Madonna night at Spaceland was not always like a prayer, with only two bands (Mountain Party and The Chapin Sisters) delivering the True Blue goods.

Many ladies in the audience had dressed up to cause a commotion (will this punning ever cease?) in black and lace and rubber bangles, clearly expecting some kind of Madonna explosion to go off on stage. What they got instead was a massive dose of Eastside psych-folk, and a rather lite dusting of Ciccione.

Most bands played two or three of their own songs before performing their Madonna cover. Some, like Winter Flowers, didn't even get around to playing any Madonna. "We couldn't get it together in time," they told the audience before launching into another Laurel Canyon-invoking melody.

The whole night was to celebrate the Madonna compliation CD Through the Wilderness being put out by freak folk label Manimal vinyl. On it, Silverlake's finest--including Giant Drag, Lavender Diamond, Bat for Lashes, Lion of Panjshir and Winter Flowers--give Madonna the full-on Eastside treatment.

We saw Mountain Party, led by the awesome Erica Garcia, gave Material Girl the dreamy, psychedelic once-over it has always deserved. Erica, who repurposes thrift store clothing better than anyone I know, was rocking the full-on peasant girl look.
 

When I saw her the next night she was wearing an Eddie Vedder woodcutters shirt with a silhouette of Christiane F. (notorious teen drug addict and prostitute from 1980's Berlin) screened on to the shirt pocket.

Erica, a former Latin Grammy-nominated singer from Argentina, now lives in Echo Park and has her own clothing line, La Luz, as well as running the New High gallery in Chinatown. Oh, and she dated my boyfriend for a year, before I met him. Now we're all one big happy family.

Back to Madonna...so, the Chapin Sisters closed the night with a formidable and highly-polished rendition of Borderline. As my friend Steffie Nelson, an L.A. Times writer, commented "they made the whole night worth it".

The blond Chapin was wearing an awesome Grace Jone-esque jumpsuit with pumps. Coincidentally, she used to date one of the members of Mountain Party and things didn't end well, so it was a little tense backstage.

Brunette Chapin, unfortumately, got it all wrong with her uber-folky and somewhat weird sequined mini skirt that reminded me of old Hungarian accordion players. And, as we all know, it is only OK to look like an old Eastern European accordion player if you are actually playing an accordion, preferably with some kind of monkey on your shoulder. Not when you're prenteding to be Madonna at Spaceland.

   
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!

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 

Yesterday afternoon I went to Opening Ceremony and experienced joy the likes of which I have not felt in a long time.

As my hands softly grazed the fabrics, as my eyes feasted on the fashion-forward orgy before me, I felt a rush, an old familiar giddiness. Suddenly I was 15 years old again, standing in the middle of Top Shop on Oxford Circus, blissfully overwhelmed by the beautiful possibilities around me.

Opening Ceremony may not be nearly as big as Top Shop, but in terms of pure experience, it packs a sartorial punch, the kind that makes me groan 'again, again!' as millions of pretty shooting stars explode before my eyes.

My friend found a book she wanted to buy, but it was priced $400, so she decided against making the purchase (apparently there is a Magritte book in the back that is priced $2000). I, on the other hand, showed no such self-restraint, consummating the unearthly marriage between me and my inner shopping child, and walking out with a Risto Bimbiloski dress that may seriously compromise my ability to pay rent this month.

And that's OK...

This weekend I hung out with talented fashion designer and literary anti-hero Savannah Knoop,  best known for being the actress who played  faux-author JT Leroy in public , but whose fashion line tinc is also most worthy of attention.

Knoop wore her tincwear line throughout her years masquerading as JT, during which she traveled the world in a blond wig and hat playing the male former truck-stop prostitute-turned-author. JT's celebrity friends were numerous--Courtney Love, Carrie Fisher, Winona Ryder and Asia de Argento were high profile companions. Knoop told me that De Argento gave 'JT' the balck hat that s/he traditionally wore in public, and that it belonged to one of her Italian relatives.

Knoop and I have been corresponding for a while after being put in touch with each other by Laura Albert, the woman who penned the JT Leroy novels 'Sarah' and 'The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things'. She came down to LA from San Francisco this weekend and we hung like cojones, as they say, visiting Ooga Booga in Chinatown, checking out an art exhibit at Cactus in Eagle Rock, meeting up with my friends author Bett Williams and stylist Charon Nogues, among others. Knoop looked hot in bright red patent leather flats from Japan and a black silk jumpsuit layered over white string wifebeater. 

