Art of Elysium gala brings heaven to Earth at Union Station

Not all the red-carpet action this weekend was Golden Globes-related. The Art of Elysium's fifth annual Heaven gala brought a who's who of the L.A. fashion world to Union Station on Saturday night to celebrate the organization of actors, artists and designers who donate their time to host art programs for children battling serious illnesses.

The nonprofit organization uses  the annual event to bestow a pair of awards, and this year's honorees were actor Elijah Wood (receiving the Spirit of Elysium award whose past recipients include Eva Mendes, Kirsten Dunst and James Franco) and Cameron Silver, founder and co-owner of the Decades vintage boutique, who received the Visionary award.

An added perk for visionary is the chance to create their own version of heaven on Earth (last year's recipient was musician Mark Mothersbaugh, who brought a futuristic heaven to the California Science Center; the year before that artist Shepard Fairey created his version in the parking lot of the former Robinsons-May department store in Beverly Hills).

Silver's vision of heaven started with cocktail hour on one side of the Art Moderne building. Beau Joie champagne was served in old-fashioned coupes as the Johnny Crawford Orchestra entertained the crowd with American standards. Guests crossed through the main hall of the train station to get to the dinner, dodging rail travelers and gazing at the soaring Mission Revival ceilings above them.

There was also a little slice of heaven on a plate for gastronomes in attendance; dinner was frisee lardons, followed by short rib Bourguignon, and finished with caramel pot de creme, all from Wolfgang Puck Catering. And if that failed to do the trick, a fleet of Fatburger trucks lined the sidewalk in front of Union Station.

The evening continued with a runway show of fashions from the 1920s to today (captured by a film crew for an upcoming reality show centering on the vintage clothing impresario) and a performance by Estelle.

"My goal was to fuse old and new Hollywood, and have the event feel like the West Coast version of New York's Costume Institute gala," said Silver, who has been volunteering with the Art of Elysium for five  years, hosting programs at his boutique for children to learn about the history of fashion. "For children who have life-threatening medical conditions, art is both healing and a means of escapism," he said. "It's part of the process of getting better."

Silver was happy to see the fashion community come out in force to support the event (folks from Chanel and Richemont bought tables), along with the entertainment and art worlds. 

Among the notables in attendance were Molly Sims and husband Scott Stuber, artist Christopher Cuseo, actress Minka Kelly in chartreuse Oscar de la Renta, and Amber Heard (channeling her best inner Marilyn Monroe in a gold, metallic body-hugging Donna Karan dress) -- and that was just at our table alone. 

We chatted with Los Angeles designer Juan Carlos Obando, who told us he's "planning something big" during the upcoming New York Fashion Week. "Sometimes you do a show for business, and sometimes you just do it for fun," he told us. "This one is going to be for fun." His collection is inspired by the Salton Sea, he said, in particular the feeling of "tension" he felt visiting the area. Can't wait to see that!

Jewelry designer Tarina Tarantino was also there, wearing  arms full of crystal bangles from her collection. Her husband, Alfonso Campos, was making his own fashion statement in a tuxedo shirt with an eyelet bib that he scored for $3 at a thrift store in Palm Springs. Fashion designer David Meister was so taken with the shirt, he threatened to "rip it off" so he could wear it himself. Silver's business partner Christos Garkinos also looked stylish in a John Richmond tuxedo with silvery embroidery on the lapels.

We also caught up with L.A. fashion designer Amber Sakai and her husband. Instead of wearing one of her own designs, she was wearing a white Yves Saint Laurent jumpsuit that her husband, producer Richard Sakai, spotted in the window of Saks Fifth Avenue. A man with great taste.

Among the other fashion-forward bold-faced names in attendance were stylist Johnny Wujek (who works with Katy Perry), Rose McGowan in a Grecian-looking white Alice Temperley gown, Kirsten Dunst in a black Valentino gown with sheery sleeves, and Rachel Bilson wearing a soft, mint green Chanel confection.

