Man + Dog + Love of Textiles = Zak + Fox

MAN + DOG + LOVE OF TEXTILES = ZAK + FOX -- It was a very cold February morning in lower Manhattan that day at 7:00 AM -- but then, what February morning in New York wouldn't be? And there was only one diesel-powered heater to share between them, but that didn't deter anyone, for there was a mission at hand.  The historic Temple Court building was the location and it was empty and crumbling away in places, which meant that it was the ideal place. And Shinji the dog (that's him in the bottom photo) was wanting to play rather than be serious -- but such is the life of dogs. The available light pouring in from the windows was taken in consideration and carefully watched by the entire crew as morning turned into afternoon and then into evening.  With a cold, raw, industrial space as a backdrop, Zak Profera (that's him with Shinji) brought generous lengths of fabric with him and proceeded to transform the beautifully decaying Temple Court into a surrealistic textile tableau to make a stylistic point about his Zak + Fox collection of Belgian linens that are subtly and thoughtfully colored with water-based inks right here in the USA, utilizing patterns drawn from global inspirations as diverse as Moroccan to Japanese designs, which fits in perfectly with Profera's love of travel, adventure, and all things romantic and tasteful. There are 10 patterns to choose from and Profera offers custom pillows and finished goods to order, so there are 10 good reasons for you to incorporate these distinctively unique textiles into your world for light upholstery, pillows and drapery -- not to mention as a doggy bed like the one Shinji is sitting upon, fabricated from Volubilis (you remember those Roman ruins in Morocco, near Meknes, among which still can be found some fabulous intricate mosaics? Well, those served as inspiration for this fabric!). At Studio of Style, we love Karun, the kinetic-ray sun motif (shown at upper middle right) with its roots in Matahari trade cloth of India brought to Profera's attention by antique textile collector Karun Thakar.  So what parts of the globe will be rediscovered and what cultural treasures will Profera unearth next?  We'll all have to stay tuned to find out.....

http://zakandfox.com/
Images courtesy Zak + Fox

It's a Balancing Act with Artist Jonas Jungblut in Santa Barbara

balancing questions and answers from Jonas Jungblut on Vimeo.

IT'S A BALANCING ACT WITH ARTIST JONAS JUNGBLUT IN SANTA BARBARA -- We at Studio of Style were quite intrigued with many things and people at the recent Dwell on Design show held this past June in Los Angeles -- but one of the most intriguing things was seeing artist Jonas Jungblut standing steadfastly at perhaps the most smallest booth at the show, but one with perhaps the biggest impact -- and that stirred our curiosity to learn more...and why. Jungblut was standing alongside "T3-7", a 25" high sculpture in brilliant red and blue (show in bottom photo above) composed of three pieces of granite and marble held in check with a metal rod -- just one of many pieces from his Permanent Negative Stability series that explores the obvious question of balance, among other issues.  Originally hailing from Berlin, Jungblut made his way to the sunny climes of Santa Barbara, California where he creates art in a variety of mediums, such as photography, sculptures in painted stainless steel, paper and furniture, not to mention publishing the Peanut Butter Sandwich Program series of magazines which combine Jungblut's photographs and stories -- all of which can be viewed on his website.  Studio of Style wanted to take a look inside his mind and so we are presenting our first-ever Q & A with this fascinating young man.

Studio of Style: At what age do you recall becoming interested in art?

Jungblut: Around 14 or 15 -- I was interested in Helmut Newton, he was a big presence in Germany.  And also the Young British Artists in the '90s. I was inspired by Hubertus von der Goltz, a German sculptor and stepfather of a then girlfriend of mind.

Studio of Style:  What types of works do you remember creating at that time?

Jungblut: My parents brought home a 4' x 8' sheet of plywood one day and we did a communal painting on it as a family -- and it's still hanging in the house. When I was 16 I did some carving with soapstone and I have always done a lot of collage and work on paper influenced by the graffiti scene. In my teens, I would build skateboards for my downhill races in Austria and locally in Berlin and besides coming up with some rather creative than functional shapes I would always put some kind of design on them.

Studio of Style:  What types of works did you begin creating as an 'artist'?

Jungblut: In the late '90s I became more and more interested in photography and so I ended up leaving Berlin to go to photography school in Santa Barbara. And for a good five years, all I did was photography. I think that would be the medium I started in as a serious artist. I still use photography heavily and exhibit it regularly, most recently at the Texas National 2012, and at the Center for Fine Art Photography in Fort Collins, Colorado,  as well at Gallery 27 here in Santa Barbara.

Studio of Style:  Why Santa Barbara instead of the art mecca of Los Angeles?

Jungblut:  Having grown up in Berlin in the '80s and '90s, it was 'contrasty', chaotic, dynamic, rich and overwhelming. I love Berlin. But after spending some years in Santa Barbara at photography school, I appreciated it as a home base. I travel a lot and get a lot of input from those voyages. Santa Barbara has become a nice base where I can focus on work and not be distracted. I like to visit L.A. but I never considered living there because I had my share of city for twenty years like I said earlier and it's hard for me as a Berliner to move to another city and have the same love for it -- I guess I'm a little snobby like that. Santa Barbara doesn't rival Berlin -- it's a gem of its own kind.

Studio of Style:  When did you begin exploring negative, positive, balance and tension?

Jungblut: I started 'balancing' in 2005 and it really was a switch that changed my approach to art. Before that I had been mostly all photography. But 2005 marked my return to creating art that wasn't 2D.  And then I started working with 'tension' in 2011.

Studio of Style:  Why 'balance & tension' and why 'negative & positive'?

Jungblut: Hubertus von der Goltz works with balance and, like I said, he was an early influence. Then I started balancing stones in random places and it moved forward from that. I realized that balance was important in many aspects of life because there is a lot of tension, we get pushed and pulled in all kinds of directions. When I talk about 'negative stability' it has nothing to do with negativity in emotion. Negative stability is a mathematical term and a perfect description of my balance work. Negative stability is an occurrence that is mostly found in aviation. The idea is that a system is balanced (think a needle on its tip) but the smallest outside force will throw it out of balance and the motion created thus would increase until it rests in positive stability (think a cube sitting on its side which will return to its stable state if moved). This is a perfect description for my stones in balance. They are in negative stability until vibration, wind, a bird or any other force makes them lose balance and fall. In physics, negative stability can never be permanent. Permanent negative stability is not a scientific term --  it's a philosophical and conceptual description of what I do. Moving along in my career and life, tension became more prevalent as well, so I needed to channel that in my art. 

Studio of Style:  What do you want the world to understand about Jonas Jungblut?

Jungblut: Mostly I want there to be questions. I don't want to deliver answers. The artist's intent is to spur thought and to make those synapses fire up there between the ears. Critical thinking is important, it is progressive.  I want to make people have thoughts that might be foreign to them, like a training exercise. Control is an illusion and I can steer people into thoughts, but ultimately I have no control over what comes to them when they look at my work. And it doesn't matter, as long as something comes.

Studio of Style:  What explorations are you working on now?