Today, we are hitting Fred Segal and Third Street  for some surrrrheous LA-style shopping.

Keep an eye on the site for a full-length Q&A with Knoop, a young and fascinating fashion talent! 

The 10 freeway officially sucks. Because of this perpetually-jammed stretch of evil concrete, I was stuck in my un-air conditioned car while while Hollywood got its designer vintage kicks at the re-opening of Decadestwo , one of the world's premier designer vintage re-sale boutiques.

Luckily, Metromix intern Lauren Fields, who works at Decades, was there. Here's her full report. 

So how was it Lauren? 

It was so awesome--Access Hollywood was there so I was on Access Hollywood, I guess.

What did you say?

I don't know. We were just talking about Decades. I just kinda nodded and smiled. Then Elle magazine took pictures of my mom and I. And then I got to usher Jared Leto in.

How was Jared Leto?

Oh, he's really hot. I was dying. I talked to him. He was really nice. I asked him if he wanted a drink and he said "no, thank you".

What was he wearing?

He was wearing a Morphine Generation long-sleeved thing, one of those long things...you know, they keep you warm...a thermal! And black really tight jeans and a pair of ankle-high Nikes and aviators.

What other celebrities did you see?

Alyson Hannigan from "American Pie", the one with the red hair who was in band camp. She was gorgeous. She was wearing a beautiful white Louis Vuitton dress. She was very pretty.

So what has changed at Decades II?

We have expanded into the building next to us so now we have the entire brown art deco building. There used to be a bookstore there, but it closed down. Now the store is much bigger. The store has been completely remerchandised, so everyone was shopping. There is some really great stuff in there right now. My mom bought an orange Versace clutch.

So what was the highlight of the evening for you?

I was just dying over Jared Leto. And all the other girls were too.

Holy peace signs - a new H&M is opening at Westfield Topanga on July 19. The first 100 customers will get complimentary H&M t-shirt and gift cards worth up to $200. The store will carry women's and men's collection, and will have a lingerie section too. H&M is a corporate brand and therefore doesn't necessarily fit in with the whole hippie Devendra Banhart vibe of the hood, but we're sure you'll find more than a few ladies of the canyon wafting up and down the aisles at H&M, looking to score some bargain flower-power dresses.

The word 'douchebag' and its many derivatives ('douchey', 'douchefest', 'douche-a-rama' or just plain 'douche') have so completely proliferated the contemporary L.A. vernacular, I was moved to further explore the origins of this seemingly ubiquitous diss.

 I discovered this fascinating paper by a Katie Keenan, a student at Columbia university, in which she not only outlines the origins of the word, complete with photos, but goes into a deeper study of what 'douche' really means to young people today.

Various excerpts:

"In object form, Douche bag is rather benign. It is a cleansing device. It holds therapeutic water. Aside from its bodily associations, (the douche bag may be used for giving enemas as well as vaginal lavage), there is nothing overtly sexual, sensual or dirty about the thing. It is mundane. Although perhaps, hanging on the back of Grandmother’s bathroom door, also a little mysterious."

Vaginal lavage?? Are you kidding? She then goes on to provide a more detailed pop-cultural definition of the term:

"Multiple entries defined a douche bag as someone who:

·     Has an unduly high sense of self-esteem,

·     Is a “fake” or a “poser”,

·     Is discourteous and untrustworthy,

·     Thinks he or she is cool, but whom everyone else actually hates,

·     Frequently wears a pink polo shirt with a popped collar,

·     Is John Edwards of Crossing Over."

Um...fake posers who everyone hates? Untrustworthy polo-shirt wearers with overly high self-esteem?

In L.A.?

Nope. Never seen one.

Babydoll dresses...I just don't know about them any more.

Pros:

They are feminine and in style and totally hide your beer gut.

Cons:

They scream vulnerability. Cutesieness. Weakness.

Walking around looking like a whoreish 8-year-old does little to advance the feminist cause. Worse still, it implies pandering to the darker side of heterosexual male sexuality, the side that makes some men obsessed with very young women/girls only. There's a reason why you don't see many babydoll dresses on the lesbian scene. It's because lesbians don't care what men think. 

I had my babydoll break-down/epiphany last night.

