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FRONT RUNNER Life’s a beach! Annette Funicello, Frankie Avalon, and Linda Evans star as sun-lovin’ teens in the California-as-itused-to-be classic Beach Blanket Bingo.
Paradise Found?
Gather ’round the bonfire, my little millennials—careful not to get your multiple electronic devices too close to the flames!—and listen to a tale of limitless sky and surf. Of endless summers of sunny possibility and promise. Of safe adventures and clean mayhem. Of fights without blood, kisses without tongues, and oceans of bikini-clad flesh without nudity. Of a land where puppy love is tested but virginity endures, where teenagers pantomime rebellion in jackets and ties (the “guys”) and dresses (the “gals”) at the local juke joint, where parents are rarely apparent, and where even a kidnapping and attempted disembowelment end in happy song. Welcome to the world of Beach Blanket Bingo! Low-budget specialist American International Pictures produced seven films in the “beach party” genre—which began with flicks like Gidget (starring Sandra Dee) in 1959 and Where the Boys Are in 1960 and gained momentum with Elvis Presley’s Blue Hawaii in 1961—but it was Beach Blanket Bingo that rode the teen tidal wave to become a cultural touchstone. Filmed at Malibu’s Paradise Cove, Beach Blanket Bingo, like most of its AIP siblings, starred Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello, employed the same stable of good-looking surfers and motorcycle-riding villains, introduced
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nubile new faces such as Linda Evans, and featured cameos by cinematic legends like Buster Keaton (who seemed to enjoy himself immensely). William Asher, who directed the film and two other AIP beach romps (Muscle Beach Party and Bikini Beach), understood the appealingly simple comic-book formula: Take the same attractive teenage characters, place them in slightly different situations, give them similar plots, and presto!, you have what today we’d call a franchise. Asher was well aware of the films’ lack of artistic merit (he reportedly called the scripts sheer nonsense) while also recognizing that they were fun and positive—“a dream, but a nice dream.” Unfortunately, the dream couldn’t last. The genre’s popularity crested in 1965, the year Beach Blanket Bingo was released alongside five other beachthemed movies. But their popularity soon crashed on the rocks, the result of nothing less than a sea change in American culture. That was also the year that American combat troops were first deployed in Vietnam; the year Students for a Democratic Society organized its first march in Washington, DC, against the Vietnam War; and, in Los Angeles, the year of the Watts riots. And faster than you could say, “Surf’s up!” the white middle-class oceanside idyll was over. LAC
photography by Fpg/hulton archive/getty images
FiFty years ago, Beach Blanket Bingo put Malibu’s paradise Cove on the global Map… and Marked the end oF a More innoCent era. by Linda Rae GRubb
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FRONT RUNNER Mother Nature’s Son: The first-ever Earth Day demonstrations stretched from USC to NYC. Here, Pace College student Peter Hallerman “smells” a magnolia blossom while wearing a gas mask—an image that became a symbol of that day.
Paradise Lost
The halcyon, fun-in-the-sun Beach Blanket Bingo era was already a waning memory when an enormous oil spill begrimed Santa Barbara in 1969. For much of the nation—recently elbowed by conservationist Rachel Carson and her seminal book Silent Spring into taking a stand against the pesticide industry—the disaster was a final push to dump the laissez-faire attitude toward our treatment of the environment. Rallied by Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, Americans prepared to fight for their pristine seaboards—and the homeland in between. Inspired by scrappy Vietnam War protestors, Nelson rode the activism wave, this time directing Americans to the issue of our nation’s increasing air and water pollution. The goal was to persuade politicians, through a “national teach-in on the environment,” to address environmental protection. To help make it happen, he recruited Congressman Pete McCloskey, a California Republican, to be cochair, and activist Denis Hayes to be national coordinator, with Hayes assembling a team of 85 to promote events from coast to coast. Word spread rapidly, and on April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans rallied for a healthier environment. Cries rang out against matters such as oil spills,
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the indiscriminate use of pesticides, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife, with Californians focusing on anti-smog campaigns, presenting daylong programs at colleges including USC, UCLA, Caltech, and UC Irvine and even ceremonially burying automobile engines. Earth Day 1.0 was a sky-high success, spurring the creation of the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts. On the local front, Angelenos—led by budding activist Dorothy Green—founded Heal the Bay, which pressured LA’s Hyperion sewage treatment plant to stop dumping incompletely treated sewage into Santa Monica Bay. Since its maiden win, the all-volunteer organization has cultivated more than 10,000 members and is currently one of the most effective environmental groups in California. Today, Earth Day has gone global, its network spanning over 22,000 organizations in 192 countries. Up against the current crop of naysayers on climate change and environmental degradation, Nelson’s modern-day descendants are determined to mow down skepticism. After all, paradise is precious—and Californians want their Golden State untarnished. LAC
photography by ap photo
A mAssive oil spill off sAntA BArBArA’s Bucolic BeAches gAlvAnized AmericA to oBserve the very first eArth dAy, April 22, 1970. by kelsey marrujo
CALIBER RM 07-01
contents
Late spring 2015
6
// front runner
24 // letter from the editor-in-Chief
26 // letter from the publisher
28 // ... Without Whom
this issue Would not have been possible
30 // the list 69 // invited
style 35 // stella’s Groove With a spring collection full of innovation, Stella McCartney moves ecofashion in a futuristic new direction.
38 // en pointe The inspiration for this season’s ferceyet-feminine accessories: the ballet.
40 // botaniCal radiCal Holistic skincare star Shiva Rose stays true to her bohemian roots as she shares her favorite organic style destinations.
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This month, Brent Bolthouse hosts his scorching, invite-only Coachella party, Neon Carnival—all while prepping to launch a new nightclub.
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DVF debuts jewelry; LA denim and Italian drama collide; and more local style happenings.
46 // heir supplY Struck by the poverty-stricken streets of Nepal, Phoebe Dahl launches a clothing line to help create a new generation of girl bosses.
photography by brian guido
42 // stYle spotliGht
vince.com Los Angeles, California - N o v e m b e r 2 0 14
T h e G r ove
Malibu Country Mart
Melrose Place
Pasadena
R o b e r t s o n B o u l ev a r d
Late spring 2015
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At South Bay food emporium Playa Provisions, a spoonful of dolce de leche helps the morning start off right (especially when accompanied by coffee and a biscuit).
Golden Door guests have plenty of opportunities to become one with nature—a bamboo forest path is one.
46
Phoebe Dahl’s charitable clothing brand, Faircloth & Supply, is launching in Urban Outfitters this spring.
48 // SPA-TACULAR! SoCal’s beloved Golden Door spa resort reveals the results of an extreme makeover—and a groundbreaking new charitable twist.
50 // ROMAN À DEV Dev Patel dishes on his collaboration with timepiece maker IWC and how time fuels his flmmaking career.
culture 52 // THEATER OF WAR The Greek Theatre’s future may still be uncertain, but its star-powered spring music lineup is a sure bet.
54 // MiRACLE MiLESTONE! Museum director Michael Govan reveals what’s to come for LACMA’s 50th anniversary celebration and beyond.
56 // CULTURE SPOTLiGHT Jane Lynch goes cabaret at the Wallis; Paris Photo takes over Paramount Pictures Studios; and more spring arts news.
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people 59 // ALL THE NiGHT MOVES
As nightlife impresario Brent Bolthouse embarks on a new Zen-like chapter in his ever-whirling life, his nightlife kingdom continues to fourish.
62 // PiTCH PERFECTiON
Pitch Perfect star Anna Camp reveals what to expect from the hit comedy’s second act.
64 // LiViNG ON THE VEG With their new book, ultra-distance athlete Rich Roll and his chef/musician wife, Julie Piatt, are preaching the power of plant-based eating.
66 // ANiMAL ATTRACTiON Hollywood’s biggest animal advocates are preparing to band together for their pet cause—The Humane Society’s annual mega gala.
photography by andreea radutoiu (dahl); Matt arMendariz (biscuit)
contents
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S A K S F I F T H AV E N U E
CONTENTS
Late Spring 2015
88
Orchid-print silk jacquard dress, Fendi ($2,650). 355 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, 310-276-8888; fendi.com. Russian gold twist rope drop earrings ($150) and Aliah sandals ($1,090), Oscar de la Renta. 8446 Melrose Pl., LA, 323-653-0200; oscardelarenta.com. Milky way bracelet, Lele Sadoughi ($285). Satine, 8134 W. Third St., LA, 323-655-2142; lelesadoughi.com
TASTE 75// PACIFIC OVERTURES With a spicy blend of hip-hop tunes and inventive Southeast Asian eats, Little Sister is stoking the flames of the South Bay’s blazing-hot food scene.
78// OUT OF THE DEEP BLUE Manhattan Beach is making a splash with its scrumptious seafood spreads, from ocean-fresh oysters to bountiful bouillabaisse.
80 // CHOW, MANHATTAN! South Bay culinary trailblazers David LeFevre and Michael Fiorelli hit hot new dining destination Playa Provisions to rehash the area’s food revolution.
82 // TASTE SPOTLIGHT Marcel Vigneron vegges out; Stir Market pioneers eco-friendly wines on tap; and more spring food finds.
FEATURES 84 // DRAMA KING Kevin Spacey opens up about his fictional presidency, his power in Hollywood, and his passion for the planet.
88 // WEST OF EDEN
98 // NATURE IN THE EYE OF THE STORM
The effects of climate change are intensifying—so what can Angelenos do to keep them at bay?
106 // HIDDEN HAWAII On your next trip to the islands, step off the grid and into one of these ultraauthentic local experiences.
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID DREBIN. STYLING BY LUIZA RENUART
Resort-ready looks get a dose of dark drama.
AN ICON JUST GOT LARGER
THE NEW NAVITIMER 46 mm
contents
Late spring 2015
haute property 112 // AVANT GARDEN! In the midst of California’s epic dry spell, landscape architects are getting down with “drought-resistant.”
114 // PAINTING THE TOWN GREEN Santa Monica is ground zero for creative residential designs that are energy effcient without sacrifcing luxury.
abode & beyond 117 // AU NATUREL Kalon Studios is drawing accolades from Martha Stewart for its eco-chic, midcentury-inspired furniture collection.
118 // ECO-NOMICAL LIVING
An ever-growing collection of stores are turning sustainable furniture into an LA home essential.
121 // WEDDINGs Happily every after, LA-style? Oldfashioned romance with a twist!
and finally... 136 // THE GOOD EARTHLING
When it comes to the competitive world of sustainability, does virtue always come with a reward?
114
Luxury and sustainability can coexist, as shown in this $6.75 million custom-built, solar-powered, “uniquely green” LivingHome prefab designed by foremost American modernist architect Ray Kappe.
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ON THE COVER:
Kevin Spacey Photography by Sheryl Nields/August
Ultimate Craftsmanship in Fine Jewelry
JOIN US ONLINE at la-confdential-magazine.com We have the inside scoop on Los Angeles’s best parties, style, properties, and more. style
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HOMES WITH UNMATCHED OUTDOOR SPACES From sweeping views of the ocean to patios fit for alfresco parties, you’ll want to spend time outside at these addresses.
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COME FOLLOW US
PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEFANOLUNARDI (STYLE); ERICA DORSEY (PHOTOS); BIKERIDERLONDON (REAL ESTATE)
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SPENCER BECK Editor-in-Chief Deputy Editor ERIN MAGNER Executive Managing Editor DEBORAH L. MARTIN Senior Art Director FRYDA LIDOR Photo Editor REBECCA SAHN Fashion Editor FAYE POWER Copy Editor WENDIE PECHARSKY Research Editor LESLIE ALEXANDER
ALISON MILLER Group Publisher Associate Publisher VALERIE ROBLES Account Directors NORMA MONTALVO, MIA PIERRE-JACQUES Account Executive JULIA MAZUR Event Marketing Manager KELSEY MARRUJO Assistant Distribution Relations Manager JENNIFER PALMER Office Manager CAROLYN SCARBROUGH
NICHE MEDIA HOLDINGS, LLC Senior Vice President and Editorial Director MANDI NORWOOD Vice President of Creative and Fashion ANN SONG Creative Director NICOLE A. WOLFSON NADBOY Executive Fashion Director SAMANTHA YANKS ART AND PHOTO
Associate Art Directors ANASTASIA TSIOUTAS CASALIGGI, ALLISON FLEMING, JUAN PARRA, JESSICA SARRO Senior Designer NATALI SUASNAVAS Designers AARON BELANDRES, SARAH LITZ Photo Director LISA ROSENTHAL BADER Photo Editors KATHERINE HAUSENBAUER-KOSTER, JODIE LOVE, SETH OLENICK, JENNIFER PAGAN Senior Staff Photographer JEFFREY CRAWFORD Senior Digital Imaging Specialist JEFFREY SPITERY Digital Imaging Specialist JEREMY DEVERATURDA Digital Imaging Assistant HTET SAN FASHION
Fashion Assistants CONNOR CHILDERS, LISA FERRANDINO Entertainment and Bookings Editor JULIET IZON COPY AND RESEARCH
Copy and Research Manager WENDIE PECHARSKY Copy Editors DAVID FAIRHURST, JOHANNA MATTSSON, JULIA STEINER Research Editors JAMES BUSS, JUDY DEYOUNG, KAREN MCCREE, AVA WILLIAMS EDITORIAL OPERATIONS
Director of Editorial Operations DEBORAH L. MARTIN Director of Editorial Relations MATTHEW STEWART Editorial Assistant CHRISTINA CLEMENTE Online Executive Editor CAITLIN ROHAN Online Editors ANNA BEN YEHUDA, TRICIA CARR Online Editorial Assistant CATHERINE PARK Senior Managing Editors DANINE ALATI, KAREN ROSE, JILL SIERACKI Managing Editors JENNIFER DEMERITT, MURAT OZTASKIN, OUSSAMA ZAHR Shelter and Design Editor SUE HOSTETLER Timepiece Editor ROBERTA NAAS ADVERTISING SALES
Account Directors SUSAN ABRAMS, MICHELE ADDISON, CLAIRE CARLIN, MICHELLE CHALA, KATHLEEN FLEMING, VICTORIA HENRY, KAREN LEVINE, MEREDITH MERRILL, JEFFREY NICHOLSON, SHANNON PASTUSZAK, JIM SMITH, JESSICA ZIVKOVITCH Account Executives SUSANA ARAGON, KRISTIN BARNES, LAUREN BROGNA, MORGAN CLIFFORD, JANELLE DRISCOLL, VINCE DUROCHER, IRENA HALL, SAMANTHA HARRIS, SARAH HECKLER, CATHERINE KUCHAR, FENDY MESY, MARY RUEGG, ERIN SALINS, JACKIE VAN METER Advertising Business Manager RICHARD YONG Sales Support and Development EMMA BEHRINGER, ANA BLAGOJEVIC, BRITTANY CORBETT, DARA HIRSH, KARA KEARNS, MICHELLE MASS, NICHOLE MAURER, RUE MCBRIDE, ELIZABETH MITCHELL, STEPHEN OSTROWSKI, MICHELLE PETRILLO, ALEXANDRA WINTER MARKETING, PROMOTIONS, AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations LANA BERNSTEIN Senior Director of Brand Development ROBIN KEARSE Director of Brand Development JOANNA TUCKER Brand Development Manager JIMMY KONTOMANOLIS Director of Creative Services SCOTT ROBSON Promotions Art Designers KAITLYN RICHERT, CARLY RUSSELL Event Marketing Directors AMY FISCHER, HALEE HARCZYNSKI, LAURA MULLEN, KIMMY WILSON Event Marketing Managers CRISTINA PARRA, ASHLEY VEHSLAGE Event Marketing Coordinator BROOKE BIDDLE Event Marketing Assistant SHANA KAUFMAN ADVERTISING PRODUCTION
Director of Positioning and Planning SALLY LYON Positioning and Planning Manager TARA MCCRILLIS Assistant Production Director PAUL HUNTSBERRY Production Manager BLUE UYEDA Production Artists MARISSA MAHERAS, DARA RICCI, ALISHA SMITH Distribution Manager MATT HEMMERLING Fulfillment Manager DORIS HOLLIFIELD Traffic Supervisor ESTEE WRIGHT Traffic Coordinators JEANNE GLEESON, MALLORIE SOMMERS Manufacturing Coordinator KIMBERLY CHANG Circulation Research Specialist CHAD HARWOOD FINANCE
Controller DANIELLE BIXLER Finance Directors AUDREY CADY, LISA VASSEUR-MODICA Director of Credit and Collections CHRISTOPHER BEST Senior Credit and Collections Analyst MYRNA ROSADO Senior Billing Coordinator CHARLES CAGLE Senior Accountant LILY WU Junior Accountants KATHY SABAROVA, NEIL SHAH, NATASHA WARREN Accounts Payable Coordinator NADINE DEODATT ADMINISTRATION, DIGITAL, AND OPERATIONS
Director of Operations MICHAEL CAPACE Director of Human Resources STEPHANIE MITCHELL Digital Producer ANTHONY PEARSON Facilities Coordinator JOUBERT GUILLAUME Chief Technology Officer JESSE TAYLOR Desktop Administrators ZACHARY CUMMO, EDGAR ROCHE EDITORS-IN-CHIEF
J.P. ANDERSON (Michigan Avenue), ANDREA BENNETT (Vegas), KATHY BLACKWELL (Austin Way), KRISTIN DETTERLINE (Philadelphia Style), LISA PIERPONT (Boston Common), CATHERINE SABINO (Gotham), JARED SHAPIRO (Ocean Drive), ELIZABETH E. THORP (Capitol File), DAMIEN WILLIAMSON (Executive Editor, Aspen Peak), SAMANTHA YANKS (Hamptons) PUBLISHERS
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Managing Partner JANE GALE Chairman and Director of Photography JEFF GALE Chief Operating Officer MARIA BLONDEAUX Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer JOHN P. KUSHNIR Chief Executive Officer KATHERINE NICHOLLS Copyright 2015 by Niche Media Holdings, LLC. All rights reserved. Los Angeles Confidential magazine is published eight times per year. Reproduction without permission of the publisher is prohibited. The publisher and editors are not responsible for unsolicited material, and it will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication subject to Los Angeles Confidential magazine’s right to edit. Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, photographs, and drawings. To order a subscription, please call 866-891-3144. For customer service, please inquire at losangelesconfidential@pubservice.com. To distribute Los Angeles Confidential at your business, please e-mail magazinerequest@nichemediallc.com. Los Angeles Confidential magazine is published by Niche Media Holdings, LLC., a division of Greengale Publishing, LLC. T: 310-289-7300 F: 310-289-0444 niche media holdings: 711 Third Avenue, Suite 501, New York, NY 10017 T: 646-835-5200 F: 212-780-0003
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Letter from the editor-in-Chief
clockwise from left: Spencer’s angels! Toasting our Winter issue with, from left,
I love KevIn Spacey. This is the third time in
my career that I’ve commissioned a piece on this quintessentially postmodern American leading man. I’ve watched him with fascination for over 20 years as he’s developed from a smart, ever-so-edgy second lead into the Hollywood (and well, London) powerhouse he is today. How can you not admire Spacey? We all love a survivor, especially in the cutthroat movie business. There are younger actors, more handsome actors (I suppose), but are there more durable ones? Like all true stars, it really doesn’t matter what part he’s playing—he controls the scene… you can’t take your eyes off him. Even on the small screen. Brilliant, adaptable, shrewd… kudos! (And, of course, I applaud anyone in his 50s who can chew up the competition. But then I’m biased.) In “Drama King” (see page 84), another smart, durable star, David Hochman—a writer in this case—takes on Spacey by phone from London. Not easy (in-person is always preferable). But Hochman, one of the most clever, adaptable writers in the country, is the man for the task. How do you spin… weave… a story from a 30-minute transatlantic interview with an irascible (okay, occasionally testy) movie star? You’ll have to ask David. It’s a testament to his craft as a superb interviewer and wordsmith. (My favorite Hochman “moment,” from 2013: Our cover subject, Diddy, suddenly tells me on set at our photo shoot that he doesn’t have time to do an interview. I negotiate best I can.
“Okay, David, you have 20 minutes in Diddy’s $200,000 Maybach to get a story on the drive from Hollywood to his house in Beverly Hills.” Only David could nail that. And he did, Diddy! Take that.) I love writers. Every writer is different, with his own process and style. I have a shorthand with Hochman, having worked with him for years. “Here’s what I need, go get it.” Done. Simple. And always stylishly wrought. More complicated is our back-page “essayist,” Sam Wasson, who also knows his craft, but, in Woody Allen-esque New Yorker mode (his e-mail address is “the nebbish”), needs a little back and forth with me every month for “inspiration.” Well, not really. My Waspy point of view is surely irritating to M. Wasson. But, but… we do the connection out of sheer fun. Inevitably, I tell him what I think might be droll, pointed. And, inevitably, Sammy does whatever the hell he wants. As he should. Brilliant guy. Love him. Here in our own little office, Deputy Editor Erin Magner also does quite a bit of writing in addition to her myriad other duties. I admire Erin’s prose, which is so different from mine. Clear, concise, well reported, devoid of hyperbole but sparkling all the same (I wish I could do that). She’s the Hemingway to my Brontë (see what I mean about hyperbole… absurd, but I can’t help it).
This month, Erin, who is 30-ish, takes on a simple beauty page, profiling one of Southern California’s most legendary spas, the Golden Door. How do you make a spa interesting? I can’t wait, as always, to read Erin’s copy. Exactly 20 years ago, another 30-ish freelance writer landed a plum job as features director of W magazine after writing an exposé (don’t ask) of the very same Golden Door. I loved doing that piece. And I love the parallel real-life story arc. Exposé or not (def not this time around!), I bet Erin’s piece might even be a better read.
spencer beck Stay up to date with all that’s going on in LA at la-confidential-magazine.com.
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photography by emma rosenblatt (magner); jason king (miller); getty images (arquette)
LA Confidential Deputy Editor Erin Magner, journalist and former Deputy Editor Alexis LeGuier, and VP of Creative/Fashion Ann Song; painting the town with Publisher Alison Miller and LAND (Los Angeles Nomadic Division) Director Shamim Momin at “LAC Celebrates the Arts” at Palihouse West Hollywood; honoring Tinseltown talent with Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner Patricia Arquette and Hamilton CEO Sylvain Dolla at the Hamilton Behind the Camera Awards.
new trends and new digs Visit the Newly Remodeled Contemporary/CUSP Department NM Beverly Hills
BEVERLY HILLS 310.550.5900 nEImanmaRcuS.com
LETTER from the Publisher
FROM LEFT:
Toasting the 2015 Grammys at the Beverly Hills Hotel with Niche Media CEO Katherine Nicholls; celebrating LA’s leading fine art printmakers with (TOP ROW) Jean Milant, Putter Pence, Sidney Felsen, David Hunt, Leah Ream, Luis Remba, (BOTTOM ROW) Adam Gross, and Shaye Remba.
returned home from the annual Conservation International gala. The evening’s inspiring keynote speaker, environmental champion President Anote Tong of Kiribati, explained his country’s alarming predicament. This series of small islands located in the central Pacific Ocean are feeling the rising tide of climate change before all others. At a maximum elevation of just six feet, Kiribati is quite literally disappearing beneath the sea. While the rest of the world has time to prepare for climate change, the effects are already irreparable for Kiribati. President Tong, along with scientific experts, estimates a total and complete submersion of the islands within 20 years. It’s not speculation; it is happening already and Kiribati is not alone. Other island nations in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, such as the Maldives and Tuvalu, are urgently developing strategies to relocate their residents by acquiring land in foreign countries. With nowhere to retreat, Kiribati recently purchased 6,000 acres in Fiji, over 1,200 miles away, for its eventual and inevitable migration. Located a full 3,360 miles from Los Angeles, Kiribati’s plight is easy to ignore, but what,
then, of our neighbors who are also on the mostat-risk list (the Bahamas and the Cayman Islands among them)? The US and China are the two largest emitters of CO2 in the world, while Kiribati boasts one of the lowest percentages per capita. President Tong rightly labels this kind of extreme consumption acts of ecoterrorism. “We are the canary in the coal mine,” he says. Regardless of individual positions on the subject, climate change clearly has dire consequences, ranging from species extinctions to fresh water and food chain depletion. The economic and, more importantly, human impact can no longer be ignored. We can all make a difference through small lifestyle adjustments, and we hope you’ll join us this Earth Day and every day in improving the planet we all share. Cheers,
ALISON MILLER
Stay up to date with all that’s going on in LA at la-confidential-magazine.com.