Jungblut:  I'm working on balancing a crashed 1973 Porsche 911S Targa -- I cut the car in half along its width right behind the front seats and the two pieces will then be balanced on top of each other similarly to my work with stone. Currently I am looking for a venue to display it. It is mostly ready to go, just missing a place to put it.  And I'm also doing more temporary installation work now in which I balance objects in random places. 

http://jonasjungblut.com
Images courtesy the artist

Eternal Objects of Desire, Style and Elegance: Murano Glass

ETERNAL OBJECTS OF DESIRE, STYLE AND ELEGANCE: MURANO GLASS -- We at Studio of Style love everything romantic -- and we can't think of anything that exudes the romance of the islands of Venetian Lagoon better than the sheer beauty of Murano glass and the important place it has enjoyed in the history of Italian and European royalty, the rich, the powerful and the wealth of the Venetian empire that dominated the Mediterranean region for centuries.  The luscious red and gold colors so predominant in Venetian culture are equally expressed in the goblets shown here from Seguso Gianni, just one of the many amazing glass masters on the island of Murano that are found on YourMurano -- a website where vases, centerpieces, goblets, mirrors, sculpture, lighting, jewelry and gift items are all gathered under one roof so that all you "armchair travelers" out there can savor the best of Venice anytime of year -- wherever you live. There's so much to say about Venice, Murano and YourMurano, we hardly know where to begin -- but let's start with YourMurano.  Did you know that the company's headquarters are located inside a classic Benedictine monastery dating back to 1481 that has been meticulously restored, including its beautiful frescoes? And that the company brings together the authentic, one-of-a-kind glass products from Murano that are certified as the best of the best and created an e-commerce site to showcase them? And did you know that the glass furnaces on Murano have been continually burning since 1291?  That's more than 700 years of creating glass in the same place (the sparkling "aventurine" glass -- also known as "goldstone" was invented on Murano -- and the glass beads and mirrors from Murano became world famous from the very beginning of their export).  In looking closer at the creations from Seguso Gianni (shown above), you'll see the dolphin -- the maritime symbol of Venice --  rendered into lyrical stems for these goblets (and we love dolphins and the enchantment they bring throughout the Mediterranean!). Not only is Seguso Gianni represented at YourMurano, but also: DIPI; Ercole Moretti; Formia International; Fratelli Tosi; Futura T&B; Gambaro & Poggi; La Perla Veneziana; Pitau; Polychromy; Ragazzi & C; Simone Cenedese; Tiozzo Sergio; and Yalos Murano. If contemporary is your style, then you'll find it here in a wide range of colors and shapes (we love the Uranus "battuto" red glass vase from Gambora & Poggi with its fascinating application of glass canes and other decorative techniques; and the simple, but elegant Atollo centerpiece vase from Formia International that incorporates a spiral design for a unique optical effect!) -- and keep in mind that every piece is unique unto itself, as there are no two Murano glass pieces that are ever alike. And let's not forget the jewelry: we fell head over heels for the magnificent Contarini red and gold necklace from La Perla Veneziana -- you'll feel like the queen of the sea wearing this one, for sure (it's one of our favorites!).  If you can't hop aboard a boat and head to the island of Murano, you at least owe it to yourself to find a glass treasure from this very special place that you can have for your very own, agreed?

http://www.yourmurano.com/us_en
Goblet images courtesy YourMurano

Dwell on Design Report #3: The Time is Right for Timeline!

DWELL ON DESIGN REPORT #3: THE TIME IS RIGHT FOR TIMELINE!  We at Studio of Style almost couldn't believe our eyes when we came upon the Timeline booth at the Dwell on Design exhibition held this past June in downtown Los Angeles -- it was as if we'd finally found a dream come true for anyone who absolutely loves the look of reclaimed wood but without the usual encounters one has in trying to obtain large quantities and the right colors of actual reclaimed wood (more about that in a minute). We immediately had to know more! Was it real wood? Could it be used indoors or out? Was it going to fade, peel or chip?  Company principals Matt Stroud and Shelby Keyser have combined their furniture crafting experience (his) and fashion industry experience (hers) for a product that is now its own new category of lumber products -- who knew? Using their signature color application process obtained through years of extensive experimentation with actual paints that results in nuanced hues and textures (containing low-VOC and water-based materials) on sustainable new wood from Forest Stewardship Council-certified mills in the U.S., the end results meet LEEDS certification and offers a green peace of mind for creating new or rejuvenating existing interiors or exteriors.  What you avoid is having to use old wood that might be harboring lead paint, rot or pests -- but not so with Timeline's floor and wall products available in a choice of 11 custom hues (we love the New Orange shown in the top photo) and in multiple plank widths with three edge choices. Not only that, but Timeline's planks are of unlimited supply (unlike wood reclaimed from old buildings), doesn't split when cut or nailed, stands up to durable cleaning and is shipped nationwide in usually three to five weeks -- wow, you can't beat that! "We draw our inspiration for the colors and finishes from Bauhaus color theorists, such as Josef Albers and Johannes Itten," notes Keyser, "plus contemporary artists like Charles Ray and minimalists Donald Judd and Ellsworth Kelly."    Which means that artistic interiors and exteriors await those who want to go back to the future with new old wood and do it in style with these fabulous new products from Timeline -- yes, it's possible!

http://timelinewood.com/
Dwell on Design: http://dod.dwell.com/

Moshé Elimelech: Master of Illusion, Master of Possibilities

MOSHE ELIMELECH: MASTER OF ILLUSION, MASTER OF POSSIBILITIES:  In the world of Iraeli-born -- and now Los Angeles-based -- artist Moshé Elimelech, nothing is what it seems. For at any moment it can change and everything shifts: colors, shapes, perceptions. And the possibilities within those make you think just a little bit different too, stretching the envelope of what is possible in a work of art that starts out in Elimelech's mind and in his control of color and shapes, but ends up in the hands and in the imagination of the viewer to become whatever that viewer wants to perceive it as -- and there's not much artwork out there that has such a relationship.  Which is why we at Studio of Style were totally intrigued by this unique conceptual art -- but we certainly weren't surprised to learn that Elimelech has spent his life exploring a variety of mediums, including drawing, gouache, oil, watercolor and acrylic paints in his investigation of "formal" elements as his foundation in design, or that he is a recipient of the Windsor Newton award bestowed by  the Watercolor West Society, or that he once was assistant to internationally renowned artist Yaakov Agam -- such is Elimelech's immense energy, talent and that most precious of all artistic commodities: passion. His current body of work is broken out into the categories of arrangements, watercolors and installations. Having just come off of two exhibitions in January and February of this year ("Arrangements" at LA Artcore; and "Geometric Geographics" at L2Kontemporary) and now just having released a 60-page monograph Reflections and Arrangements (shown above, lower right), Elimelech is currently at work on a new watercolor series inspired by Runyon Canyon, one of L.A.'s best and beloved sites for running, walking and viewing nature -- as well as organizing exhibitions of his work in Europe.  Visitors to Elimelech's colorful, multi-layered website can actually experience his movable cube arrangement by creating arrangements of their own -- how cool is that? Perhaps there is something that we can learn from Elimelech's work and apply to our lives right now: be colorful, ever-changing and open to possibilities! We love it!

http://www.mosheart.com/
Images courtesy the artist

Pola Negri: The Most Famous Forgotten Silent Film Star?

