Los Angeles: Divine Design 2012 Offers Great Shopping for a Great Cause

 

 Save the Date Savvy Shoppers in Los Angeles! The 2012 edition for Project Angel Food's super  Divine Design sale has officially been announced.  The sale will kick-off to the general public after Thanksgiving  in Los Angeles with General Shopping Days from  Dec. 1 to 3.    This unique shopping extravaganza offers fabuless fashion, home, beauty and gift items at 50-90% off. Check their website for details and tickets at Divine by Design.  Be sure to get the $10.00 off discount coupon  offered on the website page. Click here for details for details about the Gala Opening Event and VIP shopping party. Divine Design will kick off on Thursday, November 29th with an Opening Night Rock ‘n’ Roll Party which will be held inside the Divine Design Marketplace at 9900 Wilshire Boulevard (the former Robinson’s May building).  Designers David Meister and Project Runway's Mila Hermanovski will be featured in the opening festivities. Mila will co-hosts Divine Design’s VIP Cocktail Shopping Party on Nov. 29th at 6:00 pm in the marketplace. The sale benefits a cause that is near and dear to my heart: Project Angel Food. Project Angel Food is a free meal-delivery program that serves men, women and children debilitated by HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other life-threatening illnesses throughout Los Angeles County. The program literally brings nourishment to the needy.  Next week the sale will bring retail nourishment to holiday shoppers looking for a bargain.  Over 200 designers will contribute to this year's sale including:  David Meister, BCBG, LAMB, Ports 1961, Trina Turk and many more.

The sale features men's clothing (Ted Baker), children's clothes, toys, plus designer brands favored by savvy shoppers everywhere.  Another key attraction of the sale is top of the line skincare products offered by Kiehl's.  Last year the Kiehl's products seemed to sell out in a hot minute.  Kate Sommerville beauty products will also be featured.  A new addition to this year's sale is a technology area sponsored by Time Warner cable.  Time Warner Cable (TWC) is sponsoring a rock ‘n’ roll-inspired Signature Home Lounge outfitted with guitar wall fixtures, cobalt carpet, gunmetal walls and modern technology twists.  Attendees will be able to participate in Social Media activities from the lounge by blogging, post or tweet, their messages which will them be displayed in the big lounge for all to see. If you haven' t shopped this sale before, remember the prices are reduced more each day of the sale, with the last day having the lowest, or final clearance prices.  The only issue with going the last day is there may not be the best selection or everything, but on the other hand, you won't have the all the temptations either. For more information, visit the Divine Design Website.

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City Target Opens in Los Angeles at Fig and 7th

The new City Target Store Open to a Festive Reception of Seventh and Fig

Target  previewed their new store opening last week in Los Angeles to press and VIPS.  The store will officially open to consumers on Oct. 17th in  Downtown Los Angeles at Seventh & Figueroa. The Target in Downtown LA will be part of a new retail area called 7thandFig featuring shops and restaurants.

CityTarget will offer commuters, tourists and urban dwellers the convenience of one-stop shopping with urban living essentials, on-trend fashions and exclusive designer collections. The Beverly Connection store will create approximately 200 local jobs and will provide a convenient one-stop shopping option for this busy central Los Angeles area. Target currently operates 58 stores in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

The Downtown Los Angeles Central CityTarget will be the second of three (Beverly Connection, Westwood & DTLA)  CityTarget stores opening in Los Angeles. The store’s grand opening is Sunday, Oct. 14.  That’s good news for all the folks living in downtown where there is not a convenient big grocery store or big box retail store.

Los Angeles Restaurant Review: Zane's at the Beach, Delicious Food at the Right Price