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// this issue //
ON MY RADAR Simple tips for living more sustainably: 1) Green that commute! Drive an efficient or hybrid-electric car, ride-share, walk, bike, use public transportation, or work virtually when possible. In the US, doing any of these activities just twice a month saves 1 billion gallons of gas annually. Fly nonstop to limit the intense fuel burn off during takeoff. 2) Shop smart. Look for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) wood and paper products (like all Niche Media magazines!), Energy Star appliances, Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) products, seafood by the Marine Stewardship Council, sustainable coffee practices like those at Starbucks, and other food and beverages that are Rainforest Alliance-certified. 3) Follow our lead by eliminating meat once a week—as we have at the LAC office—with “Meatless Mondays.” The production of one hamburger requires 1,850 gallons of water to grow the grain for cattle feed. If all citizens ate vegetarian once a week, we’d save 36,000 trillion gallons of water. 4) When all else fails, visit conservation.org for more tips and information.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHELSEA LAUREN/GETTY IMAGES (GRAMMYS); JASON KING (PRINTMAKERS)
AS I WRITE THIS NOTE FOR OUR FIRST EARTH DAY ISSUE , I’ve just
TAG HEUER CARRERA CALIBRE 5 Cara Delevingne challenges rules. Being free-minded is her motto. Like TAGÂ Heuer, she defies conventions and never cracks under pressure.
david hochman David Hochman covers travel, the good life, and fame for The New York Times, Food & Wine, Forbes, and Details, among many others. He lives near the beach in Los Angeles with his chocolatier wife, Ruth Kennison, who runs The Chocolate Project, and their son, Sebastian. In this issue, Hochman interviews cover star Kevin Spacey (page 84). What was the most interesting thing you learned about Kevin Spacey? He collects letters. He’s been doing it for years. He used to correspond with mentors like Katharine Hepburn and Jack Lemmon. He kept them all. Also his brother is a Rod Stewart impersonator. Any funny moment during the interview that didn’t make it into the story? I wish. He’s one of the more intense people I’ve interviewed in the past year. He curses a lot. He loves the F word. You just want to make sure he doesn’t direct it at you. Whom do you most want to interview, and why? The artist formerly and currently known as Prince. He’s still the Willy Wonka of music. Of all the people you have interviewed who would you like to go back to with the one question you didn’t get to ask, and what was the question? Morgan Freeman. Can you please record the outgoing message on my voicemail?
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// late spring 2015
sam wasson
jill sigal
david drebin
Sam Wasson is The New York Times best-selling author of Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman. His latest book is Fosse. In this issue he muses about California’s eco-fascists on page 136.
Jill Sigal is vice president of US government policy at Conservation International and also serves as chief of staff to CI’s chairman and CEO, Peter Seligmann. As the assistant secretary of energy for congressional and intergovernmental affairs during the George W. Bush administration, she led the effort to pass the Energy Policy Act of 2005. For this issue, she wrote “Nature in the Eye of the Storm” on page 98.
David Drebin (“West of Eden,” page 88) is an internationally known photographer whose work has appeared in publications such as Vanity Fair, Travel + Leisure, GQ, and Elle. His photography is exhibited in galleries from Brussels to LA and his latest book, Chasing Paradise, will be published this fall.
What do you love (and hate) about LA? Other than the traffic, my least favorite thing about LA is the paucity of old restaurants. My favorite thing is everything else. If you could go back and interview anyone from old Hollywood, who would it be? Ernst Lubitsch, Carole Lombard, Louis B. Mayer, Budd Schulberg, Adolph Zukor, and Arthur Freed, and all for the same reason—their work. And the “fixers,” Eddie Mannix and Howard Strickling. What they knew, no one else knew. Not that anyone could ever get them to talk, even if they weren’t dead. How will you be celebrating Earth Day this year? What’s Earth Day?
What motivated you to write this piece? I love being surrounded by nature—hiking, rock climbing, biking. I want to inspire people to get involved and take action to help sustain the planet for generations to come. What inspires your work to protect the environment? My son, Harrison. I have a choice—I can sit by and do nothing or I can take action and do my part to ensure that nature continues to provide essential services to future generations. What has been your proudest career moment? Serving my country during my tenure as a presidential appointee at the US Department of Energy.
What is your favorite subject matter to shoot? I love discovering a model or subject who is beautiful both inside and out, but with just a touch of “crazy.” How do you get everyone to relax on set? Cater to their egos! What is your dream photography assignment? I am grateful every time someone is willing to be “exposed,” so my dream job is any time a subject bares his or her soul and beauty to me.
photography by jeff gale (sigal); gary copeland (wasson); babar khan (drebin)
...without whom this issue would not have been possible
the list late spring 2015
Tara Dine
Rosemarie Sanchez
Oscar Hermosillo
David Horii
Sam Felipe
Samuel Prabakaran
Carla Sands
Cortnie Purdy-Fausner
Viviana Salvia
Romilda De Luca
Kathy Tracy
Donny Fausner
Sue Fry
Ron McMillan
Nicole Tracy
Caroline Calvin
Tom Rothman
David Kase
Yvette Charlton
Joie Rucker
Graham Moore
Saara Pritchard
Michaela Moryskova
Alanna Masterson
Taya Kyle
Aren Korte
Remington Guest
Eliza Gran
Thierry Aguettaz
Sandro Sciandri
Anabel Higgins
Ginna Christensen
Zendaya
Ryan Aguirre
Shannon Nadj
James Beck
Judith Sheindlin
Cary Warnick
Johnny Yoo
Kevin Sessums
Julie Andrews
Tiffany Andersen
Mary Alice Malone
Linda Sherry
Marisa Reveles
Franceil Masi
Roy Luwolt
Geoff McFarlane
Derek Monteiro
Leisa Austin
Tracy Bernstein
Michael Felix
Chet Mehta
Oscar Bayeh
Mary Vallarta
Jordan Gardenhire
Jennifer Steitz
Salma Hayek
Keira Henninger
David Kratz
Ranu Mehra
Christine Bullock
Mark Rios
Lisa Ling
Jeni White
Trevor Tice
Josh Bycel
Tony Duran
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APPLE
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LACOSTE
BCBGMAXAZRIA
MAJE
BEBE
MICHAEL KORS
CLUB MONACO
POLITIX
DIESEL
SANDRO
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SEPHORA
H&M
TRAFFIC
HALSTON HERITAGE
TRUE RELIGION
HENRI BENDEL
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style tastemaker “I’m proud to be expanding the boundaries of what sustainability can look and feel like,” says It-Brit designer Stella McCartney.
Stella’S Groove
photography by Mary Mccartney
For Hollywood FasHion Favorite Stella Mccartney, “eco-cHic” is a beautiFul oxymoron. By Adrienne GAffney LA is a constant creative muse for eco-savvy designer Stella McCartney. “I’m inspired by naturally sexy, naturally confident, modern women,” she says. And for the West Coast women who love her, McCartney’s collection offers the opportunity to indulge fashion whims without having to question the ethics behind them. When the UK-based designer (and mother of four) talks about her line’s relationship to environmentalism, it becomes clear that her devotion to ecological soundness isn’t a simple caprice, but a powerful guiding force. Her spring collection embraces the theme on every level: Knitwear is crafted out of organic cotton, denim is made without sandblasting, a light parka continued on page 36
la-confidential-magazine.com 35
STYLE Tastemaker
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Supermodel Kate Grigorieva walks in the Stella McCartney Spring 2015 runway show in Paris; the designer’s boutique on Beverly Boulevard in West Hollywood; McCartney’s Falabella mini tote ($1,235).
“I’VE ALWAYS AIMED TO [CRUSH] STEREOTYPES OF SUSTAINABLE FASHION BY PROVING THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO CREATE BEAUTIFUL, LUXURIOUS EVENINGWEAR.” —STELLA MCCARTNEY utilizes recycled polyester, and the rubber soles on shoes are made from renewable resources. “I’ve always aimed to [crush] stereotypes of sustainable fashion by proving that it is possible to create beautiful, luxurious eveningwear causing little to no harm to the environment,” says McCartney—a vegetarian like her father, musician Paul McCartney, and husband, designer Alasdhair Willis—who has refrained from using leather in her work since launching her line in 2001. This
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summer collection’s highlights include premium denim featuring appliques and embroidery made from fully organic cotton, asymmetrical knit tank dresses, and a selection of handbags designed to lay flat, so as to reduce the amount of materials needed to ship them. McCartney, 43, is particularly excited about a newly developed sustainable wool that she’s integrated into her brand. “We actually learned about the Nature Conservancy and Ovis 21 certified sustainable wool
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through the company Patagonia,” she says. “We thought it was perfectly aligned with the values of our brand and a great way to have a really positive impact on the environment.” Design and manufacturing are not always conducive to sustainability, and maintaining the principles of her line is not always a simple task for McCartney. “It’s slightly more limiting; you have fewer colors available, you have fewer fabrics available, they’re a different quality than the type that
you’re used to,” she says. “I wouldn’t say there are restrictions, but there are definitely challenges. But anything is better than nothing. So if I have 200 meters of something that we didn’t use up in previous collections, I will always turn to that again before ordering more fabric. I think that it’s just a different way of looking at making things.” The payoff, though, is simple—and McCartney’s got legions of high-profile supporters to prove she’s on the right path (Drew
Barrymore, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Beyoncé, among them). “I’m proud to be expanding the boundaries of what sustainability can look and feel like,” she says. “I believe the luxury industry has a long way to go, but everyone should make these efforts. The only true way to effect change is to widely disseminate these types of initiatives to as many brands as possible. I always did believe in infiltrating from within.” 8823 Beverly Blvd., West Hollywood, 310-273-7051; stellamccartney.com LAC
Terranea is a land unto itself. A land with its own culture and way of life. Where doing nothing isn’t frowned upon – it’s encouraged.
Come discover a land not far away.
For a limited time, stay two nights and receive a third night free. Restrictions apply. For reservations call 866.802.8000 or visit Terranea.com.
STYLE Accessories TULLE DE FORCE
eN POINTe BALLET-INSPIRED PIECES TAKE CENTER STAGE THIS SEASON. PhotograPhy by Jeff Crawford Styling by faye Power
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ProP styling by sharon ryan for halley resources. hair and makeuP by griselle rosario using dior addict/tata harPer skin care and amika hair tools at factory downtown. manicure by casandra lamar using dior Vernis/eos hand lotion at factory downtown
Pirouette-worthy looks create an ethereally feminine feeling for spring. . Jumpsuit ($5,290) and skirt ($4,500), Valentino. 360 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, 310-247-0103; valentino.com. Gem clutch, Rauwolf ($990). Barneys New York, 9570 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310-2764400; barneys.com. Kallie flats, Michael Kors ($550). 360 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, 310-777-8862; michaelkors.com
2
1 RAISING THE BARRE
FIRST BLUSH
Black and nude designs step into the spotlight.
Perfect pinks add a touch of playfulness to spring styles.
3
4
CHASSÉ CACHET
AWE DE DEUX
Delicacy and strength come together in these spring staples.
Opulent extras up the season’s ante..
1. Headdress, Jenny Packham ($347). Erin Cole, 298 E. 17th St., Costa Mesa, 949-642-5552; jennypackham.com. Zoe envelope clutch, Max Mara ($425). 451 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, 310-385-9343; maxmara.com. Mariposa flat, Alejandro Ingelmo ($625). Neiman Marcus, 9700 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310-550-5900; neimanmarcus.com. 2. Patent pumps, Brian Atwood ($855). Saks Fifth
Avenue, 9600 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310-275-4211; saks.com. Crystal headdress, Jenny Packham ($733). Erin Cole, see above. Specchio resin clutch, Judith Leiber Couture ($1,495). Saks Fifth Avenue, see above. 3. Monili wallet, Brunello Cucinelli ($955). 220 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, 310-724-8118; brunellocucinelli.com. Lana pump, Bionda Castana ($805). Intermix, 100 N. Robertson Blvd., LA, 310-860-0113; intermixonline.com. Comb, Jenny Packham ($376). Erin Cole, see above. 4. Lyssa flat, Jimmy Choo ($795). 240 Via Rodeo, Beverly Hills, 310-860-9045; jimmychoo.com. Crown Goa clutch, Oscar de la Renta ($2,250). 8446 Melrose Pl., LA, 323-653-0200; oscardelarenta.com. Tribal earrings, Dior (price on request). 309 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, 310-859-4700; dior.com la-confidential-magazine.com 39
STYLE Social Network clockwise from left:
Botanical Radical
With a neW natural skincare line, holistic beauty diva Shiva RoSe gives it up for organic la. by emerson patrick Shiva Rose—actress, holistic-lifestyle blogger, and natural skincare product creator—is the ultimate chic, bohemian earth mother. In that spirit, we asked the Pacific Palisades resident, who will soon add detoxifying bath salts and a face balm to her eponymous line, to share her eco-aware LA address book. A lover of vintage—which she gets at Hidden Treasures (154 S. Topanga
Canyon Blvd., Topanga, 310-455-2998; hidden treasurestopanga.com)—Rose is adept at mixing old, new, and eco-friendly, like naturally dyed silks by Awaveawake (awave awake.com). She recently scored leather moccasins from Individual Medley (3176 Glendale Blvd., LA, 323-665-5344; theindividual medley.com), where “a lot of things are local and handmade,” she says. More than
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anything, Rose supports LA creatives, like designers Raquel Allegra (raquel allegra.com), Beatrice Valenzuela (1547 Echo Park Ave., LA, 213-986-8914; beatricevalenzuela.com), and Clare Vivier (3339 W. Sunset Blvd., LA, 323-6652476; clarev.com). “I love when people I’ve known for years achieve success. I’d rather buy something from a friend first.” Although Rose sells her
own handmade beauty tinctures, she visits Côte (11714 San Vicente Blvd., LA, 310-820-0906; coteshop.co) for “great manicures using nontoxic nail polishes” and Shades (144 S. Doheny Dr., Beverly Hills, 310-275-4882; shadesnaturalcolor.com) for all-natural hair color mixed by Susan Henry. Kundalini yoga at Ra Ma Institute (304 Lincoln Blvd., Venice, 310-664-3700; ramayoga institute.com) is a must: “It connects me to my higher power, harnesses my energy and creativity, and gets me to breathe. And next door is Kippy’s! (326 Lincoln Blvd., Venice, 310-399-4871; kippysicecream.com), which makes one of my favorite desserts. It’s nondairy ice cream made with healthy
coconut fat that feeds your brain—it’s like a wonder food.” Venice isn’t the only place Rose travels to for a culinary fix. “I have no problem jumping in my car and driving to Echo Park to my favorite little store, Cookbook (1549 Echo Park Ave., Echo Park, 213-2501900; cookbookla.com). They sell raw milk and beautiful foods and produce.” For a meal out, “I love the healthy samosas at Cafe Gratitude (512 Rose Ave., Venice, 424-231-8000; cafegratitude venice.com). “They grow a lot of their own food, and I like their ethics.” With her healthy intuition and eco-savvy spirit, we’ll follow Rose wherever she leads. thelocalrose.com LAC
PhotograPhy by Melissa Valladares (rose)
Always-chic holistic lifestyle expert Shiva Rose photographed in her Pacific Palisades home; Rose gets her fashion fix at Individual Medley, which carries many organic items; the beauty guru likes to support local creatives such as handbag designer Clare Vivier.
style spotlight
fragrance
stone cold rocks
Diane von Furstenberg
jewelry
Putting on the Glitz
THIS SEASON, DVF ADDS BLING TO HER HOUSE OF HIGH FASHION. BY LISA FERRANDINO Fashion mogul Diane von Furstenberg has unveiled her frst line of fashion jewelry, and like her bold prints, iconic wrap dresses, and entrepreneurial spirit, the line speaks to corneroffce dwellers everywhere (or boss ladies-to-be). The Knitted Collection pulls inspiration from the fuidity of DVF’s readyto-wear pieces with fowing necklaces and bracelets that are delicate and sexy, while structural cuffs paired with embossed leather in rich colors from beet to turquoise evoke a clean and modern feel. Every piece in the line—a collab with Haskell Jewels—is a standout, or as von Furstenberg herself says, “the perfect spice… it enhances what is already there!” 8407 Melrose Ave., LA, 323-951-1947; dvf.com
// adornments //
SADDLE UP
Ralph Lauren ($1,250). 444 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, 310-2817200; ralphlauren.com
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above: Calaluna, Bulgari
($155 for 30ml). 401 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, 310-858-9216; bulgari.com
There are denim collaborations, and then there’s what happens when Giambattista Valli teams up with 7 For All Mankind. For this season, the designer pulled inspiration from his runway looks—studs, deep reds, and animal prints—to reinterpret the highwaist skinny jean and wide-leg fare. As Valli puts it, the line is for “a young, multicultural clientele of glamorous Valli girls.” Like, totally. Westfeld Century City, LA, 310-552-7931; 7forallmankind.com
Piano Forte!
Architect Renzo Piano teamed up with Italian powerhouse MaxMara to design and introduce the house’s new Whitney bag, an homage to Italian creativity. Playing off the shapes of the new Whitney Museum of American Art in NYC, the bag is distinguishable for its structural detail and distinctive ribbing inspired by Piano’s design aesthetic. Pieces are available in black, bordeaux, and tan, as well as a limited-edition light blue reminiscent of the museum’s façade. 451 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, 310-385-9343; maxmara.com
The hippest handbags this spring echo the shape and spirit of equestrian saddle bags.
Michael Kors ($795). South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa, 714-557-5600; michaelkors.com
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Fine jeweler Bulgari has a new treasure to add to its repertoire: Le Gemme, the house’s first fragrance collection. Each of the six scents is inspired by a different gem that can be found in Bulgari’s fine jewelry offerings, including moonstone, turquoise, tourmaline, amethyst, peridot, and citrine. Welcome spring with Lilaia, whose notes of bitter orange and yerba mate leaves are inspired by the peridot’s light green color and nature’s renewal. 401 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, 310-858-9216; bulgari.com
Blue Magic
Jil Sander ($2,390). Barneys New York, 9570 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310-777-5877; barneys.com
Chloé ($1,950). Neiman Marcus, 9700 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310-550-5900; neimanmarcus.com
Tory Burch ($550). 142 S. Robertson Blvd., LA, 310-248-2612; toryburch.com
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style spotlight jewelry
gems of virtue
Take a Bough
one to watch
An AlumnA of The Row lAunches A susTAinAble luxuRy lAbel, lefT coAsTsTyle. By Erin MagnEr If you grow up in Malibu Canyon, you’re almost guaranteed to have a reverence for all things au naturel. Such was the case for designer BreeLayne Ring, who followed up gigs at The Row and Cynthia Vincent by launching a womenswear brand with Mother Earth in mind. “I wouldn’t have a luxury label unless I was being resourceful and contributing to the environment,” says Ring, 23. “It’s tragic how much waste happens.” Each piece in BreeLayne’s Spring/Summer 2015 collection is crafted from recycled, vintage, or dead-stock fabrics, while the company plants a tree for each item sold. “LA is so cutting-edge with its support for the ecomovement,” says Ring. “I’m thankful to be on the forefront of changing how the industry views LA in terms of high fashion and sustainability.” Available at Church, 7277 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, 323-876-8887; breelayne.com
Alvadora diamond ring, Brilliant Earth (price on request).
// eyewear //
Blonde AmBition
The already-A-list-heavy Kinara Spa is seeing even more stars come through its doors now that celebrity hair colorist Lorri Goddard (Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Lawrence) and stylist Chris Turner-Bragg (Joy Bryant, Jacqui Getty) have moved in. The duo recently left Rossano Ferretti salon to open Goddard + Bragg within the WeHo skin clinic. westhollywoodhairsalon.com
dreAm teAm
If LA Clipper Matt Barnes looked particularly dapper during the 2015 NBA season, he’s got Malibu Clothes to thank—the menswear retailer has been dressing him for everything from game days to the red carpet. And now, the two LA legends are teaming up with stylist Brandon Williams to create The Barnes Collection, a line of made-in-America suits and sport coats made from ultrapremium Italian fabrics. Slam dunk! malibuclothesbh.com
big in japan
Matsuda may not be the best-known LA-based eyewear brand, but it’s certainly one of the most cultishly adored (fans include Brad Pitt and Amanda Seyfried). In honor of its 25th anniversary, the Japanese-born company is rereleasing its 2809 style this month— the ones immortalized by Linda Hamilton in 1991’s Terminator 2. Featuring side shields, antiqued silver or gold frames, round lenses, and a bamboo box, this is a true collector’s item; for everyday wear, the M1005 (left) is a sure summer bet. matsudaeyewear.com
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photography by Erik Nils/sMilE XXVii studios (barNEs); Chris grECo (Matsuda)
Eleanor dress with overlay panel, BreeLayne ($2,025).
These days, there’s a fifth C that all diamond buyers should demand—consciously sourced stones. Luckily, all of the rocks at Brilliant Earth automatically pass that test. The San Fran–based fine jewelry retailer is celebrating its 10th birthday with a new LA showroom, a soothingly spalike space filled with ethical engagement rings, wedding bands, and vintage baubles, among other pieces. All gems are mined without violence, child labor, or environmental harm; bands are made from recycled precious metals; and five percent of the company’s profits benefit communities harmed by the jewelry trade. The fairest one of all, indeed. Showroom open by appointment only. 8797 Beverly Blvd., West Hollywood, 310-484-5222; brilliantearth.com
C RA I G
Beverly Hills
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Pure - Rare - Eternal Craig & Shelly custom designs and manufactures fine diamond jewelry handmade by some of the world’s finest artisans, right here in the USA.
20.02 ct. Natural, Fancy Light Yellow
O N E O F A K I N D N AT U R A L D I A M O N D J E W E L RY BY C R A I G S H E L LY. F O R V I E W I N G A P P O I N T M E N T S O N LY.
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STYLE Giving Back “I get caught up when I’m [In La] In my busy LIfe, and then I go back [to nepaL] and I reaLIze why I’m doIng thIs and why I have to work so hard.” —phoebe dahl Designer and women’s rights activist Phoebe Dahl says she “dreamed up” her career, which melds fashion, travel, and philanthropy; a bomber jacket ($258) from Faircloth & Supply’s Spring 2015 collection.