POLA NEGRI: THE MOST FAMOUS FORGOTTEN SILENT FILM STAR?  Once upon a time, in the long-lost Kingdom of Poland -- in Vistula Land to be precise -- a baby named Apolonia Chalupec was born in 1897 to a mother of impoverished Polish royalty and to a father who would later be exiled to the dreaded Russian Siberia for his revolutionary activities against the Czar.  But who knew that this infant would be destined for greatness in another faraway land -- one filled with glamour, bright lights, excitement and love trysts with some of Hollywood's greatest actors?  Such is the stuff that fairy tales are made of -- and this fairy tale of ours actually came true!  And who knew that Apolonia would become the femme fatale Pola Negri (named after the Italian novelist and poetess Alda Negri)-- and the first Continental European actress to be exported to Hollywood (ahead of Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich) along with her director, the renowned Ernst Lubitsch??  Yes, kids, she was the first "exotic" star to come to the golden land of silent films -- and awaiting her was a new kind of stardom the likes the world had never known before.  Prior to this, Negri was already starring in hit Lubitsch films in Germany (the center of European film making) and from 1918 to 1922, she had appeared in 24 films of which six were with Lubitsch.  So powerful were these films that Hollywood actually felt threatened and sat up and took notice of this dynamic duo of actress and director -- and that was when contracts were signed to bring the both of them to California.  A staggering twenty-one films starring Negri where made at Paramount Studios from 1923 to 1928 (how many film stars today could match that record in just five short years, huh?). And it didn't take long for this alluring-looking lady to start making headlines and appearing in gossip columns -- among her lovers were Hollywood's top dog Charlie Chaplin and the leading lover of the day Rudolph Valentino (Negri is shown in the top photo above with another of her conquests Rod La Rocque!).  Did you know that Negri and Valentino were introduced by Marion Davies and her millionaire lover William Randolph Hearst at a costume party at the famed Hearst Castle -- and that she would remain Valentino's lover until his death in 1926?  Negri would say at the time -- and forever after -- that Valentino was the love of her life (he probably would be ours too!!).  Another bit of Hollywood trivia is that famed director Billy Wilder approached Negri in 1948 to play the part of Norma Desmond in the now-cult-classic film Hollywood Boulevard -- but she declined it for several reasons (for its undeveloped script and because the love interest -- originally Montgomery Clift -- wasn't her taste in lovers).  Her last role in 1964 was as Madame Habib in Walt Disney's The Moonspinners -- marking the official end of a career that began in poverty in a faraway Polish kingdom.  Though later overshadowed by Garbo and Dietrich in the days when silent films turned into sound features, we at Studio of Style want to salute Pola Negri for leading the way for others to seek their artistic destinies and fortunes in the celluloid kingdom of Hollywood!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pola_Negri

On Amazon: 

http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&keywords=Pola%20Negri&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3APola%20Negri&page=1

Tiki Madness Hits Tinseltown! The Art of Brad "Tiki Shark" Parker...and more!

TIKI MADNESS HITS TINSELTOWN! THE ART OF BRAD "TIKI SHARK" PARKER -- At Studio of Style, we're crazy for anything tiki...and you can't get any more crazy or tiki than the amazing, colorful and over-the-top Polynesian Pop Surrealistic art of Brad Parker -- that lovable character from Hawaii whose imagination has run amok to create a world that combines all things tiki with comic-book styling, all done with a timeless sense of humor.  On Friday evening, July 6, 2012, Parker invades the Mainland with his unique brand of artwork (many of which has already been pre-sold) and a grand opening at the famed La Luz de Jesus gallery in the heart of Hollywood.  As Parker puts it, "My art is my personal celebration of a foolish misinterpretation of an ancient mythology that sought to solve the mystery of 'the breath of life' that eternally and precariously surfs the complete expanse between the bottomless sea and the floating shadow land of preexistence in the inconceivable heights of the sky, not just to live, but to live 'aloha'."  We couldn't have said it any better, Mr. Parker!  At the gallery opening, you'll be able to say "aloha" not only to Parker, but also to native Hollywood artist Miles Thompson who shares the bill with Parker with his new body of gouache-on-illustration-board works "Warm Fuzzies, Cold Prickles" which is an "epitaph for the oceans and forests" rendered in very small but highly detailed imagery. And should you happen to miss the July 6 opening, you're very much welcomed to attend the closing reception on Sunday July 29 where you'll be treated to a live performance by the Martini Kings (that jazzy-retro-exotica-bossa nova-cocktail lounge music combo) who'll be performing selections from their newest vinyl LP release "Palm Springs Serenade" (with its cool cover art by the famed Shag!!) -- wow, you can't miss that!  That's why you gotta stick with Studio of Style to find out the really fun happening things in Hollywood, okay?  So hang loose, dig out your Hawaiian shirt and knock back some cool Mai-Tai drinks in the meanwhile!!

http://www.laluzdejesus.com
Tiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiki_(mythology)
http://www.martinikings.com/
Images courtesy La Luz de Jesus Gallery

The Queen of the Nile in L.A. -- Cleopatra at the California Science Center

THE QUEEN OF THE NILE IN L.A. -- CLEOPATRA AT THE CALIFORNIA SCIENCE CENTER:  It's hard for us to imagine -- in this celebrity-driven world of ours where wealth and beauty is flaunted 24/7 -- just how powerful, rich, feared and revered the kingdom of Egypt was in ancient times.  For millenia, this arid part of North Africa with the world's longest river flowing through it has provided not only riches in terms of food, gold and a whole host of luxury goods -- but it has provided just as much food for the fertile imagination as well, inspiring generations of explorers and romantics who have sought to peer into Egypt's veiled past in search of treasure and adventure.  Other than the great Ramesses II (the amazing pharaoh of the 19th dynasty) and in more recent times, the young King Tutankhamun with his golden goodies, the only female in Egyptian history -- or ancient times for that matter -- that has lived on in uber-legend is Cleopatra VII (yes, there were six others before her).  Worshipped in her day as the goddess Isis, she embodied almost every trait both good and bad found in a powerful ruler -- but so much about the real Cleopatra in terms of how she lived and what she looked like remained the actual mystery.  Luckily for us, the beautifully and dramatically presented Cleopatra: The Exhibition at the California Science Center in downtown Los Angeles (running till the end of this year) will delight and titillate your mind.  You'll be amazed (as we were) at the objects, statuary, underwater films, coins, jewelry and more that tries to sum up the glory that symbolized the reign of Egypt's last pharaoh (technically though, she shared the throne with her son Ptolemy XV, son of Julius Caesar).  After Cleopatra's death by suicide, Egypt became a province of the Roman Empire, ruled over by Octavian.  The exhibit at the California Science Center is so popular that they had to extend their weekend hours!  We also took in the IMAX-sized film that accompanies the exhibit: Mysteries of Egypt narrated by Omar Sharif.  This may be the only time you'll get to experience what it was like to be a pharaoh and see some of the items that Cleopatra herself saw, touched and experienced during her mind-boggling reign over the ancient world.  In other words, lots of fabulous historic style made for a queen!

http://www.californiasciencecenter.org/Exhibits/SpecialExhibits/Cleopatra/Exhibit/Exhibit.php
Photos by Greg Firlotte

The Queen of the Nile in L.A.: Trying to Unravel the Mysteries of Cleopatra

NOTE: This post is an updated reprise of the February 17 item we did to celebrate the arrival of Cleopatra in Los Angeles.

