Fun in Fullerton

When going out in Los Angeles, I hardly ever consider going to Fullerton. In fact, I hardly ever consider going to Orange County. But, thanks to a good friend at Element, he steered me to a great show at a fairly new gallery in Fullerton. The gallery is named Hibbleton; the artist is Chad Eaton. This show is appropriately named "Timber!", as the subject matter concentrates on the woodsman and his terrain. The presentation is fun: with skateboards, carvings, paintings and graphic t-shirts! You can even get hands-on with some of the artwork. It's a well-crafted show and worth the trek. While you are there, you can explore Fullerton too. It's a college town full of history, as it was founded in 1887. With tons of historic buildings, an Arboretum, lots of shopping and restaurants in the downtown area, there is definitely a lot more to do than I anticipated. So open your mind and your horizons! It's good to escape Los Angeles once in a while. And, if you really want to have your own adventure take the Metro.... "Timber!" will be running until May 3rd, 2009. Angie

To copy or not to copy...

Fashion week in New York showcases so many ideas. For more traditional silhouettes, you can rely on Chanel or Stella McCarthy. For a show, but perhaps a bit harder to swallow, there is the theatrical John Galliano or Alexander McQueen. For me, no one collection seemed to be a knockout for this Fall, but there were definitely nice elements within each collection. This retro 40s inspired outfit comes from Bottega Veneta. But, now comes the turmoil! I love, love, love this outfit, but the possibility of my ever really buying a runway outfit is unfortunately close to a dream. So instead I hope for an appropriate knock-off. But, when does the "copying" go too far? As reported in New York magazine, Fashion 21 may have gone too far with their knock-off of Trovata's designs. Check out the article and decide for yourself. Angie

Tickled Pink

Fashion on the runway has always been a creative energizer for me. But, my actual first recognition of fashion came in the form of a little doll named Barbie. Now, at age 50, Barbie and the New York Fashion runway become one! Mattel, the maker of Barbie, is sponsoring the New York Fashion week for three years, and they just had their runway show in February for Fall 2009. It was everything you could imagine for Barbie: big hair, fashion through the ages, and lots of pink. Although models have often been categorized as somewhat plastic, there is no doubt on this runway show that it's what they are...models embodying their plastic predecessor. Although I didn't see anything quite exciting in the fashion sense, it looked like a fun flaunt into the life of an iconoclast that has inspired so many little girls to dress up and be seen. Angie