Varvatos Stuart House benefit raises $700,000 for charity

The celebrities turned out and the wallets opened up on Sunday, as a capacity crowd of 1,700 turned out to John Varvatos' ninth annual charity event that put $700,000 in the coffers of Stuart House, a UCLA Rape Treatment Center program that helps sexually abused children.

In addressing the crowd, both fashion designer John Varvatos and the organization's founder and director Gail Abarbanel mentioned recent headlines in citing the need for programs like Stuart House. "We've seen, over the last year, with Penn State and other cases, that the need is bigger than it's ever been," Varvatos said.

Following Varvatos on stage, Abarbanel mentioned a situation closer to home. "The result of situations like Penn State and what's going on with some Los Angeles area schools," she said, "is that the nation's consciousness has been raised. This is important because there are three to four new victims of sexual abuse every day and 50% of them are children."

Abarbanel was followed to the stage by honorary event co-chairs Leslie Mann and husband Judd Apatow, the latter of whom was able to add a dose of levity to the seriousness of the cause. "I think paying $8,000 to get your nails done might be worth it," he said in reference to the assorted high-end items up for bid in the silent auction. "Now I'll go buy a candle for $20,000."

Whether it was for expensive waxings or wax or something else, the event, capped by a live musical performance by Dave Matthews, brought in nearly half again as much as the $500,000 raised at last year's event, pushing the total amount raised over the years to $2.7 million.

Spotted in the crowd were Cindy Crawford and husband Rande Gerber, Rachel Zoe and husband Rodger Berman, and Steven Tyler, who was mobbed -- yes, like a rock star -- from the moment of his arrival, by autograph seekers and fans hoping to get their picture taken with the Aerosmith frontman and "American Idol" judge. 

If Varvatos wants to break another fundraising record for next year's event, I think on Sunday afternoon he might just have found the guy to help him do it.

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 -- Adam Tschorn

Photos: At top left, Dave Matthews performs at the ninth annual John Varvatos Stuart House benefit on Sunday. At right (left to right) John Varvatos, Joyce Varvatos, Dave Matthews, Leslie Mann, Judd Apatow and Stuart House's founder and director Gail Abarbanel. Credit: Getty Images for John Varvatos. At bottom, Steven Tyler and John Varvatos on the red carpet. Credit: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Dave Matthews to perform at March 11 Varvatos fundraiser

Dave Matthews has been announced as the high-profile musical guest at the upcoming ninth annual Stuart House Benefit on March 11.

Matthews, who is also the face of Varvatos' Spring 2011advertising campaign, follows in the footsteps of other high-profile musicians who have headlined the outdoor concert and charity shopping event, including k.d. lang (2011), ZZ Top (2009), Macy Gray (2007) and Jackson Browne (2005). 

To date the Varvatos shindig has raised more than $2 million for the Rape Treatment Center at the Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center, which treats young victims of sexual abuse.

In the past the gathering has managed to attract a constellation of stars, and past years have seen the likes of David Schwimmer, Zoe Saldana, L.L. Cool J, Brooke Shields and Patrick Dempsey who co-chaired last year's event with wife Jillian. (This year's honorary co-chairs are Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann.)

Tickets are $200 per adult guest, and $25 for kids 16 and under, and can be purchased online at johnvarvatos.com/stuart_house or via phone at (310) 559-9334. There's also an option to click if you can't attend but still want to donate. The site also has a link that will allow you to preview some of the live auction items that will be up for bid from March 2-20 (current items include a custom guitar autographed by the members of Green Day and a day behind the scenes at Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's Funny or Die website).

The John Varvatos 9th Annual Stuart House Benefit, 8800 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, March 11, from noon to 5 p.m. Live auction and concert start at 1:30 p.m. Valet parking provided. Tickets available online at johnvarvatos.com/stuart_house or via phone at (310) 559-9334.