I was wearing a beige babydoll with pouffy sleeves covered in little yellow hearts (even describing it makes me feel slightly nauseated. Why Caroline, why?). I had cranked up the paedophilia factor by  teaming the dress with a pair of knee-high cream socks and and a schoolgirl bag. The look was pure, unadulterated Harajuku kiddie porn.

I was at the Moon Upstairs/Citay/Howling Rain show at the Echo and around me dozens of other girls were sporting a similarly gamine look - tent dresses, pouffy sleeves, vintage and lots of lace and embroidered details. No-one was rocking the full-on Lolita look quite as hard as I was though. I looked around and realized why—there were no babydolls.

Instead, the look was predominantly earth mother/flower child, with dresses still über-feminine but  longer, more diaphanous.

Standing next to all these hot, bad-ass Joni Mitchell chicks, I felt ashamed of myself and my cutesie, under-age barf-fest of a get up. "I'm not a submissive person," I thought. "So why am I dressing like one?"

I spent much of the night pondering the question, and figuring out what the hell I was going to do—half my wardrobe is made-up of babydoll varietals. How can I be babyboll, yet still walk away with my  wymyn cojones intact? 

This is what I came up with: 

1. Go mod—babydolls can be bad-ass if worn with with go-go boots and Vidal Sassoon haircut

2. Pouffy sleeves are the enemy. Avoid at all costs.

3. When in doubt, channel 1990s Courtney Love and add red smeared lipstick, smudged mascara and needle trackmarks.

I don't have much time to work on my smack addiction right now, so I'll play it safe and throw the worst of my pouffy-sleeved mysogynistic disasters where they belong - on the fire.

(Photo courtesy of shopbop.com)

i-D mag darlings, the Paris and Berlin-based duo Bless (Desiree Heiss and Ines Kaag) have dabbled in fashion, beauty, art, advertising and now, interior design. Check out their 'Wallscapes' which, when glued to the side of your home office/bedroom/bathroom, give the illiusion of living in an urban Berlin high rise. 

Just squint and you can almost believe you're overlooking the Berlin Strausberger Platz...mmm do I detect the aroma of currywurst und pommes frites? And the faint thump squat party techno in the distance? I'm like totally already there, ja!

All the wallscapes document interiors where Bless products live or have lived, and can either be purchased as 3mx4m posters (coming in nine strips) or as four wooden panels.

Available by phone order (213) 617-1105 or online at Ooga Booga.

Masturbatory L.A. artist Gary Baseman has teamed up with the vaginally-inspired Mexican artist Amor Munoz to create a seriously limited-edition line of delightfully x-rated wearable art. Their is a creative match made in heaven - Munoz took some of Baseman's best known art charcters and embroidered them on to peasant skirts, bouse and jackets alongside her own  depictions of the nude female form.  The results are titillatingly beautiful to say the least, although probably not suitable attire for Grandma's 80th birthday party or court appearances.

Several items from the collection will be on show (and on sale, presumably) at Baseman's opening this Saturday, at the Billy Shire gallery. Munoz, who is quite the minx, will not be in attendance - but we hope to meet her in LA soon. 'Cause there's nothing we love more than a good honest pervert.

[[media="1465646";alt="Amor Munoz 1"]

Photo credit: Amor Munoz 

There were so many stripes at the El Rey the other night, I felt like I was at a rugby match in England, not a Klaxons show in Los Angeles. Being that the Klaxons are the purveyors of so-called nu-rave, I expected more of a neon/glow stick vibe - how wrong I was. The look du jour was stripy rugby or polo shirt, worn in several cases with white skinny jeans.

I have to say, it's a look I am not entirely in love with - a little too preppy and not enough sexy for me - but the kids seem to like it. And who am I to argue?

I'll admit it - I'm thinking about Ryan Gosling. You know all those jokes about saving Ryan's privates - if only he'd let me...

Welcome to my sad life.

I met Ryan at a BBQ nearly 2 months ago and he's a doll. He was singing and playing guitar (he and his ex-GF's brother have formed a band together) while my friend Jimmy, talented guitarist who came up with the Chris Isaak 'Wicked Games' riff, strummed along. It was quite the perfect day...when night fell we all went inside and I played the piano while Ryan sang his new song, and then he told me about travlieng to the Czech Republic and visiting a spooky church made out of skulls. We talked about checking out the Jovovich Hawk fashion show the following night but alas, it never happened.

