engagement on mobile with this. When someone clicks the heart button, cute phrases pop up like, "XOXO" or "We were made for each other." The person who came up with all of those had a lot of fun creating these phrases! 

Interesting facts presented throughout the day on conversion rates were as follows:

• A good e-commerce site will have a 20% conversion rate.
• A bricks-n-mortar store will have a 20-30% conversion rate.

• Modcloth receives 40% of their traffic from mobile and that has doubled since January. Weekends are growing for interaction and Wed too with Thanksgiving their highest sales. They surmised all their users were probably sneaking in shopping while visiting relatives.:) 
• Modcloth has experienced a 40% increase in revenue every year. They have found installing an app makes a user shop more.
• They aren't the only company to benefit from mobile. 21% of all users buy 44% of the volume sales. 25%+ are Paypal active and 10% of all payments are made on mobile. Overall transactions are 38%. Now this is the fact that really blew me away. Did you know that Ebay has 112 million active users whereas PayPal has 123 million? That's amazing to me. 

On Gorjana Griffin, 88% have PayPal accounts and customers spent 2.5 million on Ebay during a 12 month period. Wallets were the top sellers with Louis Vuitton and Chanel in the 25 - 50 dollar range were the highest purchases. This fact was courtesy Roy Rubin, Co-Founder, Co-General Manager & COO, Magento if memory and my notes hold true.

3. If someone buys online and picks it up in person, there is a 300% conversion rate.

Interesting fact, isn't it? The experience in the "physical" world is still very important.

Now one program that kept coming up throughout the day as a way to track this online activity was InSparq. It tracks customers as they interact socially. Helps a marketer learn who is driving traffic to your site and then provides a way for you to use that info to segment your audience.

Kinda creepy to the lay person, but as a marketer, you really do want to know what is making your readers, viewers, shoppers "click." How do you like that play on words?:) Many, many of the top online retailers were using it and the Insparq moderator was very sharp. If I were an ecommerce site, I would recommend checking it out. The other popular one was Looker which provides data flexibility, reporting, and decisions in real time.

Another popular program was called MyThings which Expedia and AirBnB employ. It creates ads to drive traffic back to your site which explains why everywhere I looked after I wrote about Tailored Republic, I saw only their ads everywhere. I had always wondered why that was true and my lunch mate explained this was actually part of a software program he sold.

Hadar Paz, North America CEO, inside.tm, gave a very interesting presentation of how his program worked which essentially re-creates the real world shopping experience with a virtual one inside his online store floor plan.

Imagine you're an online shopper searching around a website looking for an item, how would you like someone to pop up and say, "Hi, how's your weather today?" Here's an example of a sample conversation and experience shown visually.

 

     I'm giving you highlights because I think these are the key take-aways, at least for me. The whole day was really interesting and I learned a lot.

Here's some random shots to showcase the day's events... 

My interview with #Fashion #Startup @T_Republic - Be the Best Dressed Man in the Room

By Joy A. Kennelly

Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting two very handsome men, Brian Luscombe and Jeff Settle of Tailored Republic, as I'm wont to do at all the various functions I attend. However, this time our meeting revolved around fashion.

Men's fashion that is.

I was thrilled to see this company representing at Cross Campus and others focused on men's fashion too because for the past seven years of covering LA Fashion Week, it was rare to find any menswear at all! As a result, I decided to interview them to learn more about this new LA Fashion Startup.  

Brian Luscombe (L) and Jeff Settle (R), co-founders of Tailored Republic showcasing their company during the Digital LA/Cross Campus Fashion Show.

What are your backgrounds and how did you two find each other?

Jeff: I met Brian when I was in fourth grade.  I had just moved from LA to Portland, Oregon and we went to the same elementary school together.  It was there that we started wreaking havoc on the playground and forming our friendship.  In sixth grade, I moved back down to LA.

We continued to keep in touch, especially throughout college, where I would make trips to Brian's Alma Mater, USC, and he would make trips to mine, ASU.  I got my degree in Finance with an emphasis in entrepreneurship and started building business plans and businesses.  

Brian: Our friendship really forged over youth sports. I remember Jeff’s basketball team struggling with our much more dominant on-court presence.

Growing up as a young boy in Portland, I always knew that I wanted to go to college in California to study engineering (when I was really young I would say I wanted to be “an inventor”) and that is exactly what I eventually did. 

I know from hearing your story Jeff, you were traveling when you had the brainstorm. How did you afford to travel, what were you doing before traveling, and how long were you gone before you had the brainstorm/idea/concept?

Jeff: I sold my stake in a startup business I had been working on and that afforded me the ability to travel. A lot of people have the misconception that traveling is expensive. Going on a vacation is expensive, but long term traveling, especially in cheap places like SE Asia, is actually cheaper than paying for rent stateside. 

Nha Trang, a coastal city and capital of Khanh Hoa province, on the South Central Coast of Vietnam

Little boy happy to see himself in the picture Brian took while traveling in Sapa, Vietnam. Brian and Jeff traveled together and separately throughout SE Asia at the same time.

I had been travelling through SE Asia for 2.5 months and had been doing a lot of eye-opening activities before the idea for Tailored Republic came to me.  

I had traveled islands in Thailand with Brian and another friend and had just completed a 10-day meditation retreat in Cambodia.

After the retreat, I journeyed up the coast of Vietnam on a $150 dirt bike and arrived in Hoi An, where the countless number of custom tailors inspired the idea to bring the experience stateside and Tailored Republic was born. 

I'm not seeing where either you or Jeff have experience in tailoring. Are you shipping this business overseas to tailors? Or doing it yourselves? If so, how did you learn how to do this type work? 

Brian: We are outsourcing the tailor work overseas. We use some of the same top notch factories for the production of our fabrics and suits/shirts as companies such as Calvin Klein and Hugo Boss. 

Jeff: As far as the measurements and style consultations go, I learned how to fit clients by sitting down with many different people, ranging from master tailors to fashion designers/stylists, and then picking their brain about style, fit, and suits in general. I have found that people are always eager to help someone who is trying to build a company/brand that is new and exciting. 

How long has Tailored Republic been in business?

Jeff: We incorporated the business March 31 of 2012 and we started selling suits to clients in October of 2012. We decided to establish a “ground game” selling suits to customers in person for months before we launched the full online experience. This allowed us to get a better idea of what customers wanted and how we could deliver an excellent experience to them, from the initial interactions to the final, delivered product. 

What size is a typical Tailored Republic client? 

Jeff: All Sizes!  We offer suits that fit, meaning we suit short, tall, normal, and abnormal.  That's the beauty of our business; we can make a suit that fits anyone.

Brian: Yeah, a lot of people say to us “I want to lose some weight before I buy a made-to-measure suit.” But what they don’t realize is that we build the suits to make you look as flattering as possible. Everybody looks excellent if the suit fits.  

Why do people choose to work with Tailored Republic?

Brian: We make them happy and we make them look good.  When our clients work with us, we give them an experience that is much more suited to the modern man than being dragged unwillingly around a department store.  A lot of modern men love the convenience of being able to get an amazing wardrobe with a few simple clicks.  

We give them a suit that brings out their confidence.  When you're wearing a custom tailored suit, it’s the difference between opening the door as you walk into a restaurant and having the door opened up for you.  The way you feel and the way people look at you is completely changed.  And our clients love that feeling. 

What are the benefits and features Tailored Republic offers?

Brian: Our service provides savings in terms of cost and time.  By eliminating a lot of the wasteful overhead costs associated with having a brick and mortar store, we deliver a better suit for money spent and we provide a convenient way for customers to build their wardrobe.  

We also provide options.  Our customers are shocked at the level of customizability that we can offer them and deliver upon. If you have any additional requests that you don’t see on the website just shoot us an email or give us a call. Full canvas? We can do it. Double-breasted?  Sure. Magicians have even reached out to us about suits with special built-in pockets. Yeah, we can do that too. That is the beauty of full customization. 

Do you have any investors and what was the process like to find them? What stage are you currently?

Jeff: Our Seed investor was StartEngine.  Finding them was not too difficult.  They were doing a pretty good job of generating press and we checked them out.  We applied and they brought us in for an initial interview.  From there, we got funded and the business was set into motion. After the initial seed funding, a couple of close friends of mine have leant a helping hand, both financially and from a mentor perspective, so I certainly want to give a big thanks to Chris Kennedy and Tim Cheney.

We're currently generating traction and building ways to connect with even more of our customers.

Brian: To add on to what Jeff was saying, we would really like to build as much of this business the “old-fashioned way” as possible; sell some suits, make a profit, and then invest this profit back into the business. Doing this allows control of the company to stay in our hands and also allows us to immediately focus on expanding our customer base as opposed to spending all of our time trying to raise capital.

What are your long-term goals for Tailored Republic?

Brian: I would love to see Tailored Republic become the go-to brand for trendy men across the nation. Personally, I would love to go on a nationwide tour to help spread the brand to every man. Tailored suits are no longer solely for the yacht and caviar crowd.

Jeff: I want to build Tailored Republic into a brand that clothes the modern gentleman.  It signifies class, cool, and fun.  

Do you anticipate expanding Tailored Republic to include women's fashion?

Brian: We actually have our first Woman’s blazer sample in production as we speak. So many women have approached us asking if we do made-to-measure women’s blazers that we realized it would be foolish not to explore the opportunity.

Jeff: Maybe we should make you a blazer and find out, Joy!

Yes, Jeff, maybe you should!:)

And this concludes my interview with two amazing entreprenuers set on changing the way men present themselves. I personally wish them much success because nothing beats a well-dressed man in a suit.

Don't you agree ladies?:)

For more information, or to order your own custom suit: https://www.tailoredrepublic.com/

Fun Weekend Ideas - @Disconnect_Film and @Coachella fashions & @GQ's music recommendations

By Joy A. Kennelly

I covered Designer Marc Jacobs' appearance in the new film, Disconnect, a bit ago and it opens tonight! Always fun to see people play roles that are outside their real life profession. Here's the blurb from the official site: 

"Disconnect explores the consequences of modern technology and how it affects and defines our daily relationships. Shot with eavesdropped naturalism, it marks the first fiction feature from Henry-Alex Rubin, director of the Oscar-nominatedMurderball. Disconnect is produced by Mickey Liddell and Jennifer Monroe of LD Entertainment and William Horberg of Wonderful Films from an original screenplay by Andrew Stern.

The ensemble cast includes Jason Bateman (Identity Thief, The Change-Up, Up in the Air), Hope Davis (Real Steel, Mildred Pierce), Frank Grillo (Gangster Squad, The Grey), Paula Patton (Precious,Mission Impossible-Ghost Protocol), Michael Nyqvist (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), Andrea Riseborough (Oblivion, Brighton Rock, W. E.), Alexander Skarsgård (True Blood, Melancholia) and Max Thieriot (Jumper), as well as Jonah Bobo (Crazy, Stupid, Love), Colin Ford (We Bought A Zoo) and Haley Ramm (X-Men).

Can't wait to see this because it's getting rave reviews as evidenced here:

As someone deeply enmeshed in this realm, have to admit, a little nervous to see it too because apparently it's your worst internet nightmare come to life.

Here's the trailer in case you haven't heard the buzz.

 

The stories of strangers, neighbors & colleagues collide in a dramatic thriller about ordinary people struggling to connect in today's wired world. Now Playing! disconnectthemovie.com  (As taken from their Twitter page.:)

Looking forward to seeing Justin Bateman too. He's always great.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Found this on GQ and thought you might like it too: "In fashionable enclaves of Los Angeles, an exodus is underway, as throngs of music junkies and waifish indie princesses embark on their yearly pilgrimage to Indio for three days of pool parties, look-at-me fashion, and stargazing.

This year's festival lineup features over a hundred acts on six stages, ranging from Blur and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, to Jessie Ware and Pusha T. To help us navigate the party, we reached out to some of the most trusted tastemakers in LA's music scene to find out what acts you can't miss, the best new artists to catch, and three cardinals rules of Coachella.

 

Read More http://www.gq.com/blogs/the-feed/2013/04/coachella-festival-best-bands-concerts.html#ixzz2QGzyYoYS

Then come back here to see what to wear.:) Here's some ideas for men and women to beat the heat, stay warm at night and look fashionable during the day.

 

 

I forgot to list where you can buy these cute fashions so here, in no particular order are the brands and websites if you click the link ok? Enjoy!

• Arthur and Livingston necklaces which are both $48.00 (CUTE!) www.arthurandlivingston.com

• Levi's authentic trucker jacket $98.00  http://us.levi.com/product/index.jsp?productId=17086036&&cp=3146849.3146909.3146912

• Levi's 511 Slim Fit Commuter Oil Blue Shorts $64.00 (CUTE!:) http://us.levi.com/product/index.jsp?productId=16898416&&cp=3146842.4305630.18627286.19992096

• Tees by Tina Printed Bandeau $30 www.teesbytina.com
• Level 99 Casey Tomboy Shorts in Douglas, $105 www.level99jeans.com
• Ban.do Glitterati Twist Scarf, $20 www.shopbando.com
• Milk the Goat Laguna Bikini, $79 www.milkthegoat.net
• Converse Drifted Beanie, $25 www.Converse.com
• Junk Food Grateful Dead Vintage Tribeland Tank, $32 www.JunkFoodClothing.com
• Bed Stu Point Dune in Black slipons, $49 www.bedstu.com
• Converse Poly Back to it Backpack, $45 www.Zapos.com
• Peggy Printed Maxi Dress, $13.99 (click the name to get to the website)

And if you find you really like Palm Springs heat, sign up to win a weekend getaway here: http://visit.palmspringsoasis.com/?utm_source=article&utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=coachellafashion

And that's all she wrote. Enjoy your weekend!

Here's my #ACMs Winners and Fashion Mavens coverage: @mirandalambert, @kramergirl, @taylorswift13, @thompsonsquare and @jeweljk

By Joy A. Kennelly

If you're like me, then you love country music and enjoyed last night's ACM's very much. I was surprised not to see the Zac Brown Band mentioned, but maybe I just missed something. In any case, I thought Luke and Blake did a great job hosting.

I was shocked to see Luke Bryan win (although no doubt he deserved it and I really like him!) But I think at one point Blake was holding him up to prevent him from passing out from shock himself! Did you notice that too?:)

What I like about the ACM's and country scene in general is, from the outside at least, it looks like they are all really supportive of each other and want everyone to do well. I was moved right along with Miranda Lambert when she shared how she cried all night after the thrill of singing with her musical idols, Faith Hill, Reba and Shania Twain. I would have to! Here's her acceptance speech again in case you missed it:

 

Notice Blake having to catch his breath a little after too? That's why I love him. He just wears his emotions on his sleeve. Miranda surprised me by being so emotional and to see her melt like that was very touching. That's why I like her too. Tough on the outside, softy on the inside.

Here's some pix from her appearance last night:

Singer Miranda Lambert is stunning in Ocnarf Sairutsa and ELAHN Jewels at the 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards on April 7th, 2013 in Las Vegas, NV. Miranda wore Ocnarf Sairutsa's Alas Ring in Sterling Silver, Black Rhodium, and Diamond. She also wore the Square Diamond Floral Ring by ELAHN Jewels while performing on stage with the Pistol Annies and Blake Shelton. 

(Here is Miranda with Blake and Luke Bryan's wife, Caroline Boyer. You know why I like country music so much too from a fashion standpoint? Real women with real curves. Never see that in rock-n-roll, although I do consider Miranda a little bit of a rocker hence her taste in this jewelry which is rock inspired...:)

 

  Ocnarf Sairutsa is the Los Angeles based line found in 2011 by Priscilla Franco-Asturias and Andrea Franco -Asturias. Each piece is hand-made with natural elements and offers a unique vintage rock edge.

Ocnarf Sairutsa has already attracted the attention of celebrities such as Katy Perry, Halle Berry, and Anne Hathaway and is available for purchase at www.ocnarfsairutsa.com

    

ELAHN Jewelry is the collaborative line by Leora Talmor and her mother Elahn. The line  has a modern edge while adding Gothic, Victorian, and ancient eastern elements and making the pieces timeless and classic.

 

The collection includes a mixture of rustic mined and sliced diamonds combined with classically cut diamonds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds, rutilated quartz, and moonstones set in antiqued silver and gold. ELAHN Jewelry is available for purchase at www.elahnjewels.com.

Arent' they just the cutest couple? I want one just like him.:)

   

Here's a close-up of the jewelry and more details in case you want to give someone a nice gift, or buy one for yourself:

Ocnarf Sairutsa Alas Ring in Sterling Silver, Black Rhodium, and 1.17 CT Diamonds. $1,700.00

 

 
ELAHN Jewels Square Diamond Floral Ring in 18K Gold, Rutilated Quartz and Diamonds. Price Upon Request.

Now it's not always about borrowed jewels...

Here's an up-and-coming performer, Jana Kramer, who was nominated for New Female Vocalist of the Year and New Artist of the Year. She performed her single "Whiskey" and showed off her engagement ring from fellow New Artist of the Year nominee, Brantley Gilbert. Someone's happy and excited!:)

 

Now if you're a fan of Taylor Swift you'll know she was just listed in InStyle as one of the best dressed for wearing another gold dress too.

Both ladies wowed photographers on the red carpet with similar gold gowns and up-do’s.
 
Jana was looking golden in head-to-toe Badgley Mischka with Norman Silverman earrings while Taylor sparkled in a Dolce & Gabbana dress, Jimmy Choo shoes, Norman Silverman earrings, and a Le Vian ring.

 

Didn't you just love Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift and Keith Urban performing Tim's new song, Highway Don't Care? I do. I can totally relate because driving is my way of dealing with stress that is too big to handle in person sometimes.

 

Driving is also where I feel safe crying, singing and talking to God to get it all out. Doesn't happen very often just to clarify, but do love ridding myself of all those toxins!:) Love this song!

 

Plus, it reminds me of driving to a casino in the desert to hear Keith Urban perform years ago and meeting him backstage at a fan meet and greet with a friend who was in love with him. Yes, I am that good of a friend. LOL

 

Gold wasn't the only popular color of the night. Check out Shawna Thompson with her husband, Miami of Thompson Square fame backstage after winning Duo of the Year. Another happy couple!

Don't you love her earrings? Here's the details per the publicist... Singer Shawna Thompson is stunning in ELAHN Jewels at the 48th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards on April 7th, 2013 in Las Vegas, NV. Shawna wore the Full Finger Victorian Ring in Black Diamonds and the Double Emerald and Diamond Earrings from ELAHN Jewels to the awards.

ELAHN Jewels Double Emerald and Diamond Earrings in 18K Yellow Gold, Emerald and Diamonds. Price Upon Request.

Now if you're also like me and couldn't remember their music, here's a little music video to remind you:

 

As soon as I heard this song, I knew their music. Didn't you?:)

 

And to close, here is Jewel who gave me chills listening to her perform Only Kindness Matters.  So, that's my ACM coverage. Hope you enjoyed it. Pretty soon I will be shooting my own video of these kinds of events and can't wait! More to be revealed down the road...:)

 

Have a great day!

 

 

Some of my favorite fashion discoveries: Marc Jacobs in Disconnect, & Coco Rocha 2x

By Joy A. Kennelly

Sometimes I receive so much good content it's hard to keep up and it takes awhile to actually find time to post everything. Since I have a few moments available today, thought I'd share a few.

In particular, an intriguing mystery film called Disconnect with people I respect like Jason Bateman, Frank Grillo, Paula Patton, Alexander Skarsgard, Max Thieriot and fashion designer Marc Jacobs who makes his film & acting debut in the upcoming dramatic thriller opening in select theaters on April 12th, 2013!

A hard-working lawyer, attached to his cell phone, can't find the time to communicate with his family. A couple is drawn into a dangerous situation when their secrets are exposed online. A widowed ex-cop struggles to raise a mischievous son who cyber-bullies a classmate. An ambitious journalist sees a career-making story in a teen that performs on an adult-only site. They are strangers, neighbors and colleagues and their stories collide in this riveting dramatic thriller about ordinary people struggling to connect in today's wired world. (Official blurb provided by publicist)

Watch the riveting trailer here which opens with one of my favorite songs right now: 

 

And then just because I like fun, flirty ads, two of my favorite fashion ads to date by White House/Black Market featuring the incredible dancer, Coco Rocha, including a behind-the-scenes peek at what goes into making these commercials.

WHITE HOUSE BLACK MARKET - FALL 2012

 

Model Coco Rocha takes center stage in a television ad entitled 'Alter Ego'. Performing a carefully choreographed dance routine, the multi-talented Rocha demonstrates that being a great model can sometimes mean more than just striking a pose.

For the spot she perfected her moves with the help of Broadway choreographer Laurin Latarro.  Featuring approximately 12 different head-to-toe looks in the 30 second spot - Rocha becomes the tap dance equivalent of a quick change artist.  All plays out with a surprise reveal that takes the concept to the next level.

  
The print ads and marketing images, photographed by Glen Luchford, also carry through with the dance theme. Shot on the same set at the TV spot, the images feature Rocha in various states of dance as well as some more traditional fashion poses.
 
Then, because this spot was so popular, Supermodel and co-host of TV’s The Face, Coco Rocha was invited back for White House | Black Market’s Spring 2013 ad campaign.

 

Grabbing the spotlight once again, Coco Rocha brings a sense of vibrancy and freshness to an otherwise static, robotic work environment. Coco dances her way through six head to toe work-wear ready looks from the White House Black Market WorkKit Collection.

This has been your lunch break. Hope you enjoyed what the publicists shared with me!

Now, back to work!:)

 

 

#Oscar fashion, festivities, and celebrity highlights w/Jennifer Lawrence @MirandaKerr @HannahSimone @iamrashidajones @nicolerichie @BonoVox_ @FiskerAuto & more!

By Joy A. Kennelly

The Oscars always provide a great fashion show spread out across many days because Celebrities and others, are invited to numerous events building up to the big day.