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-- Adam Tschorn

Photo: K.d. lang performs at the 2011 John Varvatos Stuart House Benefit. Dave Matthews, who also appears in the John Varvatos Spring 2011 advertising campaign, isscheduled to perform at this year's charity event on March 11. Credit: Chelsea Lauren / WireImage 

 

Milan Fashion Week: John Varvatos strikes a chord with dusty duds and hand-painted roses

For his spring and summer 2012 collection, John Varvatos sent his collection out between huge rusty gates covered with ivy and down a dusty brick runway. The inspiration was country -– not the cowboy hat, bangin’ belt buckle and Grand Ole Opry kind of country, but the fleeing the city, “Exile on Main Street,” unplug and reboot kind.

In his show notes, Varvatos pointed to the early ‘70s when rock groups like the Rolling Stones, Led Zepplin and The Who “fled to the country for inspiration and a break from the big city,” pointing out that they returned “having recorded what arguably would be their most creative and innovative albums.”

Varvatos said this collection was inspired by that “sense of freedom and a nod to perfect imperfection” of those rock sojourns into the countryside, and it made the most memorable collection from the designer in many a season.

Not so much for the slouchy silhouette (though they were certainly more slouchy and relaxed than in the past), the shades of slate gray (although the heavy dose of khaki here was refreshing) and assorted military-inspired jackets (if we’re all wearing bandleader jackets, who will follow?), which have been the line’s signature look for the last decade, but for the treatments and detailing that gave jackets, trousers and boots a hard-worn, dust-covered look, the lightweight cold-dyed American flag scarves and particularly the handful of pieces in the collection with a rose motif – the first graphic of any kind I can recall seeing in the line. It appeared as an allover print on a gray plaid suit, and on several other jackets and trousers -– including one suit that had the tendrils of the plant in what looked like black leather (Varvatos later told me it was actually fashioned out of a black shoe lace), curl out of the rose on the right side of the jacket and seemingly connect to the rose and leaf graphic growing up the right pant leg.

“I was channeling my inner Jimmy Page,” Varvatos said after the show, referring to the Led Zepplin guitarist’s famed “dragon suit” stage garb. And, while the designer’s aesthetic has always been rooted in rock ‘n’ roll, this is one of his suits that might truly be worthy of invoking the name of such a rock deity. Each of those roses (except on the allover print) was individually hand-painted by associate designer Yoon Nam. (Despite the intricate level of detail, Nam told me at a post-show party he was able to dispatch each one in an hour and a half. When I asked him how, his answer was: “Practice.”)

But Nam needn’t worry about spending the rest of his life marooned on trellis island -- the hand-painted suits aren’t intended for mass production. They’re intended to be limited-edition pieces and only about 50 will be sold altogether, through select John Varvatos boutiques (including the West Hollywood location).

In the end, it wasn’t really freedom Varvatos seemed to find out in the countryside, but an appreciation for the hand-crafted and the artisanal -- things that don’t just look like they were made by the sweat of the brow and treated to look like they were caked with the dust of the doing, but things that actually were.

And in doing so, Varvatos may have followed in the footsteps of the very rock gods he worships and put out one of his most creative, hand-crafted and thoughtful collections to date.

-- Adam Tschorn

Photos: Looks from the John Varvatos spring / summer 2012 runway in Milan. Credit: Gerardo Somoza

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k.d. lang to perform at March 13 Varvatos fundraiser

For the last seven years, fashion designer John Varvatos has opened the doors of his West Hollywood boutique at the corner of Melrose and Robertson for a star-studded outdoor event benefiting Stuart House, a program of the Rape Treatment Center at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center that focuses specifically on helping child victims of sexual assault. To date the event has raised more than $1.5 million for the organization.

For several of those years, he's also managed to persuade the city to let him close off a stretch of street (anyone familiar with West Hollywood traffic and parking issues knows that's a feat in itself), providing ample space for live and silent auctions (100% of proceeds go to charity), luxury shopping (25% of all sales in the Varvatos store that day will be donated to the cause) and a range of kid-friendly activities that includes Converse-customizing, cookie-decorating, face-painting and performances by a magician named Justin Kredible.