Heir Supply anglo-hollywood scion and la gal-about-town phoebe dahl is educating girls with the help of her new clothing line, faircloth & supply. by molly creeden After attending the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in San Francisco, studying at the London College of Fashion, and working for a dress and bow-tie designer in Amsterdam, Phoebe Dahl—daughter of screenwriter Lucy Dahl and granddaughter of celebrated author Roald Dahl and actress Patricia Neal—returned to her native Los Angeles in 2013 with an idea. A recent business trip to Japan had exposed her to textile mills
producing stunning linen, and on the streets there she saw girls wearing the fabric in beautiful, oversize silhouettes. A subsequent trip to India, where she was struck by its grave poverty, left her with the resolve to meld her interest in design with a philanthropic cause. After setting up a small studio in an apartment in Silver Lake, she researched women’s rights charities and designed the first pieces for Faircloth & Supply, a collection of handcrafted linen garments sourced and
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sewn in Los Angeles. The purchase of one item from the collection—featuring seasonless tailored pants, drop-waist dresses and overalls, and slouchy-cool bomber jackets and buttonups—provides a girl in Nepal with a school uniform through the GO Campaign, which works directly with the Nepalese nonprofit organization General Welfare Pratisthan. In addition to granting her enrollment in school, a uniform makes a Nepalese
girl less likely to be the target of sex traffickers and other exploitation. “We’ve put 1,000 girls through school who wouldn’t have otherwise gone,” says Dahl, 26, who visited the participating schools for the second time in March. “We’re hoping to triple [that number] this year, fingers crossed. I get caught up when I’m over here in my busy life, and then I go back over there and I realize why I’m doing this and why I have to work so hard.” Dahl’s busy life in LA includes a relatively highprofile relationship. Last spring, after only three months of dating, she became engaged to Australian model Ruby Rose, who, in addition to a bustling modeling and deejaying schedule, will have a role in season three of orange Is the new black. “We actually met at my parents’ house—my sister and I were having friends over for barbecue, and one brought Ruby,” recalls Dahl, whose sister is Chloe Dahl, of the LA lobster truck and restaurant Knuckle & Claw. “I took one look at her and thought, Uh-oh, this is the
most incredible creative I’ve ever laid eyes on.” Their schedules mean that the pair are on the road quite a bit, but they plan to wed in late 2016, once things calm down. For now, they live in Silver Lake with a flock of rescued animals and try to use the attention they receive for good. “We try to be good role models,” Dahl says, “especially for the gay community and young gay women. People message us with stories, and we always make a point to respond and be there.” A clothing collaboration with Rose, a potential “linen jean,” and a home line are in the works, and Dahl is happy to be doing it all from a seat in the burgeoning LA fashion industry. “One of the reasons why I started my company is because I love fashion, but I didn’t want to be a part of the cutthroat industry [in New York],” she says. “I needed to create a company where I can do what I love, which is sewing, designing, and also being able to travel and do charity work. So I just kind of dreamed it up… and this is it.” fairclothsupply.com LAC
photography by andreea radutoiu (dahl); courtesy of faircloth & supply (jacket)
from far left:
LIVE LIFE WELL
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style Beauty Gilt-y pleasure! The Golden Door Resort, which has been servicing the rich and famous for almost six decades, gets a star-worthy face-lift. right: Om sweet home: The underground Celestial Dome yoga studio is a main attraction at Two Bunch Palms, which was recently renovated by LA’s Gulla Jonsdottir.
refreshingly so, considering that it’s never been so crucial (and difficult) to disconnect so deeply. Guests ditch their designer bags and jewelry to mill about in standard-issue sweatpants and T-shirts, their faces free of makeup. Dinner conversation revolves around the day’s physical victories and spiritual breakthroughs, rather than gossip and small talk. People look at each other, rather than at screens. There’s something about this kind of community that’s transformative—you can actually see people becoming softer and dropping their façades as the week goes on. Just like the newly updated resort itself, you emerge a more refined, refreshed— and yes, glowier—version of yourself. As Van Ness rightly puts it, “You don’t go back exactly as you came.” Inclusive cost for a seven-day stay is $8,850. 777 Deer Springs Road, San Marcos, 866-420-6414; goldendoor.com LAC
Spa-tacular! SoCal’S iConiC Golden door reSort reinventS itSelf with an oh-So-modern-day eCo-makeover. By Erin MagnEr
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million property-wide renovation, completed in October 2014. Two years earlier, billionairess (and 22-time guest) Joanne Conway purchased the Door from the Blackstone Group—taking it back into private ownership after 15 years under corporate rule—and infused it with the kind of care that the property’s many on-staff alchemists bestow upon its guests. She enlisted celebrated decorator Victoria Hagan to refit all of the Japanese-inspired guest rooms, spas, fitness studios, and public spaces. Conway also doubled the Door’s footprint from 300 to 600 acres to protect it from encroaching development, planted 500 olive trees (whose fruit will soon be used to make olive oil), and expanded the land’s already-extensive biodynamic fruit and vegetable gardens. Golden Door-branded skincare and artisanal food lines are on the way. And 100 percent of the resort’s net profits are now being donated to charity—namely, the Forensic Health Services center in nearby Escondido, which helps victims of abuse and sexual assault. In spite of all these changes, the core Golden Door experience remains the same as it ever was—
Refabilitate! These three newly revamped California spas and wellness programs are worth turning off your phone for. Two Bunch Palms: This old-Hollywood Palm Desert hideaway, famous for its natural hot springs, recently underwent a hippie-chic reft by LA designer Gulla Jonsdottir. The property’s wellness offerings were also given a boost, while a new 3.5-acre solar feld makes this the frst carbon-neutral resort in North America. twobunchpalms.com VeraVia: A new “Restorative Stay” program just launched at this San Diego wellness resort, which has traditionally been heavy on medical consults. Those with a fear of needles can now indulge in a menu of ftness, nutrition, and spa sessions for anywhere from four days to four weeks. veraviaft.com sPa solage: On May 1, Napa Valley’s classic Solage
Calistoga resort team will unveil a freshly face-lifted spa. Overseen by new executive director/spa expert Helen Brown, enhancements include a new indoor/outdoor relaxation room, outdoor showers, and an updated look for the overall spa area. solagecalistoga.com
photography by jessica sample (golden door); © 2013 stephanie brauer photography (yoga)
After a few days at the Golden Door resort, one starts to exhibit what’s referred to as the “Golden Door Glow.” It’s the kind of Gwyneth-esque radiance and serenity that comes from a week of daily massages and facials; meditative 6 am hikes and mesmerizing treetop yoga classes; a dreamy organic diet made up of ingredients grown just feet from the dining table (by Steve Jobs’ former gardener, no less); and personalized tête-à-têtes with a nutritionist, fitness trainer, astrologist, meditation coach, and/or energy healer. “There’s this magic that happens when you come across the walkway,” says COO and general manager Kathy Van Ness, referring to a wooden bridge that takes guests from the mythical golden doors to the lobby entrance. “You’re not just a computer or a schedule—this experience is about nurturing your heart, mind, and body.” Hollywood’s type-A-list (from Barbra Streisand to Nicole Kidman to Olivia Wilde) has been seeking out “the glow” since the Door first opened in 1958, but the resort itself has taken on a sheen of its own over the past few months, thanks to a $15
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STYLE Time Keeper “I am always strIvIng to learn more. tIme Is Important because I feel lIke I must be constantly aware of the next step.” —dev patel
Roman à Dev
HigH-octane H’wood-star-on-tHe-rise Dev Patel sHares His projects, passions, and a collab witH iwc. By RoBeRta Naas
Smart, funny, humble, charismatic—these are one’s take-away impressions after an hour spent with Dev Patel. The 24-year-old British-born actor is perhaps best known for his role as Jamal Malik, the hero of 2008’s international smash Slumdog Millionaire; his latest projects include the recently wrapped HBO series The Newsroom as well as this year’s The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Chappie, and Lion. Patel is well suited to the roles he’s chosen, as each is about a young man facing life’s challenges and realities. The actor—a friend of the IWC Schaffhausen watch brand—says he is able to identify with these characters because his own life story is a journey to continually improve his abilities. “I am always striving to learn more and to become more, and I’m always dissatisfied because I’m tough on myself,” says Patel. “Time is important because I feel like I must be constantly aware of the next step. It’s like rock climbing.” Patel’s relationship with IWC Schaffhausen developed organically. After meeting the brand’s execs at a dinner, he found he liked their style and ethics.
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While Patel was not yet a watch collector, he says he always admired timepieces, and the synergies of the IWC partnership made sense to him. Now, after wearing IWC watches on a daily basis, Patel is partial to the Portugieser. “I love having this watch on my wrist… It looks great!” he says with a smile. This easy access to top-notch timepieces has helped Patel keep on top of his busy career while juggling work, family, and training. While the actor says he enjoys all of the characters he’s portrayed, he was particularly impressed with the one he plays in Lion, a true-life story of survival that he’s currently filming opposite Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. “Most of the roles I play involve coming of age, falling in love, facing challenges, experiencing fate,” says Patel. “In Lion, the young man finds his family 25 years later, like finding a needle in a haystack. These roles somehow complete you and show your life at a certain moment in time. When I look back and see myself in a movie, I see how I have grown. Each time something new comes out, I get stronger.” For even more watch features and expanded coverage, go to la-confidentialmagazine.com/watches. LAC
photography by photoprESS/IWC (WatCh); photoprESS/ChrIS JaCkSon/gEtty ImagES for IWC (patEl)
Dev Patel at the IWC Gala Dinner, left, and at the IWC booth at SIHH 2015 in Geneva, Switzerland. Patel’s watch of choice is the IWC Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Single Moon, shown, in 18k white gold ($45,000). IWC Boutique, 9409C Brighton Way, Beverly Hills, 310-734-0520; iwc.com
culture Hottest ticket
TheaTer of War
The baTTle of The gods for conTrol of The greek TheaTre rages on Towards opening nighT. whaT lies ahead for The beloved local icon? By Scott Huver
Ode to a Grecian temple: Some Greek Theatre patrons worry that the intimate, laid-back ambience of this quintessential LA icon will be compromised should the Nederlander Organization lose control of the venue.
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this page: autumn de wilde. opposite page: photography © 2009 mora photography
Those classically modeled Greek columns, that clear summer sky overhead, the acoustically idyllic locale—all contribute to the pervasive sense that whatever style of music is bursting forth from the Greek Theatre’s stage, the tempo is set to the heartbeat of Griffith Park. For multiple generations of audiences and entertainers alike, the Greek has served as “performer’s paradise,” as Neil Diamond once put it (the artist recorded his seminal 1972 live album hot august night there). A one-of-a-kind LA icon, the venue is as steeped in history as the Hollywood Bowl, but offers an earthier, less formal, and even more intimate ambience that’s well served all manner of artists—from Frank Sinatra and Aretha Franklin to Elton John and Tina Turner; from the Sex Pistols and Pearl Jam to Lorde and Sam Smith. Kicking off this season on April 24: Irish singer-songwriter sensation Damien Rice. The Greek’s legacy reaches back to 1896, after industrialist Col. Griffith J. Griffith bequeathed the area that now comprises Griffith Park to the city, later calling for—along with that famed observatory—the inclusion of a top-tier amphitheater. “He wanted to have a proper outdoor theater but done in a traditional way, with an open stage and open-air audience,” says Los Angeles historian Marc Wanamaker. Featuring a stage modeled after a classic Grecian temple, the venue finally opened to a capacity audience in 1930 with opera, dramatic excerpts from oedipus rex… and requisite Greek dancers. By the 1950s, it was LA’s destination for world-class classical music and over time evolved with ever-changing tastes and trends. Indeed, those legendary environs, rustic surroundings, and pervasive sense of intimacy “make it easier for an artist to communicate with the audience,” says Rena Wasserman, general manager of the nearly 6,000-seat venue since 2005. “It’s in the middle of the forest, and while it’s only a mile from the city, it really makes you feel like you’re miles and miles away,” But for all its rich history, it’s the future of the Greek that’s hit a discordant note of late. After nearly four decades of stewardship by the Nederlander Organization—contracted to operate the Greek for the city since 1975— last fall, LA’s Department of Recreation and Parks recommended that when the current contract expires in October 2015, the iconic venue be managed by rival promoter Live Nation, beating out a bid from Nederlander and partner AEG.
The decision was based not on a specific beef between the city and Nederlander, but on the outcome of a controversial, point-based analysis by an outside advisory group: Where Nederlander guaranteed more rental revenue over the next two decades, Live Nation promised significant upgrades to the 84-year-old facility—with hints of much larger-scale concert rosters. The potential changeover sparked a fire storm of protest from neighboring residents who expressed far greater faith in Nederlander (which worked cannily to amass public support—including 30,000 signatures—for its cause) to protect their interests regarding traffic congestion, sound mitigation, and big-concert chaos. The City Council shockingly rejected Rec and Parks’ recommendation, essentially bringing the selection process back to square one; at press time in March, Rec and Parks had just thrown out both bids and was entertaining the idea of the city running the venue itself. Though there’s no clear sign of what the next move will be, “at the end of the day, we feel that people listened to us,” says Wasserman. “We think we have the best vision for the future.” Meanwhile, Live Nation said in a February 11 statement it plans to “continue to protect our position as the winning bidder,” and sources close to the organization indicate it remains very much invested in assuming control of the Greek. Whatever the outcome, the artists who have stood on the Greek’s stage under a gleaming LA moon can only hope nothing happens to dilute its distinctive alchemy. Singer-songwriter collaborators Jenny Lewis and Johnathan Rice have experienced it firsthand: Rice says the venue is “a very special place to play, [with] that really unique mix of being a really large venue that feels intimate.” Lewis agrees: “You’re transported to another universe. It feels so magical… like you’re in Los Angeles and on Mars at the same time.” greektheatrela.com LAC
“You’re transported to another universe [on stage at the greek]. it feels like You’re in los angeles and on mars at the same time.” —jenny lewis
Greek Chorus!
Concertgoers, rejoice. summer 2015 is shaping up to be something to sing about. Over 80-plus years, the Greek’s stage has played host to an array of outstanding artists comprising Damien Rice
the most eclectic playlist imaginable.
The 2015 summer lineup is equally diverse, with legendary performers as well as some fresher voices vying for their place among the icons. After Irish singer-songwriter Damien Rice kicks off the season on April 24, May’s lineup includes Portland folk rockers The Decemberists, with indie pop band Lucius (May 2), platinum-selling classic rock group The Moody Blues (May 5), and the playfully inventive pop/classic combo The Piano Guys (May 15). In June, the Greek hosts enduring Hall of Fame rock band The Doobie Brothers, who share the bill with Eagles guitarist Don Felder (June 6); guitar god Peter Frampton double-bills with hard rocker Cheap Trick (June 12); and Beach Boys cofounder and Pet Sounds innovator Brian Wilson takes the stage along with Searching for Sugar Man star Rodriguez (June 20). In July, look for outlaw country icon Willie Nelson along with Alison Krauss and Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas (July 18) and Big Bang Theory theme-ists Barenaked Ladies, followed by a late-season roster including Jackson Browne (August 14), Gipsy Kings (Sept. 5), and Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals (Sept. 18).
The Decemberists
culture Art Full
Miracle Milestone!
As LACMA preps for its CeLeb-studded hALf-Century CLose-up this Month, MuseuM direCtor Michael Govan fAst-forwArds to the next 50 yeArs of fAbuLous. by erika thomas What began in 1961 as a donation of $2 million from insurance and finance magnate Howard F. Ahmanson Sr. has blossomed into a world-class center for art, film, and music—the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, better known as LACMA. This dynamic cultural hub will commemorate five decades on April 18 with a dazzling anniversary gala, cochaired by Lynda Resnick, Jane Nathanson, and Ann Colgin. The ticketed event will take place inside the museum’s newest structure, the Resnick Pavilion, and will feature the presentation of 50 works bequeathed to the museum from some of the wealthiest collectors in the world. Other anniversary events include an exhibition of these promised works—dubbed “50 for 50: Gifts on the Occasion of LACMA’s 50th Anniversary”—as well as talks, films, lectures, and a free admission day on Sunday, April 26. So what’s in store for the next 50 years? Michael Govan, LACMA’s CEO and director, who will celebrate a decade in his post next year, opens up about
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the museum’s evolution, its break from artistic tradition, and the radical face-lift that’s in store for its campus. How has LACMA evolved since its inception in 1965? You aren’t talking about a long trajectory; we’re still considered very young in museum years. We’ve been experiencing a major growth spurt: Attendance has doubled [since 2007], with [average] length of stay going from 45 minutes to two hours. Even more important is the expansion of collections, audience, and staff. We’ve obtained 19,000 new acquisitions in the last seven years. How have the collections changed over the last five decades? Up until recently, we’ve been a museum that’s operated in a more traditional way. Our offerings have definitely become more diverse. A good example is our Korean art collection. When we opened in 1965, we didn’t have a single Korean work. We’re also building our African art collection,
this page: rendering by atelier peter Zumthor and partner (laCma addition); Catherine opie (govan). opposite page: photography © 2015 James rosenquist/liCensed by vaga, new york, ny. promised gift of Jane and marC nathanson in honor of the museum’s 50th anniversary (portraits of the scull family ); Josh white, © 2007 museum assoCiates/laCma (Jar)
2023: Art odyssey! Peter Zumthor’s dramatic new LACMA addition will reach across Wilshire Boulevard. inset: Michael Govan, CEO and director of LACMA.
50 years of fabulous 1965: On April 1, LACMA opens to the public. The campus consists of three structures—the Ahmanson Building, the Leo S. Bing Center, and the Hammer Building—designed entirely by LA’s William L. Pereira & Associates, which won the job over Mies van der Rohe. 1966: Modern-art curator Maurice Tuchman introduces LACMA’s groundbreaking Art and Technology program, which still exists today. 1978: LACMA breaks attendance records, drawing 1.2 million visitors in just four months to the “Treasures of Tutankhamun” exhibit. 1988: The Pavilion for Japanese Art opens. LA Times art critic William Wilson likens
and our new curator Diana Magaloni has made a strong effort to make LACMA the institution with one of the largest Latin collections available. What new projects are in the works? We’re very excited about the new [Peter Zumthor– designed] facility we’re creating. We hope to open it by 2023. We’re adding two buildings that will reach across Wilshire Boulevard, increasing our visibility. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has taken on the restoration of LACMA West and its iconic Art Deco cylinder. They’ve raised over $350 million so far. With that restoration, the subway opening on Wilshire, and the Petersen Automotive Museum façade getting a face-lift, the entire area will bring our attendance to a level we’ve never experienced before—and that’s very exciting! So what do you envision for LACMA’s next 50 years? We want to increase accessibility with our new facility. Because of the design, you will be able to see right into the galleries—you’re literally invited in. We also want to operate in the most efficient way possible. The facility we’re building will be solar-powered to accomplish that. Another goal is to become more diverse, something we will achieve by establishing ourselves as an institution with no hierarchy of cultures or artists. The first 50 years was really about art in the traditional sense. The next 50 years is about becoming culturally centered. “50 for 50: Gifts on the Occasion of LACMA’s 50th Anniversary” will run April 26–September 7. 5905 Wilshire Blvd., LA, 323857-6000; lacma.org LAC
its Bruce Goff design to “a 1950s coffee shop.” 1998: The former May Company department store on Wilshire and Fairfax is rededicated as LACMA West. 2008: Chris Burden’s iconic Urban Light lamppost sculpture is installed. A million Instagram photos ensue. 2011: LACMA hosts its inaugural Art + Film Gala, where Leo DiCaprio and Reese Witherspoon groove to Stevie Wonder tunes alongside highprofle artists such as John Baldessari. 2014: Ex-Univision CEO/ Chairman A. Jerrold Perenchio makes the largest gift contribution in LACMA’s history from Portraits of the Scull Family by James Rosenquist, 1962, is one of the promised gifts that will be on view for LACMA’s 50th anniversary exhibition; the museum is investing in building a more culturally diverse collection with works like this jar with dragon and clouds from Kwangju, South Cholla Province, Korea, circa 1700-1800.
from top:
his personal collection, which includes masterpieces by Monet, Degas, and others.
CULTURE Spotlight // PERFORMANCE // JANE’S ADDICTION
HEAVEN SCENT
Dancer Mariya Dashkina Maddux takes flight in Martha Graham’s Appalachian Spring.
Martha, Martha, Martha!
dance
THE LEGENDARY MARTHA GRAHAM DANCE COMPANY IS COMING TO LA… FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY. BY ERIN MAGNER The late dancer and choreographer Martha Graham mastered the art of the artistic collaboration way before it became a marketing ploy—over her 97 years, she worked with everyone from Halston and Madonna to Baryshnikov and Nureyev. In honor of the 70th anniversary of her seminal work, Appalachian Spring (a 1944 collab with composer Aaron Copland), the Martha Graham Dance Company will be performing the piece for one night at the Valley Performing Arts Center, its only appearance in Los Angeles this season. The audience can also expect to see a series of new works that, says Artistic Director Janet Eilber, “bring a fresh perspective to Graham’s legacy.” Arrive early to check out a photography exhibition featuring the company, now on view at the VPAC art gallery. April 18, 8 PM. Tickets $40–$65. 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge, 818-6773000; valleyperforming artscenter.org LAC
// photography //
Not content with just making LA smell sweeter, Diptyque is on a mission to make our city more aesthetically pleasing, too. To fête its new Beverly Hills boutique, the French fragrance brand is debuting an exclusive candle to benefit experimental arts org LA><ART. Ten percent of the purchase price ($70) will go to the nonprofit—a fair trade for the bougie’s lush floral-citrus scent and covetable jar inspired by The Beverly Hills Hotel’s iconic wallpaper. 312 N. Beverly Dr., Beverly Hills, 310-385-5941; diptyqueparis.com
FLASH FORWARD
One of the most surreal experiences one can have in LA involves visiting the New York City back lot at Paramount Pictures Studios and finding every storefront transformed into a fully functioning gallery space. That’s just one of the surprises visitors
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// DESIGN //
HOME CHIC HOME
John Elgin Woolf—the father of Hollywood Regency design—is being immortalized at the Palos Verdes Art Center this month. Witness a collection of the master’s drawings and renderings, then enter to win a restored Woolf home in Palm Desert (ABOVE). Through May 24. 5504 Crestridge, Rancho Palos Verdes, 310-541-2479; pvartcenter.org
Paris Photo returns to LA for its most exciting show yet.
can expect to find at Paris Photo Los Angeles, returning for its third go-round in May. This year’s highlights include appearances by 80 galleries both emerging and established (including LA’s M+B and OHWOW), solo shows, conversations between
artists, and the newly established Introducing! Young California Photographer Award, which will be granted to a local art student. May 1–3, 12–7 PM (6 PM on May 3). Tickets from $20. 801 N. Gower St., LA; losangeles.parisphoto.com
PHOTOGRAPHY COPYRIGHT HIBBARD NASH PHOTOGRAPHY (MARTHA GRAHAM DANCE); LANCE GERBER (WOOLF), JEFF MCLANE/PARIS PHOTO (PARIS PHOTO LOS ANGELES)
give
Jane Lynch and musical comedy go together like Glee’s Sue Sylvester and tracksuits, so it’s only natural that the actress would create a solo show steeped in show tunes. Catch the Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning phenom at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in See Jane Sing! (With Jane Lynch), a critically acclaimed cabaret show with a hint of Sylvesteresque edge. May 1-2, 8 PM. Tickets $39–$89. 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310-746-4000; thewallis.org
Our oceanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hidden treasures, the nurseries and homes of life in the ocean, are in trouble. Scientists say they need to be protected. Please help. Go to oceana.org/ hiddentreasures or text OCEAN to 50555 to donate $10.
people View from the Top
All the Night Moves
On the eve Of the fifth anniversary Of his blazinghOt desert fest, neOn Carnival, nightlife pOwer brOker Brent Bolthouse lOOks baCk On 25 years Of magiC and madness.
photography by brian guido
By Michael Ventre
Club meditate: “There were moments in my life when my ego ran the show,” admits the now Zen-like nightlife impresario Brent Bolthouse, photographed here in his LA office.
Under a starry sky in the Moroccan desert last September, Brent Bolthouse proposed to his beloved, Alexandra Shabtai, and she said yes. It was a rare and exotic moment of spiritual and romantic bliss, a state not often associated with nightclub owners, who are accustomed to haggling with liquor distributors, stressing over safety codes, and struggling with the age-old quandary of whether to appease the occasional rich, obnoxious lout or toss him out on the pavement. But somehow, Bolthouse has arrived at the same Zen-like juncture ordinarily associated with the Dalai Lama (or Phil Jackson). It wasn’t easy. “There were moments in my life when my ego ran the show,” he admits. His close friend and business partner Jenifer Rosero, who has known him since 1991, says, “He was definitely more volatile when he was younger.” Bolthouse is 45 now and has been a Los Angeles nightlife fixture for most of his adult life. His name recognition even extends as far away as Indio, where his exclusive Coachella afterparty— known as Neon Carnival—is an annual champion in the Bolthouse stable. His is a business that’s infamous for its instability, yet Bolthouse has continued on page 60
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people View from the Top maintained the kind of lasting institutional presence usually associated with mom-and-pop operations. That might be because his résumé is as varied as a ritzy cocktail menu—entrepreneur, event producer, DJ, photographer, nightclub pioneer, philanthropist. And he shows no signs of easing up. The Bungalow (thebungalowsm.com), his inventive concept space in Santa Monica that opened in the summer of 2012 and is dedicated to drinking, dining, and relaxation, has been embraced so enthusiastically that another one is scheduled to open this fall in Huntington Beach. “Bungalow was designed with the idea of creating a house partylike atmosphere rooted in the ’70s surf-and-skate culture of Southern California,” explains Bolthouse. “We wanted to provide a beach-house destination that felt like a neighborhood bar where everyone was welcome.”