Of course, Cameron Silver's version of heaven included an after-party -- complete with buff, bare-chested "go-go boys" clad in gold lame hot pants grinding out dance numbers on the bar while Art Deco ice sculptures melted in the background.

"The pressure's on for next year's visionary," Silver joked.

-- Booth Moore and Adam Tschorn

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Photos: At top, attendees at the 2012 Art of Elysium annual Heaven gala included, from left, recipient of the Visionary honor Cameron Silver (credit: John Shearer/Getty Images), designer Tarina Tarantino (credit: Valerie Macon/Getty Images), Spirit of Elysium honoree Elijah Wood (credit: John Shearer/Getty Images) and Molly Sims (credit: Valerie Macon/Getty Images).

Lower photos, left to right, Rachel Bilson in Chanel (credit: John Shearer/Getty Images), Amber Heard in Donna Karan (credit: John Shearer/Getty Images); Minka Kelly (credit: Valerie Macon/Getty Images); Kirsten Dunst in Valentino (credit: John Shearer/Getty Images).

Omega hosts a wind-whipped dinner at Case Study House No. 22

The Nov. 30 dinner party thrown by Omega-- for which the Swiss watch brand rented out the iconic Midcentury Modern Stahl House in the Hollywood Hills -- was intended to be an opportunity for a select number of celebrity guests, stylists and members of the media to focus on a selection of the company's timepieces.

But the Ladymatic, Speedmaster Moonwatch and Seamaster Planet Ocean watches -- on display in a trio of museum-quality vitrines -- could hardly compete for guests' attention with the show Mother Nature was putting on behind the tempered safety glass walls of the hillside home, which buckled and rattled in their casings as the Santa Ana winds (which, by morning, would leave Pasadena in a shambles and topple trees and light posts across L.A. proper) whipped past.

Before dinner, Hamm -- who was seated across from us and facing the window -- recounted in real-time as a handful of transformers sparked and flashed on the city streets below. 

But surprisingly, it wasn't even the record 60- to 80-mph wind gusts buffeting the glass-walled, cantilevered Case Study House No. 22 (designed by Pierre Koenig, the home was captured by photographer Julius Shulman in 1960 and the image became one of the most famous architectural photos in the U.S.) that made the biggest impression on me. It was a childhood memory from an early occupant of the house.

Bruce Stahl, son of the late owners Buck and Carlotta Stahl, moved into the house in 1960 at the age of 2, along with his brother, sister and parents, and was keeping a watchful eye over his family's legacy throughout the Nov. 30 dinner.  As I was leaving, I asked Stahl to share his earliest childhood memory. 

"My earliest memory was a Christmas tree -- set up right there in the corner where that woman is seated," Stahl said as he pointed to the glass-walled corner overlooking Los Angeles, to about the self-same spot that Shulman's famous photograph has made so familiar.

I squinted, stared out where Stahl was pointing, but at first it didn't sink in. Then, I tried to imagine the scene through the eyes of a 2-year-old child and, suddenly, there it was: the vast city of Los Angeles in all its twinkling glory, set out beneath my family Christmas tree.

I didn't need an Omega watch to tell me I'd just had one of those rare and magical L.A. moments.

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-- Adam Tschorn

Photos: At top left, president of Omega North America Gregory Swift, left, and Jon Hamm at the Nov. 30 dinner at the Stahl House. At right, a view of the Stahl House with the city of Los Angeles visible in the background. Watches on display included (from middle to bottom) Omega's Seamaster Planet Ocean, Ladymatic and Speedmaster Moonwatch  timepieces. Credit: Omega 

Sinéad O'Connor, Deborah Harry perform at amfAR gala

AmfAR's second annual Los Angeles Inspiration Gala returned to the Chateau Marmont on Thursday, bringing together a constellation of stars to raise money to fight HIV/AIDS -- and honor the organization's founding international chair, the late Elizabeth Taylor.

Among the bold-faced names that turned out for the event were Sean Penn, Colin Farrell, Josh Duhamel, Anthony Mackie, Rose McGowan and Selma Blair, with Sandra Bullock on hand to present a tribute -- and an award -- to Taylor.