Here's some of the events I attended with my friends, Denise O'Brien and Janet Gervers, and some of the events your favorite celebrities enjoyed in all the amazing jewels and designs they get to borrow to attend such events as the Global Green USA's Pre-Oscar Party, 2013 Film Independent Spirit Awards, The 21st Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party, and the 2013 Vanity Fair Oscar Party. 

Gagosian Gallery Opening

Denise and I hit the town early one night and enjoyed the Gagosian Gallery's Opening Exhibit of Richard Prince's "Cowboy" collection first.

At one point, Denise and I got separated by John Waters (an American filmmaker, actor, stand-up comedian, writer, journalist, visual artist, and art collector in case you're not familiar), and his friend walking in between us as we all made our way up a very narrow passageway to the main area.

She said people were greeting his friend, then John, and then looking at her trying to figure out if she was with them and whether or not they should greet her too! LOL We had a good laugh over that in the car. 

W Gifting Suite

We then dashed off to the W for a gifting suite which was bitter cold as it was held outside, but very nice. I'm still enjoying the sugar scrub one of the vendors, http://www.beewellspa.com/, gave me when they saw how ragged my thumbs are in this weather. Huge difference now!

Hayavi Moradi's Higherup Event

We then jumped over to an event Denise knew about put on by Hayavi which was like nothing I'd ever attended before during an Oscar season. Very unique, fun experience. A belly dancer entertained the crowd while we enjoyed a delicious mediterrean meal at Byblos Restaurant. 

Others in attendance included David Harrison Levi, Kaya Redford and others. 
Photo credit for above two pictures, David Levin

Global Green USA's Pre-Oscar Party

Miranda Kerr was gorgeous in Charriol's  18 KT Yellow Gold and Diamond Bracelet at the Global Green USA's Pre-Oscar Party on February 20th, 2013 in Los Angeles, CA.  Miranda May Kerr is an Australian model who rose to prominence in 2007 as one of the Victoria's Secret Angels.

Charriol is a brand by Philippe Charriol inspired by the twisted cable designs of the ancient Celts. The designer gives classic pieces a modern twist. The result is a sporty, wearable look that is equally appropriate for both men and women with any style and for any occasion. Charriol is available for purchase at www.charriolusa.com.

2013 Film Independent Spirit Awards

Actress Hannah Simone wore Kara Ackerman jewelry to the 2013 Film Independent Spirit Awards at Santa Monica Beach this past weekend. The New Girl star looked bright and colorful in her Kara Ackerman Alice Rose Diamond and Blue Onyx earrings ($800) and an Alice Rose Cocktail ring in Sapphire ($400);  www.karaackerman.com.

Rashida Jones, also in attendance, was fashion foward in DeLatori wearing the 925 Sterling Silver and Black Rhodium with Black Spinel Earrings. 

 

DeLatori is the line by Ori and Tal Zemer, and Marilyn Harrell who launched the line after years of experiece with the Charriol brand. The jewelry has a vintage artisan appearance that emulates ancient world jewelry, but combines elements of 21st century design. DeLatori is available for purchase at www.delatori.com

Notice how much more fun and relaxed one can dress to attend this popular event which celebrates artist-driven filmmaking and recognizes the achievements of independent filmmakers (although sometimes it seems studio films sneak in too.:)

For more information on the actual event, please refer to: http://www.spiritawards.com/ I volunteered with them years and years ago. It has grown immensely since that time and is a lot of fun to attend because people are generally much more real and relaxed than at the Oscars.

AEM Oscar Viewing Party

My friend Janet Gervers of Abbot Kinney First Friday's blog and I popped into my friend's, the Pelsue's home viewing party to enjoy some nosh and drinks with good friends. I rarely attend Christian-oriented entertainment events, but do like to support my friends whenever I can.

Joel and his wife, Michelle, run AEM (Arts & Entertainment Ministries), an evangelical Christian ministry dedicated to providing top quality biblical education to artists, creative professionals, clergy, and academics in the areas of art, faith, media, and culture.

You can learn more here: http://www.a-e-m.org/

If you want to support their efforts, grocery shop to support AEM! Ralph's and Food4Less will donate a portion of your purchases to AEM, as part of their "Community Contributions" program. It's easy! And it's free!

All you do is register your rewards card on the Ralph's or Food4Less website. Once you have signed in and/or created an account, go to Find Your Organization and search for: Arts & Entertainment Ministries or enter our number:  90843, under Select Your Organization, you must click on the tiny circle to select us. Click the save changes button to save Arts & Entertainment Ministries as your selection.

Just think, you'll be part of ministering to Hollywood even if you live far away!

Sofitel Oscar Viewing Party

After enjoying the first half of the show there, Janet and I dashed over to the Sofitel, one of my favorite Los Angeles hotels, to watch the remainder of the Oscars. The crowd was buzzing, only stopping in complete silence when Barbra Streisand sang and erupting into cheers when Argo won which was fun to experience.

Here's Janet and myself hanging out with Steve Valentine, the Sofitel publicist, his friend, and Sofitel's amazing art collection. I loved this iconic photograph of Marilyn Monroe and Sammy Davis Junior when I first saw it at The Vault Gallery in Culver City and had to pose near it as a result. Metallic attire was the word of our night, although Janet wore a beautiful vintage black cocktail dress and Steve wore an artful German T-shirt popping in his yellow ensemble.

The 21st Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party

Always one to push the fashion envelope in unusual ways, Nicole Richie looked catlike in Kami Lerner Gold Filled Wire Wrap Rings at The 21st Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party on February 24th, 2013 in Los Angeles, CA. 

Kami Lerner is a self-taught artist who uses her personal life experiences as a creative inspiration for her jewels. Kami Lerner is a popular line among Hollywood celebrities such as Demi Moore and is available for purchase at www.kamiart.com.

Party hopping is standard Oscar night, with those attending the Oscars enjoying the Governor's Ball directly afterward before starting to hit the circuit. I have worked that event from a few different angles over the years and must say it is thrilling to be up close and personal among so many stars I have admired and cheered on over the years. They're always so much more beautiful, handsome and charming in person.:)

One such person I have always admired is Bono for his visionary philanthropy and music. His date, Actress Eve Hewson looked gorgeous in CB Luxe as they attended the 21sst Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party and the 2013 Vanity Fair Oscar Party. Eve wore the Full Finger Knuckle Ring in Emeralds and Diamonds from CB Luxe to both parties.  Now this ring, I really like.:) 

CB Luxe is the fine jewelry collection by Callae Brownstein and mixes precious and semi-precious stones to give pieces a modern twist, while also adding a more traditional touch to contemporary pieces to make them timeless. CB Luxe already has a celebrity fanbase including Hillary Scott, and Ariel Winter. CB Luxe is available for purchase at www.cbluxe.com.

2013 Vanity Fair Oscar Party 

This is the creme de la creme of Oscar parties and one of the most coveted tickets around. It's the who's who of politics, entertainment, fashion and media which makes for interesting dinner chatter. Plus, who doesn't love seeing Academy Award winners toting their Oscars around all night?

Twilight star, Taylor Lautner was spotted driving his Fisker Karma to the Vanity Fair Oscar Party at Sunset Tower.   Designed and engineered in California, the Fisker Karma is the world's first luxury Electric Vehicle with extended range (EVer).  It offers the performance of a sports sedan with better mileage than the leading hybrids (www.FiskerAutomotive.com).  

 He wasn't the only celebrity to arrive in style however as you know.

Juliette Lewis looked stunning.
The actress accessorized her colorful gown with a TACORI .61ct Diamond Blue Quartz over Hematite Ring from their City Lights collection (#SR14935, $2,690; www.tacori.com). 

But my absolute favorite Oscar winner of the night had to be Jennifer Lawrence. Have you seen her behind-the-scenes interviews after winning her award and when Jack Nicholson surprised her during an interview? HILARIOUS!

Watch More News Videos at ABC | Technology News | Celebrity News 

 

 Wearing her Dior Couture dress, she received many best dressed accolades and deserved every single one. I think she's down-to-earth, funny, smart, wise beyond her years, and someone who is fascinating to watch perform. Don't show your breasts Jennifer. Stay classy and don't let immature men like Seth MacFarlane leer or make silly songs about you.:) 

Here's my review of Silver Linings Playbook if you haven't seen the film and are wondering whether or not you should, because you should. You really should. Bradley Cooper is brilliant and it was great to see him nominated for an Oscar. And here's why: Just saw Silver Linings Playbook and recommend it highly (with reservations cuz it's not for everyone)

Jennifer Lawrence exuded elegance while wearing ELAHN Jewels to the 2013 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Graydon Carter at the Sunset Tower on February 24th, 2013 in West Hollywood, CA. Jennifer wore the Vintage Sapphire and White Diamond Full Finger Ring after changing into an easier dress to walk around in. You did see her fall right? That will probably go down in Oscar history. Forget the fact she's 22 and has won an Oscar already! Here's another shot of her just because I like her so much.:)

ELAHN Jewelry is the collaborative line by Leora Talmor and her mother Elahn. The collection includes a mixture of rustic mined and sliced diamonds combined with classicly cut diamonds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds, rutilated quartz, and moonstones set in antiqued silver and gold. ELAHN Jewelry is available for purchase at www.elahnjewels.com.

And that concludes my Oscar fashion and festivities round-up. Hope you enjoyed the read!

@MPTVFund Fundraiser, @KingdomComeDoc Screening, Furne One and @AlexisMonsanto #Fashion Shows wrap-up!

By Joy A. Kennelly

Had a great couple of days and now that the final Presidential debate is over feel like sharing. Hope you watched and have registered to vote if you live in CA cuz today is the final day! You have until midnight to do so here: http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/elections_vr.htm

Moving right along...

Really enjoyed learning more about the Motion Picture TV Fund this past Saturday night because so often it's easy to only see the selfish, greedy, evil side of Hollywood and there really is a sweet, caring, loving side to it as well as evidenced by the power house turn-out at this private fundraiser.

I was very inspired listening to the stories of those who had benefited from the services and lived on campus as read by actors. It was all I could do not to take pix, but if you read the Hollywood Reporter in the upcoming days, I'm sure you'll see an eyeful.:) Here's one of my favorites though which he shared with his fans.

It was also very inspiring to see the level of people involved in caring for the elderly and infirm of Hollywood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Go here: http://www.mptvfund.org/page.aspx?pid=744 to see who I'm talking about, or check this out. Recognize anyone?:)

I've only considered the church as caring because that's what I've grown up with and have experience with, but to see Hollywood in action was very humbling and inspiring on so many levels.

What I loved hearing the most from the evening, above and beyond all the stories of people who have benefited, was the fact we are all one community. This was repeated throughout the night. We are our brother's keeper.

Loved that sentiment! As I said on Facebook, God bless you and God bless Hollywood! And I don't say that lightly!:) Very moved and inspired...

Another Hollywood event I enjoyed attending recently was the Kingdom Come screening hosted by Paste Magazine and my friend, Michael Dunaway. Recognize this man? (This fun pic is courtesy the talented Comic, Shelby Bond with the rest from this event graciously provided by Filmmaker/Photographer, Clinton H. Wallace of Photomundo, International.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kingdom Come is a documentary about the making of Broken Kingdom, by new filmmaker, yet accomplished Actor, Daniel Gillies and his lovely wife, Actress, Rachel Leigh Cook.

What was enjoyable about this doc, was hearing all the other stories of successful filmmakers and actors sharing their experiences with their efforts to create films intermixed too. So true!

Very fun night. Here's a few other interesting folks in attendance.

 

Illeana Douglas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jennie Garth and Dania Rameriz

Rachel Leigh Cook, Joel Michaely, Clinton Wallace, Daniel Gillies, Arjay Smith

Moving right along.

I've been super busy and wasn't able to immerse myself in this season's LA Fashion Week as much as I would have liked, but did manage to see my two favorite Filipino designers, Furne One and Alexis Monsanto. 

Last time I had covered their shows, their work really wasn't as popular in Hollywood, but both designers have exploded on the Hollywood scene which I wasn't expecting at all! Congrats to both of them!

I have never seen such a large, excited crowd fill the Vibiana before. You may remember these blog stories I wrote about my last experience, or if you haven't check it out: http://thejoywriter.typepad.com/pure_unadulterated_joy/2009/11/passion-revealed-alexis-monsanto-furne-one-and-more.html

Here's Alexis Monsanto's press release information:

"Alexis Monsanto is an emerging fashion star whose A-list clientele has included talent such as: Drew Barrymore and Kate Beckinsale, and whose designs have also been worn by Charlize Theron, Felicity Huffman, Kara DioGuardi, Jordin Sparks, Laura Kaepler (Miss America 2012), Oscar-nominated Robin Fryday (2012) and Kimberly Rivers Roberts (2009), world renowned soprano Sumi Jo, and cast members of the popular ABC-TV hit series, “Revenge,” among many others."

He says, “I embrace a style that is irreverent, unafraid, existential and provocative. With fashion, I aspire to create challenges for myself, while creating a whimsical world for my client. Ideally, they’ll tap into a form of expression that would otherwise seem unattainable. I am inspired by everything in my life, from the cold black objectivity of commerce to the warm subjective embrace of the muses."

Here's a few pix from the official photographer, Christian Del Rosario, which you can see in their entirety here. You can see my take on each fashion show event overall on my Facebook Fan page here and here.

In the meantime, enjoy my video coverage of the final procession for both shows. Please watch with the sound off for "optimal" viewing.:)

  

And just found my Sue Wong Fashion Show video which you can enjoy here too.

  So, I think that about wraps up my latest adventures now that I've been back in Los Angeles.

On a closing note, since people ask me all the time what the biggest difference between living in GA versus now being back in CA, what I have come to recognize is the fact I know more people in Los Angeles and have a good reputation out here whereas I had to start from the ground up in Atlanta which is extremely difficult.

When I saw Monsanto at the fashion show, he acknowledged me from the stage and was delighted to see me at his show. I receive invites to private events others aren't included in by virtue of the professional and personal relationships I've carefully, and successfully, built over the years.

It just feels good to know, even though I was gone for a year, I wasn't forgotten. I feel more and more as time goes by I'm getting back into my groove slowly, but surely. As one friend pointed out, when I shared all the difficulties I went through in GA with my car, my health, my job and living situtations, she said, it was like I was Jonah running away from Ninevah and God wanted me back here in Hollywood.

I feel that very clearly now. I enjoyed a taping of one of my favorite music shows today and was seated in front of the judges which made me realize how lucky I am to have experiences like this so easily. 

Hollywood is a special place and now that I've spent a year away from it, I appreciate it now more than ever. So, that's all. I just felt like sharing.

Hope you enjoyed reviewing some of my adventures with me. I'm sure there are more ahead! 

Have a great week! 

#Foodie, #Fashion, #Film Fun in Los Angeles with @supperclub_la, @LloydKlein, @ChakaKhan, @SueWongFashion, & more

By Joy A. Kennelly

Here's a pictorial essay of some of the fun events I've attended in the past few weeks for your viewing pleasure. First up, the Supperclub LA.

If you go tomorrow, they're offering 50% off on ALL dinners this Saturday, October 6th ONLY! This includes a four-course meal, complimentary shot, performances and the Club action afterwards. This excludes additional alcohol and gratuity.

Regular dinners are $75 and the experience starts at 7:45pm this Saturday. Please call 323-466-1900 to reserve your recline dining seating and mention Valentine Group to get your 50% off. Tell 'em Joy sent you too.:) Hope you can go! We had a great time when we were there!

My friend Debra & I enjoying the single life!:)

We were all pretty cold and started goofing around with the sheet cuz it cracked us up.

 

It's very atmospheric and totally unlike any place I've been to in LA before.

Who knew this is what lies behind the old Vogue Theater doors? Stunning, eh? LOTS OF FUN! 

It's definitely a one-of-a-kind experience and one I recommend if you like really unusual, artsy, funky kinds of performances. Just be prepared for the unexpected is all I have to say. Totally felt like a vaudeville circus act which was extremely entertaining. Plus, the DJ is amazing and the food was delicious.

Very fun time! We did take pix with men who attended too, but these were all my friends sent me.:)

Next up, attended the wildly entertaining Lloyd Klein fashion show at Lure up in Hollywood hosted by Janice Dickenson, AnnaLynne McCord, and Lloyd Klein himself. What was fun about that event was seeing all my fashion friends who I only see at fashion events and being part of such a unique way to showcase a line. (More pix later I promise!)

Where else would you also get to hear Chaka Khan sing Happy Birthday to a guy named Mohammad?:) All while mixing and mingling with really interesting people, admiring Hotties on Ducatti's and meeting actors like hunky Geno Segers? (If he's single, tell him so am I!:)

Or always eclectic, Bai Ling? Janice Dickenson is always my favorite wild card though! You never know what's going to come out of her mouth, or what she'll do next. She's crazy fun.

(All photos courtesy Clinton H. Wallace of Photomundo International.)

 

Chaka Khan with Designer, Lloyd Klein in the middle, and a guest

Just one of the hotties on a Ducati

 

 

Chaka Khan! I grew up singing along to her music, especially Through the Fire, and it was a thrill to see her!

I personally took some pix which I'll share next time from all these experiences, but wanted to get this blog out since I've been promising it for sooooo long!

Another really fun fashion event I was invited to attend was Sue Wong's fashion show held at the Conga Room in LA Live in conjunction with the HD Fest (or something like that. I'm not their publicist and was more interested in the fashion to be honest. However, it was very cool!)  

Iconic Fashion Designer, Sue Wong

  (Again all photos courtesy Clinton H. Wallace of Photomundo International.)

 

Just one of the many celebrity guests in attendance. Meet Lauren Mayhew, an actress and singer, who you will soon see on Dexter! Visit her fan page to learn more of this amazing talent: www.facebook.com/OfficialLaurenMayhew She's wearing a Sue Wong design in honor of the occasion.

 

 

 

Lovely wedding dresses were the highlight of the Grand Finale as Sue Wong came down to applause.

LG sponsored a special after-party and we all enjoyed delicious food and talked shop with all the filmmakers who were there as well. You may recognize some of these guys if you're into Horror.:)

My photographer friend, Clinton H. Wallace, took all the shots for me at both parties and wanted me to make sure you knew about his new 3D horror film collection called: 3-D Collection: Dementia 13/Little Shop of Horrors. 

He just had a screening with Warner Bros and is doing quite well with his filmmaking career as well. Click here to see pix: http://www.flickr.com/photos/84187142@N03/7789628436/in/photostream/ 

We first met when I was working with Actor/Producer, Domiziano Arcangeli. Clinton was one of the first photographers to shoot him before Domi became as well known as he is today. Always have a soft spot for him as a result.:)  Aren't these guys fun? They're both producers and/or directors Clinton knows. L Geza Decsy R John Michael Elfers 

I always enjoy hanging out with Clinton because he knows everybody in town and always includes me in his conversations. Plus, he's super laid back, does his job really well and rarely complains (unlike some photographers I've worked with in the past, or know casually.) 

Oh, and in honor of my high school reunion taking place this weekend, I thought I'd close out with a picture of some of us taken in elementary school because many of us grew up attending all the same schools together. Can you tell which one is me?:) Recognize anyone else?

Have a great night! Off to see my Atlanta artist friend, Yunny Bunny, who is out here in Los Angeles showcasing her work at the amazing art & music show downtown.

Holla!:) 

#Fashion's Night Out & Kristi Yamaguchi's interview wrap-up for your reading & viewing pleasure

By Joy A. Kennelly

Sorry for the delay in posting my Fashion's Night Out wrap-up and Kristi Yamaguchi interview. My hands have been hurting since I'd been working so much six days straight and needed to take a quick break from the computer to allow the nerves to calm down. Back to normal now.

Moving right along.

What I admire about the famous people I'm having the privilege to personally interview lately, and what I've found true in any famous person's autobiography I've ever read, is the importance of giving back.

Years ago I represented Script Consultant, Dr. Linda Seger and her book, Web Thinking: Connecting, not competing for success,  and the basic premise was those who are relationship-oriented and share control and power, are much more successful in life than those who aren't. 

That's why I was more curious about Kristi Yamaguchi's decision to donate a portion of her new activewear line to her foundation, Always Dream, vs. the actual designs when we spoke. Learned a lot and will share some with you now.

But as I always say, since you've been so patient, here's some designs to showcase her cute clothes before I get started. This jacket was one of my favorites. Don't you love the inner lining? 

And notice the attention to detail on this other cute jacket too. Now if only the diamond ring came with it!:) Kristi has a very supportive husband who actually works on the line and is responsible for all the licensing agreements. Good job landing Lord & Taylor! That's where you can pick up these cute items and more from her Tsu-ya line.

 

If you want to read a great article on her activewear line as a whole, check out her recent interview in the new Los Angeles Fashion Magazine. I picked up an issue during Fashion's Night Out and was impressed.

When I asked Kristi why she started her charity, Always Dream, here's what she had to say:

She started it when she was 16 years old. She was inspired by Make a Wish Foundation and worked closely with them to start off. "I saw the power of giving and the ability to make a difference in children’s lives," says Kristi.

She has always been focused on children’s needs and is now focusing more on children’s literacy. "We want to create something positive to help close the gap where children don’t have access to books or to help with reading, or start school at their grade level," she continued.

Launching in kindergarten classes in CA, with six schools in Northern CA, as they see success there are plans to expand. She has a great Board of Directors and Advisory Committee in education who provided a lot of research and help designing the program.

"A big part of our motivation was to bring in technology with the younger generation by partnering with Raising a Reader, who are nation-wide, with a book bag program at the preschool and kindergarten level and give them tablets with books online to help children experience books in a new way," adds Kristi. "Times are moving so fast, there’s so much more curriculum provided online, tablets are smaller, easier and more intuitive for them to use."

She joked her kids find more things online than she knows. "Children are very good at adapting. Our 2^nd program launching in schools is a language arts program to supplement the reading curriculum already in the schools to help with reading comprehension and vocabulary."

You can learn more about how you can get involved, or what it's really all about, by reviewing: http://www.alwaysdream.org/home 

I also asked her, "What would you say to those who want to achieve what you’ve achieved?" She answered, "Sometimes I feel like doing absolutely nothing, but always do better with a challenge to focus on. My priority is my girls and making sure they’re looked after. I will always stay involved with my foundation because it’s exciting to give back in the community."