There’s seems to be a myth in Los Angeles that all the best restaurants are in West LA, Santa Monica or Beverly Hills, and that the trade off for great food is an expensive bill.  While it’s true that Los Angeles boasts many fine restaurants north of LAX, there are a few overlooked gems in South Bay.  Zane’s Restaurant in Hermosa Beach is a culinary delight offering great service, delicious food and the atmosphere of a family run restaurant like you might find in Europe.  Seating is small and intimate and you can expect that at any time, the owner and chef Zane or his wife, might stop by your table to ask how you are enjoying the food.  The menu includes seafood classics like fried calamari, Ahi tuna tartar (lightly seasoned with a twist of citrus), pesto shrimp and a show stopping spicy Cioppino ( a light touch of red pepper gives the fresh seafood just the right accent.)  They also offer lightly grilled Chilean Sea Bass brushed with olive oil and spices as well as perfectly cooked steaks.  I was lucky enough to try all these dishes at a recent blogger “Taste and Tweet” dinner.  The panel of tasters at this seven course dinner included the host of Food Network's Extreme Chef  TV show, Marsh Mokhtari,  SassySEO.com founder Kristin Rohan, DeathbedFood founder Diane Wagner,  Jacqueline Howard of the Hermosa Beach Patch plus writers from the Daily Breeze and the Easy Reader.  It was a unanimous thumbs-up on the Zane's tasting menu from this esteemed panel of epicurious, social media experts. We found each course well prepared and flavorful, without processed additives from a can or heavy sauces.

Pictured: Zane's epic Cioppino.

But how is the restaurant when the team of press and reviewers isn’t there to perform for? That's the real test. I returned to Zane’s a few weeks ago to find out and to talk to other dinners.  The answer is the quality of the food at Zane's is consistently good, even during the cheap and cheerful “Social Media” Happy Hour where appetizers are priced from $5.00 to $9.00.  I asked visiting New Yorker, and fellow dinner Victoria Renner, for her opinion of Zane’s.  Ms. Renner was impressed by the “ light and delicious fare and the atmosphere -- it is both warm and upscale.  Zane's reminds me of 'inoteca- one of my favorite restaurants on the Lower East Side of New York City.” That's quite a compliment for Zane's as 'inoteca is one of the hottest spots in New York at the moment, lauded by Gourmet for their "easy going Italian fare."  Zane's definitely has a similar easy going neighborhood vibe plus the Italian fare.

Pictured: The Ahi Tuna Tartar has just the right touch of sesame and citrus.

Other highlights at Zane’s include the homemade bread derived from a family recipe for pizza dough, the blood orange martini, the cucumber mint martini (perfect for fashionistas) and homemade Tiramisu.  For those looking for simpler fare, the burger and sweet potato fries is simply delicious.  The only word of caution I must offer about Zane’s is that the restaurant is a small space, so you may wish to call for reservations before you drive to the beach for dinner.  Even if you have to brave LA traffic, Zane’s makes the trip worthwhile.

Get Your Shop On: Fashion's Night Out Activities for Los Angeles Announced

Get ready, Fashion's Night out is gearing up for Sept. 7th through Sept. 10th. around the world.  This is the celebration of shopping dreamed up by Vogue editor Anna Wintour to offer special shopping deals right before New York Fashion Week.  Remember last year, Anna was down at Macy's Queen's shilling lipstick to promote budget fashion ? :)  This year the world wide celebration of shopping continues. In response to last year's success, retailers nationwide have joined this year's FNO, sponsored by QVC.  There will be celebrations in New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Portland and more.

Here on the left coast a full range of celebrations is planned to stimulate the Los Angeles fashion industry. "The event will showcase the creative talent -- behind the 5,000 fashion lines located here -- who are constantly inventing fresh, new ways to express the diversity and culture of our great city through their designs", says Mayor Anthony Villaraigosa. So get ready to get your shop on! On Sept. 10 from Venice's fashionable Abbott Kinney shops, to the Beverly Center, to Melrose Ave. let fashion ring with Fashion's Night Out Los Angeles!

 Last year, I celebrated at Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills.  This year, I may stop in at Armani and all the other retailers on Rodeo, plus The Grove for the Blogger's Cafe with my fellow stylistas.   Here are the festivities that have been announced.

In Los Angeles:

- Giorgio Armani Los Angeles (436 N. Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, 310-271-5555 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 310-271-5555 end_of_the_skype_highlighting): Acclaimed actor Samuel L. Jackson hosts an exhibition of his favorite red carpet looks and discusses his Armani odyssey with fashion expert Steven Cojocaru. 6:30-8:30pm

- Emporio Armani Los Angeles (9533 Brighton Way, Bevelry Hills,( 310-271-7790): Star DJs Super Mash Bros. spin an explosive set of music and video mash-ups.  8:30-10:00pm

Giorgio Armani will also be supporting this project around the world by  hosting a series of events and cocktail parties in Paris, Milan, New York, Los Angeles and Asia. In a global initiative to promote retail, restore consumer confidence, and celebrate fashion, Giorgio Armani and  International editions of VOGUE are coordinating evening activities in heir respective world fashion capitals. Fashion's Night Out is a global celebration of shopping under the leadership of VOGUE, and will be taking place in sixteen different countries internationally this September. That's an amazing amount of shopping going on one night.

