LA CANVAS - THE REVELRY ISSUE (NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014)

VOLUME

5

ISSUE

1

N O V EMB ER + DECEMB ER

PU B L I S H ER

DANTE CO LOMB ATTI A S S O C I AT E PU B L I S H ER

MALI MOCHOW

EV E N T S D I R E C T OR

JA N ESSA MO LI N A F I NA NC E D I R E C T OR

COLE WESTERHOLM

E D I T OR-I N - C H I E F

E RIN D EN N I SON

V I D E O PRODUC ER

MI TCHEL DUMLAO

A RT D I R E C T OR

RACH E L MA N Y

B R A N D A M BA S SA D OR

OLI VI A LOPEZ

ON L I N E E D I T OR

REN É E GEOR GE PRODUC T ION D I R E C T OR

JOEVANNO DIAZ S E N IOR D E S IG N ER

TH E RESA LI U PHO T O G R A PH Y

BRANTLEY GU T I ER R EZ JOS IE S I MON ET AND REW A RTHUR ALLEN PA R K KATHRYNA H A N CO C K RIC K ETT & SON ES DOUG EMMETT KO U RY A N G E LO M ARK WA LES REN S EN O C ON T R I B U T OR S

GARTH TRINIDAD LINDSAY PRESTON ZAPPAS M EGAN HUGHES VI NGUYEN KACY EMME T T VIVIAN GA LEA N A SEAN PATRICK COVER PHOTO BY

BRANTLEY GUTIERREZ

ON L I N E C ON T R I B U T OR S

S A N N I YO U B OT Y M E G A N A DA M S FA I T H A N N YO U N G L E E A N N H UA N G N I N A TA B I O S DE JANAE E VI NS EV E N T S A S S I S TA N T

JA D E DA N I ELS ON L I N E E D I T OR I A L A S S I S TA N T S

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Copyright 2014 by LA CANVAS. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without permission in writing from LA CANVAS. LA CANVAS makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information it publishes, but is not responsible for unsolicited or contributed manuscripts, photographs, artwork, or advertisements.

LA CANVAS is not held responsible for any consequences arising from errors or omissions.

LACANVAS

o

DOTCOM

AVAILABLE AT

OF CONTENTS MU SI C

n o 14

THEOPHILUS LONDON

MUSICIAN

SPOTLIGHT

TAZ ARNOLD

PARTY ANIMAL

PLAYLIST

ART

n o 22 LA STREET ART DAN BUSTA

ARTIST SERIES

LA PHILHARMONIC

GALLERY OPENINGS

STYLE

n o 34

DESIGNER

THE GLITTERATI

EDITORIAL STORE

I LOVE UGLY

TREND MATRIX

TRENDS INSIDER

G-STAR RAW

ONES TO WATCH

MODEL BEHAVIOR

KAROL SANTOS

FOOD

n o 62

CHEF RESTAURANT

LOU AMDUR DUNKIN’ DONUTS

FOOD SCOOPS BAR

BOTTOMS UP

THE ARGYLE

&

n 75 o

NOTED EVENTS

SCENE & HEARD

CALENDAR

NOVEMBER

CALENDAR

DECEMBER

TABLE L AC A N VA S

DOTCOM

AVAILABLE AT

A NOTE

”NOTHING GOOD HAPPENS AFTER 11PM“ —JOE ‘WILDMAN’ DENNISON

My dad’s authoritative reign was due in

rang true throughout LA CANVAS’ production. We sat

large part to his boyish indiscretions. He is largely,

on Rickett + Sones’ (rather lovely) couch while the

if not entirely, the reason behind my deep-seeded

photography duo painted a curious portrait of Dunkin

respect for the concept of ‘revelry.’

Donuts’ LA homecoming and chatted with producer/

But if we’re being honest here, ‘partying’

rapper/designer Taz Arnold about how social media

as a verb, like many other expressions of humanity,

has influenced the climate of hip-hop, with a brazen

makes me uncomfortable until I’m actually doing

new crop of artists like Tyler, the Creator and

it. What started out as a vehicle to remedy boredom,

untouchable veterans like Kanye West and Jay Z on

or to exorcize kinetic energy, or to have sex with

either side of the line. We picked the brain of G-Star

attractive acquaintances/strangers in our enthusiastic

RAW’s Shubhankar Ray about his adaptation of the

youth has since changed lanes. Partying, after an

Scientific Method to ethically develop a sustainable

examined

becomes

denim line. We watched as three esteemed artists—

motivated by either obligation, the thrill of fizzy

photographer Brantley Gutierrez, writer/DJ/musical

conversation, or well, probably sex (with the latter

authority Garth Trinidad, and progressive hip-hop/

being the pervasive variable because. . . biology).

neo-soul artist Theophilus London—huddled up at

foyer

into

adulthood-ishness,

It’s not that celebration becomes less fun as

Mack Sennett studios for our November/December

we grow up. It’s just more purposeful. Our intentions

cover. These adventures elicited endorphins in me

adjust with the weight of responsibilities, existential

the same way a fresh Sharpie in Cha-Cha Lounge’s

dread, and the slow erosion of joint cartilage.

bathroom once did.

Priorities shift because . . . deadlines. Because other

While gone are the evening of weekly Robyn

peoples’ weddings. Because budgets. Because client

pre-games, splitting a Xanax four ways, unnecessary

dinners. Because Italian leather accessories. Because

pregnancy tests, and regurgitated chatter about

living alone rules. As we navigate our grown-up selves,

movies we hate and albums we were okay with, we’ve

we’d better love what we do, as our surplus of energy

sobered up and found a passion that doesn’t result

quickly becomes a deficit in pursuit of a cool life. Work

in an untagged photo. These days, we’re straight

is a demanding mistress, even if you’re a professional

with Sallie Mae and pay to have our pants tailored.

party girl (in which case, tell me all your gossip).

It takes a more refined kind of party to command

While producing the “Revelry Issue,” a

our precious time. Carousing, as maturity would

from Lena Dunham’s /PU 5IBU ,JOE PG (JSM stuck out

dictate, has to be worth the price of valet. We’ll take

for me: “You don’t need to be flamboyant in your life

our whiskey aged and our revelry polished, thanks.

to be flamboyant in your work.” Coincidentally, this

Spencer Pratt said something apropos to this on The

bit of wisdom also came from her father. The idea

Hills once, but that was a while ago.

ERIN DENNISON EDITOR - IN - CHIEF

DOT COM R IGHT T HIS WAY Wanna know what we’re up to?

Follow

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along

with shots from our favorite photographers, artists, and of course, meals.

T HE S HOP Saw something you liked in our Trend Matrix? Head to LACANVAS.com to browse our editor’s picks, purchase subscriptions to our print magazine, and become a member of our Culture Club—receive discounts, gifts from our partners, tickets to LA shows, and exclusive VIP invites.

THE WEEKLY

+ONE

THE SCOOP

Each week, our editors round up the best

From a series of kickbacks around the

We know you’ve been up all night swiping

happenings

city, to curated private dinners, LAC

left, so LAC took the liberty of researching

sales,

has more than enough decadence and

all of LA’s most intriguing happenings for

openings,

small plates to compromise your caloric

you. Every Tuesday, LA CANVAS emails an

along with special destination events in

integrity. Stick with us this season to

exclusive offering, from seasonally themed

neighboring areas like Palm Springs and

find out about LA CANVAS' privately

roundups to VIP event invites and shopping

Orange Country—all delivered straight to

curated evets—and why not cop a gift

parties. Subscribe at LACANVAS.com.

your inbox in a concise, well-organized

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Former MOCA chief curator Paul Schimmel has teamed up with the international gallery, carving out a 100,000-square-foot, seven-building art compound set to open next year. In January, the gallery will host a two-month pop-up group show before officially closing for renovations with a grand unveiling in 2016. Mark your calendars art nerds—this one’s gonna be one for the books. )"64&38*35) $0.

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A

dmittedly, we had to do a little research on matcha green tea

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A

long-standing

Japanese

tradition, the fine stone-ground powder is made from leaves picked from the tips of shade-grown Camellia sinensis plants. The tea is rich in antioxidants, burns calories and calms nerves while increasing both memory and energy.

But how do we consume a ceremonial delicacy on our lunch break. Luckily, we

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hat can we say? We’re suckers for

intelligent,

minimalist

bamboo whisk, glass bowl, and scoop.

packaging. So after spelunking through

Essentially, a modern and approachable

Instagram one evening, we stumbled

offering to an ancient tradition—like if

upon DTLA-based Commodity Goods

kale, Ebisu, and espresso got together

and immediately headed to their site.

and conspired to improve our day.

With male fragrances like Cloth, Cane,

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Whiskey, and Gin, and female scents such as Tea, Dew, Paper, and Sangria, we just couldn’t choose only one. So, we ordered the ten-pack sample set to try at home. Think Warby Parker for your nostrils with all scents are responsibly bottled on California soil.

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13

O N T H E M A RKET

A

fter

Buddha’s

Belly

and

a

casual

restaurant

the

atmosphere with specialty

prime Beverly Blvd. real-

food stalls. Expect an artisan

estate was up for grabs for

bakery, espresso bar, market

almost a year. Not anymore.

salad & entrĂŠe station, a

Stir

European

was laid to rest,

Market,

helmed

by

rotisserie,

and

Jet Tila (Food Network), is

wine & craft beer in the

slated to open this month.

gourmet

A modern California take on

Honestly though, we’d take

the classic European food

anything over the La Brea

marketplace.

hall, Stir Market promises

Trader

generous

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indoor/outdoor

Joe’s

parking

lot.

seating, mixing retail space

POUR IT UP

A

s

the

oppressive

heat

wave

begins to lift, we can finally

switch

to

caramel-colored

liquors

without feeling lethargic when we’re trying to party. And we mean, like, really party. Which got us thinking: is legal moonshine an oxymoron? It is if you’re feeling ambitiously artisanal.