In a town where names often arrive in neon and then vanish into darkness, Bolthouse has kept his atop the marquee of his profession. And he’s a lot calmer because of it. “He’s really a spiritual person, more so than you might think,” notes Jason Bentley, music director at KCRW and a longtime friend. Bolthouse, who dropped out of high school in the 10th grade, grew up in Joshua Tree and assorted Southern California locales. In 1989, at the age of 19, a friend coaxed him into running a nightclub in an old Hollywood space on the first Friday of each month. He made $500 the first time out. “I used to have to work two weeks to make $500,” he recalls with a laugh. Soon the bar owner asked him to expand to one night a week and offered Bolthouse and his partner 50 percent of the bar proceeds. “All of a sudden,” he says, “the Beastie Boys are deejaying for us, and Tone Loc is rapping. Celebrities started coming. The whole thing happened organically. It wasn’t planned.” Since that modest beginning, Bolthouse has either created or collaborated on such notable LA gathering spots as Trousdale, Hyde Lounge, Foxtail, and Katsuya, while also staging myriad events for heavy-hitting brands like HBO, Mercedes-Benz, and T-Mobile. In 2010, he created Neon Carnival, the most coveted afterparty invite during Coachella. (Neon Carnival has no official tie to the music festival, Bolthouse is lightning-quick to point out.) “The first time I went to Coachella,” Bolthouse explains, “I had the best time, and all my friends were there, and it was like, ‘There’s nothing to do on Saturday night.’ So all of my friends turned to me—because that’s what I do—to throw a party. I love Coachella. I love seeing bands. It’s part of my own
personal DNA. My party starts late in the evening, so it doesn’t interfere with the festival.” He displays his charitable side with involvement in the Los Angeles LGBT Center and the AntiRecidivism Coalition, among others. He loves pointing his Leica camera at anything that moves him, and his DJ work has taken him to audio nirvana on the (now-defunct) show “Feel My Heat” on Indie 103.1 as well as many high-profile events. He has even hosted regular spiritual and philosophical discussions at his Venice Beach home. With all that on his plate, he can’t take his eyes off Shabtai (the founder of LA arts funding initiative SPArt), and it shows. “He seems like a total, whole person,” Rosero says of Bolthouse, who was set to move into Shabtai’s West Hollywood digs this spring and plans to wed her sometime in 2016. “He’s very happy. Any time you find the love of your life, a calm comes over you. There’s a different sensibility about him now.” Bolthouse remembers a time when he first came to LA and got a job at a gas station in Sherman Oaks. He said some of the customers were wonderful, and he still sees some of them today. Others were jerks. “So just be careful how you treat other humans,” he says. “I think that’s a big part of my success. I like people and I try to be fair and humble and grateful for this life that I have. I still find it remarkable that, 25 years later, I’m still somewhat relevant in a city where a lot of people can’t live for more than two years.” LAC
brent’s two cents UNREALIZED DREAM:
To have a family. I don’t have lot of family around; my parents live in Atlanta now, my sister lives in Wales, the rest are in Illinois. INTELLECTUAL CURIOSITY:
I’m obsessed with what’s happening in quantum physics. They’re now discovering the way that photons, which are basically light particles, react to DNA. I’m reading a book called The Source Field Investigations that’s so fascinating to me. We’re all more connected than we realize.
Beach for the stars: Brent Bolthouse’s legendary nightspots, including Santa Monica’s swish surf shack The Bungalow (pictured here), have long attracted LA’s celeb set, including Shannon and Jared Leto (above). right: Bolthouse and his fiancée, Alexandra Shabtai, attend the Hammer’s Gala in the Garden last fall.
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John Lyons. He and his brother, Pat, founded all the nightclubs in Boston up and down Lansdowne Street behind the green wall [at Fenway Park]. We became friends in the early ’90s. At one time they had more nightclubs than anyone in America. NIGHTLIFE THEN AND NOW:
There’s nothing left of the ’90s nightlife scene, when it was driven by young Hollywood. When bottle customers became rock stars, the landscape changed. It seems like the nightclubs of today are pushing club kids farther and farther back in line.
PhotograPhy by brian guido
BIGGEST MUSE:
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PEOPLE Talent Patrol INSIGHT ONSTAGE:
The versatile, conservatory-trained actress recently completed a run with Lincoln Center Theater in New York, where she starred in Nick Jones’s new dark comedy, Verité. DOGGY RUN:
Camp loves taking her puggle, Rocky, to Browns Canyon for exercise. “After the end of my hike, I can get a juice at Real Raw Live, a great store.” ON A ROlE (OR TwO!):
“I just shot two indie flms. One Night is about a couple who go back in time to save their marriage. Caught is a thriller directed by Maggie Kiley. It was fun to play a whacked-out sorority girl!”
Pitch Perfection
Film, TV, TheaTer! Pitch Perfect 2’s AnnA CAmp is hiTTing a TriFecTa oF high noTes. by juliet izon “I don’t think anyone knew that it was going to take off exactly the way it did,” says Anna Camp, star of the 2012 sleeper hit Pitch Perfect. “It’s pretty great that the movie has been out for over two years and it’s still that alive.” The film, about a ragtag group of a cappella singers at fictional Barden University, grossed more than $100 million worldwide and inspired nearly that many memes (“Aca-scuse me?!”). Given its rabid fan base, it’s no surprise that a sequel—Pitch Perfect 2, arriving May 15—was green-lighted almost before the original’s DVD hit the shelves. “I think everyone signed on before anybody had read the script,” Camp says of the cast. “We all loved doing it so much that it was just, ‘Yes, you want us back? We’ll come back for sure. No questions asked!’” Camp plays Aubrey Posen, the perfectly coiffed and painfully type-A former leader of the group, the Barden Bellas. Although the actress can’t reveal too
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much about the sequel’s plot, she says we’ll see Aubrey graduate and come to the aid of a new class of Bellas. “[She] helps them find their harmony again,” Camp adds, laughing. While the opening minutes of the first film have Camp projectile-vomiting onstage during a competition, the 32-year-old actress has had to contend with much more graphic scenes in her career. Her first major Broadway role was opposite Daniel Radcliffe in 2008’s revival of Equus. “We were standing onstage for about 10 minutes arguing with each other, completely in the nude,” she says. But the conservatory-trained actress concedes that scenes like this have an upside: “Once you do that, you’re not scared of anything anymore, because you’ve literally been naked onstage in front of people. You’re pretty exposed at that point, literally and figuratively.” Plum roles in critically acclaimed TV shows like Mad Men and True Blood soon followed, cementing her reputation as one of Hollywood’s most versatile young actresses. Born in South Carolina, Camp may have performing in her genes. “My mother used to be a ballerina—she was a fantastic dancer,” she says. “My dad is in banking, but he’s probably the funniest guy I have ever met. He needs to be a stand-up comic.” And her father isn’t the only scene-stealing man in her life. Camp’s boyfriend is fellow actor Skylar Astin, whom she met on the set of the first Pitch Perfect. “It’s nice to have somebody who just gets it,” she says. “I think I’ve met someone incredibly special who really enhances my life in a beautiful way.” The actress calls Echo Park home when she’s in LA, but she has managed to find a bit of the South even in this urban environment. “I have a beautiful backyard that has a peach tree,” she says. “I even made peach pie from it last summer!” And like most actresses from below the Mason-Dixon line, Camp has a particular dream role in mind. “Before I die, I have to play Blanche DuBois,” she says of the iconic Tennessee Williams character in A Streetcar Named Desire. “On Broadway or anywhere, I will find a way.” LAC
PhotograPhy by gregg Delman. hair by laura Polk/Crosby Carter management. makeuP by marni burton/Crosby Carter management using toPshoP
The sweet sound of success: “We all loved doing Pitch Perfect so much, it was just, ‘You want us back? Sure... no questions asked!’” says Southern belle-turned-H’wood go-to gal Anna Camp.
The Ultimate Driving Machine速
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PEOPLE Dynamic Duo
Living on the Veg
With their neW book, a WellnessWorld poWer couple proves that going vegan can be a family affair.
Roll models: “As an athlete, you’re told meat is what you need for strong muscles... but I got rid of all that and felt better than I ever had,” says world-class triathlete Rich Roll, who went vegan with the help of wife Julie Piatt’s revolutionary recipes.
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If there were ever an advertising campaign for the vegan movement, Rich Roll and Julie Piatt are exactly whom you’d expect to see on the billboards. With their honey-colored skin, taut muscles, and really good hair, they’re proof that it’s kale, not milk, that does a body good. Naturally, just about everyone who encounters the Calabasas couple—who met in yoga class, of course—wants to know their tricks, so they wrote a cookbook/lifestyle guide. The Plantpower Way: Whole Food Plant-Based Recipes and Guidance for the Whole Family (Avery, April 2015) is brimming with more than 120 of Piatt’s veggie-centric family recipes, which aren’t just approved by their four kids, but also fuel Roll’s career as one of the world’s most celebrated ultradistance athletes. (He’s the first person ever to complete the EPIC5 challenge, finishing five Ironman triathlons in under a week). CNN’s chief medical correspondent, Sanjay Gupta, calls it “the best book I have read on the topic [of going vegan]... and I have read many.” But life for Roll and Piatt hasn’t always been all tempeh and turmeric. Piatt grew up in Alaska eating moose tacos and caribou captured by her big-game-hunter father (though she says being a carnivore “never felt right”); Roll was a swimmer for Stanford who continued on what he calls the “Michael Phelps” diet long after his college days were over. “I was 39 years old, 50 pounds overweight, and had no interest in changing my behavior around food whatsoever,” recalls Roll, now 47, who was working as a lawyer at the time. “And then I had a moment on the staircase when I became winded and had tightness in my chest, and I realized I needed to change how I was living.” With his yogi/musician/artist wife’s help—she was a vegetarian by this point—Roll went on a cleanse and experimented with giving up meat. But it wasn’t until he went completely vegan that, he says, “I could feel this sense of vitality returning to my body. As an athlete, you’re told that meat is what you need for strong muscles, and if you want strong bones you need milk… but I got rid of all that and felt better than I ever had.” So much better, in fact, that Roll started prepping for 320-mile Ultraman triathlons (and winning), and Piatt started concocting vegan recipes that would sustain him during his grueling training. He began winning races and garnering media attention (and a huge fan base) for his nontraditional diet, and the rest is history. But their ultimate victory has hit a bit closer to home. “My food is not fancy; it’s hearty family food,” says Piatt. “I’m proud that I can cook for my dad and afterward he tells me, ‘I can’t believe you didn’t have any salt pork in that.’ That’s really the test.” LAC
photography by aNDrEEa raDUtoIU
By Erin MagnEr
Š2015 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved. 14-ADV-15941
PEOPLE Spirit of Generosity
Pet philanthropy: The HSUS annual benefit gala, slated for May 16 at the Beverly Wilshire hotel, promises to be a star-studded affair, in the past attracting the likes of Governor Jerry Brown, Ellen DeGeneres, and Kesha.
Many of Hollywood’s young celeb set, like Nikki Reed and Ian Somerhalder, are outspoken advocates for The Humane Society.
Animal Attraction
The animal kingdom and hollywood royalTy join forces again for The humane socieTy’s annual mega gala This may. by nadine schiff-rosen If you’re searching for events featuring A-list celebrities (where A stands for animal-loving), The Humane Society of the United States’ annual benefit is the leader of the pack. Luminaries such as Ellen DeGeneres, Kate Mara, Bill Maher—even the governor of California, Jerry Brown, who has signed more than two dozen bills protecting animals—have been honored at past Humane Society galas. And the May 16 event at the Beverly Wilshire hotel, celebrating this country’s largest animal advocacy organization, will be no exception. It’s a charity dinner with a twist. Instead of dining on rubber chicken or controversial foie gras, guests will be treated to freshly pressed juice cocktails and a gourmet vegan feast. Fashionistas will arrive on the “greened” red carpet wrapped strictly in faux fur, aglow with organic makeup products that have never been tested on animals. Why do so many of the rich and famous come together to protect animals? “So many people care deeply,” says Wayne Pacelle, the society’s president and CEO, “and celebrities are among them. It goes without saying that creative, artistic people realize that so many forms of animal abuse are not only cruel, but lack imagination and are so archaic.” For example, one of the spokespeople for Meatless Monday, a campaign to convince everyone to eat like a vegetarian once a week, is Bones star Emily Deschanel. Former President Bill Clinton, Mike Tyson, and Martha Stewart
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Charity register Opportunities to give.
LA ModernisM opening-night gALA Join children’s art advocates P.S. Arts—the only organization in SoCal that provides yearlong arts education for underprivileged communities—as it returns as the benefciary of the LA Modernism Show’s Opening Night Preview Gala. Attendees will get a frst look at the exhibition’s array of furniture and decorative and fne arts from the 20th and 21st centuries. When: Friday, April 24
opposite page: photography by Dmitri Chekter (gala); gregg Deguire/wireimage (reeD). this page: photography by miChael kovaC/getty images for the humane soCiety (robb); Jason merritt/getty images for the humane soCiety (kesha)
Notable animal lovers attending HSUS’ 60th anniversary celebration in March 2014 included (clockwise from left) Whole Foods’ co-CEO Walter Robb, Governor Jerry Brown, HSUS’ Wayne Pacelle and Jennifer Fearing, and pop musician Kesha. Sutter, the First Pooch, sported a bow tie for the occasion.
have all praised a less carnivorous diet as a way of supporting animal welfare. And young celebs are doing their part, too. Last year, Paul Wesley, a star of The Vampire Diaries, won the Humane Society’s Humane Generation Award for educating young people about the cruelty of factory farms. Kaley Cuoco Sweeting, a star of The Big Bang Theory, appreciates the diversity of the society’s approach. “I love the Humane Society because it doesn’t narrow down to one cause or one animal,” she says. “I especially love the amazing awareness it raises around horses in its fight to protect them from slaughter, abandonment, and abuse.” But The Humane Society has attracted the attention of more than the glitterati. It has also helped raise the consciousness of ordinary Americans. In February an uproar ensued over a GoDaddy commercial aired during the Super Bowl, in which a sweet dog, lost and braving the elements to get home, is sold to a new owner through a GoDaddy-powered website. Not only were animal-rights activists incensed, but the outraged public led a social-media protest against puppy mills, demanding that the ad be sent to the sidelines. Which it was. Even Starbucks has changed its policies in favor of customers who prefer cruelty-free breakfasts. Last December, advised by The Humane Society, the company pledged to use only eggs laid by cagefree chickens in its prepared foods, and Pacelle hopes that other major retailers throughout the nation will follow that lead. “The decision by Starbucks to go cage-free is business savvy,” he says, “because increasingly, consumers want to see farm animals treated with decency.”
Where: 3Labs, 8461 Warner Dr., Culver City Contact: lamodernism.com
rAce to erAse Ms gALA The 22nd Race to Erase MS Gala will be a night dedicated to the support of the Center Without Walls, a nationally celebrated program committed to fnding a cure for multiple sclerosis. This year, fashion icon Tommy Hilfger will be awarded with The Race to Erase MS Medal of Hope Award, while 1,500 guests will enjoy live and silent auctions, a gala dinner, and live performances from legendary artists (last year’s lineup included Steven Tyler and CeeLo Green). When: Friday, April 24 Where: Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, 2025 Avenue of the Stars, Century City Contact: erasems.org
“IT GOES WITHOuT SAyING THAT CREATIVE, ARTISTIC PEOPLE REALIzE THAT ANIMAL ABuSE IS ARCHAIC.” —wayne pacelle Perhaps Twilight actress Nikki Reed, recently engaged to animal activist and The Vampire Diaries star Ian Somerhalder, says it best: “I currently have nine animals, and I am a foster parent to many more. I spend most of my [free] time and energy with The Humane Society. I even turned part of my house into a nursery for some of my puppy fosters and moved my own mother into my guesthouse so she can help. It takes a village!” Indeed, when it comes to saving and protecting animals, everyone needs to pull together. So, in full disclosure, allow me to share that my eight-year-old Maltese, Benny, has been snoring blissfully on my lap while I tap away on my keyboard. I can assure you: No animal was harmed during the writing of this article. humanesociety.org LAC
otis schoLArship Benefit And fAshion show Otis College of Art and Design isn’t just famous for producing alumni such as fashion designers Cynthia Vincent and Eduardo Lucero—it also hosts LA’s largest annual fashion show. For its 33rd year, junior and senior design students have created 200 original fashion looks after being mentored by some of the most acclaimed names in the industry, including Trina Turk and Bob Mackie. After the event, select students will have their work displayed in the windows of Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills. When: Saturday, May 2 Where: The Beverly Hilton, 9876 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills Contact: otis.edu/sbs
george Lopez ceLeBrity goLf cLAssic Comedian George Lopez is preparing to host his eighth annual golf tournament in support of The George Lopez Foundation. Last year’s event attracted players such as Samuel L. Jackson, Don Cheadle, and Tim Allen, and broke a record by raising over $500,000 for Lopez’s Painted Turtle Camp—a specialty camp for children with serious medical conditions. When: Monday, May 4 Where: Lakeside Golf Club, 4500 Lakeside Dr., Burbank Contact: georgelopezfoundation.org
invited
Striking gold
PhotograPhy by alex J. berliner/abimages
During awarDs season 2015, La’s a-List hit the mother LoDe of posh parties. By Kelsey Marrujo
Julianne Moore
While the rest of the country shivered, LA unfurled its collection of carpets to welcome the gods of film, music, and television to town for its annual flurry of awards shows. Champagne Taittinger’s Women in Hollywood Luncheon kicked off the medley of pre-SAG Awards parties, treating the year’s finest female entertainers to a three-course lunch and Champagne tasting. Soon after, Gucci Timepieces & Jewelry teamed with The Recording Academy to toast the Grammys, inviting A-listers to the Sunset Tower Hotel for an exclusive performance by special guest Aloe Blacc. The 17th Costume Designers Guild Awards presented by Lacoste came next—twotime Oscar-nominated actress Naomi Watts received the Lacoste Spotlight Award, while costume designer Aggie Guerard Rodgers (Beetlejuice, Star Wars) took home the Career Achievement Award. That same night, Bulgari, in partnership with Save the Children, commemorated the launch of “STOp.THink. Give.,” a portrait collection by Fabrizio Ferri that paid tribute to the charity organization’s celebrity advocates. Piaget joined the festivities as the official sponsor of the 30th annual Film independent Spirit Awards, which brought forth and celebrated artists like Michael Keaton and Julianne Moore. Finally, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences held its annual post-Oscars Governor’s Ball, where approximately 1,500 guests enjoyed an evening of drinks and performances by Grammy winners Sergio Mendes and will.i.am. continued on page 70
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Jay-Z and Beyoncé
Johnny and Laeticia Hallyday
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John Legend and Chrissy Teigen
Mindy Kaling Miles Teller
Andy Samberg, Common, and Questlove Peter Yozell and Janie Bryant
Eddie Redmayne Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer
Kiernan Shipka
Oprah Winfrey
Emmy Rossum
THIS PAGE: PHOTOGRAPHY BY GUCCI/GETTY IMAGES (GUCCI PRE-GRAMMYS BRUNCH); FREDERICK BROWN/GETTY IMAGES, JASON KEMPIN/GETTY IMAGES, ALBERTO RODRIGUEZ/GETTY IMAGES, STEFANIE KEENAN/ GETTY IMAGES, KEVIN WINTER/GETTY IMAGES, CHRIS POLK/GETTY IMAGES (COSTUME DESIGNERS GUILD AWARDS); STEFANIE KEENAN/GETTY IMAGES FOR PIAGET (FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARDS); GETTY IMAGES FOR BULGARI (BULGARI PRE-OSCARS CELEBRATION); WIREIMAGE (CHAMPAGNE TAITTINGER PRE-SAG AWARDS LUNCHEON); ALEX J. BERLINER/ABIMAGES (AMPAS GOVERNOR’S BALL); OPPOSITE PAGE: PHOTOGRAPHY BY ARI PERILSTEIN/GETTY IMAGES FOR THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY (LAC/WEINSTEIN); BILLY FARRELL (LOUIS VUITTON). OPPOSITE PAGE: PHOTOGRAPHY BY GETTY IMAGES (TOM FORD).
INVITED Aloe Blacc
Behati Prinsloo and Adam Levine
Laura Poitras, Mathilde Bonnefoy, and Dirk Wilutzky
Alexandre Desplat
Matt Goss, Tony Phillips, Victorino Noval, and Jules Haimovich
LOS ANGELES CONFIDENTIAL & THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY FÊTE THE OSCARS TO CELEBRATE THE 87th Academy Awards,
Los Angeles Confidential teamed with The Weinstein Company for an exclusive screening of the ceremony, during which high-profile guests mingled and toasted the evening’s nominees and winners.
VIP attendees included Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo as well as Oscar winners Laura Poitras, Mathilde Bonnefoy, Dirk Wilutzky, Graham Moore, and Alexandre Desplat. Graham Moore
LOUIS VUITTON UNVEILS “SERIES 2”
Jean-Charles Boisset
Jennifer Connelly
Philippe Vergne, Lilly Tartikoff Karatz, and Anthony Ladru
LOUIS VUITTON DEBUTED
a unique exhibition, “Series 2—Past, Present, and Future,” before a style-savvy audience that included Jennifer Connelly, Michelle Williams, Rosamund Pike, and Alexa Chung. Described as a modern interpretation of a fashion show, the exhibition gave viewers an insider’s look into artistic director Nicolas Ghesquière’s inspirations for his latest women’s ready-to-wear collection.
Alexa Chung
Grimes
Michelle Williams
Cameron Silver
Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Karen Gillan
INVITED Amy Adams
Karlie Kloss
Amber Valletta
TOM FORD TAKES LA
Olivia Munn
Rita Ora
Jennifer Lopez Nicole Richie
JUST DAYS BEFORE the Academy Awards, style setters swarmed LA’s Milk Studios for Tom Ford’s Autumn/ Winter 2015 womenswear show. Attendees included Beyoncé, who wore a long, black crystalmosaic dress, Gwyneth Paltrow, clad in a black cutout frock, and Amy Adams, who modeled a vivid red velvet tuxedo before the fashion-forward crowd.
Miley Cyrus
Fergie and Josh Duhamel
Reese Witherspoon
Faith Hill
Scarlett Johansson and Romain Dauraic
THIS PAGE: PHOTOGRAPHY BY GETTY IMAGES; OPPOSITE PAGE: PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERICA DORSEY.
Armie Hammer and Elizabeth Chambers
Mihail Lari, Scott Murray, Oliver Ong, and Brent Clem
Vicki Phung Smith and Randy Sommer
Tim Fleming and Brittany Gersh
Shamim Momin
Annie Rana, Matt Aberle, and Alex Couri
Blythe Hogan and Christina Gerber
John Yoon and Christopher Yin
Ariana Lambert and Erika Desimone
Pierpaolo and Valeria Barzan
Suzanne Deal Booth
ART LOS ANGELES CONTEMPORARY ART LOS ANGELES CONTEMPORARY, the interna-
tional contemporary art fair of the West Coast, kicked off with an exclusive cocktail party. The intimate gathering was followed by the anticipated art fair, sponsored by Los
Angeles Confidential and held at Santa Monicaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Barker Hangar. The celebration of art brought to light premier international blue chip and emerging galleries from around the globe, with a strong focus on LA-based galleries. Taylor Livingston, Ethan Suplee, and Jeff Ellermeyer
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GUESS?Š2015
#DENIMDAY There is no excuse and never an invitation to rape .
taste this Issue: south Bay Watch! Haute pot: Salt-andpepper lobster with butter-fried shallots and fried chilies is “the star of the restaurant,” says Little Sister general manager Kristina Kanaley.