What I liked hearing is the activewear line, Tsu-ya, donates a portion of the proceeds to Always Dream with the broader picture to create a lifestyle brand with other types of products that will fit under the Tsu-ya brand. Just think, when you buy a piece of her clothing, you're also helping children. 

In closing,  she said, "I like what Apollo Ono says, 'No regrets.' As an athlete your results are directly affected by the work you put in. As an athlete you set a goal and use it to motivate you and in the pursuit of your dream. Continue to believe in yourself and keep your ultimate goal in sight. It’s not instant gratification, but the work that leads up to it will be worth it in the end."

Isn't she inspirational? I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed speaking to her and sharing her thoughts with you.

Now, to wrap-up Fashion's Night Out in Los Angeles, here's a quick recap video, my friend/colleague, Nelson Brann of Film-Alchemy shot and edited, and I produced, for your fashion viewing pleasure.

If you look below the video, I've posted a map of everywhere we went and additional places we included in our video are the Beverly Hills Porsche fashion event and the over-the-top Beverly Center events too. 

Enjoy! If you watch closely, you may even see some people you recognize.:) Kris Jenner, anyone? 

 

While Kris was here in Los Angeles, Kim was busy at Lord & Taylor in NYC launching her new fragrance. Here's a video highlight. Just click the link: Kim Kardashian Reflections perfume launch at Lord & Taylor or simply enjoy her pic here.

I just finished an amazing interview with everyone's favorite hosting coach, Marki Costello, and plan to bring that to you soon.

Also, had the best time at the Los Angeles Supper Club last night which I'll share later as well.

Thanks for popping by. Gotta run.

#Fashion's Night Out! Lord & Taylor launches Kristi Yamaguchi's new activewear line & hosted Project Runways' 10 Year Anniversary too!

By Joy A. Kennelly

Just in case you've been living under a rock, or will be sitting at home tonight wondering what to do besides watch the DNC, here's a little sneak peek at what is going on tonight all around the world - FASHION'S NIGHT OUT! Watch this very cute video with the adorable guy from Glee to see what I'm talking about!

Here's the website where you can find out all you ever wanted to know about this fantastic event in your city: http://fashionsnightout.com/

And here's the written overview to help you understand why this is going to be fabulous here in Los Angeles!

"Fashion's Night Out turns 4!

Join editors, stars, models, fashionistas, and designers on September 6, 2012, as they flood stores in cities across the country and around the world for fashion's most iconic extravaganza.

Last year's bash featured events in eighteen countries and more than 4,500 events here in the States. With special limited-edition products, celebrity appearances, and unforgettable performances, FNO 2012 is promising to be even bigger and better than before!

See you on September 6!"

Now if you fondly remember the Olympics, read books to your children or love learning about new fashion, then you'll love my interview with Kristi Yamaguchi as she told me about her life after the Olympics, raising her family, running a successful charity and now launching a beautiful activewear line called Tsu.ya (which is her middle name), for busy moms who want to look great and feel comfortable.

Her new line launches today at Lord & Taylor's during FNO!

Lord & Taylor celebrated FNO a little early by hosting the Project Runway Season 10 “Wrap Party” at its Fifth Avenue flagship store to celebrate the show’s first-ever capsule collection, created exclusively
for the retailer by both past and present Project Runway designers.

Here's a little sneak peek from last night before I move on to my interview with Kristi ok? Here's Tim Gunn, Nina Garcia, and President of Lord & Taylor, Bonnie Brooks (wearing red.) And Heidi Klum wearing not much of anything.:)

 

Now, back to Kristi...

She's just as gracious and humble in person as you'd expect. It's a little refreshing to realize someone who so proudly represented America actually epitomizes all that is good about America!

Ingenuity, creativity, discipline, entrepreneurship, humbleness, humor, love of life, love of family, and more.

Isn't she cute in this outfit? This is just one of the many cute styles you will be able to buy today! Her line is inspired by her figure skating days. Aren't you glad it's not inspired by her stint on Dancing with the Stars? LOL

Although I did enjoy watching her compete and win on that show too. I mainly remember growing up watching her as she competed in the Olympics with such ease and poise.

And how her kilowatt smile always made it seem like she was just happy to be there doing her thing even though it was such a grueling regimen to get there.

I was very curious how difficult it was to transition from training every day to regular life after winning the Olympics and asked how she fits in exercise now that she's a busy philanthropist, entrepreneur and mom.

It was very cool to speak with her knowing she is an Olympic Gold Medalist and NY Times Best Selling Author.

And a mom.:)

She said, "I wish I had more of a regimen, but now I work out at least two to three times a week, even if it’s just elliptical, light floor weights, a TV program to get a quick work-out at home, or otherwise meet a friend at the gym. Believe me, I do not train like an athlete any more, I work out to feel good to keep my energy levels and eat the things I want. It’s more to burn some calories, do some cardio, nothing too overwhelming."

That was encouraging to hear because it made me think I could do that too.:)

I asked her what her favorite Olympic moment was from the summer to which she answered, "So exciting to see the US team was so strong and see all the inspiring stories that came out of it. Gymnastics is one of my favorite summer Olympics and to see the women’s team win the Gold." I had to agree since Gabby stole my heart.

Since Kristi's a former Olympic athlete I asked her if her new designs were something women competing in the Olympics could wear, or who she envisioned wearing it. She acknowledged they probably could, but she really designed it for the busy woman who likes to be active and has a fashion sense.

The whole look and feel came from Kristi, who worked very closely with the main manufacturer to design and they helped with color trends, fabrication, textiles to use, but she worked very closely on the details of the design.

“My lifestyle is demanding.  As a mother, as an author and as an athlete, the clothing that I wear needs to be functional as well as fashionable.  Up until now there wasn’t an activewear line available to me that met those needs so I created Tsu.ya to fill the void. Moms like me know that our attire needs to live up to our standards and to our activities and Tsu.ya does just that - and with style,” said Kristi.

I'm going to receive more images today and will upload them as soon as I receive them, I promise!

Here's the official description courtesy her publicist:

"Kristi's new line, Tsu.ya, provides a variety of designs, some fun and flashy (inspired by her figure skating days) and some more modern and chic, with comfortable fabrics tucking you in where you need it to and accentuating your figure where you want it to. The line will be available at select Lord and Taylor stores and via the retailer’s website in September of this year with a limited 18 piece edition for fall with yoga pants, leggings, jackets, T’s and tops.

A portion of Tsu.ya sales will go to Kristi’s Always Dream Foundation (http://www.alwaysdream.org/) which funds programs that empower children to reach their dreams through education and inspiration."

Now her charity work really intrigued me too and we talked quite a bit about her inspiration for this endeavor. I'll share more of my interview and more images from her line (which are super cute and unique) in my next blog post later ok?

Right now, gotta run! Stay tuned!

@GiltCity @Lollapalooza Party with @monstersandmen, @JennyMcCarthy, @nadinevelazquez, @BiancaGolden

A publicist just sent me this and I thought it looked like a fun party. I remember when Lollapalooza was in San Diego and I got backstage passes through my sister 'cuz she was friends with the Beastie Boys. If memory holds true, my little neice went on stage with them then too.:)

So, for your reading pleasure - a little fashion, a little music, a little celeb sightings...

Gilt City, the leading online luxury experience site, celebrated the 2012 Lollapalooza Music Festival, with the Better Than Backstage Rooftop Pool Party, held at the EnV apartment complex in Chicago Saturday, August 4.  

 Throughout the day, guests enjoyed Grey Goose cocktails, refreshments by Fiji, Pinkberry frozen yogurt and Market's delicious food.  

The party featured private performances by one of Lollapalooza’s most anticipated bands, Of Monsters and Men, and a DJ Set by Matt Roan. 

Celebrity attendees included Jenny McCarthy,  Nadine Velazquez (The League, Heart of Dixie, My Name is Earl), Bianca Golden (America’s Next Top Model.)

   

My Interview with Atlanta-based @ShopBellaBag Founder, Cassandra Connors - may surprise you!

By Joy A. Kennelly

Recently, I was approached by an Atlanta-based online designer handbag business called Bella Bag to attend their new bricks-n-mortar retail store launch happening here in Atlanta.

I've never quite understood the lure of a designer handbag and took advantage of the opportunity to interview the founder, Cassandra Connors, with very interesting results. 

She answered all my questions, even though I know some were kinda naive, which you also might find enlightening because you may have been wondering the same thing privately!:) 

Now, for those of you unfamiliar with Bella Bag, here's the official description: 

"Bella Bag is one of the most regarded spots on the web for buying, selling and authenticating pre-loved, vintage, rare, and limited-edition designer handbags and accessories.

With years of experience in genuine-only luxury goods, including high-end brands such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci, Hermes and more."

With the launch of their retail store here in Atlanta, now you can "shop, trade and sell your handbags and accessories in person!" (Exclamation point per the publicist.:)

The address, for those of us lucky enough to live in Atlanta and experience this store in person, is: 650 Miami Circle Atlanta, GA 30324. The store is currently open to the public Monday thru Friday from 9am to 430pm or by appointment only. If you wish to sell your bag, you can do so at the store on Thursday from 10-2pm or by appointment only. Otherwise, you can do so online any time!

"Cassandra Connors and The Bella Bag Team’s mission is to create a secure, simple, and exciting shopping experience.

The Bella Bag team has created a straightforward authentication process to banish the worry associated with typical Internet luxury purchases. They believe that every woman should know the feeling that carrying a fantastic accessory creates the perfect ensemble...and that every woman should be able to do it authentically.

Learn more about Bella Bag at shopbellabag.com"

So, without further ado, here's the questions I presented to Cassandra and her very thoughtful, insightful answers. Please pay special attention to number 9 because I was surprised to learn this fact and it made me rethink my attitude towards fakes tremendously!

1. How did you get started in this business? Did you ever expect it to be so popular?

I started my business as a hobby really.  I had some designer items myself (not just bags), and I was just a broke student at that time, so the only thing I could think of to do was to sell what I had and earn a little extra money to pay the bills…

Within time, some friends asked me to do the same for their extra stuff and then eventually I started reaching out to their networks too.  It was always something that was just fun, and a great way to make a living. 

What I did realize, from the beginning of doing this, is that there was a hole in the market.  Women not only wanted to sell some of their older valuable but they also wanted a place to buy their newest pieces too.  The problem was that there really wasn’t a place for them to do so safely online…a place where they would be guaranteed their latest purchase, although pre-owned, was still the real deal. 

No, I never knew it would be as popular as it is today, but I did know that the concept was necessary and had tons of potential. 

 2.      Why Atlanta? Why not a bigger city to launch your retail store? Or even online business? What is the draw for you as a fashionista to Atlanta? Just curious since it’s not generally known as a style city, but totally is.

Prior to moving to Atlanta, I had been living in Florida.  My fiancé and I made the decision to move to Atlanta as we felt it was a place that was fully of culture, food and art. 

I’m from the NY area originally, and of course love NY…maybe one say we’ll open another boutique there.  One can dream!

 

 

 

3.      What handbag is the must-have this summer season? Any fall trends popping up now too?

At Bella, we’re not about trendy items.  We are all about classic staples that hold their value.  Usually that mean Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Hermes, but this year, we are seeing a lot of customers wanting Gucci and Balenciaga too.  These are great bags that are a bit more edgy, and will still never let down on second hand resale value.

 4.      Can you elaborate on “The Bella Bag 13 Step Authentication Process” and how you came up with this testing standard?

The 13 Step process is a system that takes into consideration all the different pieces that add up to an authentic bag, across all brands.  The 13-Step is the initial authenticity check we do with every single bag that comes in the door.  It’s the cornerstone of Bella. 

However, its not the end all and be all, and counterfeiters are getting smarter everyday… We do everything we can to keep up to date on the new scams and schemes. 

If a bag doesn’t pass the initial 13-Step, it’s not getting listed for sale.  Even if it does pass the 13-Step, many times we do further spot checks and scrutinizing anyway.  We want our customers to know that they are only getting the real deal when they shop with us.

 5.     Do popular designers ever go out of style? Or do they just go in and out with the season?

Oh yes, definitely.  We see many handbag designers come in and out.  For example, we used to sell tons of Marc Jacobs, now you will hardly find one in our store.  Personally, I love them, but they just don’t sell anymore the way they used to 5-7 years ago.  We’ve seen that happen with many brands.  The good news is, that as quickly as popular designer go out of style, they usually come back around too!

 6.      Why would a woman buy a handbag and never use it? I don’t understand the concept of such frivolous shopping.:) Please explain.

I’ve had tons of my clients make impulse purchases at a big store, because they saw a friend with the same item or even a celebrity.  Its not a rare thing that a woman gets that bag on her own arm a few days later and finds out that it just doesn’t fit her (body or personality). 

Just as you will often hear people talk about the clothes that best flatter someone, handbags definitely are the same way.  We spend lots of time with customers helping them to find not only a bag, but the right one. (Click on this article for more information "How to Choose the Purse for your Body Type.") 

    

7. I’m new to this whole concept of designer hand bags. Does the value of a handbag increase similar to a piece of art? Please explain to those of us who are uneducated in this realm.

Sometimes.   It depends on which bag and which style.  At Bella, we try to carry the items that will hold their value or grow in value.  If you choose a classic piece or a rare piece, then you are pretty safe, especially when shopping with our staple brands, like LV, Chanel or Hermes.  Its when we buy the trendy or of the moment items that we see a value drop later on.

 8.      Why do women buy designer hand bags? Is it competition? Status? Society approval? Reward?

Hmmmm…I think it is a myriad of reasons.  I don’t feel comfortable speaking for everyone, however in my opinion and personal experience, I think everything you mentioned is valid. 

But, mostly, I would say Reward and Confidence. In my opinion, nothing feels better than carrying an awesome accessory that you are proud of. 

Similar to the way many men feel about their watch, I think women cherish handbags in the same way.  They see it as their mark of style, their investment piece…and to be able to afford one takes a lot of hard work, so they should be proud!

9.      Tell me more about what the anti-counterfeiting organizations including the CACP, do to protect designers and the public?

 There are many agencies out there that are very helpful, like the CACP.  The biggest benefit of one of these agencies is that they are constantly educating the public.  Many women initially think that buying or not buying an authentic bag is all about price…and maybe a designer’s integrity.   

And, while it’s definitely about those two things, it’s also about the anti-American activities (such as child pornography, drug trafficking, terrorism) that the proceeds from counterfeits support.  It’s a huge industry.  The money goes somewhere.  Other entities aren’t simply producing counterfeit fashion for the heck of it.  The CACP truly helps people to understand the bigger issues at hand.

This concludes my interview with Cassandra. I hope you've enjoyed the read and learned something in the process.

Now go shopping!:) www.shopbellabag.com

I plan to post something for my male fashionistas soon.

Be patient!:)

#Style by @NicoleJanowicz, #Fashion Flash with @Jaime_King @DitaVonTeese, #Foodie Fun with @AdrianGrenier

By Joy A. Kennelly

Int'l Stylist, Nicole Janowicz Update

Been busy behind the scenes and finally able to take a break to blog. 

I love working with Int'l Celebrity/Wedding Stylist, Nicole Janowicz, and am learning sometimes things I would normally be shouting about on the rooftops need to be kept under wraps a lot longer than anticipated.:)

I can tell you this though. Nicole has re-connected with Director Dago Gonzalez of Veneno Inc. whom she worked with on Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony: World Tour Video Elements, Slash, and dancers for Paulina Rubio: Nada Puede Cambiarme,  and the Spice Girls: World Tour Video Elements. 

See, it's not all Backstreet Boys and weddings all the time with her! She does other entertaining projects too!:) She is currently styling for two major World Tours with Dago and having a ball.

It's always fun when you work with people you like and who respect your work. Rare in this town, but when you find it it's a treasure which may explain why Woody Allen, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorcese and so many others keep their same teams film after film.

Remember my blog post on teams with Entourage Actor Adrian Grenier? Here's the link in case you missed it the first go round: Importance of building a team: Why Adrian Grenier, Willow Smith and Gary Oldman are successful.

In any case, back to Nicole. So, if you don't hear anything from me about her, just know great things are perculating behind-the-scenes as we work diligently together.

Her latest Huffington Post article entitled: How To Create A Consistent Style From Wedding Ceremony To Reception is live too.

Here's a brief intro to pique your interest by Nicole Janowicz: "On April 1st, I made an appearance at the "Unveiled Bridal Style Revealed" event in Beverly Hills, Calif., held at the exquisite Beverly Canon Gardens. "Unveiled" is an outdoor bridal event that brings together the best event professionals, resources, and designs for couples to enjoy as they plan for their big day.

I am not married nor am I engaged. Thus, I can only imagine what it must feel like for newly betrothed couples when the engagement haze wears off, and the reality of creating a wedding becomes, well... real. Venues, food, guests, invitations... the details and decisions are seemingly endless. Bridal events, like "Unveiled," are an invaluable resource for couples. They are like the Barneys New York women's shoe department of weddings: the best the industry has to offer, in one place, and with smiling, friendly people waiting to chat and help!

My team and I were on-site to talk with brides about all things wedding fashion and style including: upcoming trends, choosing your wedding gown, choosing bridesmaids dresses to compliment every personality and figure, how to style your groom and groomsmen, and much more.

One bride in particular asked my advice on how to wear different ceremony and reception dresses, while maintaining a consistent style. My conversation with said bride inspired this article because I know she is not the only woman grappling how to wear two different dresses, while maintaining one overall look.

So, let's talk it out..." Click here to continue reading: http://huff.to/ItgDYY

I can also tell you she's been invited to speak before the Wedding Industry Professional Association sometime next month. Still nailing down the particulars, but it will be great. The organzier is very good at what she does and we're excited to participate. (I know, I said "we," but I get excited with my clients, what can I say?:)

Other things are bubbling and will be announced in due time. SO! That's the latest with Nicole.

FASHION FLASH

Since you've been patient, I thought I would share some fashion highlights I've been receiving from other publicists because now that summer is upon us it's fun to see what all the stars are wearing and doing.

I was pleasantly surprised to receive this highlight of Actress Jaime King wearing ban.do since Nicole has styled her in the past for LADirect Magazine (purchased years back by another publication.)

Isn't this a cute headband and look? Jaime looks like such a Southern belle I love it.

Jaime King wore ban.do on a recent episode of Hart of Dixie! The model turned actress sparkled in a glam crystal headband ($225); www.shopbando.com. 

 

 

 

My friends and I love Austin and really beautiful jewelry there. Have you heard of another Jamie named Jamie Pope? Well, Jamie decided to design her own jewelry line when she couldn't find what she liked and tcreated the Liz James collection.

Have to say, fashionista's everywhere are happy she's designing if this picture is any indication:

If a trip to Austin isn't in your plans any time soon, shop her designs online here: www.lizjames.com.

Now, since it's getting sunnier and sunnier, here's some fun shades called Lumete which means a precious object used for protection and luck, and lumen, meaning light.

One of our favorite strip tease artists, Dita Von Teese, (I know the PC term is Burlesque, but let's call a spade a spade people.:), loves 'em. If you can believe it, I actually saw her perform at a private birthday for an 80 plus year old mom of a very wealthy son's party up in Rolling Hills Estates years back.

Dita is good at what she does! The men in the crowd were cheering and all the rest of us were just amazed the mom had agreed to this performance.:)

Doesn't Dita look glamourous and mysterious in her "summer sunnies" as the publicist calls  'em? Love this look!

 Check them out online too here: http://lumete.com/catalog/category/view/s/collection/id/3/

FOODIE FUN

Oh, and I also received the news two cool people I've written about in the past, Entourage Actor, Adrian Grenier, and Stonyfield Farm chairman Gary Hirshberg were at the recent opening of a new natural and organic restaurant at Chelsea Piers last night, Chelsea’s Table, which Gary also founded.

Aren't they cute?:) Hey Adrian, Nicole would love to work with you if you're not already with a stylist!:)

Photo credit: Brian Ach /AP Images for Chelsea's Table

Chelsea’s Table features natural, organic and local ingredients in a fast-casual atmosphere proving that “healthy fast food” is not an oxymoron. (Just like Stonyfield Farm's organic yogurt I had the fun time promoting last year. You can view all the fun pix from the Family Love Fest here in my blog: http://bit.ly/ihsNZk just keep clicking.:)

Gary and Adrian formed their friendship two years back when Adrian launched his eco-media platform SHFT (http://www.shft.com) which supports environmentally conscious and sustainable living. 

You can view more info about Chelsea’s Table here: http://prn.to/I1knTg.

Okay, that's all for now. I'm hungry and dinner's calling. Hope you enjoyed the read!

@Dior's 3-volume slipcase set, Dior Fashion, Fine Jewellery, & Perfume recounts history of one of the world’s most celebrated luxury brands.

Bonjour!

Assouline is so pleased to introduce Dior, a three-volume slipcase set, recounting the history of one of the world’s most celebrated luxury brands. Christian Dior envisioned a world of sophistication and elegance, a complete expression of the French tradition of high culture, artistry, and meticulous workmanship.

In three retrospective volumes presented in a collectible slipcase, Dior Fashion, Fine Jewellery, andPerfume richly illustrate the couture house’s most iconic images, paying homage to the brand renowned for its refinement and taste.  These books are available in English, French, and Chinese.

To discover all four of Assouline’s Dior tomes, click here.

DIOR
Set of Three: Fashion, Fine Jewellery, and Perfume
Dior Fashion by Caroline Bongrand
Dior Fine Jewellery by Jérôme Hanover 
Dior Perfume by Jérôme Hanover

"I think of my work as ephemeral architecture, dedicated to the beauty of the female body." —Christian Dior

The pinnacle of French haute couture and savoir faire, the house of Dior is one of the world’s most celebrated luxury brands. In three retrospective volumes presented in a collectible slipcase, Assouline’sDior captures the most enduring images from each decade of the brand’s rich history. Immortalizing Dior’s fashion, fine jewelry, and fragrance collections, Assouline presents an objet as chic as its subject.