The real Cleopatra VII has been so used and abused by the cinema (we thought we'dnever have to say that) that there has actually been an alternative urban legend about her that has been hard to shake off in the mind of the general populace. Here was a woman who was so powerful and influential that she held the fates of many nations and cultures in her hands -- and was revered, worshipped, feared, distrusted, loved and rejected during her reign (the downside was that she married her brothers and then killed them--along with her sister and a whole host of family members--so you can see why Hollywood wanted to "glamorize" her instead of showing the sordid side of being a ruler in the not-so-good-old days!).  But all that aside, another Cleopatra is slated for the big screen -- this time with Angelina Jolie trying her hand at portraying the historical temptress under the direction of David Fincher (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) who promises to give us something closer to the real deal (we'll see, won't we, kids?).  At least with the current exhibition in Los Angeles at the California Science Center, what they promise is to show us some amazing artifacts weighing 30 tons in total (!) -- including two 16-foot granite statues from the 4th to 3rd centuries B.C. The exhibition is organized by National Geographic and Arts & Exhibitions International, a division of AEG Live, with cooperation from the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities (we just adore Dr. Zahi Hawass)  and the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology.  To add to our knowledge on the queen of the Nile, we're reading Cleopatra: A Life by award-winning author Stacy Schiff -- and all we can say is that this is probably the most in-depth account of what it was like to be living back in those sword-and-sandal times -- and while the book starts out somewhat a bit on the facts and figures side, the more you get into the book, the more Schiff unfolds exactly how powerful and influential Cleopatra was (and you can read about all the unfortunates who were disposed of along the way -- but, hey, it wasn't easy staying in power of the richest nation in the ancient world). So there it is, you have your choice -- films, books or exhibitions. But whatever is said about her, the fascination with Cleopatra will continue as it has throughout the centuries.

The exhibition: http://www.californiasciencecenter.org/Exhibits/SpecialExhibits/Cleopatra/Cleopatra.php

The book: http://www.amazon.com/Cleopatra-Life-Stacy-Schiff/dp/0316001929

Photo collage by Greg Firlotte

Dwell on Design Report #2: Getting Connected with Connect:Homes

DWELL ON DESIGN REPORT #2: GETTING CONNECTED WITH CONNECT:HOMES -- All we can say is that it was the biggest surprise we'd ever seen in 640 square feet!  If fact, we wanted to move into the new Connect:2 prototype home from Connect:Homes immediately -- and so did a lot of other attendees at the Dwell on Design show (sponsored by Dwell magazine) at the Los Angeles Convention Center this past weekend where "green" was everywhere -- but no one made us feel more completely at home as the folks from Connect:Homes.  There is so much to talk about with this prototype that made its debut at the Dwell show: first of all, it's one bedroom and one bath and it's ideal for a second home, a vacation cabin or as a backyard guesthouse or studio. Secondly, this new Connect:2 prototype has a base price of $105,000 -- and you can design both the exterior and interior main features yourself on the company's website.  Thirdly, there are so many green features in these homes (see link below) that you'll ask yourself why someone hasn't offered all of these in the same manner that Connect:Homes' founders Jared Levy and Gordon Stott have.  Fourthly (and we could go on and on) we love the style that this snug and savvy prototype offers: so clean, airy, light-filled and completely comfortable.  One of the most interesting things that appealed to us at Studio of Style is that these modular homes are designed to fit within standard-sized shipping containers, which means that they can shipped anywhere in the world at a fraction of the cost of many other modular homes -- and the company does not use repurposed or retrofitted shipping containers because those already contain lots of toxic materials from their previous usages and aren't suitable for shipping green houses -- or green anything. Thus, Levy and Stott (both of whom are architects with many years of experience in designing and building modern prefab homes) have thought out the green aspects of constructing and shipping their homes from every angle -- and these homes are not a kit of parts or panels -- they're fully realized homes that are assembled by a local contractor of your choice and voila! you've got the green home of your dreams.  So now all you need to do is pick your site (be it desert, seaside or countryside), then pick your home plan -- and lastly, pick out a good bottle of champagne to celebrate owning this very stylish home for a new, green millennium!

http://www.connect-homes.com/
green features: http://www.connect-homes.com/about/features
http://dod.dwell.com/
Images courtesy Connect:Homes

Dwell on Design Report #1: Lladró's Brave New World - "The Guest"

DWELL ON DESIGN REPORT #1: LLADRO'S BRAVE NEW WORLD - "THE GUEST" -- When we visited the fabulous Dwell on Design show (sponsored by Dwell magazine) this past weekend at the Los Angeles Convention Center, we were surprised at every turn!  The three-day design celebration brought together more than 350 exhibitors from around the globe, showcasing all aspects of the modern lifestyle through exhibits and live talks and demonstrations -- and it was a chance to see a whole host of new businesses, products, services, plus works by artists and craftspeople working in an array of styles, with many utilizing green technology.  So here is the first Studio of Style report (with more to follow over the coming weeks).  No sooner had we stepped onto the exhibition hall floor, we were greeted by these fabulous porcelain figures by world-renowned Lladró of Spain. Called "The Guest," these figures grabbed our imagination immediately and we were in love! The company has been making their unique style of porcelain items since its founding in 1953 by brothers Juan, José and Vicente Lladró in Valencia -- and at the Dwell on Design show they introduced L.A. to these lovable characters by local and international artists Tim Biskup of Los Angeles; Jaime Hayon of Barcelona; and the Japanese art collective known as Devilrobots.  The large figures (measuring 20.5" tall) are done in a limited edition of 250 (yes! so grab them now!) -- and the smaller figures measure 12" high.  The Biskup figure (shown above with the skull shirt) has to be our favorite -- and the lower right-photo shows it being handpainted (as are all Lladró pieces).  The lovely Cristina Egido who worked the company's booth at the Dwell on Design show gave us a complete tour of not only these pieces, but the other collections offered as well (The Parrot Party; The Estratos Collection; and The Naturofantastic Collection).  And the Lladró  booth was certainly a hit with fairgoers, sitting at the entrance to the exhibition hall, setting the artistic tone for the rest of the show.  These colorful guest figures from Valencia can be our guests in L.A. any time!  

http://dod.dwell.com/
http://www.lladro.com/porcelana/guest/
Images courtesy Lladró

Studio of Style Exclusive! Disco Inferno: Producer Allan Carr's Egyptian Disco Den

