VAS

good evening music.

2011-11-28T19:41:00.001-08:00

on the road.

2011-11-28T19:34:00.001-08:00

what i see.

2011-11-28T18:13:00.001-08:00

HIJA Por Vida: making custom metal pieces

2011-08-16T17:48:00.000-07:00

www.hijaporvida.com

inspired by... beautiful lines.

2011-08-16T17:26:00.000-07:00

a moment in time.

2011-08-16T17:23:00.000-07:00

This song reminds me of a very particular time in my life. I love how music can do that.

inspired by... over exposure.

2011-08-16T17:19:00.000-07:00

mmmmmm, Delilah

2011-08-16T17:14:00.000-07:00

This lovely little place is one that makes you forget you're in the hustle and bustle of LA. The menu consists of salads and sandwiches and every kind of baked good you can imagine. They even serve a weekend brunch that looks delicious. (If you know me at all you know I love brunch.) When I visited I had their actual turkey-off-the-bird sandwich. So yum! And the guy behind the counter was so nice, I kick myself for not remembering his name! If you need a slow-your-roll kind of meal, I highly recommend Delilah.

Open Everyday, 7:30am - 5pm
1665 Echo Park Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90026
www.delilahbakery.com

Welcome to my window...

2011-08-15T23:26:00.000-07:00

This is my beautiful window... with my beautiful table... overlooking 5th St. DTLA.

fingerbang strike.

2011-08-15T23:01:00.000-07:00

state of mind...

2011-08-15T22:46:00.000-07:00

Native Collar + Dino Leggings

2011-08-15T22:04:00.000-07:00

Style Icon of All Time: Clara Bow Brewster

2011-08-10T20:14:00.000-07:00

The effortlessness in all that she was is unmatched amongst women in today's fashion scene. The simple bob, sleek or wild, wrapped in a mile-long scarf or smashed in a cap. Well-groomed in t-strap shoes and perfect pleated skirt or engulfed in a mishap fur and smudgy eyes... you can do no wrong Ms. Clara.

LA-based, KITTENHAWK. so beautiful.

2011-08-09T18:42:00.000-07:00

"a season in hell and illuminations" from KittinHawk on Vimeo.

VAS: SP/2012 inspiration

2011-07-11T22:18:00.000-07:00

Steve Elias 2011 NAHA entry

2011-07-11T20:06:00.000-07:00

www.steveelias.com

"Phoenix Rising" for Bunker Hill Magazine July 2011

2011-07-11T19:11:00.000-07:00

SP/2012...

2011-05-08T23:58:00.001-07:00

werkin' on it.

I AM OBSESSED.

2011-05-08T23:44:00.000-07:00

Trentemoller "Moan" @ Mezzanine SF, 2011

2011-04-27T11:32:00.000-07:00

Now this is what I call a 'moment'.

PRESSED 3/17/2011

2011-03-21T17:57:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone involved in making this evening for The Life Group LA a success. Major ups to Megan Sutherland and Talar Sabounjian; my partners in crime, TAH4 for your support and incredible talents, Gil Tamazyan and Sebastien Chevrel of Capsule Labs, Jeff Pearson and Shelly Seroussi, Barry Penland and Marissa De La Torre, Frank Meyerhofer, Aedan MacDonald, Sara Cho (my lovely assistant), the beautiful models; Romi Klinger, Ava Lisbona, Kat Londsdorf, Jessie Hail, Harper Botorowicz, Presley Strong, Kelly Vittetoe and Mearii Hayden.

Most especially i thank my Mother, Cecilia. For everything.

images courtesy of www.theprettycreatures.com
and www.nightmoves.me

the coolest weapon i know.

2011-02-28T23:29:00.000-08:00

Love Song - Elton John (Tumbleweed Connection 7 of 10)

2011-02-25T21:22:00.000-08:00

what a muse! BANG BANG!!!

2011-02-22T23:40:00.000-08:00

BANG BANG from The Brothers Bloom

through the eyes of Bruno Dayan

2011-02-22T17:39:00.000-08:00

http://www.brunodayan.com/

some of the TOP 2011 RTW ... in my humble opinion

2011-02-22T14:48:00.000-08:00

Carlos Miele

Jenny Postle

3.1 Phillip Lim

Ryan Strong

Chris Benz rtw 2011... blowing my mind!