Relax, because Stillhouse Moonshine Whiskey distills high-proof liquor five times over, charcoal filters it, and infuses natural elements for flavors like Apple Crisp, Peach Tea, and Coconut. Even their 80 proof whiskeys have a smooth, mellow taste with a nuanced reverberation of raw sugar

SP I N C I T Y

I

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you

think

media

about

apps

are

it,

social pretty

compartmentalized, focusing on one element of our creative identities at

and corn.

Glad we found out about

this in time for sweater weather. Oh, and it’s gluten-free if that’s your thing. .00/4)*/& $0.

MIDAS TOUCH

W

e’ve

gotta

purified

admit,

shoving

botulinum

toxins

into our face muscles mildly terrifies us, consequently leading us down

a time. Enter weeSPIN, a new app

some dark internet holes. Luckily,

that fuses elements from digital music

we

sharing applications like Soundcloud

Esthetics in the process. Renee,

and

Spotify

with

stumbled

upon

Renee

Lynn

visually-based

who’s been featured on E! News,

social media platforms to foster a

Ellen, and Good Day LA, is a medical

progressive community connected by

esthetician, which is essentially a

music. WeeSPIN pulls from endless

hybrid of a traditional esthetician

libraries of digital tracks, integrating

and a plastic surgeon.

songs by aural persuasion, while

“age interventionist,� Lynn redirects

taking note of social interactions.

the skin’s aging process naturally—

The interface is straightforward and

with 24k gold. We walked in her

sophisticated, allowing subscribers to

Sherman Oaks salon cynical, and left

tailor an intricate digital persona with

with lifted brows and plump under-

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eyes, all for an absurdly reasonable

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N OT ED

LONDON VIBES

THE RETRO-RAPPING, NEO SOUL-CELEBRATING, GROOVE AFICIONADO THEOPHILUS LONDON TALKS PERSONAL STYLE, HIS NEW CITY, AND ICONIC COLLABORATIONS.

Theophilus London has arrived. His aura exudes mellow, Milky Way vibrations—candy bar smooth, galaxy-magnetic, and nuanced with intent. He is a presence stocked with a brew of poise, wonder, and intrigue. Tall, striking, and with a breezy demeanor, he spreads love the Brooklyn way, and speaks proudly of his roots in Trinidad.

Part

rap-singer,

part

producer,

and

all

fashionisto,

Theophilus’ latest project, aptly titled Vibes, finds him collaborating with soul music icon Leon Ware, sartorial authority Karl Lagerfeld, and executive producer Kanye West. The album is a well-crafted celebration of a young man growing older, lyrically espousing maturity while not forsaking the revelry of being 27. Over buoyant beats and sultry compositions, he glides deftly through spheres of genre influence—electro, new wave, soul, hip-hop, and dancehall— solidifying his spot among a handful of prominent artists of color who also defy expectation.

Perched atop seven years experience and a substantial discography, Theophilus has taken a minute to survey his trajectory, mapping his flight path as he continues to ascend. Ducking into a cozy corner office at Mack Sennett Studios before the LAC cover shoot, we stole a few moments to talk about his now and future.

YOU KNOW LA, BUT HOW DOES IT FEEL NOW THAT YOU LIVE HERE? Yeah, I’ve been here a couple of months. It took me 20 years to understand New York City—it’s such a complex place. Then it took me three years to get on top and be where I wanted to be in NYC. So I can’t judge any city even though I might want to after two days.

It’s not fair. I’m finding some really good people out here. I came out for the serenity factor. I think LA is about to have a super booming culture. I want to help that. I want to spread the awareness of less celebrity, more culture. text GARTH TRINIDAD

WHEN DID STYLE AND FASHION BECOME IMPORTANT TO

p h o t o gr a p hy BRANTLEY GUTIERREZ

YOU?

p h o t o gr a p hy as si stant BRIAN OVEREND

opposite sex to like you?’ Nice haircut, nice skin, nice teeth, dress

styling MINDY LE BROCK | AISHA SHAYA

I could attract females. I was taller, dark-skinned, and, at the time,

grooming ALEXIS SWAIN @ CELESTINE AGENCY

guys were taking over—Ja Rule, Jay Z. As a dark-skinned guy, I had

ALL EQUIPMENT BY QUIXOTE STUDIOS WITH LENSES BY ADC DIGITAL

to do much, but I had to do a lot for me to be acceptable. People

SPECIAL THANKS TO MACK SENNETT STUDIOS AND WARNER BROS. RECORDS

brainwashed to think. They didn’t realize this was sexy at the time.

I think being a male teenager, it was often like, ‘How do you get the nice . . . smell good? I was always thinking about all those things so that wasn’t really in. We just lost Biggie and all these light skinned to work harder. My cousins were pretty boys so they didn’t have weren’t as comfortable with really dark males—that’s what they were

”

I THINK LA IS ABOUT TO HAVE A SUPER BOOMING CULTURE. I WANT TO HELP THAT. I WANT TO SPREAD THE AWARENESS OF LESS CELEBRITY, MORE CULTURE. SO HOW HAS YOUR STYLE EVOLVED?

because I feel like that’s new—newer than the stuff now. I listened

I’m a visual person. I’m always watching. I see every detail in slow

to Jay Z, Mase, Busta Rhymes, and Big Pun to get rap patterns. But

motion. When I travel, I’m very vigilant—watching peoples’ style and

my influences are not just rap. I took in Isley Brothers, John Mouse,

culture. I was never into Social Studies, but I got into it when I started

R. Stevie Moore, The Smiths, Joy Division, and James Brown. And

traveling. Like, ‘Oh shit, this is where Anne Frank was.’ I also watched

I’m not just listening to albums. I’m digging up everything I can—

important male musicians—Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, Morrissey.

movies, DVDs, YouTube, behind the scenes work. But I never copy.

My conservative girlfriends would leave when I got into my not-caring,

Plagiarism’s not good.

dirty-hipster, crowdsurfing-thing. It evolved with the streets too. Then I got smarter. I started learning what works for my body. It didn’t matter

HOW DID YOU MEET KANYE, AND WHAT LED TO THE NEW

what it was. I didn’t give a shit if it cost two dollars—I could make it look

COLLABORATION?

like a million. It wasn’t about the brand. Once I figured that out, I was

My friends will tell you I’ve always been a big Kanye West fan since

all right. Now, I keep evolving every year. Rockstar for life, skinny jeans,

the beginning. I used to skip school and listen to his music. I would

and I basically do what I want. No crazy stylist in my house.

need a whole day at home to figure out how he did these drums or this orchestra . . . or why he would work with that guy on the keys

HOW DID THE KARL LAGERFELD COMPONENT OF YOUR

or why he would work with John Mayer. Besides Michael Jackson

NEW PROJECT BEGIN AND EVOLVE?

and Marvin Gaye, Kanye was another reason—a new reason—why I

That wasn’t really planned at all. It started as a daydream. I just

wanted to get into music. It was cool. You could really be yourself.

finished writing and producing the album. At the very end, I had to

He stepped out of hip-hop boundaries. So in 2008 and 2009 when I

start all over again on the art side. The art is as important as the music.

released an album, I was out there, and people were forming opinions

I was like, I should get Karl Lagerfeld to do it. Velvet Underground had

about me. I was also in the fashion world—GQ and Vogue picked me

Andy Warhol do their shit and that’s how they bridged the music and

up—so Kanye heard about me. I finally met him in Cannes. I was

the art world together. So how could I bridge music, high fashion,

sitting at the best table during this day party, and he and his team

and the art world together today? That was the only way. Everything

started walking up. My friends and I were like, ‘Shit, we’re gonna get

on this album happened with good timing and scheduling. My agent

kicked off this table!’ I started to move because I didn’t want to be

asked him right around Christmas. Lagerfeld is a super busy guy, so

embarrassed (It happened before—Chris Brown got me kicked off a

we didn’t know if he’d do it. I got a call from Karl on New Years. He

table). Instead, Kanye asked if they could hang out with us. It was

said, ‘I’ll do it.’ I was like, ‘fuck.’ That’s how I started the New Year.

a good look. We talked about Tyler, The Creator, and what he and Jay Z were doing. That night, he did a show, and I could tell what

YOUR

we talked about inspired it. That’s how he is. We went to an opera

INSPIRATIONS TO SHAPE YOUR OWN SOUND—ONE MOMENT

together while working on Vibes and he didn’t know what the Yeezus

LISTENERS FEEL MARVIN, THE NEXT DEPECHE MODE, THE

tour was going to be like yet. The opera inspired the tour. It wasn’t

SMITHS, ATCQ, SADE, ETC. WHAT NURTURED THAT ABILITY?

about the music when we met. It was a friendship thing. I didn’t

Yeah, that’s one of my pastime secrets. I like to take things in. I need

really know how to work with him in the beginning. I was in awe. But

to stimulate my mind all the time. I have to go to different places in

he brought it out of me. He taught me how to work with other artists,

order to produce. I don’t want to do anything new. I’d rather go back,

and I brought out some good stuff in him.

YOU

HAVE

A

UNIQUE

ABILITY

TO

CHANNEL

THEOPHILUSLONDON.COM

PA R T Y A N I M A L Ah, fall—the uncontested finest time of the year. Here in LA, it’s accepted that temperatures will run high until after that special day where we paint our faces, bless our pets, and celebrate the lives of our deceased loved ones on Olvera St. Like most glamorous women, Autumn takes her time. And when it comes to the left coast, she prefers to arrive fashionably late.

So with our collective, perennial nostalgia running high, we thought we’d kick off our pre-holiday festivities with a tracklist fit for the dedicated party animal. LA CANVAS enlisted help from DJ Sean Patrick, a seasoned regular in LA’s music scene who has spun alongside the likes of LCD Soundsystem, Hot Chip, and Damien Lazarus to name a few. Get to reveling.

