THINKING OF YOU . . . AND ME

Well, it's November and you Angelenos know what that means . . . It's practically Fall--which in the rest of the world means, it's practically Christmas. or Chanukah. Or Kwanzaa. Really, Thanksgiving. I.e., the season of gift-giving.

So, rather than post-poning present shopping until the last possible minute, we've decided to start thinking about possible lagniappes for our loved ones. Instead of coming up with another ridiculously heavy coffee table book (one year my mother & father requested that I never ever buy them another art book for fear that the coffee table might shatter under the weight of yet another photo-painting-curosity-survey hardcover), this year I've decided to pick out presents that my peeps might actually enjoy, where they get to partake in their favorite activities. Who needs another trinket or bauble to regift come birthday season in April when you could have a monthly pass to the Silent Movie Theatre?

As some of you may know, my old pal Professor Burns is a world class chef so I was thinking that I might buy her a class at the super duper chic Hipcooks, here in Lalaland this Xmas. Hipcooks has an amazing array of classes that cover cuisine from the Farmer's Market to France with multi-culti cute names like Shortcut to Nirvana (Indian) and Turning Japanese (duh). And, after honing her hash-slinging skills, I'm sure she'll want to show them off by cooking me a fantastic meal, making the gift a present for two. With me as one of the ones.

Of course, now that I've gone and let the cat of the bag, I may have ruined the surprise. Shhhhhhhhhh, don't tell . . .



For further information on Class Descriptions & Schedule, Private Instruction, & Gift Certificates, please visit:

http://www.hipcooks.com/

Hipcooks West: 2833 S. Robertson Blvd.

Hipcooks East: 642 Moulton Ave. (at The Brewery Downtown)

NOT JUST FOR HIPPIES . . .

Tie-dye: it's come a long way since your junior high school best friend convinced you to wrap rubber bands around your favorite t-shirts and soak them in Kool-Aid to look just like her older sister, who had dropped out of high school to sell grilled cheese sandwiches in Arena parking lots of Grateful Dead shows.

Actually, tie-dying is a process that predates the psychadelic 60s by hundreds of years. The earliest survivng tie-dyed textiles are from Peru and date from approximately 500-800 AD. The japanese dying process of Shibori elevates the form to high-art and has been practiced since the 8th century. Shibori includes an elaborate process of stitching elaborate patterns and then gathering the stitching or binding the fabric around a core of rope or wood in order to create patterns of undyed fabirc against intricate dyeing design schemes.

All this to say that tye-dye has a long history of equisite craftsmanship and design well beyond the contemporary notion of the traditional garb of a Burning Man attending back-to-the-lander. Take for example, this tie-dyed Fendi large baguette tote from the Spring 2008 collection. Large lacing detailing draws on the bohemian ideal often associated with tye-die but the soft and supple leather and sophisticated take on a sorbet color palette make this handbag more bling than Beatnik.

***Fendi Spring 2008 Large Tie-dyed Baguette Bag. In next-to-new condition! Priced at $1250. Typically, the large baguettes with the lacing retail from $2100-$2500.

for further information or to purchase, please contact: thegang@decadestwo

HELL NO, WE WON'T GO . . .

On the eve of such change and progress witnessed in the presidential election, we were devastated at the passing of Propostion 8 in California--a horrific blow to the civil rights of both golden State residents and US citizens across the map.

Whenever fundamental civil rights are denied, no matter the demographic at hand, we are all affected in that whenever civil liberties are usurped, it eats away at the fabric of our country--a fabric woven from freedom, justice and equanimity. In allowing inequality to exist, we make negotiable what should be the inalienable rights of all of the citizens of this country to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

This afternoon, some members of the Decadestwo family joined a No on H8TE Rally in West Los Angeles. Here are some photographs in our struggle to fight the good fight!

TO OUR SHAGREEN . . .

I could just about die! I need a whole lotta Alaia! Especially these chagreen ballet flats. I mean have your e.v.e.r.

Me n.e.i.t.h.e.r.

Shagreen is a hide created from sharks and rays, which has an unusually grandualted surface. The name derives from the french chagrin meaning annoyance, no doubt referring to the resped surface of the skin. In addition to being a luxury material, shagreen is also used on the handles of swords and daggers in order to prevent slipperiness.

And hey, we love a nything that can go from runway to alleyway and have looking chic no matter which way we turn!

*Alaia shagreen ballet flat with grosgrain trim. New in box. Originally retailed for $1764 and priced at $900.

Nude Available in a size 36.

Black available in a size 37.

For further information or to purchase, please contact: thegang@decadestwo.com

AIRY FAIRY!