Even though the event is traditionally packed to the rafters with celebrity friends and supporters of both the designer and the organization -- in the past we've rubbed elbows with the likes of Brooke Shields, Eric McCormack, Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick (the last two were the event's 2009 event co-chairs; this year's husband-and-wife chairs are Patrick and Jillian Dempsey) -- what really turns heads and garners attention is the music. Memorable performances from past years include Jackson Browne (2005), Macy Gray (2007) and a rousing 45-minute set by ZZ Top (in 2009).

This year it's scheduled to be Grammy Award winning singer k.d. lang and the Siss Boom Bang, plus special guest Franky Perez, on tap to entertain the charitable-minded crowd.

Tickets are $200 per adult guest, with kids 16 and under free, and can be purchased online at johnvarvatos.com/stuart_house. There's also an option to click if you can't attend but still want to donate. The site has a link that will allow you to preview some of the live auction items that will be up for bid.

The John Varvatos 8th Annual Stuart House Benefit, 8800 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood, Sunday March 13, 2011, from noon to 5 p.m. Live auction and musical peformances start at 1:30 p.m. Valet parking  provided.

-- Adam Tschorn

Photo: Past Stuart House benefits at Varvatos' Melrose boutique have included performances by ZZ Top, left, in 2009 and Macy Gray in 2007. Credit: Ken Hively / Los Angeles Times

Mick Rock talks about shooting Bowie, Lady Gaga and why he's collaborating with John Varvatos

On Saturday (Oct. 2), legendary rock ’n’ roll photographer Mick Rock turned the Santa Monica Bloomingdale’s men’s department into a backstage lounge.

Rock, who launched his career in the early ’70s shooting Ziggy Stardust-era David Bowie, flew out from New York to christen the John Varvatos shop in Bloomies by shooting portraits of shoppers who shelled out more than $250 on Varvatos jeans and Converse sneakers. Rock was also promoting his latest book, “Mick Rock: Exposed,” signing copies for customers.

In a nearly four-decade career, Rock has shot music icons ranging from Lou Reed and Iggy Pop to Madonna, Bono and Lady Gaga. He also dabbles in fashion and has shot Kate Moss, so he’s more than cool with partnering with designer Varvatos. “People say why are you doing this?” he says. “One, John [Varvatos] is a friend of mine. Two, he crossed my palm with some silver. And three, I got a bunch of free clothes.”

Rock chatted with All the Rage, while getting ready for his close-ups.

You've worked with David Bowie since Ziggy Stardust -- in the days before musicians had stylists.
David is much more than music and it always was with him. He was long, long ahead of everybody. He was so prescient. He had influence on all kinds of things like makeup on women – Ziggy Stardust makeup.

Who else did you enjoy working with?
Debbie Harry. In her prime, she was extraordinary -- there’s nobody -- all due respect to Madonna and Lady Gaga.

Kate Moss?
I shot her raw and rock ’n’ roll for V magazine. It was Johnny Rotten meets Debbie Harry.
She’s smart. There’s an old English phrase: There’s no flies on Kate Moss.

What’s the difference between rock ’n’ roll and fashion photography?
Rock ’n’ roll is an attitude. Even though I get people in incredible clothes, it's a lesser concern than the personality.

[In "Mick Rock: Exposed," we look at a suave Bryan Ferry wearing a tropical khaki suit] This is great men’s style.
That was in Holland Park, London, in 1975. Ferry's "our man in Havana" look.

Lady Gaga?
She has an echo of Ziggy Stardust in there. She’s musically talented. It’s a mistake to trivialize her because there’s been so much of it.

[We look at a picture of Ronnie Spector flashing her underwear]
There's Ronnie Spector in her knickers. I might not have published that if she were wearing a thong. It wasn’t about gettng a cheap thrill.

What bands do you enjoy shooting now?
I love the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I love the KiIllers. ... I love the Scissor Sisters.

Which of your portraits is John Varvatos' favorite?
Syd Barrett [Pink Floyd's tragic founding member, who passed away in 2006].