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RAFAELE CASTIGLIONE, JOHN LA MONICA

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REVERSE COMMUTER, DILO

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SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO

“Knowing We’ll Be Here�

DANIEL AVERY

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FEW NOLDER

(SOUL CLAP REMIX)

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(Ă‚ME REMIX)

SAILOR & I

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HOOD LOVE

THE MAN, THE LEGEND, TAZ ARNOLD TALKS KENDRICK, LSD, AND HIS FIRST SOLO ALBUM.

t e xt GARTH TRINIDAD p h ot ogra p h y KATHRYNA HANCOCK @ 7 ARTIST MANAGEMENT styling KRISSIE TORGERSON grooming VERONICA NUNEZ @ CELESTINE AGENCY

Taz Arnold is a sorcerer of pop-culture folklore. He’s the

it. I didn’t know until I took a trip on LSD and told her about my

guy wearing tight leopard pants in South Park’s “Fish Sticks” episode

experience. She said she wasn’t proud of it, but needed to tell me.

that parodied Kanye. Soulja Boy and Bieber have been known to lurk

She knows it was totally irresponsible. She grew up in Watts, south

in his studio. He’s designed clothing and accessories for MCM and Dr.

LA. She was a black hippie in a sub culture. It was a different line

Romanelli, and is credited with sparking the popular snapback trend

of thinking in those days. Hopefully it didn’t do too much damage.

that took hold in winter of ‘09. All this hype proceeded the creation of his fashion brand TI$A and music collective Sa-Ra Creative Partners.

CAN WE TALK ABOUT YOU PRODUCING ON KENDRICK

The latter is a trifecta of esteemed music producers Shafiq Husayn,

LAMAR’S NEW RECORD? HOW’D THAT ALL COME ABOUT?

Om’mas Keith, and, of course, Taz, who have crafted sublime neoteric

I put out Rad America a couple years ago. I was working with

funk for Dr. Dre, Frank Ocean, Erykah Badu, Jay Z, and more.

Kendrick at the time, consulting his label on photo shoots and

Born an only child to bohemian parents in south Los

things of that nature. He told me he liked the project. He would

Angeles, he ingested LSD in utero and as a toddler. He grew up a

come through the studio when he was recording his first album and

black prep where Crenshaw Blvd. and Imperial Hwy. border the South

say, “Yo, I need beats.” But I never really hooked up with him. Then

Bay—16 Candles and Pretty In Pink were his favorite flicks. Soaking

his record came out, and we stayed in contact. When he was off

up sunrays, surf culture, gang mores, and hip-hop, his upbringing

tour I reached out, and he came and got some music. He liked it,

was a colorful California mash-up of style and philosophy.

so we started recording.

Catching his breath between recent studio collaborations with Kendrick Lamar, TI$A's creative output, and inking a new record

WHAT’S UP WITH THE HOOD LOVE ALBUM?

deal, we caught up at Taz’s downtown LA penthouse . . .

It’s an LA album. It's Los Angeles, The Hood, A Love Made Manifest —Hood Love. It’s about positivity in adverse circumstances. It’s

YOUR MOTHER WAS A NURSE, RIGHT? HAVE YOU EVER

a moment. It’s my first offering as a solo artist. We’re looking at

ASKED WHY SHE TOOK LSD WHILE PREGNANT WITH YOU,

a spring release, planning to go hard at the top of the year with

AND WHY SHE GAVE YOU SOME AS A TODDLER?

singles and videos. We’re setting it all up right now. That’s when the

She’s a registered nurse, but she didn’t practice. We’ve talked about

fun starts—like putting icing on the cake.

TISAVISION.TV

F OR M O VER FUN CTIO N DOTS, THE JUBILANT PHOTO SERIES

BY PHOTOGRAPHER DAN BUSTA IS NO HAPPY ACCIDENT.

text LINDSAY PRESTON ZAPPAS

Photographer Dan Busta doesn’t take chances; he operates on orchestration and planning. He rarely subscribes to the philosophy of happy accidents, and yet, his work has an airy and candid feel to it.

As a former skate photographer, Busta has learned how to prep for a shot and capture the magic, while maintaining a fly-by-theseat-of-your-pants freshness. His subjects

convey emotion, even through a sea of patterned backgrounds and highly designed sets, as seen in his latest series, %PUT I caught up with him over a breakfast of tempeh bacon and eggs at Highland Park’s Kitchen Mouse, where we talked over the rumble of passing trucks and dogwalkers about the timelessness in art, accepting failure, and the medium of photography.

LET’S TALK ABOUT THE ORCHESTRATION OF THE PHOTOS—

it. I think simplicity is timeless. There are certain fundamental

WHAT ARE THE STEPS LEADING UP TO THE ACTUAL SHOOTING?

things inside humans that never really change. Maybe it’s the tiny

TEN IN A YEAR IS BASICALLY ONE A MONTH, WHICH SEEMS

bit of sexuality in these images that show the female or a sense of

LIKE A GOOD PACE. NO?

humanity. These things are big, and simple, and timeless.

Yeah, I guess so. I’ve always been a fan of construction and building, and that’s been the most common thread in my work—this kind of

THERE

effort and attention to detail and a manufactured type of image. It’s

COMPRESSES AN IMAGE IN A WAY THAT NO OTHER

IS

SOMETHING

WITH

PHOTOGRAPHY

THAT

never, “Maybe we can get the shot,” or “Let’s try this.”

MEDIUM CAN DO. That’s one of the tools. That’s one of the amazing things about

IT’S ORCHESTRATED.

photography: compression, stop action, lighting the frame. I like to

Yeah. It’s orchestrated, it’s planned, its composed, it’s careful. So,

make my pictures. A lot of photographers are of the nature that they

with the Dots, what I’m trying to capture is this moment of unknowing

want to take pictures. Photojournalists take pictures. They’ll see things

or floating in the subjects. A lost-in-a-world type of feeling.

happen in the world and document it and communicate a big idea in one image that speaks to what’s happening in this place. When I

HOW BIG ARE THE PRINTS?

make a picture, it’s this thing that I want to communicate, but I like to

They’re about five feet across.

construct it and make it happen versus hoping and praying that you’ll get the shot. My work is controlled, crafted, and carefully executed.

OH WOW. SO THEY BECOME THESE SORT OF OPTICAL

One of my images is a week of work for 20 minutes of shooting.

FIELDS FOR THE VIEWER. DO YOU FEEL THAT PLACING THE FIGURE IN THE PHOTOGRAPH ALLOWS PEOPLE TO PROJECT

DO YOU PLAN EACH SHOT THAT YOU NEED? LIKE DO

AND PINPOINT THEMSELVES WITHIN THE PHOTOGRAPH?

YOU HAVE A SHOT LIST IN YOUR HEAD? OR HOW OFTEN

THE FIGURES ACT AS A PROXY FOR THE VIEWER?

ARE THERE SURPRISES?

Yeah, but it’s also a study of the form—the body’s form—which I’m

Happy accidents? Rarely. I’ll work on something, and nail it, and

also totally enamored with. They’re all nude, but they’re not nude, do

move on. Yeah, I don’t know. Is that weird? That might be weird for

you know what I mean? I mean, look—there’s no real new.

a photographer.

AH, YOU MEAN THE STATE OF ART? EVERYTHING’S BEEN

WELL WHAT ABOUT WORKING WITH MODELS? DO YOU

DONE?

COLLABORATE WITH THEM, AND SEE WHAT THEY CAN

I think about the creative arts in kind of a commercial sense, which is

IMPROVISE AND CONTRIBUTE TO A SHOOT?

maybe not the best way to think about it. But, I don’t think that raw

I’ll take little things that inspire me on set, but generally it’s pretty

creativity is really even possible, because we’re always taking influence

controlled. With the Dots photos, I bring everything up to this level,

from other things and adapting them to the way we see the world.

and everything is there ready to go. I won’t just shoot one image in the weird pose that I want. You know, I’ll see stuff that the model

YEAH,

BUT

THEY’VE

HAVEN’T

ALWAYS

ARTISTS FILTERED

ALWAYS

DONE

CONTENT

THAT?

does and garner a little bit more.

THROUGH

THEMSELVES AND THEIR OWN WORLDVIEWS. WHAT’S

YEAH? WHAT’S YOUR RELATIONSHIP TO FAILURE?

CHANGED TO MAKE “RAW CREATIVITY” LESS ACCESSIBLE

Well, everyone’s scared of it, and I do find it hard to accept it. But,

TODAY? MAYBE WE’VE JUST ADAPTED. IN THE SAME WAY

I will, and I have, and I can. I think failure is an opportunity for

CULTURE AND TECHNOLOGY HAVE ADAPTED.

great things to happen.

Well, one change is the way we eat content, you know? It needs to be SO WHAT’S NEXT AFTER THE DOTS PHOTOS?

new! It needs to be new! It needs to be new!

I don’t know. . . I kinda wouldn’t mind living somewhere else for a THAT’S A REALLY GOOD POINT. SO, THE TIMELESSNESS OF

while. But we’ll see. Maybe Mexico City? But I’m also thinking about

WORK HAS BEEN LOST?

buying a house here in LA.

The timelessness of work is important to me. I like to create things BUT, YOU WANT TO GET OUT OF TOWN. ISN’T BUYING A

that are timeless, in a way, or at least I’d like to think so.

HOUSE THE TOTAL OPPOSITE OF THAT? SO, WHAT IS TIMELESSNESS? BECAUSE, I FEEL LIKE YOUR

I’m a Capricorn, so I’d like to have some solid roots.

WORK IS VERY RESPONSIVE TO THE PRESENT. Well, going back to the Dots stuff, I feel like, sure, it does look very

YOU GOTTA HAVE THE HOUSE, SO YOU CAN LEAVE THE

much of the times. But I’d like to think it’s going to last because there’s

HOUSE.

not much to it. There’s a simplicity, there’s not that much added to

Exactly.

DA N B U STA .COM

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River of Fundament: A film by Matthew Barney & Jonathan Bepler

ALL NEW SEASON

explore, engage, experience Robert Wilson, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Willem Dafoe: The Old Woman

Batsheva Dance Company 50th Anniversary Tour: Sadeh 21

Exposed: Songs for Unseen Warhol Films

An evening with Gilberto Gil: Gilbertos Samba

John Zorn Marathon

single tickets on sale now

MADE IN AMERICA THE LA PHILHARMONIC REINVENTS THE TRADITIONAL ORCHESTRA EXPERIENCE WITH THEIR DYNAMIC NEW SERIES IN/SIGHT

text RENÉE GEORGE

The LA Philharmonic has been described

WHAT’S THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE STORY

as the most adventuresome and admired orchestra in

YOU’VE CREATED FOR THE SPACE?