Deviant behavior at Prada . . . we just love it. Miuccia's Spring 2008 collection marked a departure from Prada's signature 50s garden party chic and turned a dark dark corner. We adore a drak corner. Especially with a cocktail.

For this collection, Miuccia turned away from usual housefrau muse and turner to some half goth/half flapper/half seventies rock & roll runaway who doodles fairies and pixie dust all over her stolen guitar case.

You know, the girl who wore pajamas all day long and smoked cigarettes on line at the bank with her shoulders wrapped in a hand-made crocheted afgan. The girl who recieved handwritten love letters from Nick Drake that smelled of vetiver or gasoline.

You know you love her too. She's probably responsible for sneaking you out of the house for your first Kate Bush concert . . .

Now ladies, inherit her wardrobe, inherit the wind . . .

*Prada white cheongsam fairy blouse with black silk piping. Available in a size 46. New with tags. Originally retailed for $1555 and priced at $800.

**Prada white silk fairy trouser pants. Avialble in a size 44. New with tags. Originally retailed for $tktk and priced at $.

***Prada sheer silk fairy top with petal panels at the shoulders. Available in a size 40. New with tags. Originally retailed for $$2280 and priced at $1160.

For further information or to purchase, please contact: thegang@decadestwo.com

STAFF PICK: Professor Burns

Staff Member: Professor Burns

On the Decks: Creative Visualization by Shakti Gawain, & Product of the 80s by Prodigy, BigTwins & UnPacino

Star Sign: Cancer

Pick: ***Louis Vuitton red rubber polka dot skirt

Et Pourqouis: Nothing says loving like an LV latex skirt! Porno Chic!

Can Be Seen At: FIELD: A Movement Workshop in the Territory & Mindset of Space

Every Saturday in November from 2:00 - 4:30 pm

$150 for the whole shebang/$40 per class

(orchidmoves@earthlink.net)

Wouldn't Be Caught Dead: A Jonas Brother's Concert or on the tennis courts after dark

***Louis Vuitton Red Rubber Polka Dot Skirt. Available in a size 36 for $1100. In next-to-new condition!

Johnson & Johnson's Baby Powder (Trust Sister Bear . . . $1.99 @ most Walgreen's)

For further information or to purchase, please contact: thegang@decadestwo.com

EASY BEIN' GREEN!

Ok, so we know that purple was the jewel tone oft spotted sashaying down the runway, but lady, we'd rather take a trip to Emerald City. That's right Mary. Let all those other shrinking violets fade away like a bad memory, we're here to kick ass Jade Fox style. So, we've thrown up a couple of our chlorophyll choices. I mean hey, why not soldify your committment to going green than with with semi-couture?

*YSL signature velvet & silk skirt suit. In a size 42 and priced at $1300. In next-to-new condition!

**Ralph Lauren Purple Label velvet dress with mesh ballerina skirt. In a size 8. New with tags. originally retailed for $4800 and priced at $2400.

For further information or to purchase, please contact: thegang@decadestwo.com

THIS JUST IN . . .

Dossier, our favorite new lifestyle magazine's second issue was just shelved in the stacks of your favorite newstand. This issue promises to be a feast for the mind, heart & eye featuring a Zac Posen-directed homage to Yves Saint Laurent starring Posen pal Paz de la Huerta, photography from image icon Steephen Shore and culinary directions from Mario Batali. Delish!

www.dossierjournal.com

RUN, DON'T WALK . . .

Yesterday . . . all my troubles seemed so far away. That's 'cuz I was yuking it up at the opening of the Vanity Fair portraiture exhibit at the LACMA! The exhibit juxtaposes the rare vintage prints of the magazine early years with works from the publication's contemporary issues in order to examine the way in which celebrity and photography have interacted over the past century. The show, which makes it's only US stop, here in town, showcases snaps from Cecil Beaton, Imogen Cuunningham, man Ray, Mary Ellen Mark, & Annie Leibowitz. And of course, it wouldn't be a Vainty Fair without Helmut Newton.

From October 26th, 2008 - March 1st, 2009

Los Angeles County Museum of Art

5905 Wilshire Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90036

323.857.6000

Put your money where your mouth is, Mary!

I wonder whose lever Christos will be pulling come November . . . let's look to the LA TIMES for answers, shall we. This little ditty was posted on the LA TIMES Image section online, written by one of the most tenacious and fashion forward of LA Style Scribes, Emili Vesilind.