-- Max Padilla

Photo: Mick Rock at the John Varvatos event at Bloomingdales. Courtesy John Varvatos

Weekend Shopping: Varvatos opens at Bloomies; MAC gets villianous; Splendid opens in the O.C.

A few notable happenings for a more stylish weekend:

EVENTS

John Varvatos opening event Saturday: Rock 'n' roll-obsessed designer John Varvatos opens a shop-in-shop at the new Bloomies in Santa Monica, and legendary music photographer Mick Rock will be on hand to take portraits of customers who spend $250 or more on John Varvatos, John Varvatos USA, or Converse by John Varvatos merch (see some famous Rock shots at right).

Bloomingdale’s Santa Monica, The Men’s Store, Level 1, 315 Colorado Ave., Santa Monica. (310)-985-6400. 2 to 5 p.m.

MAC Venomous Villains exhibit Friday through Sunday: MAC Cosmetics unveils its new Venomous Villains collection for the first time in North America — a collaboration with Disney that features looks inspired by four of Disney’s most famous villains: Cruella de Vil, Evil Queen, Maleficent and Dr. Facilier. Come for the complimentary makeup applications, costume styling, live DJs and photo souvenirs.

South Coast Plaza, Jewel Court, 3333 Bristol St., Costa Mesa. (714) 546-9555. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday; 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. www.southcoastplaza.com

Sam Edelman appearance Saturday: Trendy footwear designer Sam Edelman will meet and greet his fans (and sign shoes) at Bloomingdale's at Santa Monica Place.

Bloomingdale's, shoe department, 315 Colorado Ave., Santa Monica. (310)-985-6400. 3 to 5 p.m. www.samedelman.com

OPENING

Splendid: Luxury T-shirt brand Splendid opened its third standalone store last week at Fashion Island in Newport Beach, featuring all of the line's super-soft collections — Splendid, Splendid Mills (for men), Splendid Girl and Splendid Littles (for babies).
 
225 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach. (949) 759-1743. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Frday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m Sunday. www.splendid.com

Gather: Katie Kay, former co-designer for leathery L.A. brand Skingraft, has opened a downtown boutique to "sell off treasures and do the dirty work for my amazing designer friends who hate the business side of this world," she said. There are unique housewares, Kay's own redesigned/repurposed furniture and mixed merch from local apparel and jewelry lines.

630 S. Main St., Los Angeles. (213) 623-5449. Call for store hours.

--Emili Vesilind 

Photo: Four legendary photos taken by Mick Rock, who will appear at the John Varvatos opening. Credit: Mick Rock.

Grammys fashion tees off

Los Angeles is gearing up for Grammys weekend.

Tonight, fashion designer John Varvatos hosts a party at his Robertson Boulevard store to celebrate a line of "We're All Fans" T-shirts he designed for the Grammy Label to commemorate each of the nominees for best album (Lady Gaga, the Black Eyed Peas, Beyonce, Taylor Swift and Dave Matthews Band). 

The shirts are $45 and can be purchased at John Varvatos stores, his website and select Bloomingdales. A portion of proceeds benefit the Grammy Foundation and MusiCares.

Tomorrow night, the Grammys Friends and Family Party takes over Paramount Studios. And Saturday, Ne-Yo hosts his annual Midnight Grammy Brunch at the new W Hollywood & Residences.
 
That's a lot of opportunities to play dress up, and that's all before the big event Sunday.
 
I have been talking to a lot of stylists around town who are expecting fashion at this year's Grammy Awards to be even more over the top than usual, thanks to a new crop of pop stars who have brought individual style back to the red carpet. Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Rihanna, Katy Perry and Adam Lambert will be ones to watch. What will they wear? Think corseted cat suits and mini-dresses covered in spikes.

"The Grammys is an opportunity to wear runway looks that are so funky that they probably won’t ever get produced," says Jen Rade, who is styling Pink for the Grammys, and also appears as a fashion commentator on the TV Guide network.