Dior Fashion: Former editor in chief of L’Officiel de la Mode, Caroline Bongrand is also a novelist and screenwriter. She has published seven novels, translated into many languages, and an essay on the life and issues of modern women. 

Dior Fine Jewellery, Dior Perfume: Jérôme Hanover is a journalist specializing in luxury lifestyle topics. He was editor in chief of Double, and jewelry and watch editor for L’Officiel, and has written for Mixte, Air France magazine, and Le Figaro among other publications.

The Dior slipcase set is available for purchase at ASSOULINE boutiques worldwide and through www.assouline.com. 

Direct link to purchase: http://www.assouline.com/9781614280200.html

 

MUSIC MONDAY: Featuring Carrie Underwood in Oscar De La Renta at the Nashville Symphony

By Joy A. Kennelly

I had the privilege of hearing Carrie Underwood debut her latest hit single, Good Girl, before the rest of the world at the Nashville Symphony in TN during the Nordstrom Oscar De La Renta fundraiser.

 

Although she grew up quite humbly shopping only at Walmart, since winning American Idol she has worn some of the most sophisticated designers in the world. She confided that during American Idol she was so concerned about saving money to attend college, she rarely spent her entire American Idol clothing budget. Looking back she realized image is so important and wish she'd splurged a little.

The night I met her, she was stunning in Oscar de La Renta. 

This was the dress she wore to the press conference. Doesn't she look beautiful?

She changed into this short flirty number to perform and yet another dress for the dinner which I didn't attend.

This was only her third time performing the song and the crowd really enjoyed it. Her husband was unable to attend due to a game. When asked who was more fashionable, her or her husband, Mike Fisher of the Nashville Predators, she exclaimed, "My husband!"

She loves dressing up in cocktail dresses when they go out together. Her height in heels is only 5'3" so you will rarely catch her in flats. The last time she performed at the Nashville's Schermerhorn Symphony Center she received their prestigious Harmony Award. 

You can see her live at the Bayou Country Music Superfest on May 26, 2012. Buy tickets here: http://www.bayoucountrysuperfest.com/tickets/

Her latest album, Blown Away, drops May 1, but you can pre-order here: http://www.myplaydirect.com/carrie-underwood/details/26725604

@OscarPRgirl: Oscar de la Renta Fashion Pre-Fall Preview @NashvilleSymph Part II with #LAFW and #FashionStar highlights

By Joy A. Kennelly

As my client, Int'l Celebrity/Wedding Stylist, Nicole Janowicz, styles tonight's AW2012 runway show for    M I L A, the eponymous collection by Mila Hermanovski whose appearance on Project Runway (both as a finalist of season 7 and as a currently airing All-Star) and subsequent capsule collections have been shown to great reviews, I satisfied my longing to attend LA Fashion Week by watching the premiere of Fashion Star last night which was a blast.

 

(More on that in another blog.)

However, all the shows at LA Fashion Week and last night's Fashion Star simply pale in comparison to the recent Oscar de la Renta fall preview fashion show I was fortunate to attend as part of the Nordstrom fundraiser for the Nashville Symphony held recently in TN.

I have a degree in Fashion Merchandising and studied fashion at FIDM in Los Angeles back in the day which is why seeing one of my favorite all-time designers, Oscar de la Renta, was a special thrill. The company, established in 1965, currently produces a full line of women’s accessories, bridal, home decor and fragrances, in addition to its signature women’s ready-to-wear collection. 

To me, his design house is the epitome of all that is haute couture and it was certainly true that night.  After guests enjoyed the cocktail reception, we were all ushered into the symphony hall where we were welcomed by emcee, radio and television personality, Storme Warren. 

The boisterous crowd was soon quieted by members of the symphony performing a live intro to Coldplay's song, Paradise, conducted by Steve Kummer before transitioning seamlessly to DJ Javiere for the rest of the song. This back-n-forth between live music and DJ continued throughout the entire evening which was amazing to watch and hear.

Here's highlights of the daywear looks followed by my favorite, eveningwear. There were over 68 outfits presented and it was breathtaking to behold. Make sure to notice the intricate ankle and hair accessories because they enhanced each look. 
Photo credits for the following images are Susan Adcock and Peyton Hoge who do an excellent job of capturing the essence of the show. It's amazing what a difference it makes when a professional shoots fashion since they realize the entire look is important.

This last blouse was one of my favorites. The intricacy and attention to detail in the beading on such delicate fabric is phenomenal. I liked how the floral skirt accented by hosiery with polka dots and the striking jet black hair and porcelain skin of the model completed the look too.

We then began moving into eveningwear and these are more highlights of my favorites. Photo credits for the following images are again: Susan Adcock and Peyton Hoge.

I love these silver dresses. Each were so unique and so feminine. Very beautiful on either a blonde or a brunette too.

Isn't this so gorgeous? Spanish inspired in my mind.

Here's the grand finale. Now imagine viewing all 68 designs to Coldplay's Viva La Vida song with a live symphony orchestra and you'll have a taste of what a Grand Finale this truly was.

The final dress is my absolute favorite out of everything. I think it would make a magnificent bridal gown, or statement dress for any red carpet appearance or high profile fundraiser where you want to stand out from the crowd.

Don't you agree? STUNNING!I loved the rich jewel tones of all the rest of the gowns too.

Side view. Notice the detail? This  is what sets haute couture apart from everything else.

Part III later where I will share Carrie Underwood's performance after the fashion show.

WHAT A NIGHT!:)

 

 

 

 

 

 

@OscarPRGirl Here's Part 1 of my @Nordstrom's @NashvilleSymph Fundraiser with Oscar de la Renta Fall Preview and @CarrieUnderwood #Fashion #Music

By Joy A. Kennelly

Recently I was privileged to cover Nordstrom's Nashville Symphony Fashion Fundraiser which featured five-time GRAMMY® winner Carrie Underwood and an exclusive presentation of Oscar de la Renta’s Pre-Fall 2012 collection this past February.

It was a beautiful evening start to finish. I'm breaking this into three parts because there is too much to discuss. Tonight, enjoy this coverage of the actual hall and start of the show. More to come soon!

We arrived at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center and were struck immediately by the beauty of the $123.5 million home of the Nashville Symphony. Although built to look historic, it actually opened as recently as 2006.      

Pretty soon the courtyard was teeming with Nashville society women excitedly chattering and drinking cocktails in the perfect balmy weather
as staff continued to set up the event inside.     (Please excuse the quality of some of these pix as my photographer has been MIA since returning to Atlanta and these were taken from my phone. The rest of the images are professional photographers who shoot for the symphony and Oscar de la Renta which I will credit accordingly.)

As the doors opened everyone came into the foyer and the excited chatter grew to a dull roar as guests visited with friends and learned where they were sitting.   I recognized a Mary Frances hand bag one of the guests was wearing and made this woman's night.:)   

I was able to sneek a peak inside the hall prior to the show and was greeted by this stunning sight. The Symphony Center seats 1,844 in the Laura Turner Concert Hall and includes the 3,000-square-foot Mike Curb Family Music Education Hall. The floor is adjustable too which is why it looks different from the pictures above.

 

 Notable for its remarkable acoustics and distinctive architecture, this 197,000-square-foot facility has become an integral part of cultural life in Music City and is regarded as one of the finest concert halls in America.

Soon we were ushered inside and hushed into silence by Nashville Symphony musicians performing Coldplay's Paradise song live conducted by Steve Kummer which transitioned back and forth seamlessly to DJ Javiere and his music stylings all throughout the show. 

 
Proceeds from the Nordstrom Symphony Fashion Show will assist the Symphony in reaching more than 95,000 people through free community concerts; bringing world-renowned artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Béla Fleck and Emanuel Ax to perform for local audiences; providing barrier-free music education to thousands of students across Middle Tennessee; and supporting the work of today’s leading composers.

Led by Music Director Giancarlo Guerrero and President and CEO Alan D. Valentine, the GRAMMY^® Award-winning Nashville Symphony has a growing international reputation for its recordings and innovative programming.  With 140 performances annually, the 84-member Nashville Symphony is an arts leader in Nashville and beyond, offering a broad range of classical, pops and jazz concerts; special events; children’s concerts and community outreach programs.

As a national and international ambassador for the citizens of Tennessee, the Nashville Symphony has received far-reaching acclaim for its 19 recordings on Naxos, the world’s leading classical label, and one on Decca, making the Nashville Symphony currently one of the most active recording orchestras in the country.  These recordings have received 13 total GRAMMY^® nominations and six GRAMMY^® wins — three for Joan Tower’s Made in America in 2008 and three for Michael Daugherty’s Metropolis Symphony in 2011. The winning categories include “Best Classical Album” (for the Tower recording) and “Best Orchestral Performance” (for the Tower and the Daugherty recordings).

Music education is a top priority for the Nashville Symphony. During the 2010/11 season, the institution reached more than 200,000 adults and children through its education and community engagement programs. These include the flagship initiative One Note, One Neighborhood, which provides comprehensive music education resources to students and teachers underserved public schools. Working in partnership with Metro Nashville Public Schools and the W.O. Smith/Nashville Community Music School, the Nashville Symphony doubled its reach through this program in the last year, serving East Nashville’s Stratford cluster and North Nashville’s Pearl-Cohn cluster with curriculum materials, professional development and individual music instruction, all offered to schools at no cost. 

Tomorrow Part II!

Do you suffer from ugly cleavage wrinkles? Then do I have a product for you! LOL Intimia!!!!

The Golden Globes, The SAG Awards, The Oscars, The Grammy's. Most of the women who attend these awards  have one thing in common-- their plunging V-neckline dresses.

Although, collagen breaks down as we age resulting in ugly cleavage wrinkles, which can make women feel self conscious in gowns like these. But, when special events come up, who doesn't want to look and feel like a million bucks? Yet-- who has the million bucks to afford costly retinol and laser treatments at the doctors' office.

This is where Intimia  steps in. When women want to look like a star in their dress but don't have the cash to rid themselves of the pesky lines, women can sleep with this product at night to smooth out the existing wrinkles and prevent new ones from forming-- the product works by separating the breasts. Due to its adjustable straps that go across the back, Intimia fits women of all sizes and stays on comfortably, regardless if the wearer tosses and turns at night.

For more information, please visit www.intimia.com.

(I was pitched this product as stated in the above copy and am having a hard time deciding if I should accept their offer of one to try it out myself. I keep staring down at my cleavage trying to see if there are any pesky wrinkles, but think I'm good. Want to check for me too? LOL

Plus, doubt I'll be wearing a plunging neckline any time soon.:) But for those of you who will or do, please check it out and let me know what you think! I know breasts are a big deal in Hollywood - real or fake!

@GoldenGlobes South Coast Style Party wrap-up! Thx 2 @JFPresents @Caribou_Coffee @Cellar_56 @lilcakebakery @Joxasa @prohibitionatl Massage by Pace and everyone who attended too.

By Joy A. Kennelly

Finally!:) Here's the wrap-up of our Golden Globes Party South Coast Style. I decided spur of the moment to host a Golden Globes Party South Coast Style with someone I met after seeing no one else was doing one in Atlanta. I moved here from Hollywood where you celebrate every awards show and felt we needed to celebrate here too.

Within a week of working hard, we nailed down Jerry Farber's Side Door private night club in the Landmark Diner, a Golden Globes girl, celebrity guests, and wonderful sponsors who included:

 
 

 
 (We still have to schedule our private VIP Cigar party at Prohibition for those who won this contest. Can't wait!:)

Here's the final official Golden Globes Party South Coast Style invitation to give you an idea of all the fun details of our event:

Over 50 guests attended and everyone really enjoyed the great meal Landmark Diner prepared; the fun raffle prizes donated by our wonderful sponsors for best costumes and other contests; the impromptu singing by our Golden Globes Girl, India Hopkins, performed during one of the many commercial breaks; meeting our celebrity guests, Actor Tony Vaughn 

and Actor/International Model Billy Payne; mixing and mingling with all the other film and TV fans enjoying the Golden Globes; and experiencing Jerry Farber's Side Door nightclub overall.

Big thank you to all our sponsors, Jerry Farber, Jed Fearon, Landmark Diner, Scott and Priti, Jay & Teddy, and everyone else who helped. We feel this first-time event was a huge success and thank everyone for coming out too!

Here's a pictorial essay of the evening for your viewing pleasure.  

    

 

   

  

 

 

  

Fun Friday #Fashion Style, Sightings, and Shows (TV & Film) Featuring @JacLaurita of @bravotv @GwenStefani @SimonHelberg @EvaLongoria @ddlovato @MadonnaNation and more

By Joy A. Kennelly

PREFACE: Just started writing for Atlanta's Backstage Beat website and wrote my first review of the recent Music Midtown Festival which you can read here: Music Midtown Atlanta... A Great Experience. Do me a favor and like or tweet it out if you like it ok? I would appreciate your support.:)

I'm toying with writing a fashion recap every Friday so if you like this let me know! Send me your fashion tips and highlights here: joykennelly1 (at) gmail (dot) com.

Here's some fun fashion tips and sightings I received over the last few weeks followed by some of the fashion shows I attended a few weeks back. 

 Happy to hear Jacqueline Laurita is leaving Desperate Housewives of New Jersey. She always seemed too sweet to be part of all the drama. Her tweet said it all, "I can’t be a part of the Charade anymore. It’s unsettling. It’s disturbing & against what I stand for. I’m a REAL housewife.”

She followed up this tweet with her expectations of the future, “I’d like to only focus on positive things now please. I threw the trash out. I’m cleaning now and reorganizing. Starting fresh and new.”

Sounds smart to me. Enough with trashy TV.

Did you hear Gwen Stefani is launching a kid's clothing line at Target? I've always admired her style and music. "Inspired by the playful style found in Japan’s trendy Harajuku district, the collection is Target’s newest design collaboration and Gwen’s most extensive children’s and baby collection to date." 

Isn't it cute? Click here for the entire article: Big Style: Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku Mini for Target

Have to give a little plug for this couple, Simon Helberg and Jocelyn Towne, seeing as I was featured in their independent film, I Am I, before leaving CA. (Click the link to see their amazing Kickstarter campaign too.)

Bet you didn't realize men under 5'8" had a designer who creates their amazing outfits for all the big events, did you? I know I sure didn't! Jimmy Au's claim to fame is helping short men feel and look their best as the US’ ONLY designer short men’s store outfitting actors including 4 of this year’s Emmy nominees including Seth Green, Steve Carell, Mark Wahlberg, Simon Helberg and many others.

All these short men may explain why I'm not cast more often when I'm 5'10"! LOL

And it may explain why Latina firecracker and one of the original Desperate Housewives, Eva Longoria, was chosen for the recent Alma Awards. 

Darlings, here's what jewelry she was wearing since I know you're dying to know if you haven't heard already. "Eva Longoria chose four pairs of her favorite Bochic earrings (designed by David Joseph) to accompany her stunning outfit changes at the 2011 NCLR ALMA Awards in Santa Monica, CA. Her look for arrivals was simple and distinct – she chose a smoky pair of oversized drops with diamond detailing at the ear.  

  While hosting she chose three carved pairs, one archival jade in a pale green color with distinct metal work and one black jet – both with diamond accents - at the ear."
 
 I'm sure this isn't Eva's favorite pic, but hey, you go with what you're given. Aren't the jade earrings gorgeous? So delicate and intricately designed. I'm not sure they're the same as what she's wearing, but I like this pair the best.

Look how cute Demi Lovato looked when she was on Jimmy Kimmel Live recently wearing "statement rings, elegant Philip Press gold multi-hoop earrings with diamonds and a Beverly Jill Designs gold wrap cuff" with her itty bitty leopard print mini.

I saw her recently on The Ellen Show (which I am boycotting today since she had on Nancy Pelosi yesterday who I can't stand and has been getting too political lately. Just make me laugh lady ok?)

I was really impressed on how far Demi's come since her breakdown. Go girl! Now start wearing dresses that cover up more!:) Kinda worried she might have had a wardrobe malfunction any minute here!

Guess strapless dresses with large bracelets and earrings are the going style these days since "Dancing With the Stars beauty Cheryl Burke hosted a pre-Emmy party with cast member Derek Hough on Friday, September 16th in Los Angeles and looked amazing in a red strapless dress accessorized with Prive Jewellery earrings and a Soffer Ari cuff.  The star was decked out in diamonds with Prive Jewellery’s white gold and diamond earrings from their ‘Kreol’collection and Soffer Ari’s sterling silver 'Vieux Carre Red Fellas White and Black Diamond Cuff' embedded with skulls and diamonds." (PR writing, can you tell? I love not having to write anything because it makes my life easier.:)

And to wrap up the professional PR plugs (have you enjoyed them? Shall I continue next week?:), here's the Material woman herself, Madonna, wearing YSL Sunglasses. 

"Available at SOLSTICE Sunglass Boutiques, these Yves Saint Laurent sunglasses (model YSL2320/S) shades went perfectly with the star’s signature cross necklace. Always a leader in the fashion industry, Madonna also launched her Material Girl clothing line recently with her daughter Lourdes."

Now, on a more personal note, here's some of my fashion pix (blurry ones are more for the effect than trying to be true photos. I thought they kinda looked like surreal art which is why I'm including them. Plus, then you get a little peek into some of the fun Atlanta fashion shows.)

As I mentioned before, had front row seats near Real Housewives of Atlanta Hair Stylist, Derek J, for the Betsey Johnson show. I liked seeing more African American models on the runway out here in Atlanta. Betsey's trends are plaid, taffeta, lots of pink, and black too.  

In no particular order, here are some of the fun, flirty fashions showcased. Too junior for me, but well-received by the filled to capacity crowd.

     

More my taste because of the sheer elegance of the entire event, A Night to Remember, follows. Here's the entrance alone...:) Afterward, I saw one of my favorite African American models from Seventeen because I've followed model's careers since high school and have to admit, teared up meeting her.

I realized I had just attended a one-of-a-kind fashion show featuring all African American models except for one Caucasion woman and it was so special. We will probably never see another one like it, but I wish this wasn't the case because it was stunning and memorable.

She agreed and was so gracious. Always love meeting people I admire and finding out they're just as down-to-earth and humble as everyone despite their achievements. Real class act.

Next up is my Driven Music Conference coverage. I promise! 

@Fashioncares Wrap-up Part Two - All the #fashion you could want! Atlanta Fashion's Night Out here I come...

By Joy A. Kennelly

Finally had time to review over 200 images I was sent featuring last week's amazing 19th Annual Jeffrey Fashion Cares Atlanta Fundraiser benefiting Susan G. Komen for the Cure Greater Atlanta Affiliate and the Atlanta AIDS Fund (AAF). 

Spent the last few days prior to, and during the holiday, writing and re-writing my book proposal which is a very time-intensive endeavor; hence the delay. My apologies...

Some quick fashion highlights to notice as you review the pictures of attendees, Co-Chairs, and models. Be prepared for the following: capes were huge (literally and figuratively); thigh-high slits up the front of ball gowns were prevalent; satin, jersey, chiffon, brocade, leather and feathers were common; and lots of black and grey with pops of color like orange, blue, red, and emerald green with more muted tones like cream as well.

You will no doubt, see more trends as you peruse my pictorial essay courtesy Ben Rose Photography too. Jeffrey, the founder of this event, has phenomenal connections to some of the most amazing design houses by virtue of his relationship with Nordstrom and his own retail stores.

As a result, this fashion show was a visual feast of fashion! I love my Los Angeles designers, but it's been fun seeing designers I've normally only seen in magazines too!

So, now, without further ado, here's the rest of the pictures I've been promising you.... If you're in the know, you will recognize many of these faces too.

Publicist, Caren West; Stylist/Designer, Randolph Duke, Founder/Chair/Fashion Pioneer, Jeffrey Kalinsky; Co-Chair, Lila Herst; Guest Designer, Jason Wu; Co-Chair, Louise Sams; Co-Chair, Jeffrey McQuithy; Honorary Chair, Dennis Deans; Ne Ne of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, others anyone?

Jeffrey Fashion Cares Wrap-up Part 1 #fashionista #charity #JasonWu #Atlanta

By Joy A. Kennelly

This past Monday I was invited to attend "THE" fashion event of the season, Jeffrey Fashion Cares, which, according to their research "appears financially, to be among the largest 3rd party events in all of Atlanta’s philanthropic endeavors." 

And I was there darlings and I am going to share my experience with you now.:)

Jeffrey Fashion Cares is the brain child of Jeffrey Kalinsky, who along with his amazing Event Co-Chairs, Lila Hertz, Jeffrey McQuithy and Louise Sams (seen here below) and their amazing planning committee and host committee, created a wonderfully stylish, hip, fun and fabulous fashion fundraiser unlike any I've ever attended in Los Angeles.

But when you consider the fact how connected and accomplished all of the people involved are, it's no wonder! Google their names to see what I mean...

Our evening started off on the 32nd floor of the 12th & Midtown complex which set the stage for the sophisticated evening since the views from the floor to ceiling windows were stunning. Photo Credit: Stylist Robert Ballew

When we entered the room from the elevators guests were greeted by a steam curtain with various logos flashing across as we walked through it to the red carpet and on to the raw space. The fashion show area was hidden by white curtains surrounding the entire runway and seating leaving me very curious, but I was soon distracted by the wonderful people watching.

The Who's Who of Atlanta were there in force and since I'm so new to the city I have no idea who anyone was, but knew instantly this was a very high-end crowd by virtue of the gowns, jewels, shoes, and handbags. The guys looked great too.:)

Although I came alone, I never felt uncomfortable because everyone was gracious and having a wonderful time posing for pictures, admiring and bidding on the silent auction items while enjoying the delicious cocktails and appetizers presented by Honorary Chair, Dennis Dean, owner of Dennis Dean Catering, which "boasts a client list of Atlanta’s top corporate, retail, social and non-profit entities."