(AmfAR , the Foundation for AIDS Research, had originally planned to present its Courage Award to the late actress at a February gala in New York City, but she wasn't well enough to accept it. Taylor passed away the next month.)  

An evening that started with poolside cocktails and a men's fashion presentation with models sporting looks from Hugo Boss, Fendi and Thierry Mugler, continued with a sit-down dinner during which diners were treated to a set by Deborah Harry, who belted out two of Blondie's most popular songs -- "One Way or Another" and "Heart of Glass" from a stage set up in the Chateau's outdoor garden.

Dinner was followed by a live auction -- which included spirited bidding wars for several pieces of art including a Damien Hirst painting that sold for $35,000 -- and an Andy Warhol "Peaches" print that Bullock took home for $14,000.

Bullock offered a heartfelt tribute to the late Hollywood icon. “She never thought twice when she reached out to touch and hold the hand of an AIDS patient," Bullock said. "She never thought twice to put her arm around someone who was suffering. That is the gift we have as human beings … the ability to reach out and touch. A simple gesture that gives the world of support to its receiver.” 

After Bullock's tribute, Taylor's grandson, Quinn Tivey, stepped to the lectern to accept the Courage Award on behalf of the Taylor family.

"She was a witty and inspirational woman," Tivey told the crowd. "And I can't begin to tell you how happy I am to be here to receive this award from Sandra Bullock ... And I want to thank you all for continuing her legacy and her fight and for keeping it strong and vivid."

Surprisingly, Tivey's comments would turn out to be the second-most touching moment of the evening, with the real tear-jerker coming when Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor closed out the evening with a pair of songs.

"This is the part of the show where I'd usually make a few crude jokes -- but this is America," O'Connor quipped as she took to the stage in a purple Herve Leger dress and brown blazer (from local boutique Decadestwo.1) kicked off the pair of heels she was wearing and launched into the song "The Last Day of Our Acquaintance.”

Before singing the evening's final number, O'Connor told the crowd that she often thought about her own mother while singing it: "but tonight, nothing compares to you -- the family and grandchildren of Elizabeth Taylor." 

With that, O'Connor launched into her most famous song "Nothing Compares 2 U."

Afterward, the crowd leaped to its feet and gave O'Connor a standing ovation.

According to amfAR, the event raised nearly $500,000 to help fund AIDS research.

Nothing compares, indeed. 

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-- Adam Tschorn +

Photos: At top left, Sinead O'Connor performs at the amFar gala at the Chateau Marmont Thursday dressed in Herve Leger. At right, (from left to right) attendees Garcelle Beauvais, Selma Blair, Christos Garkinos, Rose McGown and Cameron Silver dressed in the spirit of the event's "black tie/hot metal" dress code. Middle, Elizabeth Taylor's grandson, Quinn Tivey, accepts the Courage Award on her behalf. Bottom, Sinead O'Connor, left, poses with Deborah Harry, who also performed at the benefit. Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images

 

Celebs, fashion folk fete Miriam Haskell for Decades collection

Miriam Haskell, the costume jewelry brand that has been around since the 1920s, has gotten a glammed-up 1970s-style revamp, courtesy of Decades. Not that the jewelry line, started by Haskell in 1926, needed much -- chic women such as Joan Crawford, Lucille Ball and Coco Chanel (a fellow fan of costume baubles) were customers of Haskell, and the brand has continued to appear on women who appreciate the detailed craftsmanship (each piece is still handmade in New York) and affordable price tag. 

It was the heritage behind the Miriam Haskell line that attracted Decades owner Cameron Silver. “We went through the Haskell showroom and archives and the stuff was amazing,” said Silver, who was clad in a black velvet Louis Vuitton tuxedo jacket and custom Miriam Haskell cufflinks at the Tuesday night celebration for the launch of the collection. “Seeing everything and learning more about the incredible history of the brand made me have much more reverence for the house. Miriam Haskell really revolutionized costume jewelry and she was this incredibly liberated young woman to start her own business.”