All The Rage -->
« Gap leaves the politics to you Main
Sarah Palin shops resale in real life
Sarah Palin's $150,000 campaign wardrobe has been dominating the news the last two days, but off the campaign trail, it seems the folksy politico isn't a Neiman's shopper -- she regularly peruses the racks at designer resale store Out of the Closet in Anchorage (ironic, considering her stance on gay marriage).
Wearing discounted Valentino and Versace still doesn't put Palin in the financial realm of an "everyday American," but it's a step down from the spanking-new designer threads she's been sporting on the trail.
Retailer Christos Garkinos recently hosted the owners of the Alaskan store at Decadestwo, the designer resale store he co-owns with Cameron Silver in Los Angeles. "I was saying that Alaska's been in the news a lot, and they said that Palin shops at their store all the time," he said. The Out of the Closet owners ended up "buying a ton of stuff," but the L.A. retailer -- a staunch Sen. Barack Obama supporter who recently married his longtime partner -- said he was so skeeved out at the thought of Palin wearing clothes bought from his store, he donated 100% of the sales to the Obama campaign.
A salesperson at Out of the Closet in Anchorage (no connection to the charitable thrift store chain of the same name) confirmed that Palin is a regular customer, but declined to discuss her sartorial predilections. I'm guessing skirt suits.
-- Emili Vesilind

DECADESTWO MEN'S WEAR HITS HAUTELOOK.COM TODAY!

OMG, MARY . . . today is the day to get your man a little something special for Christmas, Chanukkah, Kwanzaa, his brithday if he's Capricorn . . . you name the occasion, we've got the garment. And frankly, most of the men we know have wardrobe's that need a woman's touch. Otherwise he'd still be wearing that Starter jacket from 1989, know what I'm sayin'? Holler.

Check out the goods on Hautelook.com!

CROCODILE ROCK!

Our favorite skin to be in this Fall is crocodile--for sure. There's something about the colder months that demands accesories in a thicker skin with texture, cast in deep rich colors. Here's our favorite handbags for Fall: one* has a timeless classic shape & style, the other** is any boho babies' piece de resistance. Either way you'll be on top of the the trend. for further information or to purchase, please contact: thegang@decadestwo.com After While Crocodiles . . .

* Gucci Cherry Crocodile Handbag. Priced at $3750.

**B Romanek Chocolate Crocodile Handbag with Chain Strap Detailing. Priced at $1000.

Patrick McMullan @ the LACMA

This just in . . . Patrick McMullen will join the Costume Council, in kicking off their 55th season at the LACMA tonight, October 14th, at 7:00 pm. A longtime photojounalist for numerous publications including Vogue, the New York Times, & Harper's Bazaar, McMullan's camera has captured the chicest celebs for the past three decades. The famed fashion fotog will give a talk on his experience in the fashion world, followed by a signing of his new book "Glamour Girls". Apparently, a few unnamed glitterati guests will be joining McMullan. We wonder who will be in the house?

LACMA

5905 Wilshire Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90036

Tix for Council Members: $25

Tix for Non-council Members: $50

DECADESTWO MEN'S ON HAUTELOOK.COM

Ooooooooh, have we got the best schwag for all of our mens and the ladies who love them . . . We're throwing all of the best Menswear we could get our hands on up on Hautelook.com on Thursday October 16th! we've got garb from from Prada to Neil Barrett to YSL to Ralph Lauren to Martin Margiela--you get the idea. We've been in the business of making you ladies look fabulous for so long, now it's time to make sure what you've got underneath your arm is just as smooth!

BEST IN SHOW: Our Favorite Frocks From the Runways

Like sugared up tweens at a Jonas Brother's concert, we've gone cuckoo for coco puffs for Wolfgang Joop's flightly and fancy free approach to fashion. We've had enough somber seriousness, fashion should shake it up and work it out. Who better to cheer us up, to show us some a little hope, that CHANGE is the only solution? Here's a few of our favorite looks from the show:

PARRRRRRRRRRRRRRTAY!

This Just In . . . Front Street Boutique in Echo Park to host avant-garde designers, Endovanera's Fall 2008 retail collection launch party. The event will also showcase the stylings of LA designers 1541 (jewelry), Ladyboy (shoes), and Cerre (bags), house the musical madness of Dave Orlando and flaunt installation art by Ishi & Chris. Of course, cocktails will be provided . . . 

Fashion's Funny Man

Sach Baron Cohen aka Borat , donned a new alter-ego for Fashion week in italy. After crashing the runway at Iceberg, (Naughty and after weeks of preperation and back-breaking work, kinda not so nice), our sources tell us that Bruno was denied access to Versace and instead of causing a scene inside the show, the comedian played high-sterics to hilt, frantically making phone calls and trying to get into into the show. With a gigantic camera crew in tow. Hhmmm . . .