'Stache talking with George Parros

Anaheim Ducks  right wing George Parros is a lamb-barbecuing, punch-throwing, occasionally Times-blogging, professional-hockey-playing Princeton grad. And for a few months every year, the long-locked, massively mustachioed enforcer endures looking like a Yanni impersonator so he can donate his hair to a group that will use it to make wigs for children battling cancer.

This year’s George Parros Cut for the Kids is slated for Dec. 14, but before that, he's weaving a new strand into his particular brand of follicular fundraising: the launch of ‘Stache Gear, his very own apparel line, which goes on sale on Black Friday, exclusively at the Anaheim Ducks Team Store.

All proceeds from the two styles of mustache-festooned ball caps and four styles of T-shirts (two men's and two women's), all of which retail for $25 each, will benefit the Childhood Leukemia Foundation and Garth Brooks Teammates for Kids Foundation.

I caught up with Parros by phone before practice recently to discuss his charitable activities, his foray into fashion and to trace the history of the signature upper lip adornment he believes to be “the physical embodiment of all that is manly.”

How long have you had the mustache?
I’ve had one on and off for a long time, but this is probably my fourth straight year. I’ve had it since before I was with the [Anaheim] Ducks.

What first prompted you to grow one in the first place? Did your dad sport a ’stache?
He had one when I was born, I think. And when my sister was born. But he didn’t while we were growing up. But I was always a big hockey fan, and I remember being fascinated with the mustaches. It’s a rich

It's Kobe time(pieces): the Black Mamba MVP watch can be yours for $285K

Over the years, Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant has had endorsement deals for all sorts of brands from foodstuffs like Nutella, Coca-Cola and McDonald's to sports labels like Nike and Spalding.

And now it's Kobe time -- as in a blinged out limited-edition line of luxury timepieces from Basel-based  Nubeo now available for pre-order as long as you've got at least a cool $20,900 to spare.

And to hear Bryant tell it, as he did to a select group of reporters recently, holding court in a private dining room at the newly opened Phillipe West Hollywood, he's not just lending his likeness. "It’s a full-on partnership in every step of the way.”

Bryant, who says he's constantly pitched all kinds of offers, told me he and the company (which, I have to admit, I'd never heard of before) "shared a similar vision" for the watch and "had the same attention to detail." He agreed to collaborate on a watch “only if we could work together as a team,” he said.

But don't think that means the NBA Finals MVP was exercising his gemological expertise in hand-selecting the 48 baguette-cut, trapezium-shaped sapphires for each MVP-style watch, or sourcing the titanium, ceramic and rubber materials that compose the 131 parts of the skull-cracking case.

While he had a hand in deciding the overall look and function of the watches, Bryant served mainly as inspiration for the Black Mamba collection. "It's named after my alter-ego, the Black Mamba," he said. "We kind of envisioned as a super-hero kind of thing." And looking at the Black Mamba MVP on his wrist, the black rubber strap did have a certain serpent-like vibe to it.

L.A. Laker Jordan Farmar on suits, style, Sunday whites

On court, the NBA season officially gets underway locally tonight when the Lakers face off against the Clippers, but style-wise, it's already well underway, Kobe Bryant having unveiled his blinged-out watch collaboration with Nubeo at the new Phillipe Chow restaurant earlier this month (which I'll be posting about in more detail later today) and a flotilla of new purple-and-gold commemorative championship merchandise being readied for players and fans alike.

Some of the merchandise will be on display tonight when the world-champion Lakers attend an on-court pregame ceremony to receive their championship rings and hoist another banner to the ceiling of Staples Center. The most visible piece of the 2009 Los Angeles Lakers Champion Collection will be the purple Adidas track jackets each player will be wearing.

In addition to the team logo over the left breast and Adidas' signature trio of stripes (in gold) down each sleeve, the back of each jacket is emblazoned with 15 gold star patches -- one for each championship -- that fittingly call to mind the stars that line the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Because Laker guard Jordan Farmar has a sponsorship deal with Adidas, he agreed to a get on the phone yesterday for a quick chat with All the Rage. Far more interesting than his take on the collection -- he said he'd seen some but not all of the pieces and says he finds the star-festooned jacket all the more meaningful as someone who grew up in Los Angeles watching the Lakers legacy unfold -- was the insight into the former UCLA standout's personal style. An excerpt of the Q&A follows the jump.

Take a sneak peek at Olsenboye, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s affordable teen collection for JCPenney

A celebrity fashion collection doesn’t have to be an oxymoron (we’re still waiting to see how Lindsay Lohan’s future as artistic advisor to Paris house Ungaro will pan out -- regular readers of All the Rage may recall that it didn't begin well). Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s forays into the rag trade have been met with kudos from the industry. In July, the 23-year-old sisters were inducted into the prestigious Council of Fashion Designers of America, along with Alexander Wang, Jason Wu and J. Crew’s Jenna Lyons, on the basis of their design work on luxury label the Row and the contemporary-priced Elizabeth and James collection.