America by consistently adding a futuristic curveball

The project is conceived as a non-linear collaboration

to classic symphony. Just having wrapped up their

“across time” between [LA Phil’s Conductor Laureate]

celebrated summer tenure at the Hollywood Bowl, LA Phil

Esa-Pekka, Varèse, and myself. The program will take

is back at the Walt Disney Concert Hall to kick start their

the audience on a multi-sensory journey, showcasing

2014/15 season with the debut of yet another innovative

the musical composition itself along with Varèse’s

program. in/SIGHT, a four-part, Friday night series

writings and journal entries from the time. The visuals

promises to revamp a traditional audience experience by

are separated into three important chapters: discoveries

adding works by prominent video artists in tandem with

on earth, in the sky, and within the human mind. My

orchestral and choral selections.

interpretation of his thoughts will be projected onto

in/SIGHT’s first edition, Visions of America,

the walls, the organ, and the balconies of Walt Disney

showcases a collection of Europe’s prominent composers

Concert Hall. From a re-imagined 1920’s New York where

who emigrated to the U.S. (more specifically, sunny Los

the composer took his very first steps in this country,

Angeles) such as Igor Stravinsky and Edgard Varèse, and

to the future of architecture, interstellar travel, and the

how their journey and community transformed their craft.

future of post-human interconnectedness, we plan to

Varèse’s orchestrations are paired with masterful visual

examine, in our time, the questions Varèse posed in his

narratives of renowned multi-media artist Refik Anadol,

time. Through advanced visual storytelling techniques,

who employs light and 3d-projections to explore the spatial

an analysis of the LA Phil’s orchestra members, and Esa-

relationships between sound, melody, and vibration.

Pekka’s physical gestures, we will highlight the invisible

Visions of America invites viewers to imagine alternative

layers of this poetic multi-sensory journey.

realities by illuminating structural functionalities and redefining them, much like the migrated composers once

SO YOU’RE ESSENTIALLY CROSS-POLLINATING

had to do. Where we see a building, Anadol, sees a

A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT MEDIUMS?

canvas—and an opportunity to tell a story. We caught up

Yes. Image and sound are the major elements in the

with the Turkish-born artist to learn a bit more about his

experiment, used to blur the boundaries between the

latest collaboration with the illustrious symphony.

realms of the present and the fictional and between the physical and the virtual. The project will discuss the

111 S GRAND AVE. LOS ANGELES, CA 90012 LAPHIL.COM/INSIGHT

WHAT DREW YOU TO CREATE VISUALS AROUND

inherent spatial qualities of immersive virtual environments

AN ORCHESTRAL-BASED EXPERIENCE?

and their effect on the audience. Rather than approaching

Sensorial and spatial experiences are my inspirations.

the medium as a means of escape into some disembodied

I strongly believe in the power and serendipity of pure

techno-utopian fantasy, the project sees itself as a means

collaboration across different fields based on explorations

of return. It aims to facilitate a temporary release from our

of perception. I’m especially interested in exploring the

habitual perceptions and culturally biased assumptions

possibilities of creating new languages and collective

and enable us, at least for a moment, to perceive ourselves

experiences through combined disciplines.

and the world around us in a fresh way.

THE GRAMMY MUSEUMÂŽ PRESENTS

GALLERY OPENINGS BRIAN BRESS YOU CAN’T SLEEP ON A DOOR Cherry & Martin November 1st – January 3rd, 2015 Opening Reception: Saturday, November 1st, 4 – 6pm Bress’ new body of work explores tropes and traditions of abstraction and representational painting through the construction and documentation of both costumes and props that span a range of genres. The exhibition will include a new installation, wall-mounted HD panels, and photographs by the artist. | cherryandmartin.com ADAM MARS ONCE UPON A TIME, WE WEREN’T STALKERS Gusford Gallery November 7th – December 20th Opening Reception: Thursday, November 6th, 6 – 9pm The bold typographic works of Adam Mars make their way to Gusford Gallery for his solo show, Once Upon A Time, We Weren’t Stalkers. The quippy, monochromatic one-liners are a play on social media platforms such as Twitter, which he uses to parlay his thoughts on technology and its intersection with celebrity culture. | gusfordgallery.com KATHY HALPER EPIC PARTY George Billis Gallery November 8th – December 20th Opening Reception: Saturday, November 8th, 5 – 8pm Kathy Halper stitches the past and present in her show Epic Party. The embroidered works are a nod to the Victorian era, while the images are photographs she finds on social media networks. It’s a combination that investigates our understanding of private and public spaces and the interconnectedness of individuals within the fabric of technology. | lalouver.com SCOTT SHORT MORE AND THE SAME Christopher Grimes Gallery November 8th – January 3rd, 2015 Opening Reception: Saturday, November 8th, 6 – 8pm Christopher Grimes Gallery presents More Of The Same, a solo exhibition of new paintings by Scott Short. Short’s latest body of work continues his exploration on the relationship between the original and the copy, the mechanical and hand-made, abstraction and representation. | cgrimes.com

PRESTON DANIELS Mark Moore Gallery November 15th – December 20th Opening Reception: Saturday, November 15th, 6 – 8pm Curated by Jennifer Frias, the exhibition showcases Daniel’s newest collection of mixed-media and environmental installations.

With use of neon light tubes, wood, and plaster, he creates haunting sculptural constructions, exploring architectural structures in majestic entropic decline. | markmooregallery.com

SERGEJ JENSEN Regen Projects December 11th – January 24th, 2015 Opening Reception: Thursday, December 11th, 6 – 8pm Sergej Jensen’s work draws on a wide range of materials and formal references. Primarily known for his textile works, his lyrical compositions incorporate a variety of fabrics, from burlap and linen to silk and wool. Jensen utilizes the canvas to sew, bleach, stretch, or stain cloth to create works that waver between abstraction and representation. | regenprojects.com NATURE AND THE AMERICAN VISION: THE HUDSON RIVER SCHOOL LACMA December 7th – June 7th, 2015 Drawn entirely from the premier collection of The New-York Historical Society, the collection features approximately fortyfive American landscape paintings from the nineteenth-century.

Among the artists represented in the exhibition are the heroes of the American landscape movement: Thomas Cole, Asher B. Durand, and Albert Bierstadt, among others. | lacma.org JESSE STECKLOW M+B Gallery December 13th – January 31st, 2015 Opening Reception: Saturday, December 13th, 6 – 8pm Los Angeles-based artist Jesse Stecklow’s images are conceptual hybrids—a combination of photography and painted images that generate a new system of discussing traditional modes of art making. The use of untraditional material propels the idea of doing away with artistic formalities. | mbart.com

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SHUBANKHAR RAY ON G-STAR RAW’S SIMPLE SOLUTION TO A COMPLEX PROBLEM

t e x t E RI N D E N N I S O N phot o grap h y A N D RE W A RTH UR styl in g A S H L E Y C H A RBO N N E A U m ak e u p A M Y S TRO Z Z I h ai r BO BBY E L L I O T m o d e l s N I C H O L A S @ N E XT KI M @ P H O TO G E N I C

”

GREEN BRANDING IS MOST EFFECTIVE AS A ”SLOW BURN“ RATHER THAN A HARD, CLICHÉD SELL. BY SUBTLY INFUSING ETHICS INTO A BUSINESS BUILT ON ROI, RAW FOR THE OCEANS HAS BEGUN TO ALTER POP-CULTURE’S DNA.

The fashion world might have a reputation for being riddled with self-congratulatory systems of sycophancy, but Shubankhar Ray,

pioneering collaboration is in cooperation with The Vortex Project, a program created by sustainable platform, Parley for the Oceans.

G-Star RAW’s Global Brand Director, has never been one to fawn.

After hearing the world’s leading oceanic scientist speak

After obtaining a degree in chemistry, the former scientist became

and being organically introduced to Pharrell Williams at a Parley

disillusioned with the rigid institution. He went on to get his MBA, which

for the Oceans event last year, Ray was inspired to conceptualize

quickly turned into a lucrative advertising gig, all the while moonlighting

a solution to the paralyzing problem by raising awareness through

in the Manchester punk scene. The notable chasm between polymers

the vocal platforms of fashion. Through the exceptionally integrated

and anti-establishment rhetoric with a casual pit stop in media marketing

process that’s taken over 12 months to perfect, the Ocean’s collection

has made him an unlikely sartorial authority. In his words, each detour

is on par with the G-Star’s high-performance standards. With

has “changed his DNA.” You see, Ray’s just too busy standing at the

numerous tests, samples, and formula edits later, the garments are

intersection of science and pop-culture to be obsequious .

unidentifiable—there is no perceivable difference between denim

Since 1989, G-Star’s engineer-like approach is dedicated

manufactured from post-consumer waste and traditional cotton.

to understanding their product and consumer, taking a problem-

G-Star’s commitment to ethical production has been a

solver’s approach to purposeful design. From partnerships with

priority since 2008, when the company began experimenting with

Leica and Vitra to groundbreaking programs like RAW Gallery, a pop-

cotton alternatives. Back then, an independent auditor measured

up installation showcasing gallery style exhibitions of the runway

that 1% of their collection was entirely sustainable. Ray decided

collection and RAW Icon, which has featured notable celebrities such

to change the process from the inside out, making sustainability a

as Dennis Hopper, Benicio Del Toro, and Liv Tyler, Shubhankar has

condition for doing business by blending recycled materials they used

certainly added panache to the minimalist brand. His tenure aligns

into their most popular garments, consequently forcing retailers to

perfectly with G-Star’s examination of utilitarian solutions. Ray’s latest

sell sustainable products. As he explains it, green branding is most

progressive offering, RAW for the Oceans, is no different.

effective as a “slow burn” rather than a hard, clichéd sell. By the end

RAW for the Oceans is a long-term creative exploration,

of 2014, with the help from RAW for the Oceans, they’ll be at 20%.

where Bionic Yarn and G-Star have joined forces to innovate the

Shubankhar’s take on branding is both unexpected and

denim making process. Creatively directed by Pharrell Williams,

straightforward. He understands that in order to advance G-Star’s

Bionic Yarn develops and manufactures premium-textiles made with

mission of sustainability they have to change the industry. By subtly

fibers derived from recycled plastic bottles. The first high-performance

infusing ethics into a business built on ROI (with cool kids on the stoop

thread—which is unlike prior breakthroughs aimed solely at functional

and hallways lined with contrarians), they have begun to alter pop-

improvement—is also driven by environmental responsibility. The

culture’s DNA. A tall order, but not for an abstract-thinking futurist.