STUDIO OF STYLE EXCLUSIVE! DISCO INFERNO: PRODUCER ALLAN CARR'S EGYPTIAN DISCO DEN -- It was the evening of Wednesday, May 31, 1978 and just about "100 or so" friends of outrageously flamboyant film and stage director Allan Carr were all primping and preening to look their Hollywood best for the "grand opening" of Carr's own private disco in his oh-so-chic Beverly Hills manse (now owned by producer Brett Ratner, yes!) on that oh-so-tony Benedict Canyon Drive that snakes its way through the heart of Beverly Hills and up into the canyon onward to Mulholland Drive.  You see, Carr and his pal Jim Randall had just returned from a trip to Egypt (see postcard in posting below) because they were both so overwhelmed by the Egyptian-themed disco that designer-to-the-stars Phyllis Morris had created in Carr's basement -- a fun, little retreat that Carr had installed prior to the opening of his most successful movie Grease -- and now it was time to show it off to his glamorous pals.  The guest list that night included such notables  as playwright Neil Simon; actresses Polly Bergen and Marsha Mason; the be-speckled super agent Irving "Swifty" Lazar; supermodel Cheryl Tiegs; Marilyn Hilton (wife of hotel mogul Barron Hilton); Tina Sinatra (Ol' Blue Eyes' daughter!); and international film star Florinda Bolkan and Italian countess Marina Cicogna; and members of the Grease cast -- and many of them were decked out in caftans (Carr's favorite at-home attire -- and so "sheikh chic" for the theme of his discotheque!).  But the real star of the evening was the disco itself. Phyllis Morris was never outdone by her clientele, for sure, and Carr's disco outshone any disco setting that Hollywood had to offer.  Gleaming copper floors and copper palm trees sparkled in the light of the mirrored disco ball, while guests reclined on copper-colored fabric cushions and pillows only to admire themselves in the mirrored ceilings.  At one end, a copper and malachite-encrusted bar served unending drinks.  Life-sized Nubian servant statues stood watch over the beautiful bacchanalia.  The DJ Dan Blanton peered through a porthole window in the back -- making sure everyone was enjoying the hottest disco tunes blaring at full tilt.  The powder room interior replicated a striped tent with ostrich leather walls.  Special building permits were pulled to create this Nile wonderland and when all was said and done, Morris' copper-clad spectacle cost more than $100,000 -- mere chump change when you consider that Grease would rack up millions at the box office when it opened just two days after this disco party at the Carr residence!  Keep reading below for even more.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phyllis_morris
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_Carr
Photos and press clippings courtesy Phyllis Morris Originals

Studio of Style Exclusive! Disco Inferno: Producer Allan Carr's Egyptian Disco Den

STUDIO OF STYLE EXCLUSIVE! DISCO INFERNO: PRODUCER ALLAN CARR'S EGYPTIAN DISCO DEN -- We at Studio of Style had access to designer-to-the-stars Phyllis Morris' personal scrapbooks (thanks to daughter Jamie Adler!) and we uncovered this fabulous postcard written by Carr himself while in Egypt.  It reads: "Dear Phyllis and Nate (Morris' husband Nathan Goller), Well after you did my disco I had to come to see the real thing.  I am touring Egypt -- Cairo, Aswan + Luxor. Jim Randall took a look at these tombs and said he liked my basement better. Its really an incredible trip boating down the Nile. Best Allan Carr."  So there you have it kids!  You can count on us for the real Hollywood insider stuff, eh? And in the newspaper photo (shown above right) taken at the May 31st, 1978 discotheque opening at Carr's, you can see Carr with Marilyn Hilton -- wife of hotel mogul Barron Hilton and grandmother to Paris and Nicky!  The current owner of this Beverly Hills manse -- producer Brett Ratner -- also inherited the remnants and the many illustrious stories of this famed hedonistic disco (Ingrid Bergman and Kim Novak also lived in this house -- but pre-disco of course!).  No other home in Hollywood has since had the flash, the cash and the style that was embodied in Carr's den of dance -- but then, there has never been an outrageously flamboyant producer such as Carr or outrageously lavish and over the top designer as the late Phyllis Morris since!  PS: did you know that Time magazine gave Ms. Phyllis Morris the moniker "la dame du flash"??  (Sounds about right to us!)  So, boogie on and shake your booty!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phyllis_morris

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_Carr

Photos and press clippings courtesy Phyllis Morris Originals

And God Created Monica: From Rome with Love with Monica Vitti

AND GOD CREATED MONICA: FROM ROME WITH LOVE WITH MONICA VITTI -- Yes, we know that we borrowed the title of this piece from a famed French film -- but guess what kids....you'll change your mind (and forgive us) when you consider that amazing best-kept secret of Italian cinema: Monica Vitti.  When asked to name a beautiful, sensual Italian actress, of course most people will instantly say "Sophia."  But those in the know will say Monica Vitti.  We just adore Ms. Loren!  But in a way, her beauty is so legendary that it is almost like being the most perfect statue on a marble pedestal -- and rightfully so.  But, kids, there has always been a creature so beautiful and so vulnerable in Vitti that she has been the object of desire for men and women alike for many decades in Europe.  Over the course of 55 films (yes!) Vitti has enchanted audiences with her down-to-earth womanness (is that even a word?!) and her ability to appeal with just plain, raw emotion like no other Italian actress of her generation.  It is no wonder that by the end of her film career (which spanned from 1954 to 1989 -- and with a television miniseries in 1991) that she garnered seven (yes, seven!) Golden Globes for Best Actress; the Venice Film Festival Career Golden Lion Award; and five David di Donatello awards for Best Actress (not to mention so many other awards and nominations!). Of course, we at Studio of Style gladly give her an award for being absolutely fabulous (but you knew we'd do that, didn't you?).  What brought Vitti to international attention was the amazing award-winning 1960 film L'Avventura by renowned superstar director Michelangelo Antonioni (the landmark Blowup and Zabriski Point, for example) -- in which Vitti portrays a women who disappears during a Mediterranean boating trip and by the time the film ends, Vittia emerges a true star that would herald the beginning of a remarkable collaboration with Antonioni that would transform Italian cinema, including the films La Notte (Night -- 1961), L'Eclisse (Eclipse -- 1962) and Red Desert (1964) to name but a few. Out of her stunning body work came only two English-language films -- the campy 1966 Mod spoof of James Bond spy flicks Modesty Blaise with Dirk Bogarde and Terrance Stamp; and 1979's An Almost Perfect Affair with co-star Keith Carradine. Her 1974 film with Spanish-born Mexican director Luis Buñel -- La Fantôme de la liberte -- is considered to be her best in her later career.  Today, the 81-year-young Vitti lives in Italy with writer/director Roberto Russo.  For her role in the history of modern, experimental and surreal Italian cinema, a postage stamp honoring Vitti was eventually issued commemorating her L'Avventura role.  We salute the eternally sensuous Monica Vitti with a rousing brava!!!

On IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0900143/

On Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dmovies-tv&field-keywords=monica+vitti

Ahhhhh....Beverly Hills, Champagne and Spago!

AHHHHH....BEVERLY HILLS, CHAMPAGNE AND SPAGO!  Here's probably the best tip we at Studio of Style can give: you never need a special reason to go to Spago in Beverly Hills -- just go, for heavens sake! The restaurant is a landmark and must-go-to pilgrimage for foodies, with the food being award-winning in every way. Regulars have their favorite seat waiting for them.... and major domo Laurent Stenou makes you feel like an old friend....co-founder and designer of the restaurant Barbara Lazaroff oversees the room with her meticulous eye and passion for hospitality....Wolfgang Puck comes out of the kitchen to meet guests....super pastry chef Sherry Yard whips up some amazing treats....and you never know what superstar from film, sports, entertainment or the arts will be setting next to you!  We at Studio of Style can vouch for many a dinner with celebs on every side of us -- overhearing some X-rated comedy from the late, great Milton Berle, or listening to Fran Drescher's trademark laughter in the next booth, or watching top attorney Gloria Allred (yes, dressed in red!) hold court in the famed booth #51 directly opposite our table (what a conversation that was!) -- and those are just some of the hundreds of stories that Lazaroff can share with you about the eatery's fabled clientele over the years that she's been at the helm of not only the Beverly Hills location, but all the other restaurants in the Wolfgang Puck Worldwide empire of which she is an equal shareholder and co-owner of its affiliate companies.  Amazing!  So today -- just before the Friday lunch crowd made its way to the Beverly Hills spot at 176 North Canon Drive, we at Studio of Style slipped in and proceeded to have a fabulous glass of champagne -- of which you can choose from six varieties -- all of which are guaranteed to quench your thirst on a sunny California day.  Keep in mind that the restaurant will be closed for eight weeks for renovation starting in early July -- so get on over to Canon Drive before then and make your way to the bar for a glass (or two, or three!) of cold champagne...and savor this true culinary spot like the regulars do, okay? 

http://www.wolfgangpuck.com/restaurants/fine-dining/3635
http://barbaralazaroff.com/design-of-spago-Bevery-Hills.php
Photo by Greg Firlotte

Sweets in the City: BabyCakes Bakery is for You!