I had fun meeting the manager of Jeffrey's Atlanta retail store, Stylist Robert Ballew who I schmoozed around with, and Donald Gesell of Neiman Marcus, assistant to one of the Chairs of the event and others too.

I did see NeNe of the Real Housewives of Atlanta, but missed saying hello.:) 

Thanks @Cision! Enjoy @HughJackman and Deborra-Lee Furness in @WorldVision's promo and sneak peek of my Jeffrey @FashionCares review. #fashionista #faminenomore #charity

By Joy A. Kennelly

Since I last wrote, my blog was selected by Cision, a leading "international media database with more global contacts, more outlets, more detailed profiles than any other solution." Very honored to be included because this means I'll be able to share even more interesting things because now publicists pitch me rather than me having to chase everything down.

Yay me.:)

As I'm working, here's a couple videos you might enjoy until I finish my coverage of the wonderful 19th Annual Jeffrey Fashion Cares fundraiser I attended this past Monday at the hip 12th & Midtown 32nd Floor in Downtown Atlanta.

What an amazing event and view! See what I mean? Photo courtesy of Stylist Robert Ballew who was kind enough to shoot this for me when I wasn't able to. We had fun schmoozing together too.Founded by Jeffrey Kalinsky, a renowned New York and Atlanta retailer, Fashion Cares raised over $600,000 for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Greater Atlanta Affiliate and the Atlanta AIDS Fund (AAF) last year with .93 cents of each dollar actually helping these charities.

Don't hear this that often now do you? Love being part of positive charity endeavors that truly help.This is just one of the gorgeous gowns showcased. More designs to follow I promise. It always takes me awhile to get everything into one blog post so bear with me. My fashion review of the entire event is coming!

In the meantime enjoy this information courtesy of my new Cision recognition...

I like Hugh Jackman and love World Vision's efforts to help children in East Africa having lived in Kenya, Africa myself. Anything African holds a special place in my heart as a result.

Join Hugh Jackman and and his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness in supporting World Vision's global campaign to say "Famine No More." 

Don't miss "Summer in the Shade" at Grant Park - last day is Sunday, August 28 11am - 6:30pm #festival #in

By Joy A. Kennelly

Today my friends and I hit the unique Summer in the Shade Festival at Grant Park, Atlanta's oldest park, which was very fun. Lots of great jewelry (make sure to visit our friend's booth, Christine Chandler Designs - look for the mermaid logo), clever and interesting art, yummy food, kid's activities like face painting, dress up, performers and lots of sponsors giving away free goodies.

Rather than talk about it only though, here's my pictorial essay for your viewing pleasure... Go tomorrow and if you do, tell our friends Christine and Trace you read about them in my blog.:)

Just an example of the beauty of this park. Love all the trees and pathways.

Wide variety of food vendors available too. And for those who like food & wine festivals, there's always Corks and Forks sponsored by Lincoln. 

This was one of my favorite booths because it was so artistic. The owner makes the most unique eco gifts for kids and adults. Aren't they adorable? Check out Sharon's website here: www.twostixthestore.com and her book, Sweater Renewal.

@LAFashionWeek & @stylesmith Present ‘Los Feliz Fashion Festival’ Debut @LosFelizFaire on Hollywood Blvd. Sunday, July 24th 11am - 10pm #in

‘Los Feliz Fashion Festival’ Debuts on Hollywood Blvd. on Sunday, July 24th 11am - 10pm

LOS FELIZ VILLAGE (Los Angeles, CA), July 7, 2011-  The Los Feliz Village Street Fair today announced that their hotly anticipated new co-located event, the ‘Los Feliz Fashion Festival’ will debut on Sunday, July 24^th.  The Los Feliz Fashion Festival, to be located in the heart of the Fair, will feature the original creations of over 35 clothing, jewelry and accessories designers, including: 

MNKR Clothing, Sri Lalita Clothing, Three Apparel, Della, Nikki Montoya, Geisha de Guadalupe, Lotus B., Evalyn Black, White Sycamore, Artisan LA Jewelry, Marion Romann, Artzgraf Creations, Flea Market Girl, Liza Shtromberg, Fluxus, 50 Dresses, Cowgirl Heaven, and  Dominique Ansari.

Also, look for a ‘Vintage Marketplace’ including A Current Affair, Bows and Arrows and Ozzie Dots.

Visitors will have the opportunity to interact with these creative designers, and score special deals in this exciting outdoor, “trunk show” style environment.  Also look for runway shows, a ‘Make Over’ booth sponsored by POP, a Photo Booth sponsored by Modelwire Network, and a few surprise elements!

The festival will feature a unique fashion show wherein local fashion bloggers will partner with local designers to style and model an extremely fun show - not done before in Los Angeles. Following a theme, a Los Angeles based production group will showcase a never seen before fashion concept - premiering at the Los Feliz Fashion Fest.

The Los Feliz Fashion Festival is being produced on behalf of the Los Feliz Street Fair by Style Entrepreneur Kelsi Smith, fashion blogger at Dedicated Follower of Fashion, Founder of the popular networking association of Los Angeles style and beauty bloggers, Two Point Oh! LA, and her multi- faceted production and branding company: Stylesmith.

Kelsi Smith commenting on the Los Feliz Fashion Festival said: “We are so excited to showcase these fantastic L.A. designers, all of which have been hand-picked to represent what is so wonderful about the design community here: unique, creative and unequivocally L.A.”

“Los Feliz Village has a well deserved reputation as one of the leading style meccas in Los Angeles,” added Chris Serrano, President of the Los Feliz Village Business Improvement District, “We encourage the public to come out, experience the Fashion and all the other wonderful elements of our Fair!”

Where
Hollywood Boulevard between Vermont Avenue and Hillhurst Avenue.  

When
Sunday, July 24^th 11AM – 10PM

Get There
Sunset/ Vermont Metro stop.  Details

Cost
None, unless you want to buy local creations on sale at the festival. All outdoor fashion shows and concerts are FREE.

Fashion Show Schedule
TBA

Download event flyer.

Sponsors of the Los Feliz Fashion Festival include: Two Point Oh! LA, LAFashionWeek.com, Stylesmith, Modelwire Network, USnaps, POP Beauty, Works of Art, Pop Chips, Vitamin Water and the Los Feliz Village Business Improvement District. Producers are also grateful to Council member Tom LaBonge and Council President Eric Garcetti for their great support of this event.

Additional features of the Los Feliz Village Street Fair include: Live music, dancing, drinks, artistic exhibits, ‘Green Scene’ Eco showcase, ‘Mind Body Spirit’ pavilion, a chalk art display, and a full carnival for kids.

For a more info, please visit  www.LosFelizStreetFair.com 

About the Los Feliz Village Business Improvement District

Los Feliz Village Business Improvement District, "LFVBID" is dedicated to improving and promoting businesses in the area of Los Angeles known as Los Feliz Village. "Los Feliz" is Spanish for "The Happy Ones," which perfectly describes the atmosphere of this eclectic village within Los Angeles. Los Feliz Village is nestled below the east Hollywood Hills and is adjacent to Atwater Village and Silver lake. Los Feliz is an endlessly fascinating "walking neighborhood," a rarity in Los Angeles, occupied by many Hollywood celebrities, artists, writers and business professionals. Los Feliz Village boasts some of the most diverse and interesting shops and restaurants in all of Los Angeles.

Patrons come from all over the world to enjoy the hip clothing stores, cutting-edge cuisine and local entertainment. Los Feliz Village is home to trendsetters and tastemakers of all ages. Learn more at: http://www.losfeliz.biz/blog/

About Stylesmith:

Stylesmith is a multi faceted, full service production company. Style guru Kelsi Smith offers services with bucket-fulls of effortless style, From event production, to branding, to photography, styling, writing and her specialisation: digital strategy; Stylesmith is a one stop shop for style.

###

Media Contacts:

John Forrester (323) 702-3684  john (at) johnforrester (dot) com or,

Kelsi Smith, Stylesmith (323) 578-4166  kelsi (at) stylesmithonline (dot) com

 

Jewelry Designer, Bonnie Star and friend, Interior Designer, Luigi Irauzqui. Two of the fun people I met today. #fashion

She has beautiful designs and handsome friends.:) My kind party...

http://thejoywriter.com

Posted via email from The Joy Writer on Posterous

#Social Media Optimization Summits, #Social Media Week, #Start-up Mixer, & #Musicians Institute - Part III Final Wrap-up

By Joy A. Kennelly

Now that my life is settling down a bit, I finally have the time to write about my recent experiences at the Social Media Optimization Summits in Dallas, TX, the recent seminars I attended during Social Media Week here in Los Angeles, the Start-up mixer at Wokcano in Santa Monica I enjoyed, and teaching Social Media and Fan Management at the Musicians Institute.

What some people don't realize, but I'll keep reminding them until they understand this fact, is believe it or not, there are women interested and involved in technology contrary to the young Meetup leader who thought women in the audience at a recent tech event meant we were there solely to look for a husband. lol

Can you believe it? He was a little drunk so I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt for speaking without thinking. Kinda like Jerry Brown allowing his associate to call Meg Whitman a "whore" and then his not apologizing for them during the Gubernatorial debate last night.

 

DUMB and Sexist! I'm really tempted to call Jerry's number and bawl him out since NOW continues to support him. Why? I don't know. Blind adherence to their "religion" I suppose.

But I digress...

Now to give you a little of my tech history. I've been around this industry since the 90's when the dot com craze first hit and produced a very successful online film festival called Media & Entertainment Festival (affectionately nicknamed ME Fest) for Penton Media back in the day.

I have friends who have produced, marketed, and sponsored tech events which I always attend and also keep up-to-date on information by reading and attending conferences. In fact, heading to Las Vegas tomorrow to hit blogWorld too.

I've been incorporating digital marketing into my PR & Marketing strategy for clients for over ten years. I also used to attend all the tech events VIC (Venice Interactive Community) threw and still fondly remember the HUGE party held at the Skirball Center just before the tech crash.

Anyone else remember?:)

If my recent positive experience at Wokcano for the Start-up meeting is any indication of the growth of tech again, I'm sure LA is primed to explode. I enjoyed hearing Investor Mark Suster of GRP Partners sound a rallying cry to tech heads in Los Angeles to stand their ground and refuse to leave for SFO & Seattle to help build up our LA Infrastructure for bigger long-term growth.

I micro-blogged during his talk (editing out his profanity) and you can review that here:

#Mark Suster of GRP Partners speaking @Wokcano

The common thread out of the talks I attended during the Dallas conference seemed to be:

1. Listen to your audience to hear what they're saying about you and your brand

2.Create a strategy based on that research

3. Then contribute.

Here's some highlights of the people I heard once my talk was over.

Jodi Gersh spoke on the Power of Place and analyzed a variety of geo-location tools out there. Her favorite is GoWalla, whereas Jason Falls enjoys Whrrl.

I'm giving Whrrl a whirl although GoWalla is intriguing because of the passport aspect since I love to travel and it would be fun to have a place to showcase my trips while I'm out and about.

I liked having the Geo-Location overview from a marketing person's perspective because then the following week during Social Media Week in Los Angeles, I was able to hear some of the CEO's of even newer geo-location services share their presentations on what made their geo-location service better than the others.

If you click here, and here, it will lead you to my micro-blog coverage of that series on Geo-Location Marketing which was sponsored by Moment Feed. Great evening.

Completely different perspectives and different ways of presenting information, but that's what makes Social Media so interesting. It's constantly evolving due to the creativity and technology utilized by people all over the world.

It's not just about Foursquare people!:) Even though there are now 3 million users using it, this entire type of marketing really isn't mainstream just yet which is limiting it's reach and visibility.

Jodi mentioned even more options too: Foodspotting, footfeed, tri-out, aroundme, tonight.im, m.check.in and to be honest, I haven't had the time to check them out. If you do, let me know what you think.

I ducked in and out of a few Social Media Optimization Summits seminars to make sure I heard as much as possible and if my notes are scarce, that's why.

I popped into Jun Loayza's "How to Implement Ambassador "Experience" Campaigns who stuck with corporate examples for his talk. I never gathered whether or not he was behind the strategies presented, or merely sharing other's successes as examples.

Here's one of his case studies for review. Click the highlighted name to learn more about the actual social media activities for this successful Ford Fiesta launch:

FORD FIESTA MOVEMENT

11 mil social network impressions

2.5 mil shares

11k videos 15k tweets 13k photos

38% gen y

What I enjoyed about his presentation was the direct ROI examples. People still have trouble understanding the value of social media vs. traditional public relations thinking they're separate and don't support each other, but I have never found that to be the case.

Traditional media relations is currently fueled by social media believe it or not. Sometimes the first place journalists learn about what's hot is on social networks. They also regularly read blogs, and constantly comb the internet looking for stories of interest.

I remind people of this all the time, because I have numerous journalists, civic leaders, celebrities, publicists, and others who pop in to read my blog due to my coverage of such a wide variety of topics. I never want to be focused on only one subject because I have a wide interest in all kinds of things and consider my blog more of a magazine style format, than an analysis of just one topic.

Again, I digress.

Back to examples of Ambassador campaigns that worked courtesy of Jun Loayza:

1.      Sharpie Squad - http://blog.sharpie.com/2009/05/meet-the-sharpie-squad/

2.      Red Bull University - http://www.redbullu.com/

3.      The Dew Crew - http://www.carsoncritique.com/college-career/my-job-as-a-mountain-dew-brand-rep-part1/

4.      Charmin – Enjoy the Go http://www.charmin.com/en_US/enjoy-the-go/index.php

As always, Fashion is on the cutting edge of social media and Jun shared how his company had helped create the LG campaign using popular fashion bloggers to spread the news. (Where was my invite? LOL)

Apparently, Jun's company, www.postrank.com, (according to him,) is recommended over Technorati  to find bloggers (which I find hard to believe knowing the CEO of Technorati and learning in another seminar Technorati is considered the 4th largest social network, but hey, Jun may be right among a certain tech demographic...)

His bottom line was determine what you want to accomplish, find the influencers who will help you achieve your goals, and then implement the strategy to achieve your goals. I asked what a band could do to and was given some good ideas which I'll be able to share with my students.

I attended the luncheon where I heard a few speakers including Shashi Bellamkonda from Network Solutions who discussed optional trends in New Media.

He basically gave a bunch of links and a quick highlight of each. You can find it on the company site here somewhere (I don't have time to research it for you.:): http://blog.networksolutions.com/

The speaker I most enjoyed hearing present was Erica Campbell, Senior Manager of New Media Marketing for Rent - Video & Photo Sharing for Optimum Growth & Brand Exposure which you can review here:

Video & Photo Sharing for Optimum Growth & Brand Exposure

View more presentations from Erica Campbell. Be warned, there are 175 slides and trust me, she had to talk REALLY, REALLY fast to go through all of them in the three hours allotted for her chat.

That said, it was great and even though this was applied to the apartment rental industry, the principles apply across the board to any industry and her presentation is excellent.

And I'll close with this speaker since you're probably tired of reading so much data all at once, right?:) Now you know what I feel like after attending all these conferences and seminars! lol

Strategic Planning by Jenn Kane Co.

KD Paine Measurement Checklist:

1.      What are your objectives?

2.      What audiences are you targeting?

3.      How would you prioritize these audiences?

a.      Media, influencers, bloggers, competitors, etc.

b.      Prioritize how you’ll reach them.

4.      What are your Key Performance Indicators?

a.      If this is really working, then>>>>

5.      What is the right measurement tool?

a.      Where will you know you’ve achieved this?

                                          i.     Socialmention.com – free! Use with Kids

                                         ii.     Peoplebrowsr

                                        iii.     Alterian

                                        iv.     Raidan6

                                         v.     Klout

                                        vi.     PR Newswire

                                      vii.     Jive

                                     viii.     www.search.twitter.com

Setting Benchmarks

               To define “Return,” ask:

a.      What are we measuring, and why?

b.      What does success look like?

c.      How will we know when we get there?

d.      Are there incremental milestones worth noting?

There's more, but you should hire Kane Consulting since that's all I have time to cover at the moment. Sorry. :) I enjoyed her talk because I've utilitized a lot of her suggestions as a leader of goal setting groups over the years.

I really enjoyed my experience in Dallas, TX because I was able to hear from a wide variety of speakers from all over the country and everyone was very interesting. Kudos to Tami for putting on a great conference which is sure to only grow as word gets out.

Now here's a great video of the Social Media Week seminar I attended at the House of Blues
entitled: "THE NEXT STAGE OF ENGAGE: BRINGING ONLINE MUSIC COMMUNITIES TO LIFE" with some great panelists.

I learned a lot and had other information confirmed to share with my students.

I'm teaching Social Media & Fan Management in the Musicians Institute's Music Business Program and am delighted to be working with such ambitious entrepreneurial students.

My kind of people!

Okay, that's all for now. Gotta run. I have a store launch to attend with my friend. Let me know what you think of what I've written!

Beverly Hills did #Fashion Night Out right!

By Joy A. Kennelly

This was the first (and last) time I go somewhere without some type of camera. It was killing me all night long!

There were so many great fashions & people watching and art to share! Now you'll just have to read about it instead.

The fashionistas were out in full on Melrose Ave for the Marc Jacobs stores; Diane Von Furstenberg had amazing dresses.

Of course.

Have to admit, watching a size zero woman try on one of my favorite dresses in the store and complain she didn't like how it looked when she was stunning wearing it reminded me why I avoid being friends with neurotic, anorexic women!:)

Enjoyed visiting my favorite stationary store, Soolip, which has the most amazing hand-crafted wrapping paper and gift items curated (there's no other for it since many look like art) by the wonderful owner, Wanda Wen, who I met attending the Lexus event in Beverly Hills awhile back courtesy my friend Elizabeth.

Turns out Wanda's recently written a book entitled, The Art of Gift Wrapping, published by Random House, runs an annual A Soolip Wedding (high-end bridal show), and is writing another book!

Such a talented lady. We had a delightful chat and may work together if all goes well.

Also enjoyed visiting her neighboring store, The Clothespin, run by the designer, a former model in the 70's. I looked at her and said you look familiar.

She said, Well, I'm a celebrity, I should.:) She's been covered in the LA Times and on numerous TV shows. It was a lot of fun chatting with her. Beautiful vintage fabrics, dresses, and other hand-crafted items.

Now the show stopper of the night was Beverly Hills though! It just says something when they close down Rodeo Drive in both directions and put such a great big Ferris wheel in the center of the street.

It says, there's a party here and you're all invited!

We ran to Tiffany's first which was stunning. Delightful baubles, ok yellow diamonds if you really must know.:)

Gorgeous diamond rings, many of which have been on vision boards I've created in the past.

It was also fun to pop in and out of all the haute couture stores too.

We enjoyed Harry Winston's, Roberto Cavalli, and many more.

Walking by the Luxe Rodeo Boutique Hotel reminded me of the many exclusive events I've attended on-site during past Oscar seasons, and also two wonderful events I threw there with friends.

Fun, fun, fun memories!

I love Beverly Hills because you never know who you might run into. Tonight was no exception.

Larry King and his wife were patiently taking pictures with adoring fans while they waited for the light to change.

A little farther down the street Kelly Osbourne was in a group of people being photographed by paparazzi.

The streets were teeming with all kinds of people and it was a lot of fun.

As I told my good friends, Melinda Augustina and Mary, who brought me there, "Fashion makes me happy."

And that's all she wrote. Happy Friday! Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

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#Fashion, Food and Wine Festival of #Volleyball Champions at #Raleigh Studios in #Manhattan Beach with #Dig4Kids final wrap-up

By Joy A. Kennelly

This past weekend was so packed with fun activities it's taken awhile to compile pix and information to share with you. John Mayer is amazing in concert fyi.:)

So! Without further ado... (All Photos Courtesy Photographer, Angelique Chacon.)

Last Saturday night I attended the Food, Fashion & Wine Festival honoring three amazing Volleyball Champions as part of the Dinner of Champions presented by The Trade Coach and

produced by Brad Jacobson of Civic Couch (l) and Olympic Gold Medalist, Eric Fonoimoana (r) aka "the Body" and Founder of Dig4Kids, the beneficiary of the evening.

Now here's the Beach Volleyball greats who were honored:

Linda Hanley aka Linda Robertson who has a great sense of humor and an amazing athletic career. Definitely a female trend setter on many levels. (She was wearing the jacket because it was freezing in the windy NY Backlot of Raleigh Studios in Manhattan Beach. Heat lamps next year please!:)

And the next honoree...

Chris Marlowe aka "CI" who you might recognize if you happen to live in CO or enjoy basketball since he's the Denver Nuggets play-by-play announcer for the NBA. He's a talker!:)

and Steve Obradovich aka "OB." What made me laugh is that those who introduced him said, You either love him or you hate him, no in between. The first beach volleyball ball buster.:)

They all are so talented and amazing athletes. It was wonderful to hear their life stories and see the videos Fox created to showcase them visually. It was also fun to see Manhattan Beach over the years and know that I've watched the very same volleyball games from that very same beach that thousands of spectators have also over the years.  Prior to the event launching we enjoyed a little street art by Artist Andy Brown.
OB bought one of Artist Andy Brown's pieces Andy created during the evening which Chris "Geeter" McGee later auctioned  off.

Here Geeter's being teased by Chris Marlowe for shutting down the AVP's which Geeter also was able to joke about too (even though it must be hard to lose the job you love so much. He's so talented I'm sure he'll find something good again soon.)

Not only were these three amazing Olympic and other award-winning tournament volleyball athletes honored, there were also these amazing athlete pros in attendance (Sinjin Smith, Mike O'hara, Brent Frohoff, Gene Selznic, Larry Rundle, Barbra Fontana, Jim Menges (seen here in a clip from his risque acceptance speech at last year's event.)

Tim Hovland (I believe that's him in this pic) introducing one of the honorees with some pretty funny stories, Mike Dodd, the recent, now former, AVP Commissioner, and former professional volleyball player in his own right.  Mike Lambert and  Eric Fonoimoana shown here with his wife, Eliza Cost.

Before the main events began, guests wandered throughout the NY Backlot enjoying delicious local South Bay Cuisine and drinks.