Now the Olsen twins have set their sights beyond the racks at Barneys and specialty boutiques and targeted the suburban closets of American teens and tweens with their exclusive collaboration with JCPenney, called Olsenboye.

Olsenboye, an Olsen family name, follows the theme of an oversized-sunglasses-wearing globetrotter who gleans wardrobe ideas from young women in fashion capitals. In keeping with the theme, the department store visuals will feature travel trunks, passport stamps and luggage stickers.

The Olsenboye prelaunch lineup, which premieres Nov. 6 in 50 select Penney’s and online, features cropped blazers, jean leggings, oversized peace-sign graphic T-shirts, a striped waffle-knit thermal, hooded sweatshirts, bags and footwear. A full ensemble will debut in February, including handbags and shoes. The pattern-heavy collection is meant to be mixed-and-matched  -- florals, plaids and stripes -- in the trademark Olsen boho style.

Olseboye follows Penney’s reasonable price points, retailing from $20 to $50, and arrives in a wide size range, from 0 to 15.

Last Thursday (Oct. 22), when the Council of Fashion Designers of America celebrated its newest members at New York’s the Four Seasons, Ashley Olsen told the organization that she and her sister got their first taste of design by altering adult-size clothes to fit their then-preteen frames: “That’s really how we got into tailoring,” said Ashley. “We always loved it.”

 Check out the Olseboye video here.

-- Max Padilla

Photo credits: JCPenney

On Sunday, bust a move over to Delicious Vinyl's FreakCity boutique grand opening

On Sunday, Delicious Vinyl curator Rick Ross will be throwing a grand-opening party for the store and record label’s FreakCity boutique-slash-art space in Hollywood. [Note: An earlier version of this post incorrectly referred to Ross as founder of Delicious Vinyl.]

FreakCity pays homage to the era when Delicious Vinyl rocked the charts with Tone-Loc’s “Funky Cold Medina” and rapper Young MC’s “Bust a Move” -- a rewind to high-top fades, cassette tapes, letterman jackets, sequins and lace.

The 5,000-square-foot boutique will stock more than 20 brands, including Han Cholo, Joyrich, Stampd’ LA, Dim Mak, Rojas and Evil Genius. The fitting rooms are telephone booths (remember those?), with DeliciousVinyl.com broadcasting radio old-school jams live.

The party begins at 2 p.m. with Diva Division salon giving complimentary haircuts and manicures. Vinyl traders will unload classic albums for collectors.

At 6 p.m., Mindy Le Brock from the band Electrocute will create a fashion-meets-art installation. And at 8 p.m., L.A. electro-funk pioneer Arabian Prince (a.k.a. Professor X of N.W.A.) spins records, followed by a performance by "beauty-bass" duo the Keyishe.

There will be a complimentary taco bar and beverages. Free entrance before 8 p.m.; $10 after. RSVP to freakcityla@yahoo.com. For more information, visit www.deliciousvinyl.com.

6613 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles; (213) 446-5413 (for appointments); 2 p.m. to midnight. 

-- Max Padilla

Photo credits: Delicious Vinyl

Paris Fashion Week: Lindsay Lohan's first Emanuel Ungaro collection is a walk of shame

It was a deadly collision of celebrity culture and fashion culture on Sunday at the debut of the new Emanuel Ungaro collection with Lindsay Lohan as artistic advisor and Estrella Archs as designer. When Lohan came out for a runway bow, her eyes were full of tears. And it's easy to see why. After all the hullabaloo over her appointment a month ago, with some fashion insiders suggesting it was an insult to anyone who had ever really worked in design, it had to have been the walk of shame to end all.

The fashion crowd is a tough one, and the fangs were out for this collection from the beginning. Unfortunately, the clothes--reportedly whipped together in a mere three weeks -- didn't do anything to defy low expectations.

It's difficult to know whom to blame -- Lohan for taking the job or Ungaro President Mounir Moufarrige for thinking he could install a troubled Hollywood starlet with no fashion training at a venerable French house (even one that cycles through designers faster than Lohan cycles through rehab stints). Or maybe it's the fault of the industry in general, which has put a premium on fast, flashy and addictive fashion, over forward-thinking and creative fashion.

Justin Timberlake's William Rast launches first-ever stores in Century City, San Jose and Cabazon

Justin Timberlake is bringing sexy back to one of L.A.’s least sultry neighborhoods -- Century City.

The pop star’s L.A.-based denim brand, William Rast, announced plans to open a store at the Westfield Century City Shopping Mall on Nov. 1. A second full-priced store will bow simultaneously at the Westfield Valley Fair Shopping Mall in San Jose, along with an outlet store at the Desert Hills Premium Outlets in Cabazon, Calif.