SWEETS IN THE CITY: BABYCAKES BAKERY IS FOR YOU!  At Studio of Style, we love our sweets -- and who doesn't?? In a city such as L.A. filled with beefcake, eye candy and temptations of every kind at every turn, it's a joy to know that you can satisfy that urban sweet tooth of yours in a smarter way, i.e. you can have your cupcake and eat it too without a lick of guilt (and licking your fingers afterwards is perfectly acceptable!).  We're not talking about your average cupcake, either. We're talking about cupcakes and baked goodies of all types that are refined sugar-free, gluten-free, wheat-free, soy-free, casein-free, egg-free -- and vegan and kosher on top of everything else!!  Wow, you gotta love that!  And so do thousands of people (celebrities and just plain folk alike) in L.A. and New York City who find themselves smitten with BabyCakes -- a bakery originally founded in NYC by Erin McKenna whose desire it was to offer all-natural, organic and alternatively-sweetened (agave nectar mostly) baked goods for people with "persnickety diets who don't want to feel left out" -- as McKenna puts it. So, this morning, Studio of Style paid a visit to the very quaint, cozy and aromatic BabyCakes shop in the Larchmont Village neighborhood in L.A. where staff member Catherine Furio greeted us with a very big smile. In fact, Furio pointed out that she loves the "BabyCakes community" because just about everyone who comes in the shop has a smile on their face -- and now we know why!  As you can see by the photos here (vanilla cupcakes with lemon icing shown at top -- and a bulletin board just crammed with "love notes" from customers shown at bottom right) there is a big fan base for these specialty sweets minus the refined sugar, flour and butter cream.  And here is one of best things from this morning's visit: Ms. Furio actually frosted all the cupcakes shown here -- so we thought of her with every delicious guilt-free bite! If you can't make it to L.A. or New York, there are two BabyCakes cookbooks that can transform your diet at home and -- since we've tasted the goods for you -- we know that you can amaze your friends with these gluten, wheat, soy, casein and egg-free items that you can bake yourself.  When Studio of Style visited the L.A. shop this morning, we got to see a wide range of customers come and go with bags and boxes filled with cupcakes, donuts, brownies and more. They know...and now you do too!  So baby, get those BabyCakes!!

http://www.babycakesnyc.com
All photos by Greg Firlotte

David Bowie's Glam Rock Anthem "All The Young Dudes" Turns 40!

DAVID BOWIE'S GLAM ROCK ANTHEM "ALL THE YOUNG DUDES" TURNS 40!  Okay kids, it's time to get out the glitter bombs!  But not in protest or defiance -- oh no, we'd never do that! We're talking about celebrating those days of glitter and glam from the 1970s when all things "camp" and -- especially -- all things androgynous (!) filled the streets, clubs and bedrooms of rock n' roll youth in England where David Bowie ruled the eyeliner set with a look that had parents asking, "is it a boy or a girl?" But it didn't matter...and that was the best part! (The film Velvet Goldmine with the oh-so-exposed Ewan McGregor (!) captures the era as best as any film, for sure!) As rock music staggered from the 1960s into the '70s, kids in the UK had angst in their pants (to borrow a line from the band Sparks!) and along came the elfin songster Mark Bolan and his two-man band T-Rex who hit the British TV show Top of the Pops in 1971 all dolled up in satin and glitter on his doe-like eyes and face -- bolstering the then-rising singer-songwriter David Bowie to take this new look to an even bigger and more glamorous place than anyone could imagine! (Glam would have a lasting influence far past its heyday with such musical acts as Kiss and Motley Crue piling on the makeup and teasing up the hair!)  It was in 1972 that Bowie was anxious to help floundering British rock act Mott the Hoople by offering them one of his songs "Suffragette City" (a landmark rock song if there ever was one!) but, alas, the band turned it down.  So the ripe-with-song Bowie supposedly plunked himself down on the floor in a room on Regent Street in London and proceeded to write what would eventually become the biggest song of the glam rock era, "All the Young Dudes" -- but the song wasn't meant to be an "anthem" for the era at all -- just the opposite!! There was actually a darker message in the song (but no one cared about that because the melody was so infectious!). Bowie was depicting an apocalyptic time -- and the "news" that the "dudes" were carrying was that Earth had only five years left -- the same message Bowie wrote about in his song "Five Years" on his "Ziggy Stardust" album.  In July 1972, "All the Young Dudes" (which Mott the Hoople recorded instead of "Suffragette City") was released in the UK, reaching number 3 on the charts there -- and later number 37 on the US charts in November of that year.  The song became so popular over time that it has been featured in many films: Clueless (1995); Juno (2007); The Wackness (2008); Cemetery Junction (2010); and it has been used for at least two British TV commercials. Even better is the fact that Rolling Stone magazine placed it at #253 as one of the 500 greatest songs of all time; and it's one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 songs that shaped rock and roll!  Not bad for a song of "doom and gloom" that actually cheers people up when they hear it! So, dig out the eyeliner (we're talking to you guys out there!) and step into those platform boots, kids, 'cos we're gonna carry the news about those dudes who have stayed forever young at heart -- thanks to David Bowie and Mott the Hoople!

http://www.davidbowie.com/

http://www.mottthehoople.com/

Youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKvNtAVZyOc
Bowie, Queen, Ian Hunter - live! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhGOx1lidGc

The Perfect Bottle, The Perfect Perfume? Chanel No. 5 Still Reigns.