Pacific Overtures
PhotograPhy by Matt arMendariz
Chef Tin Vuong puT ManhaTTan BeaCh on The Cool-inary Map wiTh his asian-inspired foodie faVoriTe, LittLe SiSter. nexT sTop: downTown! by jen jones donatelli At Manhattan Beach’s Little Sister, punk rock lyrics from Fugazi adorn the walls, with phrases like “Sitting outside of town” and “Everybody’s moving” taking on added meaning given the restaurant’s perch in the South Bay—an area just outside the culinary hotbed that is Los Angeles, but where ambitious projects like this one are causing discerning diners to take a second look. Much of the region’s emergence can be credited to entrepreneur Jed Sanford and chef Tin Vuong, who together own Blackhouse Hospitality. Sanford first turned heads in 2012 when he opened Abigaile, a foodforward gastropub in Hermosa Beach. In the South Bay, he says, “restaurants have always been at either end of the spectrum: fancy or a
British pub. There wasn’t a lot of common ground between good food and a fun environment, [so] Abigaile was a totally different animal.” With its graffiti art and elevated cuisine (presided over by Vuong), Abigaile paved the way for its aptly named “little sister.” Melding bold, authentic pan–Southeast Asian flavors with an even bolder attitude (read: loud hip-hop music and wall images of gun-toting butterflies), Little Sister debuted in July 2013—fueled by Vuong’s vision and Sanford’s South Bay savvy. “Abigaile always had a lot going on with happy hours and events, which affects the style of menu you can do,” says Sanford. “[Vuong and I] had the continued on page 76
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taste
Best taBle in the house Myanmar okra curry, made with a whole fried egg, tomato, tamarind, cilantro, and six spices; Little Sister’s rustic-chic 50-seat dining room is designed to resemble a Southeast Asian shophouse; chef Tin Vuong (right) and partner Jed Sanford.
conversation that we wanted to do a small restaurant, like a little sister of Abigaile, and it just happened organically. Little Sister is like a more refined version of Abigaile, with a food style that’s more specific.” Specific, indeed—and inspired by Vuong’s upbringing in the San Gabriel Valley (or the “626,” as Little Sister’s menu cheekily calls it). “There were about 100 restaurants within a square mile of my family’s house,” says Vuong. “Little Sister evokes those authentic flavors I grew up eating. The fundamentals are Chinese-based with French techniques, [resulting in] a mixture of Vietnamese and Hong Kong –style foods.” The palate-pleasing dishes include Saigon lemongrass beef, Balinese-inspired fried meatballs, and Vietnamese crêpes stuffed with pork belly and prawns—but don’t call the food “fusion.” (In fact, restaurant critic Jonathan Gold labeled Vuong an “anti-fusion hero.”) “When you start mixing too many flavors from too many countries, too many ideas with too many different ingredients, that’s when Asian fusion just becomes bad fusion,” says Vuong. No danger of that here. The chef sticks to what he calls “straightforward” cuisine, paying meticulous attention to finding exactly the right spices for each dish (a technique he learned from his grandfather). He sources spices from the high-end purveyor Le Sanctuaire and pulls chilies straight from his own backyard in Monterey Park. “My purveyors could never get me chilies that were hot enough, so I planted about 20 trees myself,” he laughs. And speaking of red-hot, the restaurant itself has been a hit with foodies from both inside the South Bay and out as well as notables like Jimmy Kimmel, Carson Daly, and LA Clippers player Blake Griffin. General manager Kristina Kanaley says reservations are typically solidly booked at least a week in advance.
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The warm reception in the steakhouse-heavy South Bay was a welcome development, according to Sanford: “I don’t think doing what we did here was particularly safe. Safe would have been burgers and beer.” Although Vuong’s food pushes the envelope for the South Bay, it’s bound to be right at home Downtown, where Little Sister’s second location is set to open this spring, across from Bottega Louie. “As a chef, you have to understand your audience,” Vuong says. “In Manhattan Beach, going full throttle, super authentic, or way too shrimpy [wouldn’t have worked], but Downtown, Little Sister will really shine as far as the heavier flavors. People are more accustomed because of the proximity to San Gabriel Valley and even Chinatown, with the new dim sum–style flavors.” The opening marks the start of a big year for Blackhouse Hospitality. Along with the new outpost of Little Sister, Sanford and Vuong have two other projects planned for 2015: a “Big Sur -meets-Ocean Ranch”– style steakhouse in Hermosa Beach and another restaurant in Redondo Beach. “We wanted to do something in Redondo because it’s the most behind in food, but there is definitely a demand,” says Sanford. “Look at Hermosa: Four or five years ago there was nothing, and now it’s super food-driven.” The new restaurants will join Abigaile, Little Sister, Wildcraft, and Dia de Campo for a total of seven Blackhouse openings in four years. It’s a breakneck pace for the two partners, but slowing down doesn’t seem to be in the cards—especially in the rapidly shifting South Bay. “In the last two or three years, a lot is changing down here with people trying to get in the game,” says Sanford. Adds Vuong, “It’s time to turn the knob a little more.” 1131 Manhattan Ave., Manhattan Beach, 310-545-2096; little sistermb.com LAC
Tables are few at Little Sister, an intimate 50-seater (designed to resemble a Southeast Asian shophouse), but the most desirable place to sit is near the window overlooking Manhattan Avenue. General manager Kristina Kanaley also recommends the perch at the chef’s counter, where bartenders serve up cold sake and cooks slice and dice at the garde-manger station. Says Kanaley, “It becomes dinner and a show.”
What to order Although chef Tin Vuong shies away from the term “signature dish” to allow room for the menu to evolve, certain plates have emerged as undeniable favorites. Among them: the Shaky Shaky Beef with watercress salad and a garlicky, Hong Kong–inspired saltand-pepper lobster, with butter-fried shallots and fried chilies. “The lobster is sort of the star of the restaurant,” says Kanaley. “People really like that they can take part of the lobster and turn it into lobster rice when they’re done.”
PhotograPhy by Matt arMENDarIZ
clockwise from left:
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Surf’s upscale! The SS Minnow at Fishing with Dynamite comes heaped with half a lobster, Prince Edward Island mussels, shrimp, a selection of oysters, and gorgeous, live purple-shelled Peruvian sea scallops.
Out of the Deep Blue Manhattan Beach is getting wave reviews for its aquatic offerings. by eric rosen John F. Kennedy once said, “We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea… we are going back from whence we came.” In those two sentences, the former president neatly encapsulated the mystical link between man and sea. (Side note: When did politicians stop being so poetic?) It is also a connection that plays out on dinner plates every night, especially in the once-sleepy South Bay, where a slew of exciting new chef-driven restaurants have recently opened and made it one of the city’s (and the country’s) buzziest foodie destinations. Chef David LeFevre made a big splash with his first Manhattan Beach restaurant, M.B. Post, but it is his second, smaller, seafood-focused eatery, Fishing with Dynamite, where the chef’s pelagic passion really shines (1148 Manhattan Ave., Manhattan Beach, 310-893-6299; eatfwd.com). LeFevre’s menu is constantly changing based on what his purveyors procure for him from ocean waters around the world and right here off the California coast. But you can always count on one of the sumptuous seafood platters that take pride of place on the menu. The tongue-in-cheek SS Minnow is the smallest option, but it comes heaped with half a lobster, plump littleneck clams, Prince Edward Island mussels, shrimp, and a selection of fresh oysters, like Fat Bastard and Kumamoto from
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Washington State and Rocky Nooks from Massachusetts. Diners can also tailor the platter to their taste with additions such as Dungeness crab, live Santa Barbara sea urchin, and the eye-catching, purple-shelled live Peruvian sea scallops. “When constructing a seafood platter, seasonality has a huge influence,” says LeFevre. “First we need to have a selection of oysters that represent a few of the five species. Next we look for phenomenal raw ingredients that need barely any garnish—clams, sea urchin, and scallops. We also cook items gently until they’re succulent and tender, like spiny lobster in winter or Maine lobster in summer, crab, and shrimp, and then we chill and serve cold with a simple sauce.” According to LeFevre, Californians are especially lucky when it comes to seasonal seafood: “Sea urchin is a very special treat in Southern California, and guests love to see the spines still moving on the plate as they enjoy the uni.” Taking a decidedly more French perspective, chef Greg Hozinsky incorporates the sea’s bounty into his signature bouillabaisse at The Strand House (117 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Manhattan Beach, 310-545-7470; thestrandhouse mb.com). Luscious black cod, sunset-pink New Caledonian prawns elegantly arranged in tight curlicues, and meaty clams all swim in a savory broth with Provençal accents, like a creamy tapioca-saffron rouille and green garlic reminiscent of a dockside Marseille bistro. With chef Anne Conness, brothers Mike and Chris Simms opened their nickname-sake Simmzy’s in Manhattan Beach back in 2009, with a menu more California “Riviera” than French (229 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Manhattan Beach, 310-546-1201; simmzys.com). Although this lively gastropub has an easygoing ambience, it takes its food seriously. Case in point: The grilled-fish tacos are made with fresh, wild-caught Oregon rock cod laid on soft corn tortillas, with creamy avocado, smoky charred tomato salsa, lettuce, pickled radish, fried Fresno chile rings, spiced sour cream, and lime for a hint of tang. They taste even better with one of the two dozen on-tap beers and a table with Pacific views out front. It may have a kitschy vibe—with rattan furnishings and decorative trophy fish and surfboards—but Fishbar has quickly become a Manhattan Beach mainstay thanks to chef Jessica Jordan’s marine mastery (3801 Highland Ave., Manhattan Beach, 310-796-0200; fishbarmb.com). Jordan is known for cooking with mesquite the seasonal fish and seafood she gets from her purveyors at Santa Monica Seafood. “They are the best in the business in regards to quality, freshness, sustainability, and responsible fishing,” she says. “The mesquite characteristic is a huge part of the Fishbar identity,” Jordan explains in talking about the 30-year-old grill she uses. “It imparts flavor that blends so well with all types of seafood. We are fanatical about our procedures and the freshness of the product we serve, and the mesquite grill lets us accentuate that clean, fresh flavor.” And it is that flavor, the flavor of the ocean, that keeps calling LA seafoodies back to the South Bay. LAC
PhotograPhy by Molly Cranna
taste the Dish!
DOSSIER: SPECIAL ADVERTISING GUIDE
SUMMER FISH & RICE It’s always Summer here on Robertson Blvd, which is why our family here at Raw Fish & Rice are delighted to announce our new name, Summer Fish & Rice. Our friendly team of staff and chefs are all just as before. You can still expect the same delicious menu, a wide variety of fsh from our open counter Sushi Bar and now you can even watch your favorite dishes come to life in our open-style kitchen. Summer Fish & Rice’s outdoor patio is the place to relax while catching up with friends over our aptly named, now famous Mrs.Robertson roll! 201 South Robertson Blvd. Beverly Hills CA 90211 424.279.9111 www.summer.fsh facebook.com/SummerFishAndRice
DOSSIER
Robertson Boulevard
SKYNNY KITCHEN
E. BRAUN & CO
Skynny Kitchen is West Hollywood’s hottest new heathy dining spot where Nutritious Meets Delicious and every menu item is under 500 calories. Join us for Happy Hour buy one get one Sliders for 99¢ every day from 3pm-6pm & 9pm-11pm.
It is the fnishing touches that can make a room special. Such details are not lost at E. Braun & Co. Choose from their many designs and create your own private world. Explains Liz Barbatelli, fne linens are an investment in good design, they are something in which you can luxuriate every day!
8928 Santa Monica Blvd. West Hollywood, CA 90069 310.360.7060 skynnykitchen.com facebook.com/SkynnyKitchenWeho
Come on in and visit our new store and showroom… E. Braun & Company 457 N. Robertson Blvd. West Hollywood, CA 90048 310.273.4320 www.ebraunbeverlyhills.com www.facebook.com/ebraunlosangeles
taste On the town
Chow, Manhattan!
M.B. Post suPerstar DaviD LeFevre and chef-on-the-rise MichaeL FioreLLi exPlain the sea changefor-the-Better in the sizzling-haute Manhattan Beach dining scene. by Jen Jones Donatelli At Playa Provisions, the world is one’s culinary oyster. Thanks to a unique four-in-one concept, patrons can gorge on everything from seasonal seafood to small-batch ice cream to rare whiskies. The restaurant is the brainchild of Top Chef runner-up Brooke Williamson and her husband, Nick Roberts, and today, chefs David LeFevre and Michael Fiorelli are feasting on their whimsical fare. “Was it Julia Child who said, ‘Everything in moderation, including moderation?’” asks LeFevre, surveying the A-to-Z eclectic spread that includes oysters, Connecticut crab rolls, coconut chia seed pudding, and a trio of salads. But to review the recent pattern of expansion over the last several years for all four of these entrepreneurs, it’s easy to see that moderation isn’t on the proverbial menu. Williamson and Roberts now own three restaurants around the South Bay (Hudson House, The Tripel, and Playa Provisions); LeFevre is behind the buzzy M.B. Post and Fishing with Dynamite; and Fiorelli launched Love & Salt last November after leaving Terranea Resort in Palos Verdes. It’s all part of a restaurant renaissance that’s lighting the South Bay dining scene on fire (GQ named Manhattan Beach its “Best Beach Town for Chowing Down” in 2014). But why is the city suddenly packing so much culinary heat? We sat down with LeFevre and Fiorelli to get the dish. What first drew you both to the South Bay? Michael Fiorelli: When I first moved here, I came from the East Coast and was working in West Hollywood. I thought, This is LA? It wasn’t what I’d imagined at all. Then I took a day trip to Manhattan Beach, and the pier was exactly how I’d pictured California. Coming full circle eight years later and meeting my partners who had a space in Manhattan Beach, I remembered that initial feeling and knew it was the perfect spot. David LeFevre: Four or five months into [my stint at] the Water Grill Downtown, a coworker invited me to watch a football game down in the South Bay. I remember hitting the PCH, seeing the ocean, and being like, “Oh my God, this is it.” I moved down to Hermosa two months later. But after I connected with my partners [Chris and Mike Simms], we noticed we were always driving to Venice and Hollywood whenever we went on dates. Finally we came together and said, “Let’s do something here.” There’s a perception that the collective palate in the South Bay is shifting from more conservative to a “foodie” culture. DL: Manhattan Beach is the third-wealthiest neighborhood in LA right now—[the clientele] are very well-traveled, experienced diners. Many of them are high-level executives or business owners; however, they’re not necessarily more conventional. Will it ever be like Manhattan, New York? No. You don’t have the same amount of people. But percentage-wise, you have just as many adventurous [eaters] as you do in, say, Hollywood. Which dishes have resonated most with your clientele? DL: Our most popular menu items are the ones that have a story behind them. We have a biscuit at M.B. Post that sells like crazy, and it’s based on my mom’s biscuit recipe. The dish is a totally soulful connection to my childhood. As a chef, the great thing is you can take that biscuit and add some bacon and cheddar and serve it with maple butter—it’s about taking the copper and spinning it into gold. MF: His biscuits have their own Facebook page! [Laughs] At Love & Salt,
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PhotograPhy by Matt arMendariz
Morning becomes electric! Playa Provisions’ breakfast sandwich of turkey, bacon, Gruyère, vinegarcooked collards, avocado, and a fried egg is doused in house-pickled habanero sauce. below: Chefs Michael Fiorelli of Love & Salt and M.B. Post’s David LeFevre toast the South Bay foodie renaissance.
from left: Playa Provisions’ buttermilk biscuits with butter and dulce de leche; chef Brooke Williamson and her husband, Nick Roberts, in the kitchen at Playa Provisions; a blackboard menu at Small Batch, a little shop within Playa Provisions that sells only house-made ice cream.
we have everything from pizzas and pastas to lamb’s tongue and pig’s ears. You have to hit a home run with the basics—once [patrons] trust you with those, next time they may try the lamb’s tongue. Are there any ambitious dishes or ingredients you’re hoping to introduce this year? MF: It’s not so much about what the ingredient is, but how you’re using it. For instance, we’re trying to find new vegetables that people haven’t seen before and prepare them in unique ways. Rather than throw carrot tops away, we make a pesto out of them; we’re also making a very labor-intensive puree from cardoons, which are artichoke stems. I want people to eat vegetables and feel like they’re indulging. How do you think the South Bay fits into the bigger LA dining picture? MF: What I can tell you is people from LA—not only guests, but also chefs and restaurateurs—are coming to the South Bay to check out what we’re doing, which is very cool. It speaks to what’s happening in LA in general, with people coming from San Francisco and New York and other major restaurant scenes to see what’s cooking. We’re seeing that on a micro level in the South Bay now. Where does that curiosity stem from? MF: People opening great projects—M.B. Post and Fishing with Dynamite set it off, for sure. Before I had a restaurant in Manhattan Beach, I was driving down to eat here. DL: Is the goal to have the South Bay on people’s radar? No—the goal is to open a great neighborhood restaurant, and any [positive] spillage outside of that is great. What might surprise people about South Bay cuisine?
DL: The South Bay has a ton of really great Asian restaurants—Torihei in Torrance and Shin-SenGumi in Gardena are two of my favorites. MF: David hit it right on the head. It’s not just Asian food; it’s the style of dining. Take Sushi Chitose, a really unassuming place in Redondo Beach; you go inside and you feel like you’re in Tokyo. They serve real Japanese omakase with monkfish liver and geoduck clams, shucked tableside. There’s a whole culture down here that hasn’t really been discovered yet. What food trends are you picking up on? DL: It’s funny—on one end, you have an extremely healthy lifestyle, with surfing, beach volleyball, and exercise, and then you have the other end of things, which is this social-drinking atmosphere. We don’t sell a ton of desserts at any of our restaurants, but we sell a ton of vodka tonics. What’s coming up for you in 2015? DL: In May, I’m opening a new restaurant 45 seconds away from M.B. Post. [The concept] will be focused around beef, and it will have a wood-fire grill. People are calling it a steakhouse, but things get so categorized. To say it’s a steakhouse, [people picture] burgundy padded booths and dark [lighting], and it definitely won’t be that. MF: Love & Salt has only been open for a few months, so we’re still thinking about different ways to serve the community. We’ve certainly felt really embraced—when we opened, the chef from Little Sister sent an e-mail welcoming me to the neighborhood, and David [LeFevre] showed up with two 12-packs of beer. That feeling of community can be hard to find in LA—there are only certain pockets, and Manhattan Beach is one of them. LAC
ToasTs of The CoasT LeFevre and Fiorelli pick some shore things. LittLe SiSter
(1131 Manhattan Ave., Manhattan Beach, 310-5452096; littlesistermb.com): “Great spot with a great vibe—very vegetable-driven, and totally different than anything else in the neighborhood.” –Fiorelli Love & SALt
(317 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Manhattan Beach, 310-545-5252; loveandsaltla.com): “The pizzas are delicious—you can see the care in every dish.”—LeFevre M.B. PoSt
(1142 Manhattan Ave., Manhattan Beach, 310-5455405; eatmbpost.com): “The Fee Fi Fo Fum Fries are disgusting… but in the best way.” —Fiorelli PetroS
(451 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Manhattan Beach, 310-545-4100; petrosrestaurant.com): “My girlfriend calls it ‘sexy brunch;’ we like to get a bottle of expensive Champagne and nosh for a little while.” —LeFevre PLAyA ProviSionS
(119 Culver Blvd., Playa Del Rey, 310-683-5019; playaprovisions.com): “It’s not easy to pull off a breakfast-lunch-dinner place and have it work; Playa Provisions feels good no matter what time of day you go. I usually come for bourbon at night or coffee and pastries in the morning.” —Fiorelli SHin-Sen-GuMi
(18517 S. Western Ave., Gardena, 310-715-1588; shinsengumigroup.com): “They make a killer chicken skin yakitori that I love.” –LeFevre
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TasTe spotlight Chef Marcel Vigneron
books
coco nut We all know about
hot shots
superfoods like kale and goji berries, but it turns out one of the best ingredients for us just might be the simple coconut. Extolling the virtues of this tropical treasure
new in town
Steaking His Claim
beauty, raw chef and certified sommelier Meredith Baird
You might recognize chef Marcel Vigneron from Top Chef, or his own Syfy reality show, Marcel’s Quantum Kitchen. Now he’s bringing his signature molecular gastronomy ministrations to a new restaurant on Melrose called Beefsteak by Marcel. Don’t be fooled by the name, though—this restaurant is all about meat-free fare aimed at vegetarians and carnivores alike. “As a chef, I am a nurturer by nature,” says Vigneron. “I decided to serve conscious, plant-based cuisine because this style of cooking—or not cooking, in some cases—yields dishes that provide optimal health benefits.” Those dishes include house-made chickpea pasta, whole-grain legume bowls that guests can tailor to their tastes at an interactive food bar, and a variety of freshly pressed juices. Eating healthy never tasted this good. 7661 Melrose Ave., LA, 323-4247735; beefsteakrestaurant.com LAC
(previously creative director of Matthew Kenney Cuisine) is preparing to release her latest cookbook, Coconut Kitchen (Familius, May). Devoted to the coconut and designed to offer ways to unleash its healing potential, recipes include everything from coconut yogurt with stone fruit and sprouted buckwheat to chocolate coconut cookies and every-
LA-CoNfideNTiAL-MAgAziNe.CoM
Just because it comes in a keg doesn’t necessarily mean it’s beer. Case in point: New bistro-cum-gourmet grocery Stir Market offers seven wines on tap. Apart from keeping wines fresher, the reusable kegs cut the restaurant’s carbon footprint and reduce waste added to landflls. Now pouring: BrewerClifton Chardonnay and Stolpman Carbonic Sangiovese, among others. stirmarket.com
thing in between.
a clean break
Nutritionist/chef-to-the-stars Sophie Jaffe and The Neshama Project’s yogi-in-chief, Rachelle Tratt, are inviting Angelenos to relearn the art of relaxation—and clean eating—with a yoga adventure on Mexico’s Riviera Maya (May 3-9). Guests have the
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green grapes
superfoods and savasana collide at this nourishing yoga escape.
option of embarking on a three-day food-based cleanse filled with Jaffe’s signature Philosophie superfood smoothies, alkalizing juices, and nourishing soups and salads. (Non-cleansers still get plenty of smoothies and snacks… along with
healthy chocolate). All menus will provide ample energy for exploring nearby Mayan ruins, volunteering in the local community, or snorkeling— although simply unwinding in the rustic-chic beach shacks at Casa Om is also approved. thetravelyogi.com
photography by James merrell (sls)
Celeb Chef Marcel Vigneron blazes onto la’s hotter-than-hot veggie restaurant sCene with beefsteak by MarCel. By Eric rosEn
// happenings //
for both health and
No need to go to the doctor for a healthy shot this spring. Altitude pool deck at the SLS Beverly Hills has introduced a series of “Smart Little Shots” for wellness to help guests look and feel their LA best. The salubrious sips include the “Wake Me” to perk up jet-lagged travelers and the “Cure Me” with a boost of vitamin C to keep guests healthy and ft. Bottoms up! slshotels.com
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photography by sheryl nields/august
All the president’s mean? “I was scared to death at first. You have to earn his trust,” says House of Cards costar Michael Kelly of two-time Oscar winner Kevin Spacey.