Expanding on the deeply rooted DNA of the house, Silver collaborated with Gabrielle Fialkoff, president of Haskell Jewels, to create the Uptown/Downtown collection. “We haven’t done a collaboration like this in, well, decades — no pun intended!” said Fialkoff, who initially met Silver when they spoke on a Council of Fashion Designers of America panel about costume jewelry.

The Uptown pieces are all gold in color with layers of clear and iridescent beads and some metallic embroidery. Downtown has an edgier feel, but still with an overt sense of glamour, done in a dark silver-rhodium color.

There is a definite '70s flare, mixed with a touch of Art Deco, running throughout the collection, seen in large Swarovski crystal links, angular statement necklaces and fringy gold tassels hanging off a braided gold belt.

“I said, ‘Let’s just sex it up,’ ” proclaimed Silver about his direction for the collection. “I love the toggle clasps and Swarovski crystal rings. All these were elements in the Haskell canon but had to be looked at with a fresh eye. Even the button earrings would look fresh on a young woman.”

A few of Silver’s friends came wearing pieces from the collection, working the vintage-inspired baubles into more modern-day looks. Kristin Davis wore a bold necklace with a flirty LBD, while Alice Eve paired some intricately designed drop earrings with a strapless, red vintage Moschino number and super high Brian Atwood pumps.

Prices for the line range from $250 to $1,500 and are available now at the Decades Boutique on Melrose Avenue and at Nordstrom starting in November.

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-- Melissa Magsaysay

Top photo: Christos Garkinos, Alice Eve, Kristin Davis, Liza Mae Carlin, Cameron Silver and Gabrielle Fialkoff at Miriam Haskell for Decades launch event. Credit: Stefanie Keena

Jewelry, from top: Miriam Haskell for Decades Downtown Gunmetal and Quartz cuff, $600; Miriam Haskell for Decades Downtown Gunmetal and quartz pendent necklace, $680; Miriam Haskell for Decades Uptown Gold and crystal necklace, $800. Credit: Miriam Haskell

L.A.’s own Decades to debut reality show on Bravo

Vintage retailers are apparently so hot right now. First, Shareen Mitchell, owner of Shareen Vintage in downtown L.A, got a reality show called “Dresscue Me,” in which the former actress and Vogue editor styles women in vintage finds and gets them ready for a variety of occasions.  Mitchell’s show premieres April 19 on Planet Green. And now Decades and Decadestwo.1 owners Cameron Silver and Christos Garkinos are set to star in their own show about their quest for couture in the closets of some of the wealthiest and well-dressed women L.A. has to offer.

The show has yet to have a title or a release date, but will appear on Bravo.

The network really seems to be rounding out its fashion lineup, also adding “It’s a Brad Brad World,” starring former Rachel Zoe assistant Brad Goreski and a show about celebrity stylist Annabel Tollman’s adventures in dressing the rich and famous.  Goreski’s show plus all the other fashion-heavy hits raises the question: Where’s Rachel Zoe in all of this? With her new baby, the plot lines and drama at camp Zoe might be more about changing diapers than dressing Demi Moore.

-- Melissa Magsaysay

Photo: Christos Garkinos and Cameron Silver. Credit: Christina House / Los Angeles Times

L.A salutes Lesley M.M. Blume and her book about forgotten fashionable things

A dimly lighted private back room at the Soho House, with a cascading Champagne tower in the center and “Sunset Boulevard” playing on a flat-screen TV, felt appropriately Old Hollywood on Tuesday night as fashion lovers and nostalgia enthusiasts gathered to celebrate Lesley M.M. Blume’s book “Let's Bring Back: An Encyclopedia of Forgotten-Yet-Delightful, Chic, Useful, Curious,  and Otherwise Commendable  Things From Times Gone By.”

The A-Z encyclopedia lists items and ideas Blume wishes would be revived and started as a column on the Huffington Post in 2007. A wide range of items are explored -- cable cars as well as calling cards and style-related paraphernalia including bustles, bloomers and Peggy Guggenheim’s sunglasses collection.