2011-02-21T20:49:00.000-08:00

I can't get over the perfection of these silhouettes. Mad props to Benz for these incredible combos of texture and color. Here are a few of the goodies that caught my eye. xx

Chris Benz 2011

sounds of inspiration by Tennis

2011-02-20T14:24:00.001-08:00

the workshop.

2011-02-20T11:52:00.000-08:00

here is a little peek into the world of HIJA. this is where Tenderomi and Hotfloshy sit and create the samples that will go into production.

HIJA boot harness

2011-02-18T18:38:00.000-08:00

boot harnesses are a forgotten accessory that deserve to retake their place in the world of rad things to wear. fun for boys and girls!

www.tenderomi.com

2011-02-17T18:37:00.000-08:00

check out my newest project, HIJA. A jewelry and accessories collaboration with the lovely Miss Romi Klinger! COMING SOON!!!!!

all tied up at the moment.

2011-02-17T15:16:00.001-08:00

Hija by Tenderomi + Hotfloshy

2011-02-17T14:07:00.000-08:00

LADY GAGA FRANCESCO VEZZOLI TRAILER (MOCA)

2010-03-20T01:04:00.000-07:00

FOLLOW MY BLOG WITH Bloglovin...

2010-03-15T22:54:00.000-07:00

HERE

FA/2010:

2010-03-11T17:31:00.000-08:00

dreamy romance novel vs. graphic film noir

Thakoon

Hermes

Ann Demeulemeester

the FOREVER 21 dynasty...not a good look.

2010-02-25T17:19:00.000-08:00

No major corporation is perfect – all of them do some degree of polluting or pricing out smaller independent businesses or such. But forever 21 is a really nasty corporate entity, and it’s clear that a lot of people don’t understand just how bad they are, and just what they’re supporting when they pop in for a cheap blouse or dress. This is information that you should know and consider, whether or not you still choose to shop there.

Sweatshops

Most of the clothing sold by Forever 21 is made in factories here in Southern California. In 2001, a number of women who worked in those factories came to the Garment Worker Center, a local legal center helping apparel workers, alleging they were owed hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid wages. They were being paid less than minimum wage and were not paid overtime wages, but were required to work between 9 and 13 hours a day, without being allowed meal or rest breaks. They were required to work in factories that were unsafe and unsanitary, infested with cockroaches and lacking drinking water or bathrooms. After months of attempted negotiations with CEO Do Won Chang, the Asian Pacific Legal Center filed wage claims on behalf of 19 workers. (forever 21 campaign timeline, pdf)

So far, all of this is pretty standard. The GWC and APALC file hundreds, if not thousands, of wage claims every year. But what happened next was totally unexpected – CEO Do Won Chang filed suits for defamation and unfair business practices against not only the individual workers who had made wage claims, but also against the attorneys representing them. It is impossible for me to overstate how far out of the ordinary this is. This is Chang saying that when the attorneys claimed that forever 21 owed the workers unpaid wages, they made false statements with intentional malice, with the goal of harming Forever 21.

The entire Los Angeles public interest legal community freaked out. First, we needed more lawyers to represent the individual workers. Next, we needed lawyers to represent the original lawyers. The ACLU had to shut down intake to take on the case, and pretty much every legal aid organization in the area was helping pool resources to defend the organizations. Because while the defamation charges were outrageous and unfounded, and the cases were eventually dismissed because the 1^st Amendment protects the workers and their original attorneys, it took two solid years of litigation before they were dismissed.

This had a huge effect on the legal community in LA. Workers were terrified that filing wage claims would result in them being sued for defamation (and finding low-income workers confident enough to file wage claims was already an issue). The public interest legal community was not only stretched for resources but concerned that their staff would get hit with lawsuits for doing the work we do. (For example, during that time period I filed suit against the CA state welfare administration for discrimination against domestic violence victims, theoretically opening myself up to suit from them that my allegations of discrimination were libelous. Again, I can’t overstate how scary that is.)

Eventually the lawsuit was settled (settlement press release, pdf), and the amount paid out is sealed. LA now has anti-sweatshop ordinances that do a better job of preventing such conditions in the first place (as a direct result of this campaign.) But the main message of this whole story was, for me, that not only was CEO Chang content to have his workers undergo sweatshop conditions and deny them wages, he was also willing to go through four years of litigation, including coming up with new and innovative scorched earth litigation methods, to defend his right to do so.