Drama King
Is there room on Mount Rushmore for America’s favorite president we love to hate? Kevin Spacey, the country’s most formidable leading man—on screen and off—opens up about a planet called Hollywood... and saving a planet called Earth. By DaviD HocHman PHotograPHy By SHeryl nielDS
Kevin Spacey takes roughly 10 seconds to dispense with the pleasantries and get down to business. It’s “Hey, how are you?” and then straight into a direct address the way his character does it on House of Cards. “You have to remember, it was just 10 or 11 years ago that everybody thought I was f*cking crazy when I decided to pick up and move to London to run a theater company,” he says, referring to his decadelong stint, just completed, as artistic director of the Old Vic in London’s West End. “I did my job there, and now it’s time to go,” he says. Spacey was nine seasons in when he found the role that made him streaming media’s first superstar: ruthless politician Frank Underwood on the binge-worthy Netflix drama. You can hear pride swelling in that cosmopolitan purr as Spacey takes in the fact that House of Cards is more popular in its third season than ever. “All those reports over the years that my career was over, that I was done, that I’d run away from Hollywood… they now sound rather….” Shortsighted? Absurd? Spacey, 55, doesn’t need to finish the thought. The lesson is: Never count out a man of determination and style. The actor spent the 1990s charting a course to international stardom with lead roles in celebrated films like The Usual Suspects (which won him his first Oscar in 1996), L.A. Confidential, and American Beauty (which earned him his second, in 2000). A few years later, he was convincing interviewers that he’d had enough. “I love the performing part of being an actor,” he told me over lunch not long after taking the Old Vic job, “but the other bullshit is much, much less interesting to me.” Leave it to Spacey to find a way back to the top that upends the standard
approach. He is both the main character and co-executive producer on House of Cards, a show that’s been a big red disrupter to both network and cable TV. What made him do it? “The script was fantastic, [co-executive producer] David Fincher is a genius, and I liked that it was a brave thing to do,” he says. The series did not have a pilot, it doesn’t rely on commercials or arcane Nielsen data, and there’s never any wait time for “next week’s episode” since an entire season rolls out at once. That last detail has spurred something of a revolution in how we consume entertainment. “I’m not a binge-watcher myself but I understand the addiction completely,” Spacey says. He’s at home in London, where he spent the predawn hours glued to the Australian Open Tennis Championships being beamed live from Melbourne. “People watch what they watch,” he says. “The audience doesn’t care how they get their content. They just want it to be good.” House of Cards received 22 Emmy nominations its first two seasons, and Spacey won a Golden Globe and SAG Award this year for playing the most dastardly elected official on TV who’s not actually on TV. Underwood lies, he sleeps around, he kills. Still, President Obama is such a fan that on the eve of last season’s premiere, he tweeted, “Tomorrow: @HouseOfCards. No spoilers, please.” Bill Clinton practically serves as a series advisor. Spacey’s been a high-profile supporter and friend of Clinton (they used to play poker) since the presidential campaign days, and the admiration is clearly mutual. “He tells me, ‘I love that House of Cards,’” Spacey says in a pitch-perfect impression. The actor’s talent for mimicry is legendary. “He becomes Johnny Carson; you’re looking at Brando,” his costar, Robin
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Wright, says. Here, it’s almost as if Clinton is in the room. “‘Kevin, 99 percent of what you do on that show is real. The 1 percent you get wrong is you could never get an education bill passed that fast.’” But even as House of Cards raises the stakes yet again—Underwood ascended to the presidency this season—Spacey himself remains the most intriguing character of all. He was born the youngest of three in New Jersey, reared in Southern California, launched his career in Manhattan, yet has no particular loyalty to any of those places. “My family moved so much that we’d have Thanksgiving in one house and Christmas in another, so I’ve spent my life trying to make everywhere I go home,” he says. Spacey’s mother did secretarial work to support the family; his father, whom he has called a “tough disciplinarian,” struggled to find jobs as a technical writer. Growing up, Spacey didn’t make life especially easy for either of them. He once set fire to his older sister’s playhouse and later got booted out of Northridge Military Academy for throwing a tire at another kid. Not that he was an underachiever. Spacey graduated from Chatsworth High School as co-valedictorian with actress Mare Winningham, but then left The Juilliard School early to find his own way. “I am fairly convinced if I hadn’t dropped out, they would have booted me out a few weeks later,” he says. It was all part of character building, apparently. Young and broke in Manhattan, Spacey paid the rent by working in the stock room at New York’s Public Theater, where he answered a switchboard and requisitioned pencils. Soon enough, he landed an Off-Off-Broadway play called The Robbers. A Village Voice critic compared him to Marlon Brando and Karl Malden. One night, Joseph Papp, the Public’s illustrious theater producer and Spacey’s boss, came by to watch him perform. Papp fired him the next day. As Spacey likes to retell it, “Joe said, ‘I saw an actor last night onstage, and you’ve become too comfortable here.’” Spacey appeared in a New York Shakespeare Festival production of Henry IV in 1981 and made his Broadway debut that same year in Henrik Ibsen’s Ghosts. Spacey is famously circumspect about his private affairs. As he once told Gotham, “I’ve just never believed in pimping my personal life out for publicity. I’m not interested in doing it. Never will do it.” And he’s still committed. Having spent time with him before, I know not to even inquire about his relationships or preferences for this or that. Even innocuous questions get pushback. When I cordially ask how he stays in such good shape, Spacey groans and says, “I’m not going to f*cking talk about that. I work out like everybody.” Asked if he meditates, he says, “F*ck! Is this therapy? I thought
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it was an interview. I don’t even know what you’re talking about.” That razor edge is part of Spacey’s allure, too, of course. Michael Kelly, cast as Frank Underwood’s chief of staff, says, “I was scared to death at first. Kevin is a guarded individual in the beginning. You have to earn his trust. One of the most uncomfortable moments of my life was when I had to miss a table read—and I’d only missed one since I’ve been on the show. When I told Kevin, he turned to me slowly and said, ‘That’s okay,’ and there was a chilling pause. ‘Nathan [Darrow, another actor on the show] will read your part.’ But he goes from that to cracking me up with one of his Johnny Carson impressions.” Dig a little and another side of Spacey emerges. He’s a big giver, it turns out. Much of his philanthropic work is guided by a philosophy Jack Lemmon, an early mentor, once shared with him. Spacey also does a dead-on Lemmon impression: “If you have done well, then you’re obligated to send the elevator back down for others.” To that end, Spacey established The Kevin Spacey Foundation in 2010 to support young actors, writers, directors, and producers. This year, the initiative brought together 34 emerging talents from around the Middle East, a part of the world not known for supporting the arts. “I don’t think it’s enough to build extraordinary national theaters and palatial cultural centers only to farm things out to Cirque du Soleil,” Spacey says. He’s also an advocate for Conservation International. Last year Spacey was the voice of the rain forest itself in an awareness campaign that also featured Julia Roberts, Harrison Ford, Edward Norton, and Penélope Cruz. “I remember seeing a piece of art that made me laugh recently,” says Spacey, who’s more of a rare books and letters collector himself. (His most cherished item is a stack of 12 pages of handwritten notes Marlon Brando used to prepare for The Ugly American.) “A group of men are in water up to their noses, standing around having an argument. The piece is called Politicians Discussing Global Warming. These problems are real and we can’t ignore them. We have to do everything we can to make people aware of what we’re doing to our planet and about what we can do to take care of it.” Spacey’s voice softens for a moment. It’s like a small window opens on a place that’s usually off-limits. “You can’t control what happens in the world so you try to do the best you can while you’re here. As for my life, I couldn’t have written it better. I’m so pleased to be able to do the stuff I do. Frankly, I’m living the dream. There’s no doubt about it. I am the luckiest guy walking the face of the earth.” LAC
“All those reports over the yeArs thAt my cAreer wAs over, thAt I wAs done, thAt I’d run AwAy from hollywood… they now sound rAther….” —kevin spacey
Cross-draped bra top, Donna Karan New York ($895). Saks Fifth Avenue, 9600 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310-275-4211; saks.com. Lilac skirt, Giulietta ($875). Barneys New York, 9570 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310-276-4400; barneys.com. Magenta cabochon chandelier earring ($395) and rose bracelet ($475), Oscar de la Renta. 8446 Melrose Pl., LA, 323-653-0200; oscardelarenta.com. Yellow minaudière, Salvatore Ferragamo ($1,850). 357 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, 310-273-9990; ferragamo.com. Afrobeat sandal, Charline De Luca ($680). Saks Fifth Avenue, see above 88â&#x20AC;&#x192; la-confidential-magazine.com
WEST OF EDEN SPRING FASHION GOES RETRO-POLITAN CHIC WITH FANCIFUL FLIGHTS OF LIGHT AND NOIR. PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID DReBIn STYLInG BY LuIzA RenuART
on jessica: Orchid-print silk jacquard dress, Fendi ($2,650). 355 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, 310-276-8888; fendi.com. Russian gold twist rope drop earrings ($150) and Aliah sandals ($1,090), Oscar de la Renta. 8446 Melrose Pl., LA, 323-653-0200; oscardelarenta.com. Milky way bracelet, Lele Sadoughi ($285). Satine, 8134 W. Third St., LA, 323-655-2142; lelesadoughi.com on lucas (left) : Peak-lapel tuxedo ($3,580), evening shirt ($790), and interlace Richelieu shoes ($1,350), Louis Vuitton. 295 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, 310-859-0457; louisvuitton.com. Bow tie, Tom Ford ($250). 346 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, 310-270-9440 on gui: Smoking Soho tuxedo ($3,575)
and dress shirt ($475), Giorgio Armani. 436 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, 310-271-5555; armani.com. Greggo flat oxford, Christian Louboutin ($945). 657 N. Robertson Blvd., West Hollywood, 310-652-5700; christianlouboutin.com
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Bombshell dress, Nanette Lepore ($298). Bloomingdale’s, Century City, LA, 310-772-2100; bloomingdales.com. Metallic cuff, Alexis Bittar ($195). 8383 W. Third St., LA, 323-951-9803; alexis bittar.com. Riko Orchid Bouquet mule, Sophia Webster ($675). Nordstrom, The Grove, LA, 323-930-2230; nordstrom.com beauté: Dior Diorskin Nude in
Medium Beige ($50), Diorskin Nude Tan Matte in Matte Cinnamon ($52), Dior Addict It-Line in It-Black ($32), Dior Addict It-Lash Mascara in It-Black ($28), Cheek & Lip Glow ($37), Rouge Dior Baume in Primerose ($35), and Rouge Dior in Trafalgar ($35). Neiman Marcus, 9700 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310-550-5900; neimanmarcus.com. Nars Illuminator in Orgasm ($30), Blush in Orgasm ($30), Audacious Lipstick in Carmen and Lana ($32 each). Neiman Marcus, see above. It’s A 10 Hair Care Miracle Finishing Spray ($19), Miracle Styling Potion ($20), and Miracle Shine Spray ($20). Ulta, 7100 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, 323-8782524; ulta.com
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on gui (left): Smoking Soho tuxedo
($3,575) and dress shirt ($475), Giorgio Armani. 436 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, 310-271-5555; armani.com. Greggo flat oxford, Christian Louboutin ($945). 657 N. Robertson Blvd., West Hollywood, 310-652-5700; christianlouboutin.com on lucas: Peak-lapel tuxedo ($3,580),
evening shirt ($790), and interlace Richelieu shoes ($1,350), Louis Vuitton. 295 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, 310-859-0457; louis vuitton.com. Bow tie, Tom Ford ($250). 346 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, 310-270-9440 on jessica: Black crĂŞpe belted swimsuit, Michael Kors ($396). South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa, 714-557-5600; michaelkors.com. Postmodern cuff, Lizzie Fortunato ($205). Neiman Marcus, 9700 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310-550-5900; neimanmarcus.com. Regina sandal, Charline De Luca ($750). Saks Fifth Avenue, 9600 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310-275-4211; saks.com
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Amy dress, Tanya Taylor ($1,050). Ron Herman, 8100 Melrose Ave., 323-651-4129; tanyataylor.com. Arm band (worn as bracelet), Jennifer Fisher (price on request). Barneys New York, 9570 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310-276-4400; barneys.com. Hercules sandals, Paul Andrew ($945). Neiman Marcus, 9700 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310-550-5900; neimanmarcus.com Photography by David Drebin Styling by Luiza Renuart at Wilhelmina Styling assistant: Ali Claire Marino Hair and makeup by Sage with Creative Management at MC2 using Oribe and Vapour Organic Beauty
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NATUR E
I N T H E E Y E of T H E S T O R M The world’s growing population and the impact of the changing climate are putting nature’s ability to provide for all of us at risk. Are we paying enough attention to this looming threat?
PhotograPhy by Kurt MarKus/trunK archive; oPPosite Page: JaMes WoJciK/trunK archive
By Jill Sigal
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When you see the abundance of food at the local supermarket—the bins of fruits and vegetables, the seafood on ice, the water bottles on the shelves—you may not always think about where it all comes from or what would happen if nature could no longer provide for us. Currently there are 7.3 billion people on the planet. According to a report by the United Nations, the world’s population is expected to grow to 9.6 billion by the year 2050. Global demand for food, water, and energy is predicted to increase by 35 percent, 40 percent, and 50 percent, respectively, by 2030. This will further test nature’s ability to provide for us, as will the expanding middle class around the world. The unprecedented consumption of critical natural resources poses enormous challenges for the entire planet. Some countries are already feeling the effects with depleted fisheries and diminished food stocks resulting from the inability of agricultural production to keep pace with demand. In recent years, more food was consumed around the world than was produced. The changing climate compounds these trends, as the increasing number and severity of storms (like Hurricane Sandy, which battered the East Coast in 2012), floods, and droughts threaten global food and water supplies. Competition for increasingly scarce resources can lead to social and political instability, conflict, radicalization, and possibly even failed nations. According to the US National Intelligence Council, “[resource] scarcities are likely to hit hardest on poorer states, leading in the worst case to internal or interstate conflict and spillover to regional destabilization.” Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, the country’s premier foreign-policy think tank, agrees. “Resources are linked to both the stability of countries and to the stability of regions,” he says. Resource shortages and competition need to be on “the list of possible sources of friction or conflict” and are “potentially a contributing cause of instability within countries and conceivably a source of instability between countries.” But resource scarcity is not just a problem for other countries; it is also a threat to the United States’ economic interests and national security.
is there hope? Given the stress on nature’s ability to provide for the growing population due to increasing demand and the serious impacts of the changing climate, are we doomed, or is there still hope? According to Peter Seligmann, a leading conservationist and the founder, chairman, and CEO of Conservation International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting nature for the well-being of people, there is reason to be hopeful. “Many governments,
businesses, and local communities are realizing the importance of nature to the global economy, livelihoods, and security,” he says. “They are not standing on the sidelines watching as nature is depleted. They are engaging and taking actions to ensure nature is sustainable.” Seligmann cites the example of Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, which is leading the charge for sustainability among corporations with its three goals: to sell products that sustain both people and the environment, to create zero waste, and to run on 100 percent renewable energy. Due to its vast size, Walmart can have a significant impact on sustainability up and down its supply chain. “Walmart executives see that their supplies of fish and food depend upon the health of ecosystems,” Seligmann explains, “and they see that ecosystems are being stressed out by shifts in climate. That affects their supply. They’re thinking long-term.” According to Rob Walton, the company’s chairman and the eldest son of Walmart founder Sam Walton, “For Walmart, it’s about our responsibility as a business, but partly about how many of our sustainability efforts allow us to be more efficient and to continue to pass those savings on to our customers.” Ensuring a sustainable supply chain so that its shelves are always fully stocked is critical to the company’s business. If you’ve noticed a difference in the size of laundry detergent bottles in the last decade, you have Walmart to thank. The company has single-handedly driven the industry to embrace more eco-friendly packaging. And at Walmart’s 2014 Sustainability Product Expo, it introduced an initiative challenging manufacturers to reduce by 25 percent the amount of water in every dose of detergent in North America by 2018. Also announced at the Expo was a new initiative to increase recycling rates in the US by providing low-interest loans to municipalities for recycling projects. Increasingly, companies—including Disney, Starbucks, and Marriott—are realizing that environmental sustainability is not only in their economic self-interest; it is also in the interest of their customers and the communities in which they operate. For example, The Walt Disney Company is implementing major changes designed to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, improve its energy efficiency, reduce its water consumption, minimize waste, protect natural ecosystems, and inspire action on environmental health. The company is also funding a flagship project in the Peruvian Amazon to address the main causes of deforestation. Many are aware of Whole Foods’ eco-friendly policies, which include supporting sustainable agriculture and sound environmental practices. The company has also designed Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design [LEED]certified stores and initiated recycling programs, and it offsets 100 percent of its
PhotograPhy by XoNoVEtS
ake a look around and it becomes clear that nearly everything surrounding us—the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, the butcher-block table in your kitchen, the paper used for this magazine—comes from nature. The simple truth is that humanity cannot survive without nature: for our food, fresh water, lifesaving medicines, and so much more.
The unprecedented consumption of natural resources
poses enormous challenges for the entire planet.
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“Protecting nature is not an option— it is essential for the well-being of people.
it is not someone else’s problem. We are all in this together.”
PhotograPhy by montree hanlue
—Peter Seligmann
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energy consumption with renewable-energy credits. And through its sustainable coffee-sourcing program, known as CAFE (Coffee and Farmer Equity) Practices, Starbucks is maintaining the quality of its brews while encouraging higher environmental, social, and economic standards. The initiative has had a significant positive impact on forest conservation and coffee-farming communities, and the company is expected to meet its goal of serving 100 percent ethically sourced coffee this year. (See sidebar for a list of other eco-conscious companies.)
how is the changing climate affecting us now? The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, an international body that reviews scientific research on the changing climate, stated in a recent report that it is “unequivocal” that the global climate is warming: “The atmosphere and ocean have warmed, the amounts of snow and ice have diminished, and sea level has risen.” The IPCC notes that concentrations of greenhouse gases have increased and projects that if the current rate of greenhouse gas emissions continues, the climate and oceans will continue to warm during the 21st century. That could result in sea levels rising anywhere from 21 inches to three feet by 2100, endangering cities worldwide, from New York and Miami to London and Sydney. Coastal flooding and erosion are expected to increase with rising sea levels. The panel also found evidence that human health, agriculture, water supplies, and in some cases people’s livelihoods have already been impacted by climate change. Increased acidification of the oceans (from the absorption of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere) has harmed marine ecosystems, such as coral reefs and fisheries, potentially threatening our food security. The IPCC predicts climate change is projected to impact the availability of fresh water and increase water scarcity, which could result in competition for the resource. The production of crops like wheat and rice is also projected to be negatively impacted by the changing climate. Risks to human health may also rise due to stronger heat waves, decreased food production, and a greater prevalence of disease, according to the panel. One place that is already feeling the impact of the changing climate is the remote nation of Kiribati, which sits just a few feet above sea level in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, more than 1,000 miles south of Hawaii. Kiribati is composed of 33 tiny islands and has a population of just over 100,000. If sea levels continue to rise, this republic, which is directly in the eye of the storm, could literally be swallowed up by the sea. According to the country’s president, Anote Tong, rising tides have damaged property and infrastructure, and sea water is intruding on freshwater plants and damaging food crops. “The future is a very real concern,” he says. “My grandchildren will have a very difficult future. We really have to do a lot of work. We need resources to be able to build up the islands in order to be resilient to the impacts that will come in the future.” Although people living thousands of miles from Kiribati may not yet feel the effects of climate change directly, eventually they will, Tong adds, and the world should act now, before it’s too late. “It is better not to look back and say, ‘Oh no, we should have done something,’” says Tong. He sees this issue as “the most serious moral challenge for humanity,” adding that “humanity will, at some point in time, see the need and the obligation to respond to what is happening. If it’s later, we will go down the drain, but hopefully it will be a lesson. I hope that lesson is well learned to ensure that whatever further damage would be caused will not happen.” Here at home, the third National Climate Assessment, published last year, reports that people across the United States—from corn growers in Iowa to oyster farmers in Washington State—are already feeling the impact of our changing climate, and that impact is growing. The first decade of the 21st century was the world’s hottest on record, and 2012 was the warmest year recorded in the continental United States. According to the report, temperatures in most areas of the country are expected to rise by as much as four degrees Fahrenheit in the coming decades, which threatens US agricultural production, worth about $330 billion annually. The US defense and intelligence communities are increasingly focusing on the impact of climate change on resource scarcity, food security, and stability within and among nations. The US Department of Defense’s 2014 Quadrennial Defense
Making a
Difference
These global brands are leading the way in environmentally responsible practices.
Chipotle Mexican Grill has made a commitment to “Food with Integrity” by serving organic, locally grown, and family-farmed foods. The company has also pledged to offer sustainably produced food and dairy products without synthetic hormones. The Coca-Cola Company is working to achieve its 2020 environmental goals, which include improving water efficiency by 25 percent, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 25 percent, raising the recovery rate of its cans and bottles to 75 percent in developed markets, and sustainably sourcing key ingredients. The company has also participated in hundreds of Community Water Partnership projects, providing access to safe water in countries around the world. Hewlett-Packard, through its Living Progress program, employs its technological expertise to help build a sustainable world. As part of the program, the Earth Insights project uses a groundbreaking early-warning system that allows scientists to monitor endangered species in tropical ecosystems in almost real time. Marriott International is implementing a comprehensive sustainability strategy that includes commitments to reduce energy and water consumption, green its supply chain, and inspire its guests and associates to conserve natural resources. The company has also provided support to forest and water conservation projects in Brazil and China. Omega partnered with the GoodPlanet Foundation in 2011, and within a year the company showcased the beauty of the world’s oceans in the documentary Planet Ocean, examined the stresses on its ecosystems, and offered solutions. To further foster conservation, Omega designed a special timepiece, the Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M GMT GoodPlanet, a portion of whose sales proceeds fully fund a project to preserve mangroves, sea grasses, and coral reefs in the seas of Southeast Asia. Starwood Hotels & Resorts is committed to sustainable practices while continuing to offer a great experience for its guests. The company has set a target of 2020 to decrease energy and water consumption by 30 percent and 20 percent, respectively, and to reduce emissions and waste. Stella McCartney’s line features an array of environmentally friendly products, such as eyewear produced with materials like castor oil seeds and citric acid; shoes with soles made from a bio-plastic called APINAT, which degrades when placed in a compost pile; and a faux-leather line created with more than 50 percent vegetable oil, which allows the company to use less petroleum in its products. Tiffany & Co. employs only paper suppliers that have been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council for the brand’s famous blue boxes and bags. Unilever has established the goal of sourcing 100 percent of its agricultural raw materials sustainably by 2020. In the same time period, the company has also committed to cutting its greenhouse gas emissions, per-customer water use, and waste.
adapt to the changes that have already occurred and prepare for those to come. Ecosystem-based approaches, such as conserving and restoring forests and coastal mangrove swamps, as well as building seawalls to protect against the rising oceans, are adaptive measures that can reduce the impact of climate change by increasing a locality’s resilience. “Those actions require a change in our behavior,” he says. “Those actions require a change in how we supply our energy. Those actions require an increased recognition of the importance of securing ecosystems and their health.” What can individuals do to make a difference? “There is much we can do, in terms of whom we vote for and in terms of making good choices with our dollars to make sure we purchase things that are manufactured by companies that are really helping to find solutions rather than exacerbating the problem,” Seligmann says. “Protecting nature is not an option. It is essential for the well-being of people. It is not someone else’s problem. We are all in this together.” No one can predict the future with 100 percent accuracy, so we cannot know for sure how the changing climate will alter nature’s ability to provide for the world’s growing population. Nor can we be certain of the long-term impact that resource scarcity will have on the global economy, security, and people’s livelihoods. But what we can see are the consequences of the changing climate today. We can either take action now to ensure the health of our natural world, or we can wait and see whether the predictions come true and hope we don’t end up looking back and saying, “Oh no, we should have done something.” Nature and all it provides for us—fresh water, fertile soil, food, and so much more—is the lifeblood of human well-being. The pressures on its ecosystems have never been greater. The stakes have never been higher. Protecting nature from the changing climate and ensuring its health is of strategic importance to our economy, our security, and our survival. The planet will endure, with or without us. As Harrison Ford, vice chair of Conservation International, says, “Nature doesn’t need people. People need nature.” LAC
this page: photography by Jan Mika. opposite page: shutterstock.coM (Mountains); DaviD Mcnew/getty iMages (poppy); braD swonetz (garcetti)
Review characterizes climate change as a significant global challenge. “The pressures caused by climate change will influence resource competition while placing additional burdens on economies, societies, and governance institutions around the world,” the report states. “These effects are threat multipliers that will aggravate stressors abroad such as poverty, environmental degradation, political instability, and social tensions—conditions that can enable terrorist activity and other forms of violence.” In a 2013 speech, Chuck Hagel, then the US secretary of defense, spoke about how climate change can “significantly add to the challenges of global instability, hunger, poverty, and conflict. Food and water shortages, pandemic disease, disputes over refugees and resources, and more severe natural disasters all place additional burdens on economies, societies, and institutions around the world.” Richard Haass of the Council on Foreign Relations agrees that the changing climate is potentially a source of social instability, possibly resulting in large-scale population movements and a humanitarian nightmare as well as political destabilization. The changing climate raises real questions of economic viability, he says, and if it leads to failed states, “that can create breeding grounds for terrorism or other forms of behaviors that we do not want to see.” Despite the concerns expressed by scientists and world leaders, Americans rank addressing global warming near the bottom of their policy priorities. In a poll conducted last year by the Pew Research Center, global warming came in 19th among 20 policy concerns, with the economy, jobs, and defending the country from terrorism being the respondents’ top priorities. Yet, according to Conservation International’s Peter Seligmann, the changing climate could be devastating in all of those areas—threatening our food and water supply, our economic stability, and ultimately our security—and he believes that something must be done now. Nations and communities need to take measures to mitigate climate change by reducing their greenhouse gas emissions, Seligmann says, adding they must also
clockwise from left:
Two views of parched land that once supported wildflowers and other vegetation, now laid bare by the drought; Mayor Garcetti is a major supporter of water conservation and says, “Angelenos’ relationship with water must evolve. We must conserve, recycle, and rethink how we use water in order to keep LA growing.”