Then a couple nights ago I saw him again, tall and resplendent in some kind of tweedy brown librarian's jacket on a street corner  on 5th and Main Downtown...he wasn't scoring crack (if you've seen "Half Nelson" you'll know what I meant by that), but he was filming something and looking pleased as he watched footage on a monitor. My hair was discheveled, and my eyes were baggy from overwork...I so wanted to say hello but instead I scurried past, head down, before burying myself inside a vodka tonic at Bar 107. I know, I know...I shoulda said hi...but he looked, you know busy. Like a movie star.

So here I am at 1:41am, thinking about Ryan...what's a girl to do?

If you live in Silverlake, you are no doubt acquainted with Sugar , the teeny tiny hair salon located next to Cafe Stella in Sunset Junction. As well as offering up fun stuff like free vodka and tri-hawks during the Sunset Junction street fair, its owner, biker dude and former Fred Segal hair guru Tommy Carmanico, has been responsible for creating many an alterna-look. In fact, it would be safe to say that Sugar has shaped the face - and hair - of Silverlake.

Well, in a Metromix hairdressing exclusive, I can reveal that Sugar is going to be closing and moving east down the road, where it will reopen on the site currently occupied by the Jeff Electric gallery (another Eastide creative hub, which is closing down this week). The building's landlord Herman had refused many offers from prospective restaurateurs, prefering instead to hand over the space to someone like Tommy, with an old skool Silverlake vibe. No over-priced wine bars or designer sneaker shops here!

Sugar re-opens on August 1st in its new location, and we look forward to many more tri-hawks, mohawks and - if you're really crazy - golden highlights to come!  

I like Opening Ceremony a lot. Go to their sale on Friday and get up to 50% off.

451 N. La Cienega, 90048 

I received word today that Quute, an English handbag company, is coming out with a range of bags and clutches that come with a light inside to illuminate your belongings. Seeing as I spend at least 20 minutes a day rummaging for my lipliner/money/phone/car keys in the abyss that is my handbag, this news was of interest. Quute bags retail for about $500, and you can order them online by emailing info@quuteillumina.co.uk. Or visit www.quuteillumina.co.uk. 

If that's out of your price range, try the Solas bag (Jessica Alba is a fan), which will also light up your life, and starts at $129.

And if that's still too much - get a glow stick. 

I met up with RTX's Jennifer Herrema yesterday at the Rose Cafe in Venice. We talked about all kinds of things...her long-running association with Calvin Klein (she was an original CK One girl in the 1990's, shot by Stephen Meisel at the height of the 'waif' era -  they told her if she refused to be part of the campaign "we'll just find someone who looks like you"), and how Calvin Klein flew her and her band out to Melbourne, Australia recently to perform on the catwalk during a fashion show. Yes - on the catwalk. "It was kinda weird," said Herrema, who has the best legs in rock music, "but we went with it. They treated us great." Jennifer has visionary taste in clothes and has styled shoots for i-D and Nylon mags - but her primary focus (aside from her boyfriend, who plays bass in RTX) is her music.

I saw RTX play at the Penny-Ante book release party a month ago. The sight of Jennifer groaning and writhing in all her kooky sartorial glory almost made me pee my pants. She was wearing almost the same outfit when we met up yesterday - denim patchwork bag, tight jeans, alligator skin boots, skull charms, and cotton-candy color fox and mink tails hanging around her waist. And a mess of surf-battered hair, framed by bangs almost as heavy as her music.

Ah yes,  the hair...we drank champagne and talked about how she was a Bardot-like platinum blonde for three years after splitting with her husband Neil Hagerty (with whom she formed the lenegdary but now-defunct Royal Trux). She went blond by literally pouring a bottle of peroxide over her head in the bathroom of their recording studio. "Then it started falling out," said Herrema, who surfs three times a week.

Her hair is now a more natural honey blonde. Nonetheless, I advised her to apply mayonnaise to the ends and leave on overnight as a precautionary measure. 

Photographer Dan Monick was with us and he took some awesome photos of her hanging out on Venice beach, smoking and looking badass. Nadav, her right hand man, told me they are working on a new album which contains "elements of R Kelly". If you've ever heard RTX (opium den heavy rock), you know this is gonna be a far-out combination - it's a cliffhanger, for sure. 