Copyright

Forever 21 has been sued up, down, and sideways for knocking off the designs of existing designers, and thus infringing on their copyrights. Now, I know the reason a lot of people go there is to find trendy stuff at low prices, and knocking off existing designers is part of the appeal. While most of the past cases have settled (which means Forever 21 paid the designers some money), a current case may be going to a jury soon.

The Slightly Creepy Religious Aspects

You may have noticed that there is a bible citation on the bottom of every Forever 21 shopping bag. This is because the company, and CEO Chang and his wife, are strongly religious. Their designers go on Christian missions around the world and the company donates significant amounts of money to churches and Christian educational institutions.

“Mrs. Chang, who attends pre-dawn services every day and strongly encourages her vendors to do the same, makes it a point to give Christians in the industry a leg up, too. “She plucks young designers out of the companies she’s working with,” he says. “And if they’re Christian and religious, she puts them in business.” Rowena Rodriguez, a 33-year-old fashion consultant and one-time “unbeliever” who was born again with Mrs. Chang’s help, may be one of those lucky designers. “In the short time I worked with Mrs. Chang, my life was transformed, and I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior,” she recalls in an email interview. “Mrs. Chang prayed me into the Kingdom! Rodriguez says she has been approached by executives looking for the secrt to Forever 21’s phenomenal success. “I usually say, ‘If you really want to know, I’ll tell you. But you won’t believe me…The Changs love Jesus!”

Current controversy – South Central Farm land

You may have heard a bit about the South Central Farm – an urban farm and community garden in an industrial area of South LA (typically a non-white and low-income area). There was a big controversy when the land was sold, with farmers disputing the validity of the sale. There were tons of vigils around the closing, with Daryl Hannah sitting in a tree, and the whole thing was an Oscar-nominated documentary, “The Garden.”

Currently, the litigation over the sale of the land continues. But Horowitz, the man who claims he owns the land and who wants to develop it – see if this sounds familiar – filed suit against the protesters for $700,000 for “abuse of process.” Thankfully, the judge dismissed that suit quickly, but the same litigation techniques are clearly in play. Now Horowitz and Forever 21 are working out a deal to build a warehouse and distribution center on the site, despite the fact that litigation continues and ownership of the land is still very much in question. The company has threatened to pull manufacturing out of Los Angeles if they are not allowed to build on the site, and have donated nearly $1.3 million to Mayor Villaraigosa. It’s still very unclear what’s going to happen with all of this.

(reposted from http://abbyjean.tumblr.com/post/104770114/lets-talk-about-forever-21 )

Goodbye Lee McQueen

2010-02-11T12:55:00.000-08:00

sad loss of such an amazingly creative mind.

http://alexandermcqueenlive.showstudio.com/

What a Life...

2009-11-17T19:44:00.000-08:00

I just started an internship with the amazing designer, Trang Chau. Check out the following link to see what I've gotten myself into!

http://www.lesangdesbetes.com

more SP/ 2010

2009-11-07T15:18:00.001-08:00

Balmain

Celine

day dream

2009-11-07T15:13:00.000-08:00

unattached fur collars, supple lambskin anything, cropped baby-sequined jackets, flouncy tops with long sashes that wrap for days, smooshy socks with open-toe booties...

10.22.2009 Pathways to Children Fundraiser Fashion Show

2009-10-21T22:46:00.000-07:00

I'm so proud to be a part of this wonderful event!

PLEASE RSVP via Eventbrite:
http://liquidspaces.eventbrite.com

This is a fundraising fashion show to be held on Thursday, October 22nd from 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm at Arkitektura showroom in SOMA. This fashion show is sponsored by Liquid SPACES, a non-profit organization that supports emerging artists. Liquid SPACES is collaborating with Pathways to Children's Adopt-A-School in Serampore, India (suburb of Calcutta) that gives children living in extreme poverty, the opportunity to get an education. Pathways to Children is currently funding the school's operation budget and is in process of sending a school administrator from the United States there to develop curriculums and volunteer programs. The school is also doing a pilot program, bringing 6 to 8 children (ages 3-12) from the Red Light District, giving them housing (along with a counselor) and gradually integrating them with the slum children.