G-STAR.COM

PHOTOG R APHY

JOSIE SIMONET STY L I NG

TIFFANI CHYNEL HAI R

V ER ONICA NUNEZ MAK E U P

BARBARA YNIGUEZ MOD E L S

HARR Y HAINS @ FORD MODELS AM AND A SMITH @ PHOTOGENICS

/ S H I R T UR BAN OUTFITTERS V E S T BLQ BASICS C A R D I G A N G- ST A R R A W / S H I R T T OP S H OP B L A Z E R SAND COPENHAGEN J A C K E T URB A N O U T F I T T E R S

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TRENCH COATS

B U R B E R R Y, B L O O M I N GDA L E S GL E N D AL E G AL L ERI A

JACKET

LINE & D O T

TOP

TOPSHOP

PANTS

LINE & DOT

VEST

MINISTRY OF STY LE

PANTS

SAN DR O , B L O O M I N GDA L E S GL E N DA L E GA L L E R I A

COAT

C A ME O

AHEAD OF THE GAME

NEW ZEALAND MENSWEAR RETAILER I LOVE UGLY SETS UP SHOP IN WEST HOLLYWOOD.

I love ugly. The brand’s founder Valentin

p h o to g r a p h y ALLEN PARK s ty l i n g + cr ea ti v e d i r ecti o n NE.STREET model LEONARDO LAWRENCE @ FORD MODELS a l l cl o th i n g I LOVE UGLY ILOVEUGLY.COM

THE

INTERSECTION

OF

LUXURY

AND

Ozich once used these words to sum up his personal

SPORTSWEAR SEEMS TO BE THE CRUX OF YOUR

style for a school assignment. Somewhere along the

BRAND. CAN YOU SPEAK ABOUT THE INFLUENCE

way, the subversive three-word sentence morphed into

SPORTSWEAR HAS ON THE GARMENTS?

a sartorial mantra, and eventually became the principle

Well, we felt this was just a natural progression for us.

muse behind the brand I Love Ugly, co-founded

The majority of our staff enjoy or, once upon a time,

alongside Barnaby Marshall. And contrary to their

played sports. We are all about fusing classic menswear

moniker, the label’s collections are thoughtful, well-

garments and adding our modern day twist. Once you

tailored, wearable, and progressive.

go through the basic categories for a man’s wardrobe,

Since 2008, the New Zealand brand has

you naturally begin looking elsewhere for inspiration. In

quickly expanded from a brick and mortar in Auckland

this case, it was sportswear. Also the sports industry is

to three other locations down under. International hype

changing now too, and you can clearly see that athletes

ensued, and this past summer, I Love Ugly opened its

and teams are beginning to understand the importance

first US location on La Brea Avenue. We sat down with

of branding. We thought it would be interesting to play

Ozich to get the scoop on his smart, minimalist designs,

with this idea, but from our point of view. The result is

‘Ye-like ambition, and the futuristic vision behind our

something we are satisfied with.

favorite new menswear digs.

HOW DO YOU APPROACH NEW DESIGN? HOW CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE OVERALL ETHOS OF I

DO YOU KEEP YOUR VISION BOTH COHESIVE

LOVE UGLY?

AND INNOVATIVE?

I Love Ugly is refined, groomed, educated, and sanguine.

We always scrutinize what we have just done. The beauty of

If you are part of the brand, you have an eye for detail and

doing around 12+ collections per year is, if something has

are particular. You’re decisive and understand realness.

gone wrong, you can make it right pretty damn quick. It’s

You’re socially connected and verbally precocious. Our

all about being responsive these days. Even something like

customer knows how to dress and is not at the mercy of

a brand’s vision needs to be re-evaluated every six months.

trends; he exudes ingenuity, passion, and creativity.

WHAT DO YOU GUYS HAVE GOING ON RIGHT WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT STARTING I

NOW?

LOVE UGLY?

Quite a lot. We just opened our Los Angeles store on La Brea

It was hard—really fucking hard. But my passion for

Ave., which was a great challenge and by far our best work

success was also my fuel. I am now blessed with a team

to date. We are also looking at opening another ILU store

and a business partner that wants this as much as I do,

in Melbourne by the end of the year, along with four more

and when you have a group of people working on one goal,

next year. We have a number of different collaborations in

it becomes easier and secures a more powerful outcome.

the works with some highly credible brands.

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ONES TO WATCH LA’S FRESH FACES AND THEIR CREATIVE ENDEAVORS

text KACY EMMETT

THE TASTEMAKERS STEVEN HADDAD + WILL RUNZEL Steven Haddad and Will Runzel are only as happy as their sweatiest fan. Founders of Hashtag | JukeLife, the LA-based management and entertainment powerhouse, Haddad and Runzel are the force and fuel behind the industry. It was a match made in EDM heaven—Runzel brought his experience as a talent buyer for LED/Goldenvoice to Haddad’s longstanding venture, Hashtag Management, and the two have been repping music producers, artists, and DJs ever since. Think of them as the coaches behind some of the industry’s most promising players, like Grammy nominated Nadia Ali, Bixel Boys, NGHTMRE, Meaux Green, and Bobby Puma. With their fingers sharply on the pulse, hustle is the HTJL anthem.

As for the future, HTJL is going through a growth spurt, expecting to expand and launch a publishing platform in 2015. So the next time the bass drops, thank Haddad and Runzel for sponsoring your second wind. @STEVENHADDAD // @WILLRUNZEL //

photo KOURY ANGELO

SONIC SWOON MOSES SUMNEY Moses Sumney doesn’t sing, he summons. With self-taught sound and a borrowed 4-track, Sumney’s EP Mid-City Island conjures raw and often times improvised tracks. The side effects of his music are like a core class sans suffering—if your knees are shaking, you’re on the right track. A product of Ghana and LA, Sumney’s folk-soul blends the two coasts, producing an uncalculated, unfiltered memoir of sound. His emotional melodies are layered thoughtfully, propelling a sound that stirs the soul. After wrapping a tour with Local Natives, Sumney hit the road with Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ lead vocalist, Karen O and will be performing at the French music festival, Rencontres Trans Musicales de Rennes in December. His sound may be a nostalgic tug, but for someone who evokes the past, we’re betting on his future. @MOSESSUMNEY // MOSESSUMNEY.COM //

photo JAN-WILLEM DIKKERS

LIVE FREE OR INDIE KEREM SANGA Kerem Sanga is on the up and up. The Young Kieslowski, which Sanga directed and wrote, debuted at LAFF this summer and took home the Audience Award for Best Narrative. Starring Ryan Malgarini and Haley Lu Richardson, Kieslowski delivers that awkward chemistry between two strangers hurled into parenthood. The film handles virginity, pregnancy, and general teen discomfort with such comedic prowess that Mance Media announced a theatrical release for Spring 2015. The indie favorite is the director’s official debut, but the whiz has been writing since he was a PA for Danny Leiner and a Masters student at USC. While he’s dizzy making festival rounds, Sanga, along with producers Ross Putman and Dave Hunter, are gearing up for their next feature, First Girl I Loved.

MODEL BEHAVIOR

BRAZILIAN BEAUTY KAROL SANTOS

p h o to g r a p h y KAT BORCHART s ty l i n g + i n ter v i ew HILLARY COMSTOCK h a i r + ma k eu p BRITTANY SULLIVAN m o d el KAROL SANTOS @ NEXT MODEL MANAGEMENT

Giesele, Adrianna, Alessandra. . . clearly, there’s something

many difficult things we have to say goodbye to in order to

in the water in Brazil. Recently discovered model Karol

follow our dreams. No matter how many obstacles you may

Santos is no exception. With editorial spreads in Glamour

encounter, you should never give up. You'll meet people

UK and Elle Mexico under her belt, her piercing eyes

that you’d never imagined you would have the opportunity

and impeccable cheekbones are sure to permeate your

to meet. There is no better feeling than that.

favorite glossies in the coming months. We caught up with the Brazilian beauty during her summer-long stay in Los

WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING IF YOU HADN'T

Angeles and chatted about travel, international beaches,

PURSUED MODELING?

and her profane lip tattoo.

I would be in law school.

HI KAROL! HOW ARE YOU?

DO YOU PREFER LA OR NY?

So good, I’m very happy to be here.

I prefer LA without doubt. However, I would love to go back to NY to spend a little more time there.

YOU

ARE

ORIGINALLY

DIFFERENT

IS

FROM

CALIFORNIA

BRAZIL. FROM

HOW YOUR

SO WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT LA

HOMETOWN?

THEN?

I actually think they're very similar places. The beaches

The sun, the beaches, the people. . . this place has a

back in Brazil are just as beautiful as the beaches here

wonderful energy!

in LA. FROM WHAT YOU'VE TOLD US, YOU HAVE A BIT HOW DID YOU GET ‘DISCOVERED’?

OF A WILD SIDE. . .

I was selling coconut water on the beach, believe it or not!

Ahh! I love tattoos, and I have just one on the inside of my lower lip (of a certain four letter word, mind you). Sadly,

THAT'S CRAZY! YOU HAVE BEEN IN LA MOST OF

that’s it. That's the only one I can get away with at photo

THE SUMMER, HOW DO YOU LIKE IT?

shoots! I also just got a piercing in my nose too, but it's easy

I love LA. I've met so many incredible people.

to hide, so shhh!