Toms Shoes and Incubus lead singer Brandon Boyd unveil new design

Toms Shoes has teamed up with artist and Incubus frontman Brandon Boyd and longtime friend Kristin Jai Klosterman, a former model and Southern Californian artist, to launch their newest footwear design in the inaugural offering of the Collaborative Canvas Collection.

Seventy-five pairs of shoes were crafted from three canvases created by Boyd and Klosterman (one by each alone and one by the two collaborating). Individual swaths were cut from the artwork, reflecting the artists’ unique styles and techniques, and ensuring each pair in the collection is one-of-a-kind.

 Although Tom’s is known for encouraging customers to use paint, stencils and markers to make their own custom shoes in their "Style Your Sole Parties," using pre-painted canvas was a new concept for the shoe company, whose founding mission "One for One," gives away a pair of new shoes to a needy child for every pair purchased.

Eight pairs of the shoes are on display at Undefeated Stores in Silver Lake, Santa Monica, La Brea and Las Vegas and will go on sale during the Sept. 26 launch event at the store's Silver Lake location.

 
-- Liesl Bradner

Photo credit: Toms Shoes

EXCLUSIVE: Bravo to announce 'Real Housewives' apparel line

NEW YORK -- All the Rage has learned exclusively that television merchandising juggernaut Bravo Media, which has already moved into the apparel and accessories business with high-end handbags ("NYC Prep") and designer clothes ("The Fashion Show") -- which the Image section discussed in this article on the future of fashion on TV -- is set to announce its latest apparel adventure later today: a line of clothing and accessories inspired by the fashion and style of "The Real Housewives" reality franchise.

Bravo has struck a licensing deal with a company called Royal Plush to develop a co-branded the Real Housewives-Royal Plush line, which will consist of premium denim, loungewear, activewear, handbags and accessories.

Bravo is also expected to announce the start of production on the third season of  "The Real Housewives of New York City," with Countess LuAnn de Lesseps, Bethenny Frankel, Kelly Killoren Bensimon, Alex McCord, Ramona Singer and Jill Zarin (a few of whom have been spotted at New York Fashion Week, which wraps up here today). 

You can bet we'll share photos as soon as we can get our hands on them. Frankly, we can't wait to see what Royal Plush does with this bit of accidental inspiration from Dina Manzo (of "The Real Housewives of New Jersey"): 'I'm not sure if she wants to skin me and wear me like last year's Versace."

Thankfully we (and you) won't have to wait: We're told the line will be on sale nationwide in major  department stores and specialty boutiques this fall.

-- Adam Tschorn

The Future of Fashion

On TV, merchandise gets a starring role

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Photo: "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" are, from left, Jacqueline Laurita, Teresa Giudice, Danielle Staub, Dina Manzo and Caroline Manzo. Credit: Virginia Sherwood / Bravo

Fashion Diary: Lindsay Lohan named artistic adviser of house of Ungaro [UPDATED]*

Gossip, first impressions, trends in the making, celebrities and style setters. A regular feature by fashion critic Booth Moore.

In what seems to be a desperate bid for relevance, the troubled house of Emanuel Ungaro announced today the appointment of Lindsay Lohan as artistic adviser [UPDATED 12 p.m. An earlier version of this post’s story and headline stated that Lindsay Lohan was Ungaro’s new artistic director. She is the artistic advisor]. Estrella Archs (who has worked for Nina Ricci, Emilio Pucci, Christian Lacroix and Prada) was named chief designer. Apparently, the two have been collaborating on the spring collection which will be shown in Paris on Oct. 4.

"Twenty-first century muses are extroverts whose personal style and experience gives them strong creative and artistic focus. Thus our vision of combining the eye of the ultimate luxury consumer, a celebrity," said Mounir Moufarrige, president of Emanuel Ungaro.

The house was bought by Silicon Valley venture capitalist Asim Abdullah in 2003 and has had a revolving door of designers since then, most recently Miami wunderkind Esteban Cortizar.

It's a puzzling move for several reasons, the least of which is that Lohan's status as muse is questionable. (Doesn't she have a line of leggings?) In a time when everyone is mad for the 1980s, and so many designers (Nicolas Ghesquiere, Marc Jacobs, Phillip Lim) have dipped into the Ungaro archives for inspiration -- the brash prints, sculpted sleeves and ruffled cocktail confections -- it's sad that the original house cannot get it together. Oh well, who knows? Maybe it will work. Stranger things have happened. One thing's for sure: We'll all be paying attention.

-- Booth Moore

Ungaro runway photos: Fall 2009 | Spring 2010

Story: More on Lindsay Lohan's leggings line

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Photo: Lindsay Lohan, new artistic director at the house of Ungaro. Credit: PR Newswire