We are fundraising to support Liquid SPACES' Artist trip to establish an art program for the school which would help these poverty stricken and troubled children heal. This would provide them an outlet to release their emotions and integrate themselves into society.

Event Details:

Co-Hosted with Arkitektura In-Situ 560 Ninth St. San Francisco, CA (SOMA district)

Thursday October 22nd, 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm

Suggested Donation

General tickets $20

VIP $50

PLEASE PRINT OUT AND BRING YOUR CONFIRMATION AND PHOTO ID TO THE REGISTRATION TABLE ON THE EVENING OF THE EVENT. Registration opens at 5:00 pm.

Silent Auction

A silent auction will be held throughout the evening to raise funds for the Artist trip. Past Liquid SPACES' artists and friends have generously donated artwork and other items.

Buy it NOW! http://www.liquidspaces.org/auction.html You have the opportunity to buy a one of a kind art piece at a discounted price BEFORE the event. Keep checking back for new artwork and donations.

We are still looking for donations for our silent auction. If you are interested in donating, please contact colin@liquidspaces.org.

SP/ 2010 picks

2009-10-20T22:30:00.000-07:00

Kenzo

Hermes

Elie Saab

Balenciaga

LA Fashion On Broadway Presents: The Bohemian Society

2009-10-14T11:50:00.000-07:00

LA Fashion On Broadway Presents: The Bohemian Society

My talented friend Jeniluv will be throwing down the discos at this amazing event on Thursday October 15, 2009. Not to be missed!

2009-09-28T17:29:00.000-07:00

Another beautiful line up of my SP/2009 collection taken and arranged by Tara Chumpelik.

Recycled metal jewelry.

2009-09-28T16:03:00.000-07:00

One of kind pieces made from recycled metal that I manipulate using a tiny torch then hand-paint each piece to create original, wearable art

steampunk inspired

2009-09-28T12:54:00.000-07:00

DNA Collection

2009-08-25T22:01:00.000-07:00

SP/ 2009

and then it happened...

2009-08-04T23:37:00.000-07:00

boys are dressing better than girls.

something true.

2009-07-30T23:50:00.000-07:00

working on a new collection.
finally some inspiration!
tie me up, tie me up!!!

Anabatic Records Plushies by ME

2009-06-25T16:18:00.001-07:00

get these one-of-a-kind, hand-made by yours truly, ANABATIC PLUSHIES at www.anabaticrecords.com.

2009-06-08T19:06:00.000-07:00

The most recent example of my design and styling skills :)
Tara Chumpelik Photography

how fun!

2009-05-06T23:34:00.001-07:00

Find me on Polyvore

Roland Mouret...sigh

2009-04-30T19:38:00.000-07:00

My most favorite Fall 2009 collection. I love, love, OMG love the mix of fabrics and subtle reptilian texture. AND THIS COLOR PALETTE!!!! Teal and bronze and gunmetal, Oh My! Not to be overlooked is the wearability of it all. Every piece could meld seamlessly into any wardrobe.

2009-04-27T23:11:00.001-07:00

here is a quick link to my spring show:
http://academyart.edu/fashionsf09.html
better photos are on their way...

2009-03-28T10:55:00.000-07:00

working on my senior collection. i never knew i could love fabrics so much. i'm using wool with raffia woven through it from a fabulous italian company iliana discovered. my two other stand-out fabrics were sourced at the l.a. textiles show. one is a vinyl that changes color with body temperature. remember hypercolour? so cool. the other is a crazy novlety something from japan that feels like the belly of a snake. i can't wait to be finished.

recycled metal jewelry by Me

2009-03-24T15:04:00.000-07:00

i love making jewelry.
it fulfills my need for instant gratification.
made from 100% recycled metal and definitely NOT hippy.

sold exclusively at 440 Brannan Studios

Worthy IDJ Magazine article

2009-03-24T14:45:00.001-07:00

worthy IDJ Magazine article
Originally uploaded by v.salazar

i loved this wonderful opportunity to work with San Francisco based DJ, Sean "Worthy" Williams and photographer Katherine Levine for this profile spread in IDJ Magazine. i came up with the "dumpster diving for records" idea from the fact that DJ's rarely use vinyl anymore. CD's are more practical for travel and easier to replace if damaged or lost. so, where do all the records go? Sad...but it made for a great shoot theme!

VAS