THE PERFECT BOTTLE, THE PERFECT PERFUME? CHANEL NO. 5 STILL REIGNS.  How can it be that a bottle and the perfume within it can mesmerize one generation after another -- and never lose its enchantment?  We realize that this is probably a rhetorical question because, after all, the bottle and perfume in question is the quintessential of all bottles and perfume: Chanel No. 5.  What magic is at work here?  How is it that no scent has ever captivated one's senses decade after decade such as this one has done?  Both men and women fall under its spell -- from its ylang ylang, bergamot, neroli top notes to its middle notes of jasmine, rose, lily of the valley and iris, to the heady sandalwood and vanilla, amber and patchouli base notes -- and there is almost nothing one can do once under that spell but to be in love, think in love, act in love.  It was the summer of 1920, and master perfumer Ernest Beaux with A. Rallet & Company located near Cannes in the South of France was busily working on a new fragrance "Bouquet de Catherine" -- which morphed into "Rallet Le No. 1." Somewhere in this fragrant mix were a number of formulas -- one of which would actually be selected by Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel (it was labeled #5 from a series of bottles numbered 1 through 5, and another group of bottles numbered 20 to 24 for Madame Chanel to select from).  As far as the bottle is concerned, the one first produced in 1919 is not the one which we know today -- it was originally much smaller, more rounded in profile, and the glass much thinner.  Numerous modifications -- especially to the stopper -- occurred in 1924, in the 1950s, and later in the 1970s and then in 1986.  As Madame Chanel herself would later say, "Yes, that is what I was waiting for -- a perfume like nothing else." Style Tip: Why not create your own crystal palace at home by gathering lots and lots of glass bottles and accoutrements for tableaux, shelf arrangements and window displays to capture the exquisite transparent nature of glass? Mix different heights and shapes in a single row for a dining tablescape.  Final Note: Look again at your collection of perfume and cologne bottles and really appreciate them!  Hold them often, feeling their shape in your hand.  Enjoy them as the objets d'art that they are! PS: Studio of Style keeps a bottle of Chanel No. 5 parfum nearby at all times -- after all, you never know when it will be needed to work its magic!!

http://www.chanel.com/en_US/fragrance-beauty/Fragrance-N%C2%B05-88109

Cover Story: Annie Kelly & Tim Street-Porter!

COVER STORY: ANNIE KELLY & TIM STREET-PORTER! -- L.A. certainly has its share of "power couples" -- and author/decorator/magazine editor Annie Kelly and her husband, the masterful photographer Tim Street-Porter is certainly among the most inspiring, loving and most gracious that Studio of Style continues to have the pleasure of knowing over the years.  Together in that rare chemistry found among "artistic" couples, Annie and Tim bring together words and images in the perfect combination  (she writes, he shoots) for their collaborative series of books -- six for Rizzoli (love it!!) and one for Stewart, Tabori and Chang -- that have created a style vocabulary all their own and which have been referred to over and over by both the design community and just plain lovers of elegant design (that would include all of us!).  Tonight (May 22), we caught up with Annie and Tim -- shown in the above photo -- at the Hollywood at Home showroom on La Cienega Boulevard in Los Angeles -- just minutes before Annie's book-signing for the new "Rooms to Inspire by the Sea" got underway! (We love the wonderful textiles and furnishings created by the showroom founder Peter Dunham.  Be sure to stop by the shop and pick up a copy of the book, okay?)  Annie's design projects and the feature stories she's authored have appeared in the who's who of magazines around the globe -- and Tim's own series of books on the architectural and design landscape of Los Angeles have long been admired by the architectural community worldwide. The couple's circle of friends reads like an A-list in the worlds of literature, art, photography, acting and style -- but it's all of those A-listers who regard Annie and Tim as being the celebrated ones! Generous and giving in all that they do, we at Studio of Style applaud this dynamic duo.  PS -- the best part about the book-signing tonight at Hollywood at Home is that we arrived early enough to see just Tim and Annie alone on the sidewalk -- Tim with camera in hand, snapping away at Annie alongside her announcement signage in front of the showroom -- a true L.A. moment that we got to savor!!

http://www.amazon.com/Annie-Kelly/e/B001K8EK2K
 http://www.timstreetporter.com
http://hollywoodathome.com/
Photo of Annie Kelly and Tim Street-Porter by Greg Firlotte

New. Art. Now. Made in L.A. is Almost Here!

Who's hot? Emerging? Unknown? The L.A. art scene has the eyes of the art world upon it -- and Studio of Style will give you all the insider info that you've come to expect in an upcoming report. But in the meanwhile, watch the video about this must-see event sponsored by the Hammer Museum in collaboration with LAXART.

http://hammer.ucla.edu/exhibitions/detail/exhibition_id/216
All images courtesy Hammer Museum

Always Dressed for Success: Diane von Furstenberg

ALWAYS DRESSED FOR SUCCESS: DIANE VON FURSTENBERG -- Was there ever a time when Diane von Furstenberg wasn't the most fabulous woman around? Just look at that photo (top) of her poolside in Geneva, Switzerland at age 18 -- and you know that, yes indeed, she was fabulous even at 18 in 1964, the year she met her prince -- Egon of Fürstenberg (the eldest son of German Prince Tassilo zu Fürstenberg) who she would marry in 1969.  From falling in love with a prince to falling in love with prints and the woman's signature piece of fashion -- the dress -- it has been a long and stylish journey for the Belgian-born Diane Simone Michelle Halfin -- who is now known around the world as DVF for the amazing fashion empire that she started with $30,000 and a vision filled with determination. You remember the '70s, don't you?  It was such a wild and crazy time -- especially in New York where von Furstenberg arrived in 1970 with a suitcase filled with 12 jersey dresses that she had made in Italy at the textile factory of her friend Angelo Ferretti -- and even the New York Times ran a profile on her that year, an auspicious start to her fashion career (with encouragement coming from such fashion heavy-hitters as Bill Blass, Kenneth Jay Lane and Diana Vreeland!).  At first, she worked out of her dining room/office in the Gotham Hotel and presented her first show there.  Come 1972, von Furstenberg started her own manufacturing company with help from friend and entrepreneur Richard Conrad -- and with a loan from her father, opened a showroom on Seventh Avenue.  Not long after introducing the iconic wrap dress in 1974, her sales went soaring past $1 million -- and the fashion world has never been the same. "Attitude is everything," von Furstenberg once said -- and is she ever right on that one! How can you not assume an attitude of style, grace and ease and ultra-femininity while wearing one of those sensuous wrap dresses? From 12 jersey dresses in a suitcase in 1970 to becoming one of the most admired women in fashion and for her many philanthropic causes, Diane von Furstenberg is certainly at the top of Studio of Style's Style list. “Building a wardrobe is like building a circle of friends your whole life…Your own beauty is to be yourself, but of course we need tools and accessories," said von Furstenberg at the debut of her collection on the QVC network in 1992 -- at which time she sold $1.2 million in wrap dresses and shirts in two hours -- you gotta love that!!  And how true her words continue to ring, in that von Furstenberg's beauty emanates from being herself over the decades which have seen trends and fads come and go.  In recent years, she has created a home collection, luggage, fragrances and designed suites for Claridge's hotel in London -- not to mention expanding her fashion showrooms around the globe.  She would have been amazing at whatever path she chose -- but luckily for us, Diane von Furstenberg has chosen to bring color, ease, elegance and attitude to all of us who can't get enough of DVF's fabulous POV.