Cirque Du Chanel: Peter Philips, Global Creative Director of CHANEL Makeup, has created an exclusive collection of nail polish called Les Khakis de CHANEL. Visitors to the CHANEL Boutique on Rodeo Drive will have the chance to receive a manicure at a dedicated nail bar featuring limited edition shades Le Vernis Nail Colours -- Khaki Vert, Khaki Rose and Khaki Brun.

FashionTwoPointOh! Blogger's Cafe at The Grove : September 10th will see Los Angeles' newly formed coaliton of style Bloggers celebrate their first ever official Fashion's Night Out from 7pm-9pm at a central hub at The Grove. The new group, formed by Los Angeles blogger Kelsi Smith, Director of Special Programs Social Marketing at Fashion LA Inc. ,supports Los Angeles bloggers on a local level. Can you even imagine how many Tweets will emanate from The Grove of Sept.10 will FashionTwoPointOh! unites? To follow all the happens, check out FashionTwoPointOh on Twitter.

Alphabet Soup: Tod's and Ferragamo will unveil must haves for Hollywood's A-List. Salvatore Ferragamo celebrates recently named creative director, Massimiliano Giornetti's first women's collection. The centerpiece will be the launch of the highly anticipated W bag. Just down the street, Tod's launches a limited edition version of the brand's signature G-Bag in the newly re-designed Tod's Beverly Hills "home" and private VIP lounge designed by Oscar-winning set designer Dante Ferretti.

A Good Cause: Two Rodeo hosts a night of shopping and giving with live entertainment on the Via Rodeo and a luxury silent auction, benefiting lifesaving medical support for Daisy Love Merrick, www.prayfordaisy.com, a local girl heroically battling cancer. Bottega Veneta will support V-Day, a global movement to stop violence against women and girls, with 10% of the proceeds from FNO being donated.

Arts and Culture: Coach will feature whimsical, LA-based artist, Louise Chen, who will use Coach's limited edition Fashion's Night Out tote as her canvas to create completely customized and off the cuff creations. The jewelry house of Mikimoto will celebrate authentic Japanese culture with New York-based calligraphy artist, Masako Inkyo, who will demonstrate magnificent Japanese calligraphy.

The Beverly Center: The Beverly Center (BVC) mall will serve as central hub for the City's official Fashion's Night Out celebration, hosting the opening ceremony as well as multiple fashion shows and parties throughout the mall's retail stores. Grammy Award-winning singer of the Black Eyed Peas, Will.i.am will be co-hosting the official Opening Ceremony at the Beverly Center at 5pm alongside Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Vogue's Lisa Love. Fashion's Night Out at the Beverly Center is open to the public with free self parking from 4-10pm. Their major events that evening include star-studded large-scale fashion shows on the 6th floor Center Court, Bloomingdale's Men Suiting Event, and Macy's "Denim Rocks" fashion show hosted by Vogue's Senior West Coast Editor, Lisa Love.

Diamonds: Tiffany partners with Vogue and Fashion Group International for the West Coast launch of the new Tiffany Yellow Diamond collection.

To get all the details on Fashion's Night Out Los Angeles go to http://www.fno.lacity.org and click on each registered retailer's name to be directed their websites. Updates are also available at the Twitter @fnolosangeles. Now, here's the important bit about the savings and the deals. There is shopping incentive for everyone September 10 to shop. There will be limited edition sales, incentive sales, gift with purchase, celebrity appearances, DJs, gallery installations, custom fashion design opportunities, free manicures and spa services autograph sessions, giveaways, gift bags, photo booths, celebrity hosts and much more.

Note, no mater what coast you are on, you can realize shopping savings with your American Express Card. Starting August 30, American Express Card members will be able to register their cards online at http://www.americanexpress.com/entertainment to receive a $100 statement credit when they spend $500 or more at participating retailers, including Tory Burch, DVF, Intermix, Theory, Helmut Lang, and Domenico Vacca during Fashion's Night Out and get their shop at a discount.

For more information on Fashion's Night Out Events around the US, and around the world, click here.