LA: WEATHERING THE DRY SPELL HIS HONOR TALKS H2O!
Mayor Eric GarcEtti has advicE for thE drouGht-rEsistant.
“Our city has been a leader in water conservation for decades. Today, we use the same amount of water that we did 40 years ago, despite our population growing by more than a million residents. We’ve saved water by installing low-fow toilets and faucets and more effcient appliances in our buildings. We also changed our household habits. “Now, to respond to this historic drought, our relationship with water must evolve. We cannot afford the policies of the past. We must conserve, recycle, and rethink how we use our water to save money and make sure that we have enough water to keep LA growing. I’ve set a target of reducing our water use by an additional 20 percent by focusing on reducing outdoor water use. Meeting this goal requires not only changing our landscaping but also changing our culture. “Last October, I directed city departments to sharply cut water use by reducing watering and replacing lawns or other water-intensive landscaping at city facilities, street medians, and sidewalk parkways. Additionally, we have increased city incentives to help LA residents save more water, including increasing the DWP’s turf replacement incentive to $3.75 per square foot. Outdoor water use is a key area to address—it represents 50 percent of residential consumption! “Now, we are asking Angelenos to voluntarily reduce watering to two days a week, to use DWP rebates to install low-water landscaping and more effcient plumbing fxtures and appliances,
Get ahead of the drought with some dry-minded common sense. by michael ventre
and to ensure pools are covered to reduce water lost to evaporation. “If targets are not met through the combination of mandatory city actions and voluntary resident actions, residential mandates will be implemented, including new watering, swimming-pool, and car-washing restrictions. “Whether the drought continues or not, the city is in the process of fundamentally changing the way we manage our precious water resources. This includes investing in our local water sources by cleaning up the San Fernando Valley aquifer, capturing and reusing more storm water, and increasing the production of recycled water along with continuing to conserve. That’s the key.” For information on how to access incentives and lower your water bills through conservation, visit lamayor.org/drought.
GET INFORMED
KEEP “Eau courant” With thEsE four indisPEnsaBLE rEsourcEs.
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES: Find a wide range of facts and keep up with current changes by visiting this agency’s web site. It even offers a drought brochure that contains all the ins and outs, including graphics and maps. water.ca.gov THE CALIFORNIA DROUGHT: Run by the nonproft Pacifc Institute, this website offers blogs, up-todate information on water conditions, and a look at current developments, issues, and legislation. pacinst.org/publication/the-california-drought
UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY: Learn about groundwater, surface water, and climate change as well as the ecosystems and environment from this science-based mapping agency. usgs.gov FESTIVAL OF FRUIT: If you like fruit – and you’d be in the minority if you didn’t – the San Diego Chapter of the California Rare Fruit Growers will hold a meeting on August 9 at Grossmont College in El Cajon to discuss fruit growing in drought conditions. crfg.org
WHAT YOU CAN DO
“oh dry uP” usEd to BE an oLd-fashionEd diss. noW it’s a consErvation PLEa. thErE arE Many siMPLE stEPs you can taKE to savE WatEr. aMonG thEM: KITCHEN: If you drop an ice cube on the foor, don’t toss it in the sink. Put it in a houseplant. Run your dishwasher only when it’s full. (Note: Dishwashers typically use less water than washing dishes by hand.) BATHROOM: Turn the water off when brushing teeth or shaving. Turn off the water while washing your hair. Switch to water-effcient toilets. LAUNDRY: Get yourself an energy-effcient clothes washer. Match the water level to the size of the load. OUTDOORS: Plant drought-resistant plants outside. Choose water-effcient irrigation, like a drip system. Water deeply but less frequently. Let your grass go dormant (brown) in the winter; dormant grass only needs to be watered every three to four weeks, less if it rains.
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For LA’s eco A-list, the islands’ secluded spots reveal the true essence of Hawaii. By Kathryn Drury Wagner
left to right:
Maui’s Hamoa Beach, with its crescent of salt-and-pepper sand, is among “America’s Top 10 Beaches,” according to the list compiled by environmentalist Dr. Beach. Dancers from Halau Palaihiwa O Kaipuwai hula school perform at the East Maui Taro Festival, an annual event that delivers live music and cultural demonstrations.
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photography copyright 2014 travaasa ExpEriEntial rEsorts
Hidden Hawaii
Like any world-class destination, Hawaii offers glossy retail scenes, swanky dining options, and elite-chic accommodations. But if pampering isn’t all you’re after—if you seek a more intimate glimpse into the culture and community of the islands—then step off the beaten, albeit picturesque, path. We’ve uncovered some new ways to get an unforgettable, authentic Hawaii experience.
THe end of THe Road: HAnA Some 500,000 people drive Maui’s Hana Highway each year, reveling in the twisting road and luxuriant scenery, but few visitors spend any time in the rugged coastal town that is Hana. “It’s a destination of its own; a lot of people call it ‘the last Hawaiian place,’” says resident Judy Kinser. The community is mostly Hawaiian or part Hawaiian; some people still use throw-nets to catch fish in the manner of their ancestors. “You can connect to the earth in Hana. It’s the place to go if you want to sit on the lanai, watch the stars, and hear the waves,” says Maggie Wagner, the senior director of spa and retail at Travaasa Hana, Maui (travaasa.com/hana). Her suggestion? “Stop at the roadside stands for great local fruit; pick up some papaya and coffee.” Not all of the area’s crops are reserved for snacking. Wagner works with a local plantation, Hana Gold, to source organic cacao for her spa’s newest indulgence, the Cocomint body treatment and massage. “Cacao is great for your skin; it has a lot of healing properties and antioxidants,” she says. The 90-minute treatment also involves shea butter, coconut-mint oil, and an organic aloe face mask. She also recommends visitors bask on Hamoa Beach (hamoabeach.org), a crescent of salt-and-pepper sand that has been listed in environmental scientist Dr. Beach’s list of America’s Top 10 Beaches. Another can’t-miss is Hāa na’s tropical botanical site, Kahanu Garden (ntbg.org/gardens), which presents a superlush collection of Polynesian plants. It’s also the location of the remains of a sacred temple, Pi’ilanihale Heiau. The largest stone temple in Hawaii, this ancient place of worship dates back to at least 1500 and was built over several centuries out of lava rock—without the benefit of mortar. It is believed to hold great mana, or powerful spiritual significance. If you can, plan to be in town on April 25 for the East Maui Taro Festival (tarofestival.org). This free fête is in its 23rd year, and delivers live music and cultural demonstrations, such as poi pounding—poi is the Hawaiian staple food made from taro, called “kalo” in the Hawaiian language. Taro is one of the most nutritious foods in the world, and the festival has 20 booths with dishes such as taro seafood chowder, taro burgers, and taro gelato. “We always sell out of kulolo, a dessert made of mashed-up taro and mixed with coconut milk and cane sugar, then baked for hours,” says Kinser, who is the event’s coordinator. If you can’t stomach the curlicue drive to Hana, fly in, instead: Mokulele Airlines (mokuleleairlines.com) operates puddle-jumper flights from Kahului, turning a three-hour-plus trek into a quick jaunt.
The One ThaT GOT away: Hanapepe Located on Kauai’s southwest shore, Hanapepe is a place that time… well, perhaps it didn’t forget, but it seems to have granted it a free pass. The town is filled with 1920s buildings, built in false-front pioneer style by Chinese immigrants. It has the vibe of a silenced Western movie set gone Gauguin. Hanapepe wasn’t always so isolated. In the 1930s and ’40s, it bustled with GIs on R&R and activity from the port and airport. Then everything moved to Lihu’e. By the 1970s, the village had largely been abandoned, leaving the historical buildings empty. Luckily, artists saw the potential—and cheap rents—and moved in, beginning the town’s renaissance. Today, Hanapepe boasts three blocks’ worth of fetching galleries and shops amid the otherworldly
architecture. “It’s a really wonderful town in which to find local art,” says resident Joanna Carolan. Herself an artist, Carolan founded the Banana Patch Studio (bajmnanapatchstudio.com) in 1991, restoring a 1926 building that had once been a bakery and pool hall. Shoppers with a discerning eye browse the town’s intimate fine art galleries, on the hunt for paintings, mixed media, jewelry, and photography. Some galleries offer private showings, but do call ahead to make arrangements. With curators setting their own hours, you may find a gallery closed when the surf’s up. The time to visit is on Friday evenings for the weekly Art Night, held from 6 to 9 pm. Musicians—from slack key to string quartets—come from all over the
this page: photography by shutterstock.com. opposite page: photography courtesy of grand wailea (lofaro, lobster)
Kauai’s Kalalau Trail is “one of the most treacherous” to hike, according to local Robert Miguel, but its primordial beauty is worth the risk.
Musicians from all over Kauai perform in the streets of Hanapepe during Art Night.
Mike Lofaro: CatCh of the DaY Chef de cuisine Mike Lofaro harvests fresh fish and shellfish for Humu restaurant at the Grand Wailea Resort on Maui.
Robert Miguel, island pursuits manager at Kukui’ula, a luxury residential community on Kauai’s south side, takes a paddleboarding break.
Humuhumunukunukuapua’a (“humu” for the Hawaiianchallenged) is the colorful state fish Ceramics at Banana Patch Studio are fired on-site by craftsmen using a solar-powered kiln.
of Hawaii, and also the namesake of a sunset-drenched restaurant at the Grand Wailea Resort (grandwailea. com), on Maui’s southwest shore. Chef de cuisine Mike Lofaro is on a hot streak after being named
“Don’t fll your vacation too much. You’ll miss the truth of the island.” —robert miguel
“Best Maui Chef” and Humu “Best Resort Restaurant” by the The Maui News. He spends most mornings communing with the ocean surrounding the island, surfing, paddling, fishing, or spearfishing. The sea has inspired both his hobbies and his cooking style ever since he
island to perform in the streets, and food trucks hang out their shingles. How about the end of the week? Decidedly slower. “Sundays are old-school,” says Carolan. “We’re closed. The church is open.” A lifelong resident of Kauai, Robert Miguel grew up in Hanapepe. He puts his local knowledge to the test at his job; he’s the island pursuits manager at luxury residential community Kukui’ula, located on Kauai’s south side (kukuiula.com). The 1,010-acre development has oceanview home sites, bungalows, and plantation-style cottages as well as 15 cottages available for nightly rental. Miguel shows the community’s members and guests around the island, leading them on adventures such as paddling, canoeing, or hiking the Kalalau Trail (kalalautrail.com). “It’s one of the most treacherous trails in the world, constantly in the top-five hikes,” says Miguel. “Eleven miles of uneven terrain, switchbacks. It’s on the North Shore. You get to do several stream crossings, and there are beautiful white-sand beaches at the end and a waterfall you can bathe in. The terrain remains how it has been since the time of the ancient Hawaiians.” When planning activities for his guests, he often leaves in an extra day or two of complete leisure. He says, “Don’t fill your vacation too much. You’ll miss the truth of the island. Let the day sink in. There’s a rejuvenation thing that comes into play on Kauai… that’s the magic of Hawaii!” LAC
was a 13-year-old kid on Block Island, Rhode Island, peeling shrimp and cleaning mussels at a seafood shack. After training at the Culinary Institute of America, he further honed his seafood prowess in San Francisco under renowned chef Michael Mina of Aqua fame. Lofaro’s seafood features “bright, acidic, refreshing flavors,” he says. “I’m really into raw seafood lately… onaga sashimi, ahi poke, kampachi from the Big Island, ono, hamachi.” But ingredients without gills receive careful attention, too. Lofaro has cultivated relationships with farmers to source Maui-grown eggplant, mustard greens, kale, and papaya. Mike McCoy, of Fresh Island Herbs, provides the chef with curry leaf, citrus, baby fennel, kumquats, loquats, and microgreens. “I talk to him almost on a daily basis to see what is coming up,” says Lofaro. “It’s a symbiotic relationship.” Diners at Humu won’t be spearfishing with Lofaro, but they’ll come pretty close. A million-gallon saltwater lagoon surrounds the oceanside restaurant, and patrons can select their own Maine lobster or Hawaiian spiny lobster. This just may be the most sophisticated take on a seafood shack, ever.
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haute property Landscape of opportunity
AvAnt GArden!
In LA, Luxury LAndscApers Are thInkIng outsIde the boxwood.
A dry dream: Above the Pacific on Malibuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Point Dume, the state-of-the-art surrounds of this $19.5 million ultramodern manse is tricked out with droughtresistant grasses and plants and features layered swathes of fine gravels and sculpturelike rocks.
112â&#x20AC;&#x192; la-confidential-magazine.com
By Kathy a. McDonalD
Carl Balton & Associates designed this Palms neighborhood backyard with just an “area-rug-sized” patch of grass, filling the rest of the space with dining and conversation vignettes. below: Balton used sustainable plants in vivid pinks, purples, and blues to make a striking vista outside this Spanish-style home.
Turf-grass lawns are still the rule rather than the exception in Beverly Hills and Hancock Park. In addition to grass, however, this $5.5 million classic Mediterranean has sustainable plants lining the façade.
For a glimpse of the traditional Los Angeles front yard, one need only drive past the expanses of manicured lawns in Beverly Hills and Hancock Park. Palm trees, bougainvillea, roses, and trimmed box hedges proliferate in these neighborhoods—a mix of Mediterranean and East Coast plantings that flourish here due to ample sunshine and plentiful irrigation. Keller Williams’ Sheri Bienstock (thebienstockgroup.info), which specializes in Hancock Park, is representing one such home, a $5.5 million Mediterranean-style manse built in 1923, surrounded by olive trees, turf grass, and a gravel-topped patio—the epitome of a well-established brand of urbane living. Bienstock sums it up this way: “Over here, it’s more classic and historical… the way it always was.” However, a new kind of yard is taking root. Thanks to years of drought, local landscape architects are transforming the conventional residential garden by embracing LA’s authentic natural environment. Stylish and earth-friendly spaces filled with low-maintenance and drought-tolerant plants are in demand. The palette varies within these à la mode landscapes, but standbys include feather grasses, hardscapes (meaning rocks), and a bloom of succulents. “People like the mix of styles,” says real estate agent Santiago Arana of The Agency (theagencyre.com). He recently sold Lady Gaga a $23 million, six-acre compound in Malibu, which is surrounded by environmentally friendly native grasses and Mexican sage. One of Arana’s current listings, a four-bedroom, seven-bath, 5,618-square-foot ultramodern in Point Dume has a fully integrated landscape design that complements the contemporary glass and steel
architecture. “The landscaping matches the house and brings color and privacy,” says Arana of the $19.5 million pad’s “beautifully done” surroundings. As architect Margaret Griffin of Griffin Enright Architects (griffinenrightarchitects.com) explains, a field of sculpturelike tumbled rocks, gravel paths, and a layering of elements were used to create the striking terrain. “Gravels are a way to bring in color and introduce an alternative palette—they bring different experiences into the garden,” she adds. Griffin prefers to work with low-water plants from countries with similar climates to the LA region, such as South Africa, Australia, and Mexico. “You can have sustainable plants that aren’t native,” she points out. “I focus on a plant’s characteristics rather than where it’s from, working with color and texture.” She adds that true natives—coastal oaks and scrubland— are scrappy and don’t always feel right. “I like plants that look more bizarre; you can mix plants from different places, and it feels fitting,” she says. Drought awareness is pushing the region’s most dramatically visible trend: the replacement or reduction of turf-grass lawns. “We’re trying to keep people away from grass,” says landscape designer Carl Balton of Mar Vista-based Carl Balton & Associates (carlbalton.com). “Grass in the old days was like wallto-wall carpet! We try to give [today’s client] an area-rug-sized piece of grass to give them a sense of it.” (The state’s SoCal WaterSmart program offers a rebate to residential water customers who are willing to replace H2O-hogging turf-grass lawns with “California-friendly” plants.) Vignettes—a small seating area under a pergola, for instance—are one way to divide a yard into sections and reduce the need for lawns. Fire pits and
“We’re trying to keep people aWay from grass. grass in the old days Was like Wall-to-Wall carpet!” —carl balton
built-in conversation pits also are in the skilled landscape designer’s tool kit and help divide a spread. While drought-tolerant plants and stone pavers may eventually replace the rose garden and green lawn, even sustainable components need maintenance and irrigation. As Balton explains, the move is toward drip irrigation. These serpentine drip lines at the base of plants provide cost and water savings. Perhaps the nearby desert cities could provide inspiration when it comes to melding with LA’s semiarid climate. Windermere Real Estate Palm Springs’ Sven Vennen (askpalmsprings.com) is representing a $4.7 million, 5,100-square-foot contemporary built in 2004 that adheres to midcentury-influenced looks, including a sur rounding vista informed by famed landscape architect Garrett Eckbo’s designs. Palo Verde and mesquite trees, cacti, and boulders found on site are the principal features. “There was a conscious effort to respect the environment, follow the natural grade of the lot, and use organic colors,” says the homeowner. “Architecture pops when landscaping is simple and pure.” LAC
haute property realty Check
Painting the Town Green
Santa Monica iS going coaStal for over-the-top green initiativeS. by Kathy a. McDonalD
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sustainable design and some definite luxuries, including soundproof, top-of-line, double-pane windows that reduce noise and increase the building’s energy efficiency. But the upscale amenities are what buyers notice, from the 24/7 doorman to the resortlike rooftop pool and its broad views across Santa Monica to the ocean and Malibu. Landscape architecture firm Mia Lehrer + Associates (mlagreen.com) designed the living wall of succulent plants at the entrance, a tip-off to the luxury development’s creed of eco-smartness. Energy Star-rated appliances and the use of low-VOC paints are also among the green attributes of The Seychelle, where a three-bedroom, 1,807-square-foot corner penthouse lists for $11.5 million. High-end, modular, prefabricated (prefab) home construction is another approach to sustainability that’s gaining traction in Santa Monica and elsewhere. Typically, prefab homes are constructed in sections off-site, then trucked to a prepared property— similar to building with Legos, a homeowner can add modules to increase the home’s size. Santa Monica-based LivingHomes (livinghomes.net) offers a choice of architectural floor plans and finishes. Sustainability comes from the selection of materials, plus water and energy systems, explains founder and CEO Steve Glenn. He lives in the prototype, a model of high style and eco-minded choices. “Consumers desire sustainable and healthy buildings,” Glenn says (the company has 36 homes under contract in various stages of development and permitting). “And they’re really interested in making their ecological footprint smaller.” LivingHomes promotes zero energy consumption and “zero ignorance,”
from top:
The citywide green-building code even applies to the Santa Monica pier’s iconic Ferris wheel, which runs on solar power; each of The Seychelle’s 93 condos—including this $11.5 million corner penthouse—features soundproof, doublepane windows that reduce noise and increase energy efficiency; LivingHomes prefab digs are made from sustainable materials and come in a choice of floor plans and finishes. A custom-built Ray Kappe-designed LivingHome on Adelaide Drive in Santa Monica quickly sold for $6.75 million.
says the exec. His light-filled, glass and steel modern home is 70 percent powered by one solar panel. In an innovative approach that adds architectural integrity, the firm has partnered with foremost American modernist architect Ray Kappe to produce designs for upscale prefabs. A Kappe-designed, custombuilt, 5,000-square-foot LivingHome on Santa Monica’s Adelaide Drive sold for $6.75 million in 2014. “Luxury and sustainability can coexist; you’ll pay less for it, in fact, and get it done in less than half the time,” Glenn says. “The house is
uniquely green throughout, and that was appreciated by buyers,” says listing agent Todd Baker of Coldwell Banker Previews (toddbakerhomes.com). He says the Kappe-designed prefab flew off the market. “It’s a standard bearer of the way houses should be. It’s a flagship of what can be done and what everyone should think about doing when building a house themselves,” says Baker. From the rooftop solar array to the sustainable materials used throughout, the house (and Santa Monica) is boosting the new wave of green—and goodlooking—residential design. LAC
photography by robyN bECK/aFp/gEtty ImagEs (FErrIs whEEl)
When it comes to neighborhoods with eco-cred, Santa Monica is on top of LA’s green-chic A-list. The city is home to Global Green USA, which advocates sustainable living for all income levels, and to the Natural Resources Defense Council, housed in one of the greenest buildings in the world and renovated with donated funds from Robert Redford. Setting a remarkable energy-use standard is TV journalist Lisa Ling’s custom-built, high-design, net-zero abode—meaning on an annual basis, the house creates as much power as it actually uses (or more). Also emblematic of the city’s eco-consciousness are its three popular community gardens; bike lanes galore; Priuses, Teslas, and Volts on every block; and a citywide green-building code that requires all new houses to be solar power-ready. Even the landmark Ferris wheel on the pier runs on the sun. Santa Monica’s gentle Pacific Ocean breezes and marine layer support one of building green’s strongest precepts: no air conditioning. While that’s an ideal, the reality is that most luxury homebuyers and builders consider it a necessity. But it shouldn’t be so, explains Joel Cesare, the city’s sustainable building advisor (of course Santa Monica has such a position). The first step in sustainable design is within the infrastructure. “It starts with a home’s envelope: the insulation of walls, the roof, and the windows,” explains Cesare. Wellinsulated homes along with airtight windows and doors have a long-term benefit: energy use and costs are reduced. Another plus is the delicious tranquility of buffered urban noise. Walk into one of the 93 newly built condominiums at the Related Companies’ The Seychelle on Ocean Avenue South (related.com) and notice the quiet. The development blends
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abode & beyond eco-La!
Au NAturel
photography by molly cranna
alon StudioS is bringing made-inamerica re-nouveau-able chic to the forefront of home design. by allyson rees
When Kalon Studios debuted in 2007, the eco-friendly design movement was still very much in its infancy. “Back then, there was a very specific color palette—a lot of beiges, grays, and greens,” says Michaele Simmering, who started Kalon with husband Johann Pauwen after the birth of their first child. The couple wanted a safe, sustainably built, aesthetically pleasing crib, and when their search came up empty, they decided to create one themselves. Bucking the traditional palette of baby pink, baby blue, and white, Simmering and Pauwen designed their first best seller, the Caravan Crib, an elegant raw-maple piece available in a rainbow of bright colors. “There’s the appeal of having something fun that adults can respond to and that’s not just babycentric,” explains Pauwen, an industrial designer who studied at the Rhode Island School of Design. Today, Kalon Studios boasts a range of thoughtful contemporary American craft furniture for both children and adults. Pushing the boundaries of sustainability, its products are made by highly skilled craftspeople in the Northeast and feature local, renewable, sustainably forested materials and nontoxic finishes. “We’re taking precise methods of mass production, but applying them to natural materials,” says Simmering. For spring, Kalon is introducing several new pieces, including the Simple Bedroom Set (a low-profile collection featuring a bed, dresser, side tables, mirror, and shelf); the Simple Table, made of ash; and the striking No. 5 Series, an infinitely modifiable seating system consisting of a chaise, a sectional, and a sofa. “There is no expense spared on this thing,” says Pauwen, describing the No. 5 Series’s white oak frame, solid brass details, “incredibly comfortable” 100 percent natural organic-latex cushions, and wool upholstery fabrics. Kalon’s “zero compromises” stance is what differentiates it from other brands and earned it Martha Stewart’s 2014 American Made Design Award. “We’re pushing things way further than anyone would expect a company to,” says Simmering. “It’s not something we need to be on a soapbox about. It’s just something that, for us, is the reward for doing the work that we do.” kalonstudios.com LAC
Kalon Studios scored Martha Stewart’s 2014 American Made Award for unfussy, yet elegant, pieces like this Isometric bench in ash ($665), crafted from nontoxic, sustainably sourced materials.
