No big surprises at LA Fashion Awards Nominations party...except for Native Wayne

   
I wore my new nipple-revealing Opening Ceremony dress to the LA Fashion Awards Nominations party at the Hollywood Standard.

Jeffrey Sebelia was there with a hot lady friend, as was Fred Segal. I said hi to Tarina Tarantino and her man Alfonso, and chatted with Rose Apodaca's man Andy Griffith about the joys of Japanese chain Uniqlo. Then he told us that he is in the process of opening a new branch of their awesome Silver Lake design store, A+R , in Venice...we can't wait!!!

I spent much of the evening chatting to the delightful Native Wayne, host of Indie 103.1's Sunday night reggae show. He's one of those guys you've definitely seen around, always wearing a bandanna over his black dreads, but I had never realized he was the one and only Native Wayne.

I gave him maximum respeck and asked him what he was doing at the LA Fashion Awards Nominations party, and he said they were passing around tickets at Indie HQ, and he thought he'd come check it out. "So where de fashion, mon?" he asked in his Kingston drawl, looking around hopefully.

He told me about his house in Jamaica which has a 150 foot waterfall in the back garden, where Gwen Stefani recently shot a video. He bemoaned the tough working conditions for Jamaican film crew members.

"The crew from that Jamaican bobsleigh team movie Cool Runnings only got paid $10 a day," he fumed.

He told me about the documentary he is working on with Ondi Timoner (director of Brianjonestown Massacre/Dandy Warhol doc DiG!), all about the history of reggae music. Should be out next year. Then I told him about the secret illegal reggae/spoken-word party that happens every Wednesday in a location I shall not reveal, and he agreed to go check it out with me some time. Jah!

And now, for the nominees...there were no real surprises here, but we were delighted to see Doris from awesome designer vintage store The Way We Wore nominated for best retailer, and we're rooting for Juan Carlos Obando or Jasmin Shokrian to win the Fashion Innovator Awards. The actual awards ceremony takes place on October 26, at the Orpheum Theatre downtown.

2007 Moss Adams Fashion Innovator Award Nominees:

Paul Thomas, designer Thomas Wylde

Juan Carlos Obando

Jasmin Shokrian

Rami Kashou

Marketing Excellence Award Nominees:

Max Azria for BCBG Max Azria

Paul Marciano for GUESS by Marciano

Fraser Ross, owner of Kitson

LA Eyeworks

Fashion Retailer Award Nominees

Mark Werts, American Rag Cie

Fred Segal

Lisa Klein

Doris Raymond, from The Way We Wore

Fashion Communication Winner

Crystal Meers, LA editor of Daily Candy

Inspiration Award Winner

Project Runway

Wells Fargo Century Fashion Achievement Award Winner

Max Azria