 

   
Our first stop, Cupcakes Couture of Manhattan Beach.:)

Lisa Hemmat of Lido di Manhattan Beach served delicious appetizers too. You might recognize her from Chef Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares show this past Spring.

This bar and El Gringo's tacos were a big hit with many guests too.

Bob Meistrell Body Glove CEO was in attendance (seen below with Angelique Chacon), as were numerous media & residents.  

Manhattan Beach City Council Members, Wayne Powell, Mayor Pro Tem, Richard Montgomery, & Mayor Mitch Ward enjoyed themselves too. 

Richard with last year's honoree, Jim Megnes.

 The biggest highlight of the pre-show was a really great fashion show. I can say that because I've covered numerous fashion shows for LA Fashion Week for the past few years.

 High quality all the way. Just ask the guys.

I've never seen any fashion show have so many whistles blown, cat calls, and hooping and hollering males. It was hilarious! They calmed down a little once they realized the girls would just keep coming out looking gorgeous. LOL

Here's a sample of the models wearing Body Glove bikinis, Meghan Fabulous dresses & cover-ups, sexy heels by Michael Antonio and jewelry by Lost Bird. I believe there were a few other designers represented, but unfortunately don't have that information available. (If you know, leave a comment and I'll incorporate it later

Volleyball Player/DJ Jeff A. Murrell kept the night moving while Miss CA Nicole Johnson introduced the entire show.

My favorite designer of the evening was Meghan Fabulous and her latest designs. Aren't these beautiful dresses and cover-ups? I love her ethnic influences.

 
You can see more of the fashion show and pictures from the entire evening on Facebook at the 5th Annual Dinner of Champions Fan Page.

Eric officially welcomed everyone to the honoree part of the evening before turning it back over to Geeter who teased, hugged, and welcomed the honorees up after their video had shown all their athletic achievements (of which there were many!) Numerous athletes were invited to reminisce about the honorees too.

 

 
We were so cold by the end we ducked out while OB was talking which is why I don't have more pictures of his experience, but I'm sure it was great too! 

You can see more pictures of the fashion show Angelique took here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=201892&id=568603599

If you'd like to become a fan of this event to be kept in the loop for next year, click here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=29150&id=130203947005866
 

 

 

 

 

Designer Meghan Fabulous' designs are ethereal tonight #Dig4Kids

I love her beading and ethnic influences on the chiffon fabric with sashes and the best heels ever! Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Posted via email from joydacious's posterous

#Body Glove bikini clad models a huge hit #Dig4Kids

There are whistles on the table from one of the sponsors and the guys are blowing them when they see something, I mean a suit they like.

This is the wildest fashion show I've been to. The guys are cracking me up!

Some of the suits are cute too!:) Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

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Check out what Beso offers today! A kiss of fashion, interior design & beauty for everyone.

By Joy A. Kennelly

Just found this fun shopping site called Beso with all kinds of beauty, home design and fashion for all my stylist, fashionista, metrosexual, & PR friends who enjoy shopping online, or are always looking for the latest thing.

This is especially great for all my celebrity friends and acquaintances who want to have the typical shopping experience without the fans. (Like I have personal celebrity friends with that high a profile, but it sounded good didn't it? LOL) That said, if you happen to have an annoying Hispanic who hovers around like I do occasionally, you can also shop unencumbered while comparing multiple stores all at once.

Love it!

Now, I'm not a big online shopper because I like to try things on first and often shop to get out of the house and AWAY from the computer. That said, I know a lot of people who love online shopping. And the way they talk about it makes me want to try it now.

Plus, now that I see there are home furnishings and bath products available too...:)

Here's a few online shopping tips based on my shopaholic friend's advice to me.

1. Make sure you check each company's return policy.

2. See how quickly they ship and compare shipping fees. Some offer free shipping and returns too.

3. See if there are any special discounts for shopping regularly. You may want to ask because sometimes these discounts are hard to find, but are offered.

4. Check out where your friends are shopping online and see if they're happy with the selection, price and customer service.

5. Keep checking on the item you like because there might be a sale if you wait long enough (and your size isn't common.)

6. Lastly, if you receive a credit on an item you've returned, keep track because the company may miss it in the future and you'll lose money if you're not staying on top of this.

Not to out anyone, but I know a friend who almost daily ordered from her favorite online company without a hitch until recently. She is a true fashionista and has spent hundreds of dollars feeding her passion. It didn't hurt she found a site where everything is extremely cute and also extremely inexpensive.

Well, this one time she ordered three pairs of shoes from there and only received two. The company balked at replacing the missing pair at first, but her persistence has paid off and she received the missing pair soon after. (This was not a Beso shopping site by the way.:)

Needless to say, now she'll be back to shopping there daily again now that she's a happy camper. She said out of the multiple orders she's placed this was the first time something like this had ever happened which is a good ratio.

Remember, the customer is always right and if they don't understand that, shop elsewhere.:)

That's the beauty of Beso. If you don't like one company, you can always find another that you do immediately. And the variety and price comparison is amazing. At least to me since I don't normally shop online.

Here's a sample of just some of the brands available through this site (note: there are men and women's fashions offered - I'm just selecting the images I happen to like and think my friends might like too.:):

• Alice + Olivia 
  

Marc Jacobs

James Perse 

Nine West

Steve Madden

Christian Louboutin

Diane von Furstenberg

C & C California

Dolce Vita

Kate Spade

Juicy Couture

Frye

Ralph Lauren

J Brand

Ben Sherman

William Sonoma

Bedroom Sets

 
Lamps

 

Kitchen

Jewelry and Watches.

Beauty products

Trust me, if you want it, it's here. I better get back to my other stuff now although this has been fun sharing my wish list with you. Do you think they sell the male models too? :) Everything has its price...

Check it out and let me know what you think. And to all my retailer friends like Klean Spa, they may consider showcasing your online store here if you have an interest, but I don't know for sure. It never hurts to look into though, right? Think of the exposure!:)

Happy Shopping!

#LA Fashion Week - Designer Kevan Hall topped 'em all! Rusnak Night of Luxury - Pt II

By Joy A. Kennelly

Finally have time and energy to continue sharing my experience at the Rusnak Night of Luxury event with Fashion Designer, Kevan Hall. I mean it when I say Kevan Hall topped 'em all during LA Fashion Week.

Here's the info I received from his publicist:

"A grand and opulent one-of-a-kind fashion show featuring the luxury collection of Spring 2010 evening and ready-to-wear by Renowned Designer Kevan Hall.
The setting: an 80 foot runway in the center of the grand plaza of Spartacus Square amidst the display and preview of the newest releases from luxury automakers Jaguar, Porsche and Rolls Royce! The Diamond Information Center provided beautiful diamonds to accompany all of Kevan Hall's looks. Hair by Alterna & Make-up by MAC.

2000 VIP Rusnak Guests attended this event hosted by Paul P Rusnak: Chairman & CEO Rusnak Auto Group His daughter, Liz Rusnak Arizmendi: Vice President Public Relations Rusnak Auto Group was the Event Creator & Director of Rusnak Reveals a Night Of Luxury At Universal Studios Backlot (she did an amazing job! And is so nice too. Here they both are sharing a moment with a guest.)

(Here Liz is wearing a Kevan Hall design. Stunning, eh?)

Children's Hospital Los Angeles received a $10,000 check from Rusnak Jaguar Pasadena and Jaguar North America as part of this special event for Rusnak's VIP clients."

Now do you see why I consider this such an amazing event? You can only imagine! You haven't even seen the fashion yet! What was interesting to me is that I'm sure many of these people have never been to a fashion show before and now have been permanently spoiled thinking that all fashion designers throw such over-the-top shows.

Only Kevan Hall baby. Only Kevan Hall.:)

After we all enjoyed the delicious buffets,
admired all the luxury vehicles on display throughout Universal Studios Backlot,
we began excitedly gathering around the runway for the grand finale - Kevan Hall's spring collection! Recognize this handsome man? He is John Salley. I met him in Corona Del Mar at an after-party of the horse races at La' Aberge a few months ago. He was nice enough to pretend he remembered me when I said hello.:)

Front row seat baby!

Everyone was really happy to be there - can you tell?:) Recognize our local news announcer Christine from FOX News at Ten? I can't remember her last name and can't find it online right now. She is very nice too. I had fun teasing these guys. I asked them if they were there for the cars or the fashion. They said in unison, "Both. You really can't have one without the other." (or words to that effect.) True dat!

This beautiful young girl is Kevan's daughter. Aren't they cute?    This handsome gentleman standing with Liz Rusnak - Arizmendi is A. John Vartanian, MD, one of the evening's many sponsors. Thank you for such a special evening everyone!  

Soon, the stage was set and we all sat there in eager anticipation for what we were sure was going to be an amazing event.

Thank you to Stefhan Gordon, my official Photographer of the night. Thank you too to my F/B friend, Vivien Killea, who provided close-up photographs from the evening by Photographer, Arun Nevader, who she was working with that night. Thanks everyone!

(When the pix are sharp and clear - it's my professional photographer friends.When the pix are photo journalistic in style- it's me! Sorry some of mine are a little hard to see - Santa, all I want for Christmas is a Rebel camera!)

Let me set the scene. We were all seated below the "stage" and it seemed like an endless stream of Kevan Hall's beautiful designs would never stop there were so many models coming one after another.

Now without further ado since you've all been so patient in no particular order...

 

 

 

Are these gowns stunning or what? Now for the professional shots to allow you to see the designs and gorgeous models up close and personal. First Arun's work, then Stefhan's because they have different perspectives.

  

If you can believe it, I still have more to share with you! However, I'm going to stop for now and continue with the rest of the evening in another blog to come.

Now do you see why it took so long to write about it? I'm still so happy I was there.:)

Passion Revealed - Alexis Monsanto & Furne One

By Joy A. Kennelly

Now that the Hermosa Beach City Council Candidates I was stumping for, Jeff Duclos and Howard Fishman, are safely in office I can get back to more fun topics seeing as I've left you dangling on LA Fashion Week long enough.:)

Finally, the long-awaited Passion Revealed review! And soon, the Kevan Hall review!

After Philip Rodriguez showcased his gorgeous stunning designs (here's some highlights of his work),  

we were introduced to the next designer, Alexis Monsanto. Now have to admit, I'm partial to beautiful gowns and evening wear and seeing a more casual resort line took a minute to adjust to.

However, once the realization was made that this was more of a resort collection I was easily able to appreciate Monsanto's designs as well. Very beautiful flowing cover-ups, sophisticated slip dresses, elegant pants with flirty, feminine blouses, bold accessories, and wild, over-the-top footwear were his signature style.

Here's some examples to give you an idea of what I'm talking about (a couple of these shots are mine from the runway, the rest are courtesy of my Photographer, Stefhan Gordon):

   
Now after we had seen this model (who drew gasps from the audience) we thought we had seen it all, but this was nothing compared to what was in store. Before we move on to the next designer, here's a video highlighting some of Monsanto's designs:

The next designer, Furne One, was so over-the-top, my stylist friend called his designs "tranny fierce" and we all had to agree. We also thought all his designs were like Disney on steroids, Halloween come early, or costumes for Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut movie - it was truly out-of-this-world.

The makeup, the hair, the "hats", the gowns, the fabric - crazy, over-the-top which is what you expect to see when you go to a fashion show. Now that I learn he's a Filipino Dubai-based designer catering to Arab high society, it all makes sense.

Click here for an article highlighting Heidi Klum's selection of Furne One to design all the gowns for the finalists of Germany's Next Top Model Competition which gives more background on his work.

His Passion Revealed fashion show included lots of tulle, sequins galore, roses, color and detailed work.

And now, without further ado, a visual feast! (Sorry, my photographer had to leave for another shoot, but hopefully you will grasp the show with my humble shots.:) Make sure to pay special attention to the headgear, and I do mean headgear - outrageous!)

  The designer, Furne One, in all his glory at the end. if you look closely you can see Project Runway's Nick Verreo applauding from the front row. Even the music was dramatic albeit a little repetitious.

Here's a little amateur video of the show:

Perfect way to end the evening - with a bang!

What I learned later is that the hostess of the evening was Miss Universe 1997 Brook Lee and there were lots of celebrities in attendance. I even warranted a mention in the publicist's press release as a fashion blogger. Fancy that.:)

Here's her write-up of who was seen in attendance that evening and the beneficiaries:

"Seen enjoying the event were Nick Verreos of MSN Lifestyle and Project Runway, Melissa Magsaysay of LA Times, Maria Quiban of Fox LA Morning News, Philippine Consul General Mary Jo Bernardo-Aragon, VuQo Premium Vodka’s Jose Panlilio and Raul Panelo, Former Miss Philippines Eva Reyes, Former Mutya ng Pilipinas Bong Dimayacyac, Laly Aldeguer of the famed Aldeguer Sisters, Atty. Claire Navarro- Espina, Loren Escano of M Lhuillier Financial Services, Zee Lifestyle Magazine Cebu Publisher-- Ms. Eva Gullas, Rupert Wainwright of Bravo’s Matchmaker Millionaire, The Young and the Restless star Sean Kanan; fashion bloggers Joy Kennelly, Brittan Salisbury and Everette Perry;  UCLA Basketball player Matt Lee, Rock and Republic’s Shane Upson, actress Gina La Piana who appeared in Everybody Hates Chris and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and Reichen Lehmkuhl of Amazing Race and Dante’s Cove. Noted media present were from California Apparel News, That Morning Show on E! and Metrosource.

Passion Revealed was not only used as a platform for the Filipino Fashion Designers to showcase their ingenuity, but more importantly, it also served as a vehicle to raise funds for the typhoon victims in the Philippines. Part of the proceeds from this event went to Gawad Kalinga in support of their relief operations efforts benefiting hundreds of victims of Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng."

It was definitely a special evening. I was very happy to have participated. I hope you enjoyed this stylish break from politics and wish you a most excellent day.:) 

LA Fashion Week - Designer, Philip Rodriguez in Passion Revealed @ Vibiana

By Joy A. Kennelly

Let's see, where we last left off we all were taking our seats for the Passion Revealed LA Fashion Week shows at the Vibiana if I remember correctly. Now I have to say, it was very hard to hear anything the announcer had to say and apologize if I don't mention everyone who was involved.

I'm mainly interested in the fashion, not the music, the dancers, the artists, etc, although it was very nice. That said, the evening was a delightful insight into the Philippine culture that I haven't ever been privy to before.

Makes me want to visit the Philippines now!

The first designer, Philip Rodriguez, really blew everyone away. It makes sense his background is in the family fabric business because each dress was unique in their fabric choice and exquisitely designed which made every woman (and some men!) want to wear everything that came down the runway. 

His work has so many special touches each evening gown was a stand-out - ruching, chiffon, layers, fathers, embroidery, fringe, ruffles, silk, jewels, beading, organza, and more. His designs are sheer elegance and sophistication.

It's no wonder Philip Rodriguez is known in Asia and internationally as the "Cebu's Fashion Czar". I'm positive his work will be seen on more Hollywood red carpets once the pictures from this evening are seen.

Here's some highlights courtesy of my photographer, Stefhan Gordon:
This particular outfit drew applause in approval it was so stunning in person. I want Philip to design an outfit for me!:) He's soooo talented!
 

 
And here's some of my shots from the first row - of course not as crystal clear and beautiful as Stefhan's, but squint a little - it helps.:)

Project Runway's Nick Verreos was in the front row too. You can read his coverage of the evening here.
  Also in attendance sitting next to me were Publicist, Eva Shanni, who I recognized from Smashbox days, and Stylist La Dauphine.

Here's some of closing shots from the show courtesy of Photographer David C. Lee:

Philip Rodriguez was absolutely my favorite evening wear designer of the night, but the rest of the evening was very entertaining and eye-popping too which I will cover in another blog soon. Thanks for reading.

Fashion Palooza w/Designers Cowgirl Heaven, Rochelle Carino, Leondra Renee & Lola Summers

By Joy A. Kennelly

I haven't covered LA Fashion Week for a few seasons which is why I was excited to check out this year's designs and designers.My first LA Fashion Week.com assignment was Fashion Palooza. In an unusual move, all the models came out to the red carpet area to pose with each of the four designers before the show. Lola Summers

  She is the mother of Designer, Houstina Summers of Cowgirl Heaven Fashions, and was absolutely thrilled to have her first fashion show.

Houstina Summers of Cowgirl Heaven Fashion: "My line of accessories and clothing are uniquely handmade design pieces that fulfill the need to find new meanings in every day objects and transform them into heavenly ones;"

Leondra Renee: "The Leondra Renee line provides cutting-edge fashions which brilliantly compliments your “girlish figure”. As a designer, she hopes her work will help highlight the beauty of all women at a price that is accessible to everyone." 

Rochelle Carino of RumpleMunkeh:

Photo Credit Ara Gougher

"With the irresistible mix of modern urban chic and the flowing, red carpet ready sophistication of gowns and dresses that could easily fit in the Golden Age of Hollywood, RumpleMunkeh is a unique fashion line hugely attractive to both retailers and consumers with an irresistibly cheeky and playful vibe;"

Music interludes from up-and-coming music acts Amanda & Travis Marsh entertained us prior to the shows starting.  and Destenee performed during an intermission. (We also received their music in our goody bags.)

Definitely a palooza of talent. Some, more than others, but that's par for the course. What I didn't like, my photographer/friend, Ara, loved. To each her own which is what makes fashion and music so fun.

Here's some highlights to give you an idea of the range of styles showcased courtesy of LookBookLA:

  If you look in the distance you can see me  sitting in the front row. I was given primo seats to enjoy all the clothes. Really makes a difference to sit close because then you can see how well they're sewn and the fabrics used.

Brocade, satin and chiffon was popular with lots of deep jewel colors.  There was also a heavy Asian influence. The star of the evening was the final designer, Houstina Summers of Cowgirl Heaven Fashions. 

When you attend a fashion show, the designers who surprise and entertain generally are the most well-received and Cowgirl Heaven was great! Towards the end of the show, three models at a time came out and performed choreographed dance moves which made the crowd go wild.

By the time all the models did their final parade all together, the entire crowd was on their feet cheering and clapping enthusiastically.

What I especially enjoyed about Fashion Palooza as a whole was the variety of models. Normally, you see one African American model in other designer's shows, but this evening was primarily African American models with a few European and Asian too. Loved the diversity!

Their skin tone was perfect for the rich, deep colors and multi-colored fabric of the clothing they were wearing too. It was definitely a unique experience. This whole event turned into a great evening and definitely set the bar high for any other fashion shows we will attend.

Once I have my videos prepared, I'll upload them.

My long, up and down, fun, sometimes sad, interesting day

By Joy A. Kennelly

Finally have to laugh at something Bill Maher said on his show just now. He apparently is showcasing countries where he suggests people should move to should McCain become President. Now that is stupid, but what made me laugh is when he said, go to India to visit your old job. So true!

Then he mocked Ghandi a little further into the segment and fortunately people agreed it was in poor taste and didn't laugh. Now he's mocking John McCain's war hero treatment comparing it to Tina Turner. I don't know about you, but that's poor taste.

But what do we expect? He's Bill Maher. Crass, sarcastic, full of himself, the biggest head on a body I've ever seen in person (even bigger than Dick Clark!), and blasphemous.

May he rot in hell.

Oops! Did I just say that?

Oh, ha ha. That's comedy.

Or is it? You tell me. It works for him and his show.

Why not at him?

I'm waiting for Entourage and was just curious about his show having never watched it before. Now that I have, I don't have to ever again. Is it always so one-sided? And they say Fox Channel is one-sided! Are comedians only liberal? Are things only funny when it's bashing things that you're against?

Just curious.

I love it. The Republican guest is countering Bill's determination that there needs to be more negative campaigning saying that's what caused the Democrats to lose in the past. Maybe he'll listen.

One can only hope.

Sometimes I feel like Hollywood is so high school where bullies are allowed free rein because those in power are so afraid of losing their jobs to counter something they personally disagree with they go with the flow even though they'd rather not.

Maybe that's why I like Entourage so much. Tells it like it is. For the most part. Gotta watch.

That was a good show. Nice way to end my day. Chris Rock is on now and is too funny. VERY crass, but too funny. Said Desperate Housewives should be renamed Ungrateful Bitches. Too funny.

Hit a non-profit organization's art event earlier today, but just couldn't get into the art exercise designed to relax all the participants and left early in tears from the last one when we were supposed to paint a place we felt safe.

Guess I don't feel safe anywhere right now. Hopefully that will change soon though. I think my safety is being out on the town. HA!

Probably won't be back to that organization actually. Too many memories I don't feel like remembering any more.

Time to move on. I need to ask the other non-profit who always invites me to their annual picnic to stop inviting me too. I'm over remembering that experience too.

Mooooving on. Moooooving on.

What was funny driving there was the van full of young boys who kept trying to get my attention at the stop light. Cougar power. Hellooooo.

Made me a little uncomfortable when I realized they looked like they were 14. Reminded me of the hilarious young boys in Sex Drive which I just saw last night. If you can get past the crassness, it's actually really funny and has a good ending considering it's crassness.

Totally predictable, but sometimes predictable is good. Felt good to just laugh. I think I have a very sick sense of humor for a Christian. Sorry. Can't help it.

That's where I first heard Fall Out Boy's song, I Don't Care. Still lovin' it. Click on the link for the video. When it comes on in your car scream along to it and you'll experience what it's like in my car when I hear it. I. Don't. CARE!

Totally the way I'm feeling. Never quite understood why people like rock music like AC/DC and today for some reason, I love it. There's something primal about screaming along with the music that releases tension I guess. Highway to Hell - especially when you start thinking that's where you're driving.

Laughing is helping though. I love Chris Rock because he totally just tells it like it is. Especially about sex. HILARIOUS! Did I say that? He is not funny at all. I don't know anything about what he's telling.

Or do I?

I enjoyed watching Fashion Designer Joy Han's Voom Fashion Show earlier tonight Downtown. I loved the title "Conservatively Liberal", the girls picketing for Joy Han for President, and the election pins that were passed out. I also liked the fashion - bright colors, lots of designs related to the 60's and 70's.