Blume herself looked right out of the 1930s in a striking black satin dress and turban. But her eye was really on a 1940s black Adrian dress with a hammered silk belt, hand-picked along with several other vintage pieces by Cameron Silver of Decades, who showcased the gowns for the evening. “I’ve had my eye on this dress for awhile,” said Blume, “and I’m so happy it’s here.”

Besides the fashion, Blume claims that the '30s and '40s also inspired many interesting topics in her book. “Old Hollywood really did provide some of the most decadent, scandalous and deliciously rich content,” she said.

Given subjects from the era that are mentioned in the book -- Tallulah Bankhead, Fanny Brice, the Garden of Allah, one would have to agree.

-- Melissa Magsaysay

Photos, from top: the cover of “Let's Bring Back"; author Lesley M.M Blume at the Soho House in West Hollywood. Credit: David Crotty / PatrickMcMullan.com. A Champagne tree at the party for Blume. Credit: David Crotty / PatrickMcMullan.com

Perfecting your look for the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic Los Angeles

This Sunday, style and sport converge at Will Rogers State Park in Pacific Palisades during the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic Los Angeles. The polo match will feature Nacho Figueras -- Black Watch team captain, Ralph Lauren model and “the second-most handsome man in the world” (according to a 2009 Vanity Fair poll) -- playing against opposing team captain Rico Mansur. The event is free and open to the public, and should make for a chic Sunday afternoon of sport and socializing, granted the weather clears up.

While the focus here is on polo, you can’t ignore the stylish aspect of the game’s spectators.  In fact, the theme of dress for Sunday is the 1920s and '30s (though Julia Roberts' brown-and-white polka-dot dress in "Pretty Woman" was the first thing that sprung to my mind) and guests are encouraged to channel their inner early Hollywood starlet.

To refine the fashion for Sunday’s game, Veuve Clicquot teamed up with Decades owner Cameron Silver, who sees the event as a chance for people to get dressed up a la Daisy Buchanan or Cary Grant. “This  is great for L.A because we’re usually so casual,”  Silver says.  “Here we can fuse casual and dressy together and have a very glamorous old Hollywood moment.”

But the idea of finger waves and spectator shoes can be a little daunting to anyone who doesn’t already own items that fit the theme. Silver says that actual vintage regalia is not necessary. “You can wear a long floral dress (it doesn’t have to be a drop waist) and then throw on a string of pearls and a cardigan,” he says. And forget about the spiked heels. Silver suggests wedges or men’s inspired oxfords, so you don’t sink into the grass. 

“You can also go for the Marlene Dietrich look with an oxford shoe, a wide leg trouser from the Gap, white shirt, tie and a fedora.” And a hat is a must -- not a beanie or Panama hat, but something with a very wide brim that is evocative of the “British eccentric” look Silver attributes to the look of a traditional polo crowd.

For the guys, he advises wearing a white shirt, khakis and a spectator shoe, should you want to keep it simple. “You can also go for the mixed patterns,” Silver says. “An Etro tie and pocket square with a suit, maybe with the pant legs rolled up. The look of a polo audience is always a little eccentric. It’s about creating a modern Gatsby look.”

For some easy inspiration, Silver recommends looking through the pictures of George Hurrell, photographer to the stars, to get you in the right frame of mind. “I’m hoping people really have fun getting dressed up,” he says. “And leave the leather pants at home. This is a Balmain-free zone.”

The Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic Los Angeles is Sunday  from noon  to 4 p.m. at Will Rogers State Historic Park. For more information and parking details go to www.vcseason.com.

-- Melissa Magsaysay

Photos: Top, polo player Nacho Figueras at the 2nd Annual Veuve Clicquot Manhattan Polo Classic VIP party on Governors Island in New York. Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images. Bottom, Jean Harlow photographed by George Hurrell for Vanity Fair 1934. Credit: Copyright Conde Nast Publications Inc. Courtesy of the Conde Nast archives

 

Cameron Silver captures the chic side of premium denim

Anyone familiar with Cameron Silver’s Decades boutique and the pricey vintage items ranging from Hermes Birkins to Rochas ball gowns knows the man understands the allure and history of these gems and the wants of the women who wear them. So, it may come as a surprise that Silver will be launching a denim collection called Decades Denim for Holiday 2010/2011 at prices that barely make a dent in the tags that usually hang in his West Hollywood store.