It should be quite a contrast to what we witnessed during the last few weeks at the Golden Globes and the Screen Actors Guild Awards, and what we’re likely to see come March at the Oscars.

To read the rest of my story about the Grammys vs. film awards red carpet showdown, check out Sunday's Image section.

--Booth Moore

Top photo: MIA at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Feb. 8, 2009. Credit: Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times.

Bottom photo: John Varvatos "We're All Fans" Grammy T-shirt featuring Lady Gaga. Credit: John Varvatos

This weekend, John Varvatos and 7 for All Mankind warehouse sale

The Warehouse Sale, a giant discount event featuring past season looks from John Varvatos and 7 for All Mankind with up to 90% off, runs Friday to Sunday at the Los Angeles Convention Center's West Hall. Head-to-toe men's gear from Varvatos is marked down including suits, leathers, trousers, jeans, knits, shoes and accessories. The 7 for All Mankind sale features 30,000 pieces including women's and men's jeans (starting at $65 on Friday, $55 on Saturday, $45 on Sunday), tops, dresses, handbags and kid's fashions.

RSVP for expedited entrance for Varvatos at www.johnvarvatos.thewarehousesale.com or for the 7 for All Mankind sale at www.7forallmankind.thewarehousesale.com. Shoppers can also register at the door. Parking available at West Hall, Convention Center (enter at Cherry Street).

1201 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday 

-- Max Padilla

Varvatos vaults into e-commerce, lets you shop the runway look

The most surprising thing about the announcement that John Varvatos was rolling out an e-commerce site today was probably the fact that he didn't already have one. Sure, his rock-tinged wares can be bought online easily enough through other retailers' websites (including Bloomingdale's, Neiman Marcus and Barneys New York), but apparently the man who had the foresight to give the world the boxer-brief (during his time at Calvin Klein) and the lace-less Converse hadn't managed to cobble together a one-stop shop for all things John Varvatos in cyberspace. (No worries John, I don't think this Internet thing is going to ever amount to anything ...)

As of today, for shipping to U.S. addresses only, customers can shop for JV's ever-growing universe of clothes, accessories, footwear and fragrances at the John Varvatos website, where you'll also find some merchandise from the designer's Star USA line and Converse by John Varvatos shoes.

As someone who covers the runway shows, what I find most noteworthy is that, in addition to shopping by category, one has the option of shopping from a handful of complete runway "looks" as they appeared in the actual show. For example, if you were particularly taken with the outfit at right (dubbed "Look 28"), you'd just click on it and you'd get a breakdown of its six pieces: the Ago Chelsea boot, the Hampton two-button blazer, a five-button peak lapel vest, printed paisley scarf, solid long-sleeved shirt and slim-fit side-tab trousers.

It's not only the runway as lookbook, it's runway as catalog, and it will be interesting to see if men (at least those of us who are reticent to ask for help -- or driving directions) will use the looks as a general guide or buy the whole enchilada, as a kind of Garanimals for grown-up guys.

-- Adam Tschorn

Follow the Image section on Twitter

Photo: A look from the Fall/Winter 2009 John Varvatos runway show in Milan. One feature of Varvatos' new e-commerce site, which launched today, is that the pieces are merchandised together as a single "look." Credit: Peter Stigter and Jonas Gustavsson / For The Times

ZZ Top, L.A. County's Natural History Museum star in fall John Varvatos campaign

We should have guessed it was coming after the trio from Texas turned up for a 45-minute set at Varvatos' Stuart House benefit back in March, but we found out today that ZZ Top's next gig is as the collective face of John Varvatos' fall 2009 advertising campaign.

The ads were shot by Danny Clinch against a life-size buffalo diorama at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, with the campaign's creative director (YARD's Stephen Niedzwiecki) taking inspiration from the band's 1976 World Wide Texas Tour.

Go ahead, insert your own "Sharp Dressed Man" joke here. We're too busy trying to ignore the elephant in the room.

-- Adam Tschorn

Follow the Image section on Twitter

Photo: ZZ Top where the buffalo (and elephant) roam -- the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Photo credit: Danny Clinch