Once I upload all the pix I'll share them with you. I have some from the UCLA wine & cheese tasting too.

I visited the Santa Monica Arts Studio Open House after the fashion show. I took some pix of my new potential artist client's work and met her in person for the first time. Love her work.

Also saw a few people I know. Some I don't want to know any more, but that's par for the course as I roll. Oh well.

Mooooving on. Moooving on.

Now I'm going to mooooveeee on to bed. Want to watch Joe the Plumber on Huckabee's show. Go Joe!

Oh, and because I can't leave you without at least one Obama thing, here's a video I received tonight that I found very interesting. It's a letter written to the editor by a Cuban American who lived under Fidel Castro.

Interesting comparison. Take it or leave it.

I'm tired. Maybe I'll think differently when I wake up tomorrow.

Interesting, Huckabee has two people on who registered to vote 100 times each with ACORN. People who claim ACORN is innocent are crazy!

Now I'm going to bed. Enough already.

I DON'T CARE!

Happy Mother's Day! Made of Honor and more Hermosa pix for your viewing pleasure

By Joy A. Kennelly

Just watched Made of Honor which actually had some surprises not revealed in the trailer which was a nice change of pace. The scenery in Scotland is stunning, Patrick Dempsey is adorable, and it's every woman's fantasy to have someone sweep her off her feet like her Scottish hero did. I won't ruin the ending, but I really enjoyed the flick. Two bouquets!

I'm actually doing ok this Mother's Day and was only teary once which is great. I love my friend Shana because she's so nurturing and knows exactly what to say to help me feel better about my open adoption. I am so glad we're friends.

Enough of that though, I feel like sharing more pix of Hermosa Beach. We really have a great fashion collection of stores that I didn't acknowledge before and I admit that was wrong of me. Pier Ave is littered with all kinds of cute, eclectic shops filled with unique clothes, surf related items and boards, tourist gifts and t-shirts and other stuff.

Some of them kind of crack me up because it looks like they've been around forever and are from a completely different hippy era - like the Birkenstock store, Greeko's Sandals, the hippie dress store, and the store with the gone surfing sign in the window.

Only in Hermosa Beach...:)

Here's some pix of a few to let you see what I mean. I've mixed in a few from other categories that I missed before too. Buy Mylar balloons from Hermosa Celebrations because if the Government has its way they're going to put an end to them according to Sandy, the store owner. She has great balloon bouquets and really cares about her customers.

I've changed my mind about free copying of my pix. Please don't. I have spent hours shooting, editing and uploading them and would prefer you pay for the privilege of using them if you're interested. Thanks.

Enjoy!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Pix from GenArt, Fashion Week, Cambria & Big Sur - Finally!

By Joy A. Kennelly

Finally uploaded all my pix and have them ready to be seen. Just know, this is a new camera, I haven't read the owner's manual and as a result, some of the pix aren't the best quality, but others are wonderful (if I d say so myself. LOL) Enjoy my picture diary!

Okay, here's a bad one, but at least now you know what I meant by the stationary fashion show at GenArt's recent event. I had taken a bunch of other pics, but ended up deleting them to accommodate my scenery shots up north.

This girl totally reminded me of Kate Bosworth, doesn't she? These was real rain droplets and I thought it was such a clever display.

One of my good friends, Lana, and her brother, Erwin I believe, joined us at the GenArt event which was a lot of fun. I always have a great time with both of them!

 
My good friends, Lana and Melinda, joined me at the GenArt event. Oy vey! I look so pregnant and I'm so not, but boy do I feel comfortable wearing this top. Got to buy a belt.

Lana has some crazy pants just like me. Now my pants have someone to go out with on the town! LOL

Here's one of the shows I caught during LA Fashion Week by Joseph Domingo. I always love to see what the hair stylists will create to go with the clothes as much as I enjoy the fashion.

Is this wild hair or what? This is what the runway looks like at the end. This show had some really pretty dresses with unusual adornments and piping which I liked.

Sorry, had more, but again, deleted them to find space for my vacation pix since I forgot to buy a larger memory card. My bad!

This was the first place I walked to in Cambria because it sounded so unusual... Nitt Witt Ridge. Don't you agree? Of course, it didn't open till 10am and I was there much earlier. Next time I'll take a tour.

This trip, it was Hearst Castle tours instead.

This is the view from the top of Hearst Castle. Again, wish I had a telephoto lens, but I think you grasp a little of the splendor of the view right?

This is one of the side entrances to the castle. Can you believe it? How grand!

This is the first pool you come to and it's called Neptune's Pool. Once a year all the staff get to enjoy a huge pool party where they can invite their friends up to enjoy spending time with them.

A lot of the surrounding statues were especially created for Mr. Hearst and shipped in from Italy and all over the world. See the man standing in the top? Apparently, when this statue arrived it was too big so they chopped off his feet to fit it inside that area! Isn't that funny.

Also, if I'm remembering correctly, Mr. Getty copied a lot of what Mr. Hearst did with his smaller museum over in Malibu. Oh, those rich people. Always trying to keep up with one another.:)

Wouldn't you just love to swim here? Absolutely stunning.

Here's another shot of the same pool, but looking back up towards the castle itself. So regal, I just loved it! The stark white of the statues contrasts so beautifully with the clear water and blue tiles of the pool.

This is just one of the many gardens Mr. Hearst had planted. The building you see behind was one of the guest houses he built for guests that weren't invited to stay in the "big house," but enjoyed a beautiful setting nonetheless.

What I found fascinating is that every plant and trees were brought into this area and weren't here normally. What an undertaking and how beautiful now.

This the main Hearst Castle entrance. I thought my shot of this was unique, but as I look up the information, it's so not. Oh well, I tried.:)

It's nice though, right?

Here's another one straight on...

Isn't the color of the sky incredible? I did not digitally enhance it either. Just naturally beautiful. The balcony is where Mr. Hearst would watch his guests having fun. What I thought was so funny is that he was really against unmarried couples shacking up together, but personally kept a mistress for 34 years.

Her name was Marion Davies and they had adjoining rooms on the third floor where no one else was allowed to enter. I enjoyed my Tour #2 because then we toured that area also. Lots of small, winding staircases with small rooms and lots of beautiful furnishings.

Click here for some of the amazing statistics and an overview of the entire Castle property.

Here's some examples of the furnishings and his extensive art collection. Sorry this one is blurry, but you weren't allowed to use a flash. The ceilings and wall coverings were over the top too!

Isn't this just so delicate and feminine? If I could have taken t with me, I would have.:) I love pink.

This is the master dining room where everyone ate together. Again, sorry it's so blurry. According to our fast talking gay tour guide (why do they love this job so much? Just kidding. It's a gay man's dream! LOL), the longer that you stayed at Hearst Castle, the farther you would be seated away from Mr. Hearst who sat in the middle across from Marion.

One of the famous old time stars, either Carey Grant or someone else who I've forgotten, said if he was sat any further away he'd be sitting outside! One of those stars was invited back 40 times. Others were never invited back.

Oh, another interesting character twist of Mr. Hearst is that he hated his guests to get drunk. Sound familiar? HA!

He would lock up the liquor cabinet until the evening to make sure he kept things under control. Isn't that funny? I bet some  old time alcoholics weren't too happy about having their booze controlled once they realized they'd have to wait to imbibe. LOL Maybe some began packing their own just in case...:)

Tour number 1 takes you to Mr. Hearst's huge private theatre. Just like one of the grand theatres you would see Downtown LA today. Very ornate and gaudy.

This statue is one of many that graced the walls to help with acoustics I believe. We were able to enjoy home movies playing on the big screen in this room.

Mr. Hearst, because he owned so many newspapers, was always receiving films ahead of the general public and began throwing his lavish parties to entice people to drive the four hours up from LA to sit and review them with him.

Oftentimes many of the actors, actresses, directors and writers of the films were included. There was a whole mezzanine floor with shared bedrooms set up just for starlets to stay in so the gentlemen would have pleasant female  company while visiting. What that life must have been like back then. Can you imagine?

Actress Katherine Hepburn has been quoted as saying her one regret is that she didn't take up Mr. Hearst's offer to come visit his "little ranch." Now do you see why?

Both tours I took ended up in this amazing Roman style inside covered pool room. Now according to my outspoken first tour guide, oftentimes midnight love trysts occurred in the steam room. A note slipped into a pocket, a furtive glance and the next thing you know...

The bottom of the pool, although flat, creates an optical illusion and looks curved when you look straight into it. Just directly above the lamp in the foreground is a ledge where people could dive into the 10 foot deep part of the pool.

What I loved about the National Geographic movie, Hearst Castle Building the Dream which is part of Tour 1 is that it follows one starlets experience staying there and you see the place come alive with action.

You also follow little Hearst as he travels with his mother when he's only 10 years old all over Europe where art first captures his heart. Apparently, he wanted his Dad to buy the Louvre after visiting France. His mother had a great deal of influence over him and when his father died, he left his entire estate to his wife since he knew young William would squander his fortune.

Thus, when William wanted to buy something, he would have to ask his mother's permission and she would use that opportunity to make him stop dating some undesirable woman, or give up something in exchange.

Some tour guides surmise that Marion Davies played a mother figure to him. She was an amazing lady all on her own - Actress, Real Estate Investor etc etc! What I loved learning about William Randolph Hearst is that he loved and appreciated strong, career-minded females.

His architect who worked with him almost day and night to build his vision, was a female residential architect named Julia Morgan. She was also another extraordinary woman of that time and in addition to creating Hearst Castle, created and oversaw over 800 other projects in California and Hawaii. She worked nearly 28 years on Hearst Castle and numerous other residences for both Mr. Hearst and Ms. Davies.

A very humble Victorian woman, she requested all her private papers be burned upon her death, but fortunately for us, her relative refused and that's why we know what we know today. Click on her name if you want to learn more about her. Quite an extraordinary woman.

Here's a picture of the small studio she used when she would come to stay and oversee the project. Isn't this amazing? Such a small location for such a grand scale project, but I guess she was out in the field for a large part of this.

Notice the old timey phone too on the desk.

This is the back courtyard where she would cross to go to her "office." The backside of Hearst Castle isn't as finished as the front and the tape on the tour bus taking you back down to the bottom of the hill lets you know that if you'd like to donate you can donate to the Friends of Hearst Castle foundation.

They host some amazing special events at the Castle and if you want to enjoy some with other philanthropic minded individuals, click here for more details. Really sounds like fun. I wouldn't mind going to a few myself? Anyone care to join me?

 

There is only one kitchen in the entire Castle and this is it. I took these pix for my chef friends.:) I can only imagine how many people were responsible to make the wonderful meals for all the guests and workers who came to the hill.

Isn't the attention to detail adorable?

This is the pantry. I ended up touring with a family of five on this tour because I mistakenly joined them and when I figured out I was in the wrong place it was too late. They were nice about it and it was great to have the entire castle to ourselves while touring, rather than the huge group I would have been with otherwise.

You can take private tours for about $600 if I remember correctly and you're allowed to invite up to six guests with you which is actually fairly reasonable since it covers the entire castle tours on a private basis.

Click here for information on all the tours available.

I can't remember which room this is (they all blur together after awhile, but maybe it's the library. I think that's right.) William was kicked out of Harvard is one of the stories told.

This is the "Gold Room" where the infamous gossip columnist, Hedda Hopper, used to stay as a guest. It's up in the top spier of the castle (is that what the towers are called? Well, that's what I'm trying to say.) and is very small, but really pretty with the sun shining through.

Click here for a list of some of the other important people who stayed here.

This is an example of the ornate ceilings Hearst was fond of. This is also the chandelier that hangs in the Gold Room. Everything is so ornate and gaudy and so of the time, I just loved it. Not to my taste for my own personal space, but definitely something admirable in this setting.

Tour 2 ends in the same pool house just from a different viewpoint. Click here for some Behind the Scenes info on the beautiful details involved in this room and all the others.

Now do you see why this was so refreshing and just what I needed? I love art and visionary men. When the two come together... It's a beautiful thing.

The other fun thing to do while visiting Cambria and Hearst Castle is to check out all the Elephant Seals that love to laze around in the sun along the coastline. It's just a few miles past Hearst Castle and the turn-off is clearly marked. There are walking trails to allow you to walk and view closer.

There are hundreds of seals like this and they make the funniest sounds. They also seem to do the Michael Jackson moon walk as they push themselves across the sand to get back into the water.

Certain areas were quite stinky perhaps from a dead one, but otherwise, it's very pleasant although when I was there it was bitter cold and windy. These next few shots are blurry because it was too cold to stand and get a good shot!

Isn't it rugged? Just love the different seascapes Northern CA offers.

This could be further up, or in Cambria, I don't remember.

The next day I drove up to Big Sur. I had been told it was only 25 miles away, but it was actually more like 100. However, it was well worth the drive.

Stunning vistas like this all up and down the Northern coast. You really must see it for yourself because I'm not doing this half the justice.

 

This is my final shot heading home from Big Sur and thus ends our tour. I hope you've enjoyed your visit and make plans to come back and see me again real soon.

We'll leave a light on for you...:)

Have I convinced you now to make the trip? I'll even go back up with you! Only this time I might suggest staying at the Cambria Pines Lodge based on the referral of another friend, Jaimi Blakely who just hosted a writer's retreat there.

According to Jaimi, Cambria Pines Lodge has "24 acresthat you can hike and a free drink at their bar and a free breakfast buffet every morning. There's an organic garden on the property where they grow a lot of their own produce.

When you call Cambria Pines Lodge, say that you want their current special.Usually, the specials are from $69-$89 depending on the season. (Such a deal!) Also, if you register to receive the weekly email from TravelZoo.com, then you will see frequent specials listed that are in that area (from San Luis Obispo to Monterey).

"Jaimi" loves Black Cat Bistro and Robin's for dinner and Indigo Moon for lunch or a casual dinner. "She" heard that the Thai place is great, too, but hasn't been yet."

Okay, that's really all. Cambria isn't that big so you can find the perfect place for you just by walking through the town once. I did it in 30 minutes or so from where I was staying. It's that small. Totally reminds me of what Hermosa Beach was like so long, long, long ago...:) I'm not that old, but I can imagine.

Enjoy your Sunday. I need to get outside now.

I just received the wrap up release of LA Fashion Week - enjoy!

I've been so busy I haven't had a chance to write reviews of the shows I saw. Just know they were very interesting, but didn't blow my mind like I always feel when I watch Kevan Hall. However, I did like the shows I saw very much, but the clothes were just more daytime than evening which I was expecting at one. Oh well, I'm not the fashion icon you thought I was! JUST KIDDING! I NEED A STYLIST! In any case, here's some fun info on the show as a whole sent out by the publicist for the official Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Enjoy! JOY   MERCEDES-BENZ FASHION WEEK AT SMASHBOX STUDIOS PRESENTED ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL SEASON POST EVENT RECAP   Los Angeles, Calif. (March 18, 2008) – Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios wrapped up its Fall 08 season which showcased a lineup of emerging, veteran and International designers. Industry guests, retailers, media, celebrities, sponsors and fashionistas came out in force to celebrate one of Los Angeles most glamorous industries.   The schedule of designers included IMASU by Kelly Nishimoto, Orthodox, Julia Clancey, Whitley Kros, Alexis Lamontagna, Octavio Carlin, Joseph Domingo, Suh-Tahn, Veronika Jeanvie, Falguni & Shane Peacock, Bow & Arrow by Alan Del Rosario, Lauren Conrad Collection, Maggie Barry for Xubáz, Nicholai, The Green Initiative Humanitarian Fashion Show, Jenny Han, Elmer Ave, Samora, Farah Angsana, Monarchy Collection, Ashley Paige and Pussycat Dolls by Robin Antin.   Front row at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios included editors from all the leading fashion publications from André Leon Talley and Lisa Love of Vogue to Michael Roberts fashion and style director for Vanity Fair as well as representatives from ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, Paper Magazine, People, Us Weekly and many others.   Alongside the leading press, media and retailers, the seats were filled by Kirstie Alley, Gene Simmons and the Simmons Family, P. Diddy, Dr. Dre, Nelly, Taye Diggs, Jenna Bush, Lisa Rinna, Juliette Lewis, Jason Lee, Amy Smart, Mena Suvari, Seann William Scott, Quincy Jones, Bow Wow, Paris Hilton, Beck, Giovanni Ribisi, Whitney Port, Brody Jenner, Danny Masterson, Benji Madden, Sophie Monk, Bijou Phillips, Brandon Davis, Matt Dillon, Kristin Cavallari, Girlicious, Angie Harmon, Andrew Keegan, among others.   This season, the event’s graphics were reminiscent of the  Hollywood studios and theirglamour. Inside the tents, the runways heralded many first time shows and US launches for Julia Clancey, Suh-Than - (this was the show I saw. Very creative styling with jersey. Their rise is very impressive seeing as they started as t-shirt designers!) Veronika Jeanvie, Falguni & Shane Peacock- (this was the other show I saw which reminded me a lot of Meghan Fabulous' line a few seasons back. I really liked their clothes and when the designers walked out, I realized why. The female designer was curvy and as a result cut her clothes to fit my body style rather than the sticks normally walking the runways..) Bow & Arrow by Alan Del Rosario, Lauren Conrad Collection,Farah Angsana, Orthodox and The Pussycat Dolls by Robin Antin.   Supporting industry causes, People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals (PETA) kicked off the week with a special unveiling of its ad featuring their newest spokesperson Jenna Jameson.  Wearing a black wig and a pleather bikini, Jameson evokes screen siren Bettie Page in a SINthetic new PETA campaign called "Pleather Yourself: Discover the Pleasure of Pleather."   The week concluded with Robin Antin's Pussycat Dolls lingerie collection and a live performance by the real Pussycat Dolls. The highly anticipated event was filled with sexy and sophisticated looks, including micro-minis with corset lacing, graffiti-covered bra-and-panty sets, ruffles, ribbons and sailor-themed sets. Ashley Roberts, Jessica Sutta, Kimberly Wyatt, Melody Thornton and Nicole Scherzinger then rocked the runway by performing Doll favorites such as Loosen Up My Buttons, Don’t Cha, Stick Wit You, Beep and many more!   Title sponsor Mercedes-Benz was joined by Smashbox Cosmetics, American Express, DHL, LYCRA®, Judith Ripka, YKK, The Hollywood Roosevelt, Valadon Hotel, Gilt Groupe, Panera Bread, CITRUS at Social, Peroni, Imperia Vodka, BAWLS Guarana, Rose’s Cocktail Infusions, smartwater, Los Angeles Times IMAGE, California Apparel News, Full Frontal Fashion, ULTRA HD, 944 Magazine and Getty Images. Each of these sponsors and partners provided hospitality, services and amenities that made the exciting week of shows as effortless and pleasurable as possible for all attendees.

Gen Art Fashion Event the other night

By Joy A. Kennelly

It's really funny what happens when you step away from something for a bit and then come back to it. It changes your perspective and you can never go back to what it was like before. That's what visiting LA Fashion Week events has been like for me this go round.

Although I've complained about the work involved making sure your budding or established celebrity receives the publicity they come to these events for, it actually gives my being there a purpose which was lacking this time. Plus, I enjoy their company which makes it fun too.

I'm not hired by any fashion mags to write coverage and mainly go just to tap into my feminine side since running your own business you operate in your masculine side so much. No, I am not gay. Just telling it like it is.

When you're dealing with men in business you can't help but pick up some of their tendencies. However, that doesn't mean you're any less of a female. It's just tough when you face chauvinism in the work world and it can make you a little hardened to allowing people to know your vulnerabilities and be as open as you normally would.

When I go to LA Fashion Week Shows, it's the one time where I can just let my guard down and be a woman and ooh and aah at what makes me happy to think about wearing. It also is very social and a place to enjoy a totally different crowd of people than I normally hang out with. I love it. It's stimulating visually and mentally.

The other night at Gen Art was no exception. Very eclectic, young hipster type crowd. A very cool Downtownish venue of a hotel turned nightclub. The interior was so glamorous and rather goth almost. I'd been there in the past for a rave a long time ago and it was fun to be there again.

As always, free drinks were flowing and I opted to try the new flavored saki, but soon wished I hadn't since my acid reflux acted up. I just can't drink any more. Have to face that fact and move on. It was delicious though and if you like saki, try it! The bottle is absolutely adorable.

There was a live staged fashion show in the lower area with interesting black and white geometric style fashions - very '80's which was entertaining. I always love seeing what the hairdressers will do since it's their job to make everything fit together.

After a bit we wandered upstairs and were treated to two more staged fashion environments. We were all expecting a runway show similar to years past, but this was cool in it's own way. Very stylistic, staged sets where women just posed as live mannequins almost. On stage there was a round lazy Susan type circular moving  mirrored platform with huge mirrored pillars that the models just stepped on and took a ride around the circle.

A little bizarre since there was no movement other than the revolving platform, but cool. Unfortunately, the clothes were hard to see as they came up close because the lighting didn't highlight the clothes enough. However, it was interesting to watch. For a bit.

We decided to leave early to avoid the valet crunch and were glad we did. We ended up cutting off our car at the corner and quickly maneuvered our way out of the long line of cars to freedom! It had been a long week so we all said adieu and went our separate ways soon after. I always enjoy hanging out with these people and loved the scene.

Gotta run. More Fashion Week later. I'll have to upload pix too!

Here's a great fashion challenge for teens! Go for it!

Here's an example of a friend's press release in case you were wondering what one looks like. Great event and I hope if you're the right age you go for it!

(The blank spot was a picture, but I'm too tired to figure out where it went or how to delete it so bear with me ok? Or bare with me as people so often misspell this word!)

Notice the format - title, subtitle, location, date, lead paragraph, body paragraph, quote and boiler plate paragraphs on each company. I can explain more later, but just wanted to get this out because I promised my friend I would. Plus, I told you I'd share how to write a press release. More details later, but look at this as an example for now. I cut off the contact info because I don't like to distribute that via blogs because weird people sometimes come by and may spam people's email info.