“I’ve never run my business by doing anything the obvious way,” says Silver, who as creative director in this new venture is taking a high-fashion approach to working with an everyday fabric.

“I realize that denim is the foundation of a modern person’s wardrobe and I want to treat it as a collection and give it a high-fashion point of view,” he says. “This is essentially translating the aesthetic of what I’ve done with Decades.”

The high-fashion angle takes shape in long, slim and sleek shapes that have very minimal markings or branding and are meant to dress up a simple T-shirt or stand up to a well-tailored YSL blazer. Styles such as the “Martha” and “Nadja” are slim and long with slant front pockets and the appeal of an equestrian-style pant. They have a very '70s feel, with higher rises than most premium denim brands, which makes sense since Silver was aiming for what he calls “streamlined American minimalism.”

“If Halston were alive and making a denim collection I think this would be the aesthetic,” he says.
Fittingly, there is a tux jean and a trouser jean in the collection which contains 16 different styles and will hit stores in October.

And with prices ranging from $99 to $129, there might (might) just be room in a budget to buy a Birkin from Silver’s store…someday.

-- Melissa Magsaysay

Photos: Kketch of the "Nadja" jean (left); Decades Denim on a model (middle)l;  sketch of the "Martha" jean

Phillip Lim puts a modern spin on the traditional 'penguin suit' for the Met Ball [Updated]

 

While all eyes were on the bejeweled and bedazzled ladies who ascended the red carpet steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday night, some of the men found ways to mix up the traditional tuxedo and sport something as fetching as a couture gown.

Decades owner Cameron Silver donned a bespoke “Guru” tuxedo by Phillip Lim that was inspired by the roll-down waist "Guru" pant from Lim’s Spring/Summer 2010 men’s collection. The slouchy gather and casual vibe of the pant was dressed up with a black double-breasted tuxedo jacket, antique white shirt and bow tie -- all custom-made for the event.

"Phillip successfully updated the classic men’s 'penguin suit' and designed a tuxedo that is thoroughly 21st century and modern," says Silver. “I hope someday this tux will be in a retrospective of men’s American fashion, but for now I am proud to hang it in my closet!”

Lim was originally inspired to create the Guru from the lightweight fabrics and utilitarian style of the pants worn by farmers in Asia. The drawstring waist is a practical feature for an expanding or decreasing waistline and the slouchy shape wears well while moving and bending as well as in warm climates. In this case the roll-down waist served as a cummerbund.

Formal wear inspired by work wear -- that's what I call modern.

[Updated: A photo of the actual Guru pants suit that inspired the custom-made tuxedo has been added to this post. An earlier version of this post showed the women's Guru pants.]

-- Melissa Magsaysay

Left photo: Angelique Soave and Cameron Silver at the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's annual gala. 

Right photo: Guru Suit from 3.1. Phillip Lim spring/summer 2010 men's presentation. Credit: FirstVIEW.com

Get a fab vintage frock for the holidays at the Decades sale on HauteLook.com

Now you don't have to be a celebrity stylist or in the West Hollywood area to shop the fine vintage finds at Decades. A selection of LBDs (that's little black dresses) has been carefully curated by Decades owner Cameron Silver and will be sold on HauteLook on Monday and Tuesday.

The sale includes dresses from YSL, Nina Ricci, Versace and Chloe as well as baubles, bags and jackets.

A vintage LBD is perfect for the holiday social swirl -- and unlike the usual vintage treasure hunt, no tiring digging or sorting required.  And because it's a Haute Look sale, tags are slashed to sample sale prices.

Decades sale on HauteLook begins Monday and continues until Tuesday at www.hautelook.com.

Happy shopping!

-- Melissa Magsaysay

Photo: An LBD from Decades. Credit: Decades