DOES THE CONSTANT TRAVELING TAKE ITS TOLL

IT SEEMS LIKE THE PARTY GOES WITH YOU. WHAT

ON YOU?

DO YOU LIKE TO DO TO GET READY FOR A SHOOT?

I actually love to travel—I just wish airport seats were more

I'm just happy! Like today—we got to the studio, played

comfortable!

music, and just started dancing!

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR ASPIRING MODELS?

BOY, DID WE DANCE!

They should know that a model’s life is not easy! There are

I think it makes our work together that much more amazing!

CARDIGAN

N A ST Y G AL

OPPOSITE PAGE

/

CARDIGAN

+

SWEATER

N A ST Y GA L S A N D A L S B I R K E N ST OCK S O C K S V I N TAG E T H I S P A G E / S W E A T E R V I N T A GE D E N I M R E F O R M ATI O N

choose

In front of a microphone or behind a mixing board-

sides

LOU AMDUR

text MEGAN HUGHES photography DOUG EMMETT

IF A CONTEMPORARY, CULINARY-DRIVEN, WINE-SOAKED VERSION OF THE ALGONQUIN ROUND TABLE LANDED IN LOS ANGELES, WE WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF LOU AMDUR OFFERED TO HOST IT. The forum itself would play out as the supporting cast member to one of Amdur's eclectic,

tasting Muscadet in a cellar in the cold. It's crisp and you feel it in the soles of your feet."

often impromptu, invite-only dinner parties. The guest

As with everything in Lou's life, the feelings

list would include restaurateurs, chefs, sommeliers,

and the details he's put into Lou Wine Shop & Tastings

artists, and others of equal culinary and oenological

are nuanced and have taken up a tremendous amount

mindsets. All of whom, much like the man himself,

of his time. "Everything in my shop is meant to have you

seem to be in cahoots with their passions.

Amdur

drink it. There are some core wines, sure. But when

would hold court, flitting between open bottles of wine

you're working like I do with wines that don't come

and spirits, dispensing knowledge, and telling a story

from huge lots, you have to circulate them through."

about the first sip he had that really got him thinking

This is probably why the front of his shop

about wine. "I didn't get into wine. Wine got into me.

is stocked with reasonably priced "grab and go" wines

I just found myself falling for it deeper and deeper."

which range between $12 and $25 all of which he

He pauses in his admission, "It's an ever-deepening

consistently switches out. He then spices things up

abyss that I fall for more, every moment of my life."

with sparkling wines, followed by a long, hanging

Unfortunately for Angelenos and visitors

catchall of meticulously organized old and rare wines.

alike, this modern Algonquin setting wouldn't be held

On the far side, the shop folds seamlessly into a tidy

at Lou's nominative, former, restaurant on Vine which

display, arranged by body, sweet wines, and "oddball."

closed its doors in September of 2012.

Two years

Explaining the layout, Amdur stops in front

later, a palpable shift seems to have occurred within

of the chef’s counter, which hosts both his wine and

Amdur when asked about his old place.

Squaring

his food tastings. Grinning, he explains his obsession

his shoulders, he takes a breath, before responding

with Chenin, "Chenin is like the Rodney Dangerfield

quietly, "I miss it." This is all he says. There is no

of grapes.

elaboration and nothing much more in the way of

can be brilliant." The door opens for the seventh time

words.

in fifteen minutes and Lou pauses so he can greet

His answer, though, speaks volumes about

the man: succinct yet subtle with emotion.

It doesn't get any respect but I think it

another guest and explain the way his shop runs.

Amdur's subsequent venture, Lou Wine

In his own words, there are a lot of wines

Shop & Tastings, is perched like a crown jewel in

that are really important to him. "A good Beaujolais

the corner of an unassuming LA strip mall. With

is very important to me because it's a wine that I find

the stencils barely drying on the walls, the doors

very much to be an antidepressant. It's so strange.

open in a part of Los Feliz that is swiftly becoming

It's almost like we're afraid to talk about how food

the East Side's answer to Abbot Kinney.

and wine makes us feel, spiritually.

Like Lou,

Sure, we talk

the locale serves as a refreshing mix of knowledge

about what it tastes like but internally, how are we

and civility, mixed in with an appropriate amount of

experiencing it? Are you excited? Does it make you

flair—a panache that he claims is a direct result of

feel bad, or good? We talk about the physical effects

his travels. "I hate to say it but a lot of my parochial

but that's obvious. It's like Budweiser. You can drink

view on wine is viewed through the wine lens. Sicily

Budweiser, and it's always the same. But when I

is mind-blowing. Previously, I was in the Republic of

drink wine, it turns me on. It's paired with food, and

Georgia. I try to go to France once a year. I go for the

it takes me to a place that I wasn't in when I started

vines. Last year, I went to the Loire. It was mid-winter

the meal. And that feeling changes as the wine and

and I froze my ass off. But there's nothing quite like

the food does." (continued on next page)

C HENIN IS LIKE T HE RODNEY D ANGERFIELD O F GRAPES. IT D OESN'T GET A NY RESPECT, B UT I THINK I T CAN BE B RILL IANT .

”

How a feeling can shape an evening or

knowledge of wine and wine techniques, which

a conversation seems to be a common thread in

helped him run a successful restaurant. But, what

Amdur's life. The space under his house, which most

he's not doing is trying to reinvent the wheel. He's

people would call a garage, consists of cookbooks—

guilelessly moved from a restaurant to a provisions

rows upon rows of them. He started noticing them

shop, and now to a tasting room and yet another

a couple of decades ago at flea markets. Initially,

wine store. Over the years, he's managed to sustain

he was interested in their kitsch value, but slowly

a small business in what was more often than not,

started investing more time into educating himself.

a less than stellar economic climate. He's also

"I'm extremely interested in food history. There's all

maintained a positive public image and created a

these ephemeral cookbooks. Back in the 1920s,

community for himself within quite a few of Los

you would buy a fridge and it would come with a

Angeles' most diverse neighborhoods.

Our conversation moves back to food. We

cookbook. You'd buy a stove, and there's another.

Really, they're a social document for civilization."

talk of the grapes in his garden (which are for eating

He is at once both student and learned, a

only) and how there are places in this world where

man drawn to his passions with a deeply embedded

wine is made in the exact same manner as it was

appreciation for technique. "I admire most growers

9,000 years ago. As we leave, Amdur is off chatting

because of their relationships to their traditions.

with another guest.

They're committed to the revival of their technique.

how most of human history was 100% agricultural-

Take

We hear him talking about

traditions—they're

centered and harvested by hand. A chef walks in

important because over centuries, they have been

and hands him his card. Amdur, as expected, is

what's best for the area. You can only leverage the

unendingly polite. It's clear that he derives great

insights of hundreds of years of experimentation.

joy from his life. He is unwaveringly dedicated to

You don't have to reinvent the wheel."

his work. In Amdur's own words, he's just trying to

regional

grapes

and

And maybe this is what makes his latest venture so interesting.

He's leveraging his

sell wine to thirsty people. To his public, though, it’s clearly much more than that.

LOUWINESHOP.COM

" ONE OF THE HOTTEST

" A TRENDY IZAKAYA/SUSHI

NEW JAPANESE SPOTS IN LA! "

RESTAURANT"

-ZAGAT

-LA WEEKLY

" MANHATTAN BEACH’S WINNING DINING SCENE SCORES ANOTHER SPOT " -WHERE LA

SUSHI AKATORA

IZAKAYA AKATORA

302 ROSECRANS AVE MANHATTAN BEACH, CA 90266 (310) 802-1131

115 W. MAIN ST. ALHAMBRA, CA 91891 (626) 943-7872

@AKATORAMB

WWW.AKATORALA.COM

AKATORALA

B OT TO M S U P We don’t always know the proper way to order a drink, let alone make one. Our ginger ale to whiskey ratio is questionable at best. But with the holiday season just around the corner, we figured it was high time we got our hosting weight up. So like any resourceful journalist with a 4G connection, we combined crowd sourcing with good ole’ fashioned Googling and put together a comprehensive list for you. People love lists.

In lieu of the standard recipe rundown, we got a lit tle abstract with the descriptions of these alcoholic medleys. Af ter all, a creative drink deserves an inventive summation. text VIVIAN GALEANA

WEST HOLLYWOOD | LAUREL HARDWARE WHAT TO GET | THE VIG The pineapple resting in Milagro Reposado tastes like looming tequila tears and an authentic local ambiance, topped off with a may-we-have-seconds-please enthusiasm. We can really taste the 10-day grace period on the pineapples—we think. But far be it for us to argue with sleeping fruit. | laurelhardware.com

DOWNTOWN | THE VARNISH WHAT TO GET | WARM MILK PUNCH The Warm Milk Punch tastes like the end of a family party when all the wrapping paper is on the floor, our aunt’s removed her girdle, and the parental over-sharing begins. We went from buzzed to boozed in two sips flat—which is, ultimately, what the holidays are all about. | 213nightlife.com/thevarnish

MID CITY WEST | THE IVY WHAT TO GET | THE IVY GIMLET With an Ivy Gimlet, each sip is like class in a glass. It has the distinct flavor of khaki, thin ankles, croquet on Sundays, and embossed thank you cards. The drink cultivates a savory satisfaction, analogous to the smugness attained by nabbing a table at the venerable LA institution. | theivyrestaurants.com

CULVER CITY | BLIND BARBER WHAT TO GET | THE GREY MONK This tough man’s take on a feminine palate tastes like infused Earl Grey poured from a heritage Wilderness Rucksack a la Tanner Goods. Got a problem with tea leaves, bruh?

