For anyone not around in the 1960’s, the term “Mod” doesn’t necessarily mean anything.  When I grew up it was often used to refer to avant-garde fashionable types.  We used the term when describing the appearance of cool or chic people who usually dressed all in black, with crisp and structured lines, sleek haircuts and black sunglasses.  Very London.  So it’s not a surprise that the term came about in the 1960’s in London amongst cliques of London youngsters who had inclinations toward new fashions, slim-cut Italian fashions and modern jazz.  But now there’s a new meaning to Mod and it’s actually an acronym for “Model off Duty”.  What does this mean?  It means that when you walk out the door you look so chic it’s break taking but the look is so unassuming it’s as if you didn’t even bother to look in the mirror.  And why on earth would you look in the mirror after all?  You’re paid the big bucks because you’re gorgeous.  Think Kate Moss, Bianca Brandolini d’Adda, Lily Donaldson, Agyness Deyn,  and Caroline Trentini.   

Model Lily Donaldson

Now for the rest of us earthly creatures, we must rely on subterfuge, stylist tips and tricks, and down-right scrappy ingenuity to achieve the MOD look.   But chickies you can, if you want to.  It’s not necessarily about being a stunning beauty, although having 180 cm of almost all leg really doesn’t hurt.  As I’ve said before, it’s how you carry yourself, your confidence in being a woman, and a dedication to understanding silhouettes and design.  With these things you can achieve a MOD look.  Some of my favorite suggestions for Spring 2009 follow.  And by the way, a lot of these looks don’t need to be uber high fashion, head down to Santee Alley, The FIDIM store in downtown L.A., rifle the sale jewelry box at Banana Republic, shop the discount stores online – Looking MOD is much easier when you’ve a huge checking account but by no means does it require you to be a millionaire.  Case in point, check out the youngsters that attend FIDIM in downtown L.A.  Trust me, these kids rarely have a couple of dimes to rub together and they can pull MOD off. 

Claudia Endler Wide Cuff www.claudiaendler.com

Chunky bangles.  Think African- or Asian-inspired.  And layer them.  I love thick wire bangles that you can stack.  Check out bangles at Tejani or Claudia Endler.  Tejani has super small sizes too for you tiny girls.

Looking to be brave?  If your physique can carry it off…mix patterns.  Some of the most chic outfits I’ve ever seen are mixed patterns. 

Block patterns – Look for color block prints that are layered in funky ways.  Where to find these?  Check out stores such as Zara, H&M and Forever 21.

Gucci Spring 2009

Crazy shoes – crazy heels!  Okay this is the time to indulge in off-the-hook high heels and funky shoes.   Work it while it’s hot.  One of these days we’ll go back to boring and boring (hopefully not).  And for the sake of your ankles as well as for making the MOD look appear credible, learn to walk in massive heels, or you’ll ruin the effect.

To look super chic and very  Balenciaga, flaunt clothing with zipper accents.  Very 1980’s punk and new wave.  Oh Hello WHAM!

www.bananarepublic.com

Big necklaces.  Make a statement!  Layer multiple long strands or short strands for a Coco Chanel feel.  But don’t forget to do what she used to do before going out – Remove one piece of jewelry.   For layering options check out the May Yeung Spring 2009 Collection, classic and timeless, you can mix and match these babies for multipe ROI.

How do you look gorgeous and chic in this economy? I was thinking about that as I read a VOGUE article. It featured a group of Manhattan “It” girls and their “swap party”. Which by the way, this is one awesome way to save money for Girl’s Night Out – Grab 10-15 friends, set a theme for the food (like Italian or Tapas), and ask the girls to bring food and wine for a potluck dinner. Then ask each friend to bring a seriously viable fashion piece that they are willing to swap out. Ladies, this excludes the platform shoes that you wore in high school and you want to ditch after you did your closet Spring cleaning this year. I’m talking truly fashionable and viable. Consider setting a price point as well. This is best to do with friends with wardrobes that are fairly well-stocked and who happen to have similar lifestyles, otherwise you run the risk of no one swapping anything out!

Anyhow, after reading this article, I was struck by the incredible difference in how people view saving money, or cutting back in this economy.   For instance it seemed like such a “wow” factor to the “It” girls that they were swapping out a Balenciaga for a Maison Martin Margiela versus most women cutting back on a weekly man-pedi.  It all comes down to your individual hedonistic barometer I guess!