Enjoy the read!
JOY

Tommy Hilfiger and BKFK Launch the "Signature Style Challenge" with $10,000 Grand Prize

Did you know that Stella McCartney, Tommy Hilfiger, Hillary Duff, Zac Posen and Jean Paul Gaultier all achieved success in the fashion world before the age of 18?

STAMFORD, CT - October 19, 2007 - By Kids For Kids (BKFK) and Tommy Hilfiger today announced the "Signature Style Challenge," designed to uncover America's future fashionistas and teenage style gurus. With an unprecedented $10,000 Grand Prize, the "Signature Style Challenge" will inspire scores of creative teens to try their hand at fashion design, and focus a powerful spotlight on emerging design talent. The new Idea Locker™ at BKFK.com will support the design process, and provide a valuable opportunity for networking and style critique.

The Signature Style Challenge seeks original designs in the areas of apparel, accessories, footwear, hair/make up, jewelry, handbags, totes, scarves, belts, etc. All youth 19 and under are eligible to participate. In addition to the $10,000 Grand Prize, the winner will receive a "Connection to Reality," which is the opportunity to spend a day shadowing a designer from Tommy Hilfiger in their Manhattan studio. All entries must be received by December 31st at BKFK's newly revamped website, www.bkfk.com.

"The world of fashion is competitive, exciting and glamorous - and anyone with original ideas can break into this world," commented BKFK Founder and CEO Norman Goldstein, "We are excited to join forces with Tommy Hilfiger to uncover teen design talent- and look forward creating opportunities for aspiring creative designers to achieve success in the real world."

Besides the Signature Style Challenge, BKFK also just launched 3 other exciting competitions. . The Digital Arts Challenge seeks digital storytellers, The Sports Evolution Challenge seeks new ideas for fitness and sporting goods, and the Going Green Challenge seeks eco-friendly product ideas to help the environment. BKFK will launch four invention competitions each quarter- with a total of $160,000 in prize money. Further information on all competitions can be found on BKFK.com.

About "Idea Locker™

"The Idea Locker™, powered by BKFK, is a private online space where teens can create, develop, store and share their ideas. Partially adopting the social networking style now familiar to the target age group, users will be able to add friends, chat, share ideas and provide ratings and feedback on ideas that others have decided to share through their "Idea Locker™."

The "Idea Locker™ " also supports The Signature Style Challenge by providing a digital model entrants can dress and send down a virtual runway.

This secure personal locker can hold as many ideas as the user can dream up. The Idea Locker™ also includes a mechanism for uploading files such as text, images, audio and video.

BKFK has refined its process over years of experience to accept ideas online in a safe and secure manner. The new Idea Locker™ employs a number of tactics to educate the users about Intellectual Property and protecting their rights while developing their innovations. Minors who wish to share their ideas must receive parental approval to do so. The Idea Locker™ then allows teens to adjust the levels of privacy on ideas in their locker to private, semi-private or public.

About By Kids For Kids Co.

By Kids For Kids Co., "BKFK" is a closely held corporation based in Stamford, Conn., is the leading global marketing, branding and licensing company dedicated to making teens' ideas a reality. Having produced numerous successful invention competitions, BKFK is finely attuned to what teens want. Their mission is to inspire, motivate and stimulate the innovative spirit within all young people. In addition to providing free support and educational resources to the world's youth, BKFK provides entrepreneurial experiences for young inventors and supports the entire ideation through commercialization process. Learn more: www.bkfk.com

Fun art event tonight - care to join me & my friends?

 (This is posting crazy, but I have to run to church so just read it and realize it looked better on the email ok?)

You are invited to the exclusive Saints & Sinners art show at

Cush Salon, featuring the artwork of Hector Rodriguez.

Mingle with LA's elite artists, stylists, and fashionistas and enjoy light refreshments.

 When: Sunday, October 7^th at 7 p.m.

Where: Cush Salon 171 S. Robertson Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA

310 360-7963

About Hector and his artwork:

Hairstylist, entrepreneur, artist. This self-taught painter finds his inspiration by fusing his love of pop culture with his Mexican heritage. He creates new dimensions through digital manipulation, layering of images and colours. No longer limited by humanity and hairstyling as his canvas, Hector is free to express his unique view of the world as he sees it, manifesting in the pop-surrealistic images that he creates.

Hector has joined forces with silversmith ENZO (Hector Fernandez) of Made In Moon to create jewelry inspired by his art.

About Cush Salon:

Located on posh Robertson Blvd. in Beverly Hills, Cush Salon is devoted to quality customer service and a sleek, elegant setting (complete with a cafe) for luxurious hair treatments by their staff of expert stylists.  Experience warm, friendly service and beautiful results.

Guests may bid on silent auction goods from Kerastase and more! Live art models inspired by Hector's designs will also be on display. Cush-invited makeup artist Veronica Lane to add her expert creativity to the mix. Spoken word by Poetry Vizion. Musician Dino Saldo will perform and DJ D Nastee will be spinning tunes throughout the event.

Proceeds from the silent auction will go to our sponsor SmileTrain, a charity devoted to providing surgery for children in need.

Kerastase gift bags will also be given out to the first 50 guests to RSVP.

This event brought to you courtesy of my good friend and colleague - Adrienne Dorsey of Magnolia PR.

Simpson's Movie, Fritelli's Donuts, Gali Rotstein, The Counter restaurant, Paige Premium Denim

By Joy A. Kennelly

The Simpson's Movie cel art party was so cute. Here's a pic of me with the characters. I wanted to take
them home with me they were so cute. I love animation. I used to market the World Animation Celebration that 50,000 people would attend. As a result, I knew all the coolest animation and animators. Amazing talent in that field.

This party was in celebration of the upcoming Simpson's Movie and the walls were filled with cel art from the TV show, Family Guy, and other famous animation from all eras. They served Fritelli's Gourmet Donuts which were quite yummy. I didn't try a Flamin' Moe martini, but those looked good too. There was a lady giving make-up tattoos that the kids just loved. Joe Montagna, Fred Willard and Tom Arnold were some of the celebrities in attendance.

My client, Artist Gali Rotstein, came, as well as, Interior Designer, Leslie Sachs and Graphic Designer, Cynthia Combs. Gali showed me the completed press kits and they're just stunning. It's really amazing what a difference good design makes. I LOVE IT! Now to get the approval or whatever I need to start pitching her.

I was rather bummed that I was too late to benefit from my EPPS mixer so to comfort myself went to The Counter restaurant by myself. A friend had taken me there before, but we had arrived when they were closing so I wasn't able to experience it then. Just reading the review on the place - no wonder it's so crowded! Oprah AND GQ Magazine say they're the best burgers! GQ even went so far as to call it one of "The 20 Hamburgers You Must Eat Before You Die."

I wasn't terribly hungry having tried a donut earlier and skipped ordering the "Build Your Own Burger" which they're known for. I sat at the counter and was joined by a very interesting South African Graphic Designer who works for Paige Premium Denim. We had a great chat and when his burger came it was definitely a concoction all his own! No wonder the place was packed with men. What a great burger joint!

My veggie burger paled in comparison, but it was delicious nonetheless. It was fun to go out for dinner alone and have a nice conversation with someone unexpected. Just what I needed to get me out of my funk for missing my mixer.

Oh well, I've decided to start a professional networking mixer for PR/marketing/design/event people since we all collaborate anyway. Should be interesting to see who attends. Looking forward to it. Last night's MB Chamber Mixer was interesting. Bumped into my sister's childhood friend there and promptly re-connected them via the phone which was fun.

Schmoozed around with my new designer friend, Gary Evans of Tiburon Design, who is extremely talented. We met at the Torrance Chamber lunch. He's one of the people I'm considering starting this mixer with. Also some of my Beach Writer friends too. It's time all of different disciplines had a mixer to support each other as a whole!

So, that's all for now. We'll see what tomorrow brings! Have a good one!

Crown Jewel Club, Shade Hotel, The Party Goddess, Gali Rotstein and Age of Love

By Joy A. Kennelly

Where to begin? Spent lunch with the Crown Jewel Club Girls over at Shade Hotel in Manhattan Beach as a fund-raiser for this delightful organization. Here's the mission statement from their Web site:

"Crown Jewel Club is dedicated to giving at-risk, inner-city girls the opportunity to learn basic disciplines in the areas of basic manners, grooming, table etiquette, and how to conduct themselves in social settings.

The goal is to provide a positive environment that fosters improved self-esteem, self-confidence, respect for themselves and others, self-awareness, self-nurturing, the value of giving, perseverance, and the importance of education, family and friendships."

Just a wonderful organization with wonderful success stories, it brought tears to my eyes to hear the children tell NBC weatherman, Fritz Coleman, and NBC Co-Anchor, Colleen Williams, (who both co-hosted the luncheon) how "Mrs. Phillips" has changed their lives.

Mrs. Phillips is the founder of this two-year old organization which has radically changed the lives of the girls who have gone through the training. I spoke to the school counselor afterwards and she said that she's been at that school for 10 years and there were always fights and disagreements among the girls in the Spring. Now, since the program has been in place, that behavior has stopped. Also, this group helped one little girl choose not to join a gang when asked to. Man...

My two little favorite girls when asked about themselves responded - "I love sushi and Mrs. Phillips." The 2nd little girl said, "I love Mrs. Phillips. She's taught me how not to be so ghetto." How cute is that? Each little girl was wearing the cutest bonnet too. Check out the Web site for pictures and more details.

There were also some real amazing little girls who wanted to be doctors, fashion designers, investigators, and one little girl who seemed destined for politics telling us how she wanted to uncover domestic violence or something like that. This from girls ages 9-11 years old living in South Central!

Shade Hotel was a really beautiful venue for this event too. They closed down the bar area and the outdoor patio for the luncheon. Free organic manicures were offered by Green Bliss Eco Spa, a traveling spa, at one end. Delicious tea sandwiches, Caesar salad, fresh fruit and petit fours were elegantly displayed and prepared by Marley Majcher of The Party Goddess.

Five years ago when I was in the catering business (has anyone ever avoided it completely?) I worked for her company and actually ended up serving at her wedding. She is such a fun party girl. Half the room was formal china, silver, chandeliers to represent her husband, and the other half of the room was this wild animal print chairs, brightly colored plates, cups, etc (at least that's what I remember. I also remember serving jello shots a lot too - that was one fun party for those wedding guests!)

She's extremely creative, very smart business woman. I highly recommend her company to you. You can tell her I referred you as we re-acquainted ourselves at the event. She remembered me too which was fun. She produced this event and it was top notch all the way. The goody bags are wonderful with so many sponsored gifts I can't go into them all here. Just know they are spectacular and most enjoyable.

The one funny moment of the day was seeing the former Mayor of Manhattan Beach, Steve A. Napolitano, there and mistaking him for someone who worked for the hotel because of his 60's style brown shirt and matching brown pants that looked like it could be a uniform if you glanced at him quickly. I couldn't figure out why he was walking out to join all the ladies until he was acknowledged from the stage as who he was! My bad.

I had seen him at the other women's conference event I went to and couldn't figure out why a young, handsome guy like himself would attend an obviously all-female event (Okay, not really, but why did he keep showing up though?), but when it was mentioned that he was part of some other governmental office it became clear he was schmoozing his constituency (although he's very low-key - I think he likes to be supportive too. How do I know though? I don't even know the guy - only spoke a few words to him today! I'm sure everyone else in town knows him though. He seems a little shy.)

He was very gracious to the charity and offered his office to match anyone's $5,000 grant they made that day. I don't think it was that type money crowd, but this was my first Manhattan Beach event. I'm just getting the lay of the land down here.

Who knows what goes on in the Soroptomist International of Manhattan Beach? Seems like a great organization to be part of though since they do so much charitable work. I like that. I might have to see what all is entailed to be part of it because I'm impressed with the women I have met to date.

Then drove like a mad woman to Gali's (trying to burn out the additives in my engine like the mechanic suggested this morning when I took my car in for review again.) It was rather fun speeding full bore around the curves of the Sepulveda pass in my red sports car. Fortunately, no police were around because I was booking! Just doing what my mechanic suggested. A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do!

Met with Gali to discuss strategy and next steps. Together with her designer friend, Cynthia Combs, they have created the most classy press kit from the raw press materials I gave them. I was so happy! It was beyond what I imagined it could be. Those two are EXTREMELY talented. Too bad Cynthia's moving to South Carolina to start her eco events business, but I'm sure anything she does will be first class all the way. I'm also sure you'll be hearing about her sooner than later. Mark my words.

I feel good about what Gali and I have planned now and just need to implement everything. This week is going to be extremely busy!  I'm networking like a crazy woman - chamber lunch tomorrow afternoon, Third Tuesday in the evening (don't really network there, but catch up with friends.) Wednesday night - another chamber mixer. I'm intent on checking out the local scene since I normally never hang out down here in the South Bay and am curious who participates.

Thursday morning - another networking breakfast (I overslept last week and hope to make this one - my nights can get late though!) and then that evening two events- the Simpson's movie animation art gallery opening with a cool crowd in attendance (I'm tired and not explaining it properly, but trust me it's going to be great!!!! Fred Willard anyone? How about a Flamin' Moe? I CANNOT WAIT!!!) followed by the EPPS summer mixer which is always a good time.

I pitched myself to a lot of the publicists in that organization to help with their overflow PR work. It will be nice to put the name to the faces. Also, to see old friends I don't see except for these events. Very good group of people. Highly recommend joining if you're an independent publicist, or any type actually.

Okay, I'm getting tired. I do need to say something though about the show, Age of Love. Although at one point I was hoping to like Jen, the oldest one of the bunch, as she is the spokesmodel for the clothing site I was approached to represent, can't say that I do. I think that woman is a Cougar with a capital "C." She even said it herself in tonight's episode, she only wants what she wants.

I WOULD NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, EVER date someone 18 years younger, especially if my son was that age - that's just sick and wrong. I have gone out socially with much, much younger men, but I would NEVER, ever seriously consider dating any of them! I think the youngest I ever hung out with was 18 years and even that was a huge age difference at the time. He was a model - what can I say? First red head I ever hung out socially with too. Too much a Daddy thing since my Dad's a red head - just not my thing. I like my men dark and handsome. Know anyone? :)

BTW, took my profile off yahoo because the person's profile I hid popped up in my box as reviewing my profile and I couldn't figure out how to remove him. If he's not interested enough to contact me, then why stare at his face right? However, it would have been nice, but would have been's do not a relationship make. I think I'm taking a break from online stuff for a bit except maybe EHarmony still. Too much going on this week.

Back to age vs. beauty, whoops, 20's vs. 40's. I don't think it's a fair playing field for someone that much older to pursue someone younger like that - I think what next week's episode will reveal is that Mark (isn't that his name? I'm sorry, he's not that exciting to me - handsome, but a little too naive) is more interested in just having sex with her than having a real relationship.

Also, that woman seems more interested in adding him to her (sex) belt than having a real relationship too I think. She seems too hard and calculating to be anything other than a (fill in the blank.) Can you tell I'm over wanting to work with that company?

However, maybe I should watch what I say seeing as she's the assistant to the head coach of the Lakers and if I ever need a favor, she'd probably be the one I need to deal with!:) Jen, you're a very nice woman and I'm sure you had only the best motives on the show. Really, I do. Truce?

I have to admit though, that show cracks me up when some of the earlier 40 year old women got kicked off because they were bemoaning the fact that time was slipping away (or words to that effect.) I've been there, but not on national TV!!! No reality TV for me - thank you very much. I especially would never go on national TV and announce my age to the world. A lady never reveals her age and a gentleman never asks.

I had to teach that to the little cutie patootie four year old boy who was watching softball with me the other week. I can be real kid-like around kids because I just love playing around and being silly with them which they love too. I guess I was a little too much for his serious little mind and he asked me with great concern, "How old ARE you?" I just love how honest little kids can be.

I kept teasing him and telling him I wanted to pick him up and give him a big hug he was so cute. I told him too, not only is he handsome, but I bet he's smart too, to which he replied, "Yes I am" with all the bravado his tiny little body could muster. HOW CUTE IS THAT!!! They're all coming to my BBQ so I can't wait to see him again. Very fun little boy.

Speaking of which, my little boy (9 years old now!) just sent me the sweetest thank you card for the Star Wars stamps and funny reggae head pencil I sent him for fun. He lives with his adoptive parents outside DC and he's the best little guy. I just love him. I'm going to buy some fun stationary to correspond back to him. Little boys are fun!

It's the big boys you have to watch out for. Just teasing. I wish I had a big boy in my life about now. Are you feeling me single girls? Jen? HA! LOL. In any case, today was fun. Tomorrow is going to be busy so I best be getting to bed.

Have a great night (what's left of it.)

Final wrap-up of LA Fashion Week

Okay Ladies, what you’ve been waiting for finally! I downloaded some of the pix from the 2(x)ist men’s underwear fashion show. Wait till you get a load of these men! Ooh baby!

Check it out in my LA Fashion Week Fall photo album. I also put some other pix in there. I’m sorry they’re so blurry. I really need to get a better camera, but at least you’ll be able to get the look and feel of each show maybe. I’ve uploaded Juan Carlos Obando, Sue Wong, 2(x)ist, Voom, the design suites, friends and fun. More to come!

Just to wrap up our time at Dehoghton Denim and Junker Designs events. We enjoyed the ambiance, but were so bummed we missed the fashion show at the Avalon for Junker Designs. That’s one of my favorite shows because it’s so over the top and wild, but there’s always next season. Check out wireimage and you’ll get an eyeful.

As for De Hoghton Denim, we enjoyed meeting Coretta Scott band member, Brandon, and hanging out for a bit before Michael H (the designer being recognized - who knew he was so multi-talented?) and the Bashers got going. I still need to upload his performance on youtube. I will soon.

So, that’s it for LA Fashion Week. Hope you enjoyed my coverage. Next time I hope to hit more shows and am still waiting on more pix which I’ll let you know about as they get uploaded ok?

Have a great day!

Pride, Determination & Resiliance - followed by Peace

Just watched Pride, the movie starring Terrence Howard and Bernie Mac and highly recommend it. It's so inspiring and such a good story. Pride, Determination and Resilience! PDR! PDR! Maybe it's predictable a bit, but very fun to watch. I especially liked seeing the 1964 and 1974 clothing styles.

Bernie Mac is himself in full glory with 70's facial hair - too funny. I can't believe how easily Terrence Howard can cry in this film. I was ready to drop a few right along with him. There's a lot of racial tension which Tom Arnold is great at expressing. He's still likable despite being a cocky bastard.

Speaking of which, spoke to a good friend tonight. I just love that guy. He's decided he wants to be a better man and is starting to go back to church/temple (couldn't tell which one he was talking about and it doesn't really matter - he's going and God sees his heart.) What a shocker, but very sweet too. May all of us want to be better people.

Ever have one of those days where you have absolute peace about where you are in life? I don't know if someone is praying that for me or not, but today I just have real contentment. Such a nice feeling. I wish that for all of you too.

Maybe because I'm still tired from the week it's a little easier to be peaceful. Moved in more at my new place before going downtown to catch Yana K's fashion show. I wasn't really in the mood to go, but I'm so glad I did. I missed it last season and she's so creative and original.

She held her show downtown at the CA Apparel Mart which made it more interesting right from the start. I haven't been there since I was attending FIDM years and years ago (when I went there they were still at 7th and Flower which is dating me I know, but hey, I've been interested in fashion since high school.)

Some people wonder why I go to shows and it's because you can make meet some great people that you wouldn't normally otherwise. Like tonight. I ended up sitting next to the Associate Editor of Angeleno (at least that's what I heard, the cool trance music was a little loud.) Hey Brian if you're reading - hello and thanks for stopping by.

Also met a modeling agent who reps Asian models and is launching an Asian magazine which is very cool I turned him on to Actress Corrine Wu because I think she's quite stunning and is going to get big soon. Hi Corrine if you're reading. We must work together!

Back to the show. Yana and her team took over this cute little side patio at the mart, covered it with a tent, and lined the interior with chairs with a raised runway down the center. I liked sitting below the runway because it gives you a different perspective of the clothes and makes it much easier to see the shoes which were very fun - bright colored patent pumps, gold wrap wedge sandals, and boots with leopard print stacked heels, among others. 

The designs were so fun - lots of mini mini's with the most amazing leggings and stockings - imagine wild patterns, colors, stripes, on long, leggy models and let your mind go wild - very 60's, very fun. Can't wait to buy some.

The dresses were so unusual too. Lot's of unique buckling, wrapping, cool fabrics, accented by huge, reptile pattern purses. I'm hoping to get some of their official pix from the show to really show you these designs because out of all the shows I think this one was my favorite for wild creativity (although I couldn't wear half the dresses since they barely covered the model's butts and would probably look like a shirt on me!)

I loved the variety of models too - finally. Beautiful Asian, Black, Middle Eastern, and of course white girls with dark smoky eyes and subtle, nude lips - very stunning. I think Yana K is creative through and through. I liked the fact it was a smaller show, more low-key, very sophisticated, but wild too in a way with the focus more on the clothes than which celebrity was there. Who really cares after all when the designs are so great? Check out her site and let me know what you think.

A nice touch during the cocktail hour pre-show was sushi provided by Blowfish Sushi and after the show, gourmet chocolates provided by Madame Chocolat. I also loved the huge multi-colored art sculptures in the middle of the party and the skyscraper buildings on either side. Very cool vibe all the way around. Here's some quick pix. I'll upload the rest from the entire week later...

                            
This woman is wearing a dress from Yana's Spring collection. Funky, eh? She's a bolder woman than I!

Sorry some of the runway shots are bad. I'm using Energizer batteries and they don't work as well in reloading my camera's flash as others I've used so my timing was off.

Big bummer, but can you see the shoes and stockings? A lot of the models wore those funny snoods too which gave everything an interesting look.

I've got to get some sleep because my eyes and hands are killing me, but at least you have a little taste.

I'll get back to this last week tomorrow. Enjoy your Sunday!