Didn’t think so. Get a sharp hair cut while you’re at it. | blindbarber.com

HOLLYWOOD | POUR VOUS WHAT TO GET | MOULIN ROUGE A delicious blend of ‘we still don’t know how to pronounce half of these ingredients’ mixed with the all too familiar taste of our old college friend, vodka. Luckily you don’t need to pronounce it to drink it, and even luckier, Lil’ Kim already taught us how to say “Moulin Rouge.” | pourvousla.com

WEST HOLLYWOOD | GRACIAS MADRE WHAT TO GET | LA QUINCEÑERA This adult-take on snack time encapsulates a flavor of that bittersweet resentment of our childhood friend Paola, who was lucky enough to have a Quinceñera. Each slow sip is a constant reminder of how deliciously agave pairs with citrus, and how nice we’d have looked in tulle. | graciasmadreweho.com

GET TH E SCOOP ON LA’S LATEST A N D GR EATEST EATS AT LACA N VAS.COM

HAPPY HOUR Monday-Friday 3pm-7pm $2 House-made Empanada $4 Glass of Wine $3 Beer

3 COURSE SUPPER $16 Sundays in Downtown Mondays in Pasadena

Downtown 105 W. 9th St. Los Angeles, CA 90015 p. 213/623-1810

Pasadena 121 W. Colorado Blvd.

Pasadena, CA 91105 p. 626/795.5658

1810restaurant.com twitter: @1810Restaurant

D UN KIN '

DUNKIN’S SORCERY, A NOSTALGIC HOMECOMING text RENÉE GEORGE p ho t o g r a p hy RICKETT + SONES ha i r BROOKE ROGERS makeup STEPHANIE NICOLE SMITH st y l i n g ANNA SU m o de l JULIANE @ TWO MANAGEMENT dress TOPSHOP necklace H&M

D ON UTS

WITH LINES WRAPPED AROUND THE BLOCK AND SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS EXPLODING WITH GRATUITOUS UPDATES AND CHECK-INS, IT’S SAFE TO ASSUME THE EAST COAST INSTITUTION IS, FOR LACK OF A MORE APPROPRIATE IDIOM, HERE TO STAY. While waiting in a Culver City lobby, we paid

satisfying and flavors seasonably relevant, Dunkin’s real

witness to a simple coffee chatter between two elderly men:

sorcery, like any great brand, lies in its enduring consistency.

one from Delaware, the other an LA native, who opened

After two decades of waiting, hundreds of Dunkin'

the conversation about a popular new neighbor. Their

Donut franchises are slated to open doors throughout

enthusiasm was infectious, expressing excitement over the

Southern California. But their MO is not to rebrand or change

entry of an LA-based franchise that has long been no more

the conversation. When asked, Weldon Spangler, VP of

than a glimmer of insatiated yearning on the West Coast’s

Operations for Dunkin' Donuts U.S. and Canada, denounced

horizon. The gentlemen went on to reminisce about their

any intimidation the company may face attempting to re-

adolescence, shared symmetrical criticisms of youth culture,

enter the West Coast market. He explains, “A big pro is that

and compared notes on their upcoming minimally-invasive

we know Californians love their coffee, and Dunkin’ Donuts

surgeries. As fate would have it that morning, Dunkin'

has been brewing its signature, smooth blend of coffee for

Donuts had turned a couple of strangers into new friends.

nearly 65 years. California is certainly a competitive market,

For LA locals, or perhaps someone merely

but we feel well-positioned due to our high-quality products,

familiar with Fred the Baker’s catchy TV jingle, "It’s Time

as well as our speed of service. We’re in the process of

to Make the Donuts," Dunkin' Donuts’ arrival may be a

developing Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants across the state

retro, over-hyped trend that Angelenos are obliged to briefly

with our franchisees. Our initial focus will be on Southern

acknowledge for conversation’s sake. But with lines wrapped

California, including Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange County

around the 1100 block of Wilshire Blvd. (since its doors

and the Inland Empire, as well as the Sacramento area.

opened in August) and social media platforms exploding

We’re also recruiting franchises to develop the brand in

with gratuitous updates and check-ins, it’s safe to assume

Northern California, including the Bay Area.”

the East Coast institution is, for lack of a more appropriate idiom, here to stay.

Spangler

is

not

overconfident,

but

instead,

certain that Dunkin' is ready to give the people what they

The socioeconomic scope of Dunkin' Donuts’

want, just as they always have. On whether there’s actual

breed of nostalgia is significant, spanning across both urban

sorcery involved in making their coffee, he states, “We blend

and suburban populations. The orange and pink logo beckons

our coffee beans with a special recipe. We would tell you

a sense of acquaintance to the cozy shrine to east coast

what it is, but it’s a secret.” If you ask us, when it comes to

ex-pats—a seasonally-attuned problem-solver, day-starter,

our daily routines, the satisfaction of knowing what you’re

and always faithful friend. While the product is predictably

going to get is a great thing. Long live the puffy font.

1132 WILSHIRE BLVD, SANTA MONICA, CA 90401 @DUNKINLA

Let’s Be Friends!

www.LACoff Club.com

A SUBTERRANEAN HIDEOUT text VI NGUYEN

HOLLYWOOD’S NEWEST COCKTAIL DEN INSIDE THE ARGYLE

1600 ARGYLE AVE LOS ANGELES, CA 90028 ARGYLEHOLLYWOOD.COM

Every so often, one must brave Hollywood’s

An odd combination, but The Argyle’s beverage

baffling parking signage and neon glare, because even

director, Chris Hewes, is no stranger to the biblio-sphere.

the most delicate of Angelenos has to go to a concert

Hewes previously took the reigns at the Roosevelt Hotel’s

sometime. To make sure you are sufficiently imbibed

Library Bar after mixology maestro Matthew Biancaniello

pre-show, why not visit The Argyle? As the newest kid

departed the lounge, but not before teaching Hewes a

on the nightlife block, The Argyle stands where Tru

few tricks, of course.

Nightclub once stood, named rather simply after the

Unlike most bars, you’ll be hard pressed

street it resides on. While the name doesn’t leave much

to find a set cocktail menu strewn about. Hewes is all

to the imagination, the beverage program is the real star.

about creating a custom experience for each customer.

To find the den, simply look for the neon-lit ‘COCKTAILS’

On this occasion we’re presented with a smoked, negroni-

sign posted to the side of the building.

like cocktail that smells like a campfire and is likely not

Enter and you’ll catch a glimpse of The

for the casual Four Loko crowd. That’s not to say there

Argyle’s club floor, a Gatsby-esque space replete with

isn’t something for everyone—Hewes will never deny a

snakeskin booths and a two-story VIP booth. Ignore that

customer their drink of preference. But with every order

though, because you came for booze, and the thirst is

is an opportunity to try something new. Summon a vodka

real. Most low-visibility stairways should be avoided at

tonic and you might find pleasant citrus notes in your

all costs—lest you bump into unsavory characters—but

drink from a few covert lemon ice cubes. Indeed, the goal

head down the stairs to your left and you’ll be pleasantly

for Hewes is to make you think twice about the ingredients

greeted with The Argyle’s basement hideaway: a dimly

that make up a cocktail. Because sipping on a heirloom

lit cocktail den whose gilded ceilings, plush, velvety

tomato mojito sure beats jungle juice, homie.

chairs, and warm, cozy ambiance channels equal parts speakeasy, Paris haunt, and grandpa’s library.

WE’LL BE THE FIrST to SAY, “GOoD cofFeE TAKES

TIME.”

Ed t c o C N o C SO, wE’ve r o f y A w T The perfEc h AT T T e G O t you

powered by

G H OST ROAST E RS.COM /C AFE

THE MOBILE APP Place your beverage or food order ahead of time and we’ll have it hot and ready, or iced, by the time you arrive.

SPECIALTY

COFFEE

GHOST

ROASTERS

F.K.A. CAFE AMERICANO ON MELROSE

5770 MELROSE AVE # 101 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90038

SCENE & HEARD

DIVE CLUB: O L’ S K O O L E D I T I O N

I

n September, we concluded our Dive Club series at the Tropicana Pool & Bar at the Roosevelt Hotel. Our pals over at Bikini Bird and L*Space set up shop in the poolside suite, while guests sipped New Amsterdam sponsored drinks and grooved to the sounds of resident DJ Ladypills.

C U LT U R E C L U B : M E M B E R S O N LY

I

n celebration of our LA CANVAS Culture Club, we invited a few hundred of our new Culture Club members to join us for a night of interactive partying at the Container Yard in Downtown LA’s Arts District.

Brands like G-Star RAW, Reebok, MAC Cosmetics, New Amsterdam, and Commodity Goods set up shop alongside a pop-up art gallery, blow dry bar, men’s grooming booth, nail art, and delicious tasting stations.

phot ography MARK WALES RENS ENO

R E L E A S E PA R T Y: OPULENCE ISSUE

F

or our Opulence Issue Release Party, we headed to Warwick for an evening of unadulterated luxury. The first 100 guests in line were treated to our complimentary vodka bar and specialty gift bags, while all of our attendees enjoyed an oyster & shrimp cocktail bar, a candy station, ice cream treats, and a DJ set by KCRW’s Garth Trinidad.