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abOdE & bEyONd The Guide Kind finds: Sustainable furnishings from Viesso can be found in the HQs of Google, Starbucks, and Tesla Motors.
for eco-conscious recipients of any age. 8405 W. Third St., LA, 323-655-1051; plasticashop.com
ReForm School
Eco-nomical Living
In LA, Luxury And sustAInAbILIty Are mutuALLy IncLusIve. by allyson rees
Cisco Home A pioneer of the sustainable furniture and design trend in Southern California, Cisco Home offers its “Inside Green” option on all of its furniture. Its pieces are made from Forest Stewardship Council woods, natural latex, jute, hemp, wool, goose feathers, and down, and they’re free of harmful chemicals and flame retardants. 8025 Melrose Ave., LA, 323-932-1155; ciscohome.net
Environment From sourcing to manufacturing to shipping, Environment is dedicated to sustainability through the entire product life cycle. Leaning toward rustic, farmhouse-inspired items featuring reclaimed wood, vintage denim, and military fabrics, its collections have a romantic yet masculine aesthetic.
8126 Beverly Blvd., LA, 323-782-0296; environment furniture.com
Green Cradle
3534 Larga Ave., LA, 323664-9067; jillspaint.net
Nest Bedding
Specializing in organic mattresses, bedding, and furniture, Green Cradle caters to families looking to create all-organic living spaces. From Egyptian cotton baby blankets to latex mattresses to handcrafted solid-wood beds, Green Cradle is the definition of a lifestyle shop. 13344 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, 877-4762735; greencradle.com
Established in 2001 and based in San Francisco, Nest Bedding is dedicated to organic, nontoxic mattresses and bedding. The store stocks organic sheet sets, blankets, pillows, duvets, memory foam mattresses, and hardwood frames, allowing customers to piece together luxurious, all-natural beds. 12319 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, 818-477-4047; nestbedding.com
Jill’s Paint
Plastica
For paint with few or no volatile organic compounds, Jill’s Paint in Atwater Village is your one-stop shop. Stocking brands like Aura, Natura, Devine Color, and American Clay, Jill’s offers scores of colors for indoor and outdoor use. The store also boasts a large selection of green cleaning products.
One of West Third Street’s most enduring boutiques, Plastica is known for its whimsical toys, home accessories, and garden items. With a broad selection of eco-friendly products, including S’well BPA-free water bottles and Vilac sustainable wood toys, Plastica is a gift destination
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After almost a decade on Sunset Boulevard in Silver Lake, ReForm School is still a mecca for sustainable design, handmade gifts, and repurposed furniture. Launched by schoolmates Billie Lopez and Tootie Maldonado, the boutique sells Hidden Folk soaps and walking sticks handcrafted from found birch wood. 3902 Sunset Blvd., LA, 323-906-8660; reform schoolrules.com
Seed Furniture Combining two things that Angeleno homeowners love—Midcentury Modern design and eco-friendly décor—Seed Furniture is owned and operated by award-winning designer and craftsman Reeve Schley. With items for every room in the house, Seed offers products made from Hurricane Sandy – reclaimed trees and featuring VOC-free finishes and glues. 1848 W. Washington Blvd., LA, 323-733-0629; seed furniture.com
Viesso Founded by three college friends, Viesso produces modern furniture that can be found in the offices of Google, Tesla Motors, and Starbucks. The Santa Monica–based brand’s line of environmentally friendly furniture features bamboo, reclaimed wood, and locally grown hardwoods in addition to recycled and organic upholstery fabrics and fills. 2834 Colorado Ave., Santa Monica, 310-453-3604; viesso.com LAC
GO FOR THE GREEN Interior designer Kelly Van Patter schools us in sustainability.
What advice would you give for redecorating using sustainable products? Start with what you already own and see whether it can be refurbished. Vintage items can be given a new look with new upholstery fabric, a fresh coat of paint, and clever ways to repurpose them. When buying new products, what should people look for? Many companies are currently leaning towards reclaimed, natural, and organic materials. Wood from sustainably managed forests, recycled glass and metals, and textiles made with natural dyes are the most sustainable. Any materials to avoid? Steer clear of particleboard furniture, plastics, or synthetic materials. Even though they may be “cool,” they are ultimately destined for the landfll. kellygreen home.com
DOWNTOWN
This April: Get wined and dined downtown at Chef Agostino Sciandriâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newest restaurant, located in the Emerson. L O S A N G E L E S / / 2 2 5 S . G r a n d Av e .
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A HIDDEN PARADISE. A WHISPER OF FOUNTAINS. THE ICONIC SWAN LAKE. THE DELICATE SCENT OF HIBISCUS. A SENSE OF SERENITY. HOTEL BEL-AIR.
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WEDDINGS
Some enchanted evening HAPPILY EVER AFTER, LA-STYLE? OLD-FASHIONED ROMANCE WITH A MODERN TWIST!
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DIANA MCGREGOR PHOTOGRAPHY
BY ALLYSON REES ANd cASEY tRudEAu
On their wedding day at the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, newlyweds Whitney and Chase Emmerson make the most of a moment alone.
In Los Angeles, every season is wedding season. Thanks to our sun-dappled days, “golden hour” sunsets, and crisp nights, couples looking to get hitched in the City of Angels don’t need much help creating a romantic, picturesque atmosphere. For this once-in-a-lifetime event, no expense should be spared, so we’ve rounded up the most stunning venues, moment-making gowns, breathtaking baubles, and essential finishing touches for your special day. Whether you envision an intimate dinner at a hidden hotel in the city’s most elegant neighborhood or a rustic outdoor soirée in the rolling hills of Malibu, our guide is all about chic details and little luxuries. Read on for seasonal theme ideas—along with the dresses, jewels, and flowers to match. Paris, the city of love? We say LA! LAC
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WEDDINGS Styles and Settings Sunshine or shade? Nestled on 12 acres just north of Sunset Boulevard, the Hotel Bel-Air offers both. The front lawn boasts a romantic outdoor dining experience, complete with a century-old tree as the main attraction.
Newlyweds meander through the famed Swan Lake gardens at dusk.
The Secret Garden Table assignments are arranged on moss, bark, and roses inspired by the bucolic backdrop.
“THE MINUTE YOU STEP FOOT ON THE PROPERTY, YOU SENSE SOMETHING AKIN TO MAGIC.” — TIFFANY LAI
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CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE LEFT: Heel, Badgley Mischka ($200). Nordstrom, The Grove, LA, 323-930-2230; nordstrom.com. 14k white-gold diamond ring with 3.37-carat center stone and .90-carat side stones, Jason of Beverly Hills (price on request). 9500 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310-385-3970; jasonofbh.com
For privacy on par with that of Brad and Angie’s union, escape to Los Angeles’ most discrete neighborhood. The Hotel Bel-Air (701 Stone Canyon Road, LA, 310-472-1211; dorchester collection.com) provides a chic, intimate setting just minutes from Rodeo Drive. “We have the [good] fortune of feeling like a destination resort while still offering the conveniences of Los Angeles,” says Tiffany Lai, director of catering and events. “The minute you step foot on the property and cross the mystical bridge overlooking Swan Lake, you have an instant sense that something akin to magic exists here.” Couples can choose from two Vanity Fair-worthy wedding experiences. The first includes a ceremony in the always-in-bloom Swan Lake Gardens, followed by a reception in the newly refreshed ballroom, which features state-of-the-art technology, starburst chandeliers, and a private outdoor courtyard. Those wanting
to take advantage of LA’s 72-andsunny climate can set up shop on the hotel’s spacious front lawn for an alfresco fête. Of course, no Bel-Air affair is complete without a major fashion moment. Bridal designer Claire Pettibone (7415 Beverly Blvd., LA, 310-360-6268; clairepettibone.com) recommends a dress that moves and flutters with the body. “A touch of very delicate sparkle, flowing silks, and tulle are ultraromantic,” she says. And don’t rule out lace—it’s sexier than its reputation suggests. “Part of the beauty of lace is the contrast between hints of sheer and opaque. It’s almost like a painting on the body. A glimpse of skin showing through lace can be magic!” Top off the frock with feminine accoutrements—blush-toned D’Orsay pumps, timeless baubles, or an heirloom veil—to set the stage for a night to remember.— A.R. LAC
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GIA CANALI
IN SEARCH OF INCOMPARABLE GLAMOUR? HEAD FOR THE HOTEL BEL-AIR.
KIM FOX PHOTOGRAPHY
WEDDINGS Trends
White-gold and diamond Bagatelle necklace, Dior Fine Jewelry (price on request). 309 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, 310-859-4700; dior.com
OPULENT DIAMONDS, INTRICATE FLORALS, AND NEUTRAL TONES CREATE AN UNDERSTATED ELEGANCE FIT FOR ANY BRIDE.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Invitations, Wondrous Whimsy. wondrouswhimsy.com. Clutch, Natasha Couture ($280). Nordstrom, The Grove, LA, 323-930-2230; nordstrom.com. 18k white-gold Akoya cultured pearl and diamond lace earrings, Mikimoto ($3,400). The Regent Beverly Wilshire, 9500 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310-205-8787; miki motoamerica.com. Picture frame diamond ring ($5,017), Ribbed Princess topper ($1,045), and Ribbed Scallop band ($1,430), Megan Thorne. Sofia Kaman Fine Jewels, 1350 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, 310-3103998; sofiakaman.com
FROM ABOVE: Heel, Oscar de la Renta ($995). 8446 Melrose Pl., LA, 323-653-0200; oscar delarenta.com. Dolce perfume, Dolce & Gabbana ($115 for 2.5 oz.; $160 for 5 oz.). Sephora, Beverly Center, LA, 310-6579670; sephora.com. Cuff links, Jane Basch ($328). Fred Segal, 420 Broadway, Santa Monica, 310-907-4022; janebasch.com
Gray linens and olive branch garlands give tablescapes an earthy elegance, while white roses and peonies (INSET) make for a timeless bridal bouquet. RIGHT: Gown ($4,990) and veil ($2,300), Monique Lhuillier. 8485 Melrose Pl., LA, 323-655-1088; moniquelhuillier.com
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY DIANA MCGREGOR PHOTOGRAPHY (INVITATIONS, TABLE SETTING)
Blushing Botanicals
YOU KNOW YOU’VE
ARRIVED
THE STIRRING OF PALM TREES. AN AIR OF ANTICIPATION. THE FLICKER OF LIGHT. THE PLACE TO BE SEEN. THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE. THE BEVERLY HILLS HOTEL.
WEDDINGS Styles and Settings A couple weds under a century-old oak tree draped with cascading twinkle lights.
At Calamigos Ranch, a white-picket fence surrounds a bloom-filled afternoon reception in The Pavilion at North Point.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY TRUE PHOTOGRAPHY WEDDINGS
Romance à la Rustique FOR EFFORTLESS ÉLAN, SURROUND YOURSELF WITH NATURE.
There’s no denying that Malibu’s majestic Santa Monica Mountains are the epitome of SoCal cool. Situated on 130 acres, Calamigos Ranch (327 Latigo Canyon Road, Malibu, 818-889-6280; calamigos.com) offers four It girl–approved ceremony and event locations, all in the heart of wine country. “Each location is separated by several acres, creating privacy that you would only find in the country,” explains Cindy Liang, wedding and banquet sales manager, adding that couples choose Calamigos for its attention to detail—think Instagrammable elements like pristine landscaping, hidden waterfalls, outdoor chandeliers, and farm-to-table cuisine. The Redwood Room is the property’s most historic and is surrounded by 100-year old weeping willows. The Birchwood Room allows for plein air dining, while the Oaks Room’s sweeping deck is perfect for sunset ceremonies. Calamigos’ largest area, The Pavilion at North Point, features space for 500 guests under a white tent illuminated by twinkling amber
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lights. “There are plenty of great photo ops—our Ferris wheel and carousel, two lakes, vintage Airstream trailers, vineyards—to give our guests a one-of-a-kind Malibu ranch experience.” Brides wanting that unfussy “I woke up like this” look to match their effortlessly cool venue should opt for simple silhouettes. “The woman we design for is original and wants her wedding to reflect her sense of authenticity. A dress does this best when it doesn’t call attention to itself, but allows the attention to go to the bride,” says Shareen Mitchell, designer and founder of Shareen Vintage & Bridal (1721 N. Spring St., LA, 323-276-6226; shareen.com), which offers a private collection of wedding gowns, bespoke designs, and vintage dresses. Mitchell eschews trendy colors in favor of simple ivory or cream dresses that are easy, flowing, and unstructured. “I would also recommend more subtle embellishments and skirts that have a glamorous fullness without added volume,” she adds.— A.R. LAC
CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT:
Five-carat diamond Adonis Rose earrings, De Beers ($17,500). South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa, 714-641-5820; de beers.com. Gown, Nicole Miller West Hollywood ($19,000). 8633 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, 310-6521629; nicolemiller.com. Clutch, Bottega Veneta ($1,550). 8445 Melrose Pl., LA, 323-782-4970; bottega veneta.com. Candy L’Eau Eau de Toilette, Prada ($90 for 80ml). Beverly Center, LA, 310-228-1400; prada.com
A Perfect Marriage of Ambience and Taste. Create an artful balance of understated elegance and culinary perfection.
Winners of “Best Catering at An Event” and “Best Wedding and Events Venue” – BizBash National Style Awards 2014
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LA’s Premiere V.I.P. Event and Wedding DJ Since 2001 Creating custom tailored musical landscapes for clients including: Tina Fey & Amy Poehler • Heidi Klum • Kate Hudson The Rolling Stones • Vanity Fair • Cartier AMC • Gucci • Apple “Simply the Best.” - Mindy Weiss DJKellyCole.com
Special Bridal Promotion
Bridal Resource Guide VENUES • INSPIRATION • VENDORS
OSCAR’S DESIGN JEWELRY
INVITING OCCASION
HOTEL BEL-AIR
Beautiful Asscher cut center diamond, 2.0 carats set in a octo-halo with brilliant cut diamonds in platinum.
Known for trendsetting designs, this award winning event design and floral studio focuses on creating beautiful bespoke events. Founder, Larrissa Rehder, has fashion forward brides clamoring to work with her. Her ability to translate clients’ dreams into stunning celebrations with creativity and artistry is next level wow.
Sparkling Swan Lake, enchanting grottos, charming bridges and stone fountains lend to the fairy-tale ambiance that Hotel Bel-Air has been known for over half a century. Brides and grooms will appreciate a bespoke wedding program, flawlessly executed by designated five-star service professionals, that showcases the spectacular grounds and idyllic setting.
550 South Hill St., Suite 725 Los Angeles, CA 90013 213.622.1200 oscaring.com
17835 Sky Park Circle, Suite B, Irvine, CA 92614 949.407.5060, invitingoccasion.com
Contact Tifany Lai at 310.909.1640
THE BEVERLY HILLS HOTEL
STYLING STARTS HERE
DJ KELLY COLE
The Beverly Hills Hotel is the ultimate destination for traditional and same-sex couples to celebrate their nuptials. The hotel has hosted some of L.A.s most prestigious weddings for Hollywood legends, royalty and locals alike.
Styling Starts Here is an event planning company that was devised by lifestyle expert, Melissa Robles, best known for unexpected decor elements and creative details. Melissa has spent years developing events for Southern California’s most affluent residents in the luxury lifestyle sphere with some of the most iconic fashion, shelter and lifestyle brands.
LA’s premiere V.I.P. Event and Wedding DJ since 2001. Creating custom tailored musical landscapes for clients including: Tina Fey & Amy Poehler, Johnny Depp & Amber Heard, Heidi Klum, Kate Hudson, Madonna, The Rolling Stones, Vanity Fair, Cartier, AMC, Gucci, and Apple. “Simply the Best.” - Mindy Weiss
From its lush gardens to the magnificent ballrooms, The Beverly Hills Hotel will create lasting memories. Contact Tracy Koven at 310.887.2521
Visit stylingstartshere.com, e-mail mrobles@stylingstartshere.com, or call 714.403.3341
DJKellyCole.com
XII XI MCMLXXXIX
DECEMBER 11, 1989. 9,496 days have passed, yet it feels like only yesterday.
Your Anniversary in Roman Numerals
JOHN-CHRISTIAN.COM 888.646.6466
INVITED
Susan Downey and Robert Downey Jr.
Marg Helgenberger
Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves
Katee Sackhoff
Tony Hale, James Corden, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson
HOLLYWOOD STANDS UP TO CANCER
to Cancer, a benefit funding Stand Up to Cancer’s research to generate innovative new therapies for patients and save lives. Chaired by Jim Toth and
Reese Witherspoon and hosted by James Corden, the event honored Mastercard for its ongoing support of SU2C, including its new donation of $10 million to support the organization’s initiatives. Stacy Keibler
Jane Aronson and Amy Poehler
Halle Berry and Queen Latifah
Aaron Paul and Lauren Parsekian
Katie Couric
Jeff Bridges and Pink
UNITE4:HUMANITY GLOBAL MOVEMENT FOR
humanity Unite4:good teamed with Variety for the second annual Unite4:humanity event at The Beverly Hilton, recognizing some of Hollywood’s most talented for their philanthropic commitments. Among those Emily Blunt
130 LA-CONFIDENTIAL-MAGAZINE.COM
honored were Amy Poehler, who received the Unity Award for her work with Worldwide Orphans, and Halle Berry, who took home the Creative Conscience Award for her contributions to the Jenesee Center’s domestic violence intervention program. Leslie Morrison Faerstein
Beth Behrs
THIS PAGE: PHOTOGRAPHY BY AP/INVISION (HOLLYWOOD STANDS UP TO CANCER), GETTY IMAGES FOR VARIETY (UNITE4:HUMANITY). OPPOSITE PAGE: PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON KING
THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY FOUNDATION presented Hollywood Stands Up
Karen Natapoff, Shaye Remba, and Alison Whitaker Tressa Miller, Hunter Drohojowska-Philp, and Jean Milant Amir and Melissa Monsefi with Sevag and Jacki Ajemian
Linda Berman, Adam Gross, and Libby Kauper
Steven Neu and Jeffrey Soros
Amanda Donenfeld, Josh Schwartz, Ellen Grinstein, and Will Perliter
LAC ARTS CELEBRATION
David Hunt and Ken Ying
Ayn Grinstein, Lita Albuquerque, and Joan Agajanian Quinn
THE WHO’S-WHO OF LA’s art community descended upon Palihouse in West Hollywood to join Los Angeles Confidential and Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in honoring the city’s art printmakers and publishers. Selvarey Rum provided libations for the evening, which highlighted works from Gemini G.E.L., The Lapis Press, Mixografia, and Cirrus Gallery, while also paying tribute to the late Stanley Grinstein. Sidney Felsen and Alexander Yulish
Helen Chung, Lea Remba, and Adam Berman
INVITED Felicity Jones
Jennifer Aniston
Fabiola Beracasa and Freida Pinto
Roger Durling, Patricia Arquette, Ellar Coltrane, and Ethan Hawke
SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Andie MacDowell and Michael Keaton
JeanMichel Cousteau
Lucy Griffiths
Rosamund Pike
THIS PAGE: PHOTOGRAPHY BY GETTY IMAGES FOR THE SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL. OPPOSITE PAGE: PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALYSSA STEFEK (JASON OF BEVERLY HILLS), GREMLY MEDIA (HUBLOT)
NOW IN ITS 30th year, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, presented by UGG Australia and supported by Los Angeles Confidential, kicked off for a 12-day stint in downtown Santa Barbara. The festival offered more than 200 films, tributes, and symposiums—showcasing the best in independent and international cinema.
Kevin Costner and Christine Baumgartner
Céline Cousteau Jennifer Garner and Steve Carell
James Worthy
Alfonso Ribeiro and Angela Unkrich
Giles Marini
Jesse Metcalfe and Cara Santana
HUBLOT BENEFITS LAKERS YOUTH FOUNDATION HUBLOT, THE OFFICIAL timekeeper of the
Los Angeles Lakers, showed off its specialedition watches at a shopping event benefitting the Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation. The evening—which supported the foundation’s
mission to provide resources in education, health and wellness, and sports to underserved youth— included a viewing of limited-edition timepieces like Kobe Bryant’s King Power Black Mamba and the King Power Los Angeles Lakers. Bryan Greenberg
Jason and Lisa Arasheben
Foujan and Isaac Sakhai
Melody McCoy and Dr. Howie Mandel
Ali Wills and Trinidad Mann
Pascale Nouama
“SHARE THE LOVE” WITH JASON OF BEVERLY HILLS NOTABLE JEWELER JASON OF BEVERLY HILLS fêted the women of the
world and honored the work of global health nonprofit Jhpiego at a special “Share the Love” event. Boutique owners Jason and Lisa Arasheben were on site to host the cocktail party and auction, which brought forth Jhpiego’s board of advisors, Dr. Howie Mandel, Ellen Hoberman, and Stephanie Carson. Guests participated in an on-site auction to directly benefit Jhpiego.
Anne Turk, Ellen Hoberman, and Rikki Ladenheim
LA-CONFIDENTIAL-MAGAZINE.COM
133
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And finAlly... late Spring 2015
The Good earThlinG In an eco-manIacal world, Is good really good enough? especially in their own house. We all pretended to laugh, and they left on a weird note. If only this were an isolated incident. Sometime later, I was a houseguest of two women in a foreign country called Northern California. Now, I do understand that one must respect the customs of the natives, and I admit that this time I was in someone else’s house and subject to their rules, but still, after dinner I refused to walk into the woods and compost what remained of my quiche. Perhaps I was retaliating for the dishwasher incident; perhaps I was afraid of the woods. In any case, I put my foot down. But they put their feet down harder. I called them eco-fascists, then stomped the hell out of their cube/house/hut with a stereotypical feeling about Northern California that I am now ashamed of. But that is not my fault. At this juncture, I’d like to stress that I understood where these people were coming from. In fact, we come from the same place. I am a thorough recycler, I feel guilty pumping gas into my charming
old car, and I don’t always grant myself dishwasher clearance. I am a good person. What I am not, I have learned, is a Great Person. My friends: They are Great People. They compost, they Tesla, they water with gray water, they bike, they Dr. Bronner and farmers market and farm-totable. But if being a Great Person means doing absolutely everything you can for your admittedly great cause, including pointing out the perceived defects of good persons, then I don’t want to be Great. Because let’s face it: The world will never be great. All we can hope is that one day it’ll be good. LAC
illustration by daniel o’leary
The other night I had some people over for dinner, good people (I’m a good person), and like all good people, after dinner they did the good thing and helped me put the dishes in the sink. Then, as good people do, they offered to go the extra mile and help with the actual cleaning of the dishes, and I—a good person—insisted they just go home. It was late, I said, and anyway, I was just going to drop the dishes in the dishwasher and go to bed. For something I said, I got a look. It was a look that good people give to not-good people. I’ll spare you the few moments of silent confusion and cut straight to the objection. It was the dishwasher. In their estimation, based on the number of plates and other things that needed to be cleaned (too few) and the intensity of cleaning required (not much), I hadn’t earned dishwasher clearance. These dishes, I was told very kindly, should be washed by hand. I was less kind in telling them that at 11:30 at night, after wine and steak, no one with a dishwasher needs to get clearance,
by sam wasson
136 la-confidential-magazine.com
MIAMI BEACH / MAY 12-15, 2015 MIAMI BEACH CONVENTION CENTER
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