The friendly folks at American Apparel are thinking of making more use of their awesome factory building and starting a Sunday flea market. They're talking about selling music and clothes as well as having DJs and general fun times. The building is such an important L.A. landmark - opening it up to the public would be so fun...DO IT DOV!

Photo credit: David McNew/Getty Images 

As you may have already heard, Roberto Cavalli will be designing a 20-piece men's and women's collection for H&M, in the wake of the yucky M for Madonna and delightful Viktor and Rolf collections.

I wonder if Cavalli will be creating body-conscious cocktail numbers like the one above (part of his Spring/Summer 2008 collection) for the high street retailer. If so, don't worry, you have plenty of time to shed 30 or so lbs - the 'Roberto Cavalli at H&M' collection doesn't launch 'til November 8, in approximately 200 selected H&M stores worldwide.

Photo credit: AP Photo/Alberto Pellaschiar

Posted by Caroline Ryder 

The "Sex and the City" movie is slated to start filiming in the fall, and I just can't wait!

All four of the original stars are slated to star, despite supposed rifts between Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall.

E!Online reports that "it's unlikely the film will pick up immediately where the series left off, if for no other reason than the slight aging of the actresses."

Ouch! 

Even if Carrie, Samantha, etc. all have gone the way of the cougar, we're still excited that "Sex" addicts around the world will once again get to revel in Manolos,  Jimmy Choos, and nipple enhancers.

Nipple enhancers?

Yes - remember the episode when Samanatha sported bodyperks™ faux erect nipples beneath her designer cashmere, to attract the attention of suitors? "bodyperks™ were crafted to produce just the right amount of perkiness, regardless of breast size or shape," we're told by the manufacturers. Available in two different colors - Perky in Pink and Baby Got Brown - these sexy accessories are still very much available, and can be worn with tight t-shirts, sexy halters, dresses, twin sets, and even swimsuits, for maximum impact.

Pert-fect! 

Visit Hustler Hollywood, Playmates in Hollywood, Creative Lingerie in Glendale to pick up your pair, or order online - only $19.95 plus shipping and, er, handling.

Photo credit: courtesy of bodyperks™ 

Posted by Caroline Ryder 

Mustaches, ironic or otherwise, have been de rigeur facial apparel on the Eastside for some time now. So we were delighted to hear the 'tache trend has turned unisex, as demonstrated by the womenfolk of Silverlake at the Jeff Electric gallery last Friday. The gallery, which is closing this week but may re-open as a hair salon (stay tuned), threw a mustaches-only party at which female hirsuteness was actively encouraged.

These girls rocked the John Waters, completing the look with silk scarf (left) and arrogant brows (right):

Whereas some hunnies prefered the handlebar:

This couple shares the same barber. 

But this little lady in the bottom right gets it just right, pairing her vintage lace babydoll with a massive Zapatista mustache. So bold.

 Photo credit: Jeff Hartline

I was cruising through West L.A.'s Little Tokyo with Miss Alie Ward, Metromix Events Editor, on Saturday and happened upon the Hair Epoch salon. Outside was an intriguing sign advertising 'digital perms', and alongside it, a photo of a scary-looking contraption much like this. WTF?

Having suffered many a bad poodle perm during the 1990's, I was curious about this new piece of curling technology. Hair Epoch, it turns out, is the first Japanese salon in LA to pick up on the technology, and they are charging $150 to $190 a go. Salon owner Aki Kobayashi told me that electric perming - otherwise known as the 3D curl or dry perm - has actually been around for at least 30 years, but is making a comeback, especially in Korean hair salons, and now in Japanese hairdressers too.

Unlike regular perms, which use nasty chemical treatments to artificially spiral locks, electric perming uses a generator to send current in to ceramic hair rollers, which then heat up while in your hair, which has some gentle perm solution on it. Leave for a while and then voila - your previously poker-straight hair is transformed into a cascade of gentle waves that last up to six months. 

So, er, doesn't it burn a little, having superheated ceramic hair rollers on your head? No, apparently - digital perms are usually only done on longer hair, so hot rollers can be kept away from your skin. According to Aki, digital perms are way gentler than regular perms, and perfect for those of us wanting to add a little body to limp hair. 

Who knows, maybe it's time to get me another Robert Plant.

Photo credit: Dimitar Dilkoff