15 16

17

18

20

21

CONCERT USHER @ STAPLES CENTER

19

PARTY CLUB CRAWL @ HOLLYWOOD STRIP

CONCERT BASTILLE @ SHRINE EXPO HALL

CONCERT COLD WAR KIDS @ THE OBSERVATORY

EVENT OPEN HOUSE @ SAE INSTITUTE

PARTY CHANCE THE RAPPER @ HOUSE OF BLUES

ART OPENING WWI: WAR OF IMAGES, IMAGES OF WAR @ GETTY CENTER

21

CONCERT DEERHOOF @ TROUBADOUR

18 FILM LITTLE FUGITIVE @ HAMMER MUSEUM

28

15 PARTY FUNKY SOLE @ THE ECHO

27

THEATER MIKHAILOVSKY BALLET @ SEGERSTROM CENTER FOR THE ARTS

28

CONCERT FLEETWOOD MAC @ THE FORUM

26 CONCERT SAGE THE GEMINI & IAMSU @ MAJESTIC VENTURA THEATRE

26

PARTY DUB CLUB @ THE ECHOPLEX

FOR MORE EVENTS IN REAL TIME, VISIT LACANVAS.COM

FOOD CASK BEER & FARMERS MARKET @ ANGEL CITY BREWERY

25

CONCERT JUICY J @ THE FONDA

24

ART LEIMERT PARK ART WALK @ LEIMERT PARK

CONCERT JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE @ NOKIA THEATRE

23

CONCERT FKA TWIGS @ THE REGENT THEATER

23

22 22

30

PARTY AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS @ THE FORUM

29

EVENT THE HOLLYWOOD CHRISTMAS PARADE @ HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD

MARKET VENICE ART & COLLECTIBLES FLEA MARKET @ LEIMERT PARK

CONCERT CHET FAKER @ MACK SENNETT STUDIOS

7

S 6

PARTY THE TIMES VINYL NIGHT @ ACE HOTEL DOWNTOWN LA

F

5

CONCERT BLACK KEYS @ THE FORUM

7

NOVEMBER W TH 4

FESTIVAL PROLONG TWILIGHT CRUISE @ POMONA FAIRPLEX

6

CONCERT WAR PAINT @ THE ECHOPLEX

T

CONCERT FLYLEAF @ HOUSE OF BLUES

5

FOOD CERTIFIED GOURMET FARMERS MARKET @ FIGAT7TH

14

M

4

ART OPENING THE ART OF THE EMPTY ORCHESTRA @ USC ROSKI MFA GALLERY

13

S

FOOD HAPPY HOUR RUN + YOGA + BEER @ ANGEL CITY BREWERY

12

ART DOWNTOWN LA ART WALK @ DTLA

3

PARTY OPEN MIC NIGHT @ THE LAST BOOK STORE

11

CONCERT FIRST AID KIT @ THE WILTERN

2

CONCERT DAY OF THE DEAD @ HOLLYWOOD FOREVER CEMETERY

MUSIC CHARLES CURTIS @ MOCA

10

FOOD CUR-ATE DINNER SERIES @ RAY’S & STARK BAR

1 1

9

CONCERT MAC DEMARCO @ THE FONDA

8

CONCERT PARTY NEWDE FOUND GLORY DIAS LOS MUERTOS @ THE HOUSE OF BLUES-ANAHEIM @ QUEEN MARY

CONCERT FOR THE RECORD PRESENTS: BAZ @ DBA

11

13 10

12 9

COMEDY SARAH SILVERMAN & FRIENDS @ LARGO

FOOD TACO & TRIVIA TUESDAYS @ ANGEL CITY BREWERY

CONCERT MISFITS @ HOUSE OF BLUES SUNSET STRIP

FOOD ALL DAY HAPPY HOUR @ THREE OF CLUBS

MARKET POP UP @ LA LIVE FOOD EASTSIDE FOOD FESTIVAL @ MACK SENNETT

CONCERT CAMP FLOG GNAW CARNIVAL @ LA MEMORIAL COLISEUM

15 ART MEMBER MONDAY @ LACMA

15 CONCERT AL JARREAU @ SMOTHERS THEATRE

22

20

21

CONCERT DILLON FRANCIS @ SHRINE EXPO HALL

19

PARTY TOTAL WRECK @ FOOTSIE’S BAR

18

PARTY ICE SKATING @ ICE DOWNTOWN SANTA MONICA

17

FOOD LUNCH Ã LA PARK @ GRAND PARK

16

EVENT USED BOOK SALE @ LOS ANGELES CENTRAL LIBRARY

COMEDY NOT SAFE FOR WORK @ WESTSIDE COMEDY THEATER

20

FOOD $2 TACOS @ PINK TACO

28 COMEDY GABRIEL IGLESIAS @ NOKIA THEATRE

27

CONCERT BEAR LINCOLN @ THE MINT

CONCERT PART TIME PUNKS @ THE ECHO

27

CONCERT BLIND MELON @ THE EL REY

FOR MORE EVENTS IN REAL TIME, VISIT LACANVAS.COM

PARTY GAME NIGHT @ GRAND CENTRAL MARKET

26

PARTY BAND @ HARVARD & STONE

25

COMEDY ROB SCHNEIDER @ BREA IMPROV

31

24

30

PARTY NEW YEARS EVE WITH FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS @ DOWNTOWN LONG BEACH

23

29

PARTY KARAOKE & $1 BEERS @ ALEX’S BAR

PARTY MOTOWN MONDAYS @ SHORT STOP

PARTY SOUL SESSIONS @ GRAND STAR JAZZ CLUB

M

T

W

DECEMBER TH F

S

7

S

6

ART SUNDAY STUDIO @ MOCA

6

3

5

CONCERT DOWN @ THE WILTERN

5

2 FILM CLEO FROM 5 TO 7 @ THE SILENT MOVIE THEATER

ART OPENING PMCA123 @ PASADENA MUSEUM OF CALIF. ART

4

1 CONCERT KELELA @ THE FONDA

PARTY EAT YOUR WORDS @ THE STANDARD-HOLLYWOOD

THEATER THE NUTCRACKER @ ALEX THEATRE

CONCERT DE LA SOUL @ HOUSE OF BLUES

2 COMEDY PINTS & PUNS COMEDY NIGHT @ ANGEL CITY BREWERY

FESTIVAL FIRST FRIDAY @ ABBOT KINNEY

1 EVENT LUNCH TIME YOGA RETREAT @ GRAND PARK

14

3

PARTY GRAND PARK LIGHTS UP THE HOLIDAYS @ GRAND PARK

13

ART OPENING METRO ART MOVES @ UNION STATION

MARKET RENEGADE CRAFT FAIR @ GRAND PARK

14 14

CONCERT AMERICAN FOOTBALL @ THE FONDA

PARTY MARINA DEL REY BOAT PARADE @ BURTON CHACE PARK

MARKET MULTI BRAND SAMPLE SALE @ ARK & CO HEADQUARTERS

12 COMEDY MAYA RUDOLPH & GRETCHEN LIEBERUM @ THE TROUBADOUR

11 CONCERT ALLAH-LAS @ THE EL REY

PARTY PUB CRAWL @ DOWNTOWN SANTA MONICA

13 13

11

THEATER WICKED @ PANTAGES THEATER

CONCERT MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND @ THE ROXY

10

FOOD TASTE TUESDAYS @ AVENTINE TRATTORIA

9

8

PARTY MONDAY NIGHT TEASE @ THE THREE OF CLUBS

SPECIAL ENCORE PERFORMANCES

THURSDAYS THROUGH NOVEMBER 20TH

MAJIK HOUR RICKETT + SONES: PHOTOGRAPHY PRACTITIONERS, SCHOLARS, AND WIZARDS

Over the course of our indie print tenure, we’ve had the

they light this? What kind of light-modifiers did they use? What is real

privilege of working with a small army of talented photographers.

and what is composited? What is the process, how did they get that

A couple years back, we were introduced to Rickett + Sones. They

look? You learn so much by doing this. This usually leads to putting

helped us produce a captivating feature on Big Black Delta, and the

together a test shoot and trying out some new tricks. We also research

image remains one of our favorites to date.* The photography duo

the artists we admire and try to learn as much about their process

and real life couple have a rare cocktail of novelty, skill, enthusiasm,

as possible. This is an indispensable thing for any aspiring artist. We

futurism, and love of the narrative. They’re as affable as they are

had a sudden breakthrough earlier this year when we discovered that

masterly, and their work as experimental and imaginative as it is

some of our favorite artists were compositing 3D models into their

polished. You’re probably already acquainted with it—the duo shot

images. We never even considered this before, but once the seed was

LA Weekly’s 2014 “Best Of” issue, and has multiple billboards strewn

planted we became obsessed with the idea.

throughout the city. We caught up with Ryan and Sonia to talk shop about Dumbledore, 3D models, and destroying expensive equipment.

WHAT’S BEEN YOUR BIGGEST FLOP DURING A SHOOT? We’ve dropped or otherwise destroyed cameras, lenses, tripods,

SO, YOU GUYS ARE WIZARDS. WHERE AND HOW DID YOU

strobes—you name it. Anything that can fly out of your hand in a hurry

LEARN YOUR CRAFT?

and explode in a blaze of glory, we’ve flung it. Truthfully, we’re both huge

Our sorcery began many years ago in the dim glow of a high

klutzes. It’s a problem. But gear can be repaired and thankfully, we’ve

school darkroom, where we both learned the fundamentals of film

never had a catastrophe that halted production . . . knock on wood.

photography, first experimented with in-camera effects, long exposure magic, slicing and dicing negatives, hand painting prints, and so on.

WHAT’S BEEN YOUR MOST EXCITING COLLABORATION SO FAR?

When we met in 2009, we were both just starting to dabble in digital

We recently shot a secret project for comdeyd duo Tim & Eric that will

photography, and our combined Photoshop skills were pretty crude.

come out next year. We can’t say too much about it, but it is going to

Both of us love surreal, highly manipulated images, so we set out

be awesome. Oh, and we also shot the billboards for their new show

to learn and master the art of retouching and compositing our own

Bedtime Stories, that you can find on the Sunset Strip.

work. It has been a long road of how-to books and online tutorials, and countless hours experimenting both in the studio and on the

WHICH PHOTOGRAPHERS DO YOU FANGIRL OVER?

computer. It is a never-ending process of self-improvement and we

There are so many artists that we follow and admire. Gregory Crewdson’s

know we still have a lot to learn to reach full Dumbledore status.

surreal production-heavy scenes, Erwin Olaf’s portraits are timeless works of art, Miles Aldridge’s mastery of color, Swedish photographers

THANKS FOR INDULGING US IN THE HARRY POTTER

AORTA for their insanely brilliant touch ups and use of 3D compositing

METAPHOR.

(lots of interesting work coming from this part of the world right now),

SPEAKING

OF

PRACTICE,

HOW

DO

YOU

EXPERIMENT PRODUCTIVELY?

Alex Prager, JUCO, Hugh Kretschmer, Chris Crisman, Romain Laurent,

Whenever we come across an image that blows us away, the first thing

we could go on forever . . . truly.

we do is try and reverse engineer how the artist pulled it off. How did

*They took plexiglass and scratched the shit out of it, creating the illusion that his head was flying off.

RICKETTANDSONES.COM