http://www.dvf.com/

Turning Stars....into Stars! The Genius that was Kevyn Aucoin

TURNING STARS....INTO STARS! THE GENIUS THAT WAS KEVYN AUCOIN -- You gotta love that crazy world inhabited by the celebrity!  'Cos just when they think they're a big star, there's always a star even bigger looming over them -- doncha just love it?  So we're gonna play a guessing game -- which we at Studio at Style just love to play (especially when it comes to blind items, gossip and who's "seeing" who in Hollywood!).  Can you figure out who's impersonating a bigger star than themselves in the photos above?  Let's start with Marilyn Monroe (shown at top). Who's portraying her in this fabulously-styled pic? Well...she's the daughter of a King...and she married another King (not many people can say they've done that!).  And what about that rebel with a cause James Dean (shown above left)? Let's see...the person portraying Dean here was once engaged to a major Hollywood hunk (and we mean major!) and later married the lead singer of one of the hottest international bands today!  And we all know that Elizabeth Taylor (above center, as seen in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof") had a lifelong penchant for the most amazing clothing and jewelry.  And in a strange, very strange way, so did the lady shown here portraying Ms. Liz -- but our mystery poser had her felony charges reduced to misdemeanors -- and she stayed on probation until December 2005!  We have always loved the opera diva Maria Callas (above, right) -- and the lady portraying her in this photo also doesn't usually share the spotlight with anyone -- such is her power as a first lady of song!  And then there's the eternally beautiful actress Julie Christie (lower left) who radiated throughout the entire film Doctor Zhivago.  Our mystery poser radiated as well in a famous red dress in one of the most popular films of the 1990s which made her a household name!  And where would we be without the fragile beauty of Audrey Hepburn (bottom, center) -- and an equally fragile actress shown here strikes a classic Hepburn pose! So who are these mystery imposters??? Before we reveal their identities, we have Kevyn Aucoin to thank for creating these marvelous portrayals -- as seen in his book "Face Forward" from 2000 (one of four books he wrote on the art of makeup).  Perhaps the most famous of all makeup artists of our time, Aucoin's work was true genius.  During the 1980s his work blossomed from boy-from-Louisiana to the most sought-after makeup artist in fashiondom -- doing work for Vogue (who discovered him) to Harper's Bazaar, Allure, Vanity Fair, Marie Claire, Mademoiselle, InStyle and so many more -- and not to mention creating beautiful faces for the top A-list celebrities in show business (he did Cindy Crawford for her first Vogue cover -- and he did Gwyneth Paltrow's makeup the night she won an Academy Award -- and he was one of Oprah Winfrey's favorite makeup artists!).  "Life is too short to spend hoping that the perfectly arched eyebrow or hottest lip shade will mask an ugly heart," Aucoin so brilliantly noted.  He knew only too well that beauty came from within; that his artistry only enhanced and brought out what was already there, but we all knew that his work was truly transformative -- which is what "Face Forward" and his other books were all about! So, now let's name names and reveal the identities of the celebrities shown above, okay?  Did you guess Lisa Marie Presley as Marilyn Monroe??  Wow--we love that one, for sure!  Or Gwyneth Paltrow as James Dean?  Ha!  Got ya there!! Or Winona Ryder as Elizabeth Taylor? Or Celine Dion as Maria Callas?  Or Julia Roberts as Julie Christie?  Or Calista Flockhart as Audrey Hepburn?  Pretty cool, huh?  Before Aucoin passed away all-too-young in 2002, he had changed the world of makeup, taking it to new and beautiful artistic levels.  His signature collection of products -- Kevyn Aucoin Beauty -- continues the legacy begun in childhood: a boy in love with making people look and feel beautiful, who took this love to the world and made it a more glamorous place for all us devotees of style!  We'll leave you with this quote from Aucoin, "To forgive yourself your differences and cherish them instead is incredibly liberating." Fabulous!!

http://www.kevynaucoin.com/
http://www.amazon.com/Face-Forward-Kevyn-Aucoin/dp/0316286443
Images courtesy Kevin Aucoin Beauty

Donna Summer: Forever the Queen of Disco...and our Hearts!

This is a post that we did back in February -- so we thought we'd bring it back in memory of that wonderful First Lady of Disco: Donna Summer

DISCO DAZE PART II: QUEENS, CAMP & COVER SONGS -- By popular demand, kids, we've dug deep into our dusty vaults and uncovered a mixed bag of disco delights (and then again, maybe not!) for your aural pleasure (you like that, don't you??). As with any musical genre, hits and misses abounded in the disco world -- so let's begin with an item that qualifies as probably the single biggest misstep heard on any dance floor, anywhere (but we're gonna be easy on the gal, okay?).  The queen of Broadway song-belters -- Ethel Merman -- will always be immortalized by such trademark songs as "Everything's Coming Up Roses" and "There's No Business Like Show Business" -- but, unfortunately, no one had any business producing (much less releasing) Merman's disco album.  Her heart was certainly in the right place -- seeing as how everyone was jumping on the disco bandwagon back then and Merman was so adored by the gay club-goers that it seemed as if the concept would be a slam dunk.  However, the tacky (and we've never used that word here!) arrangements simply sunk every tune to the depths of the Hudson River.  In fact, the songs actually cleared the dance floors almost every time they were played (and that's a feat in and of itself in any gay club!) -- but Gold bless her, Ms. Merman sang her heart out and we'll let you be the judge when you hear that Broadway chestnut "Everything's Coming Up Roses" a-thumpin' and a-bumpin', okay? Speaking of musical chestnuts -- Abbe Lane (that glamorous 1950s singer/actress who was voted "too sexy" to appear on TV and was "forced" to cover up parts of her voluptuous body!) took a crack at that timeless tearjerker "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and transformed it into a dance floor hit in 1980 on her "Rainbows" album that had other disco hits as well as remakes of some of her familiar tunes.  Cher -- oh dear -- where do we begin?  Naturally she, too, climbed upon the mirrored ball and came up with the hit "Take Me Home" -- but what would Cher be without those costumes that defy description (we'll try, okay?).  The peekaboo Flash Gordon-meets-Viking Valhalla outfit is probably what really sold this LP, because it really didn't fare too well for the all-disco-driven Casablanca record label and it appeared Cher was "gently persuaded" to go disco (a phase which didn't last long for the highly independent Cher) as she was ready just to rock out instead!  The LP cover is constantly on the "worst" list of many a record cover aficionado.  We can't recall any folk song that made it to the disco dance floor -- but Gordon Lightfoot's classic tune "If You Could Read My Mind" sounded so natural with a disco beat that even grandma loved it!  And the version served up by Viola Wills (who passed away in 2009) is so classy -- just like the lady herself!  Many of the disco kids were too young to remember Gordon singing it, so Wills' version was taken by many as a product of the disco era without any problem!  And now, kids, the moment you've been waiting for! The winner is.......Donna Summer the all-time queen of disco (and our hearts!) with her over-the-top, going-for-the-gold 1978 version of "MacArthur Park"!! First released in 1968 by actor/singer Richard Harris (best known for playing King Arthur in the 1967 film "Camelot"), this former hit on the pop charts became a dance floor mega-hit -- sung ever so brilliantly by Summer at what some would say was the perfect peak of her amazing voice (and it still is!). It went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 -- and rightfully so!  Perhaps no other disco song has ever been so lushly produced, reaching one musical climax after another and sending club-goers into a kind of heavenly ecstasy during its 18-minute musical medley which included two other songs in the center of it all.  So there you have it, kids!  In our next installment, it will be the guys turn-- and, oh boy, we'll have some fun with that one, okay?  Until then, keep dancing!

Ethel Merman, "Everything's Coming Up Roses" -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYQiLQgJ18U

Abbe Lane, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UC7SsObRv-g

Cher, "Take Me Home" -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJ7Y4rfFcYw

Viola Wills, "If You Could Read My Mind" -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzpqwvz5HJY

Donna Summer, "MacArthur Park":
Studio -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3rEzI0PtPA
Live 1978 -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1kPkCOXE2c