Balenciaga Jacket

In general I’m always so appreciative of the lengths that women will go to preserve their beauty and fashion regimens. Another funny result of the recession – Did you know that plastic surgery is down but dermatologist procedures such as Botox are up? Makes sense – It’s cheaper to get stabbed by botulism in a syringe than get a facelift. Hmmm…they are really roughing it. At the risk of continuing this thread and sounding judgmental (odd for this blog, right?), here are my top ten tips to save money a la Recessionista:

1. Facials: Rather than spending $150+ at the local beauty salon, buy a mud masque from your favorite brand. I love the Intelligence Exfoliating Masque from Arbonne, Borghese’s Fango Active Mud mask and The Body Shop’s Warming Mineral Mask. Or make one at home:

a. General Moisturizing: To moisturize, take half an avocado, half a carrot (cooked and shredded), three tablespoons of organic, unsweetened yogurt, and a teaspoon of finely chopped parsley. Mix all the ingrediants, let them sit for 5-10 minutes and then apply for 10 minutes. Rinse with warm water, apply a toner and moisturizer.

b. Oily Skin: Mix ½ cup of crushed strawberries with ½ cup of organic, unsweetened yogurt. Let sit in the fridge for a ½ hour. Apply for 20 minutes and rinse.

c. Dry Skin: One banana, one tablespoon organic honey and a few drops of fresh lemon. Blend together and apply for 15 minutes, then rinse.

OPI Cuticle Oil

2.  Nails: Yep. It’s a no-brainer, and super easy. Do your own nails. Just fit it into your TV schedule – TIVO and nails baby! I recommend the cuticle oil from OPI and their Avoplex hand and foot cream.

3. Spa Experience: Rather than going to the spa, do your own body treatments. Grab some salt, mix with almond oil or your favorite lotion – Voila! You have a salt scrub. You can do the same by the way with sugar. I like to mix a little bit of sugar in my Philosophy liquid soap. Want something more relaxing? Soak in the tub. This seems to have become a lost art. Find some candles, put on some awesome music and soak until you prune sistah! I love to do this with an engaging book. Only problem is that my cat keeps interrupting me by falling into the tub…what is it that they say about curiosity killing the cat? Was curiosity’s name Viviana Rueda by any chance?

4.Facial Peels: I can’t go without my exfoliating peel. Not only is it insanely reasonably priced but it keeps any breakouts at bay and keeps my skin looking fresh. I also like Clinique’s Turn-Around Radiance peel.

Clinique Turnaround Radiance Peel

5. Hair Cuts and Color: If you’ve a $250/per month highlight habit, well this may be a tough one for you. The rest of you can consider color out of a bottle (oh my God! How 1960’s!). Seriously there are some great products out there and they are mostly under $15! Consider visiting your local Vidal Sassoon or Paul Mitchell school. Did you know you can get a haircut for under $25 from a stylist with YEARS of experience? I know who you can do this with….Just email me if you are interested because if I put his name on the world wide web he’ll probably kill me!  Contact me via our “About” page on our blog.  Needless to say, there are many talented individuals teaching at these salon schools and they can cut just as good as your $175 person.

6. Staying in Shape: Not everyone is a runner. If you are…well, it’s free, get out and hit the pavement, what do you need a $100+ gym membership for chickie? Not a fan of running? Hop onto Amazon.com and buy yourself some yoga, mat pilates or weight lifting videos. You really can workout at home, and you won’t need to “look good” while working out at home so don’t worry about blowing money on your workout clothes!

7. Shopping: Rule number one – never buy something that isn’t on sale. In this economy you have to be patient. Just sit back and wait. It’ll go on sale. And hop onto sites like Ideeli, and Gilt. If you are fashion obsessed and really insist on that level of shopping, why on earth would you pay full retail? You need to be invited to get into these online shopping communities.  So suck up to your favorite fashionista for an invite.  She’ll be a member, I promise you.

8. More on Shopping: Work it online girls! There are so many online sales going on right now! Make sure you check out coupon sites like Retail Me Not.

9. Shoes: Do you live in Los Angeles? Hit up Santee Alley for cool and trendy shoes. Don’t pay fashion designer prices for goodness sake, they are TRENDS, aka those shoes won’t stay in style for the long term so why invest in them? But please stay away from the fakes, buying fake brands is bad Karma girlfriends.

10. Dry Cleaning: If you are on a budget stop buying fabrics that are “Dry Clean Only”. There are billions of fabulous fabrics out there that you can hand wash or machine wash and they look chic too.

Have an awesome Recessionista tip or trick ?  Share your favorites in our comments box – Giving is getting – Pay it forward!

How to Use the “Bag Inside the Bag” Concept

Have you ever stood patiently (or not in my case) behind a woman at the checkout stand while she rifles through her purse desperately seeking her wallet, or seen a woman dig through her purse for a business card, phone, etc, etc, etc. Been there – Annoying as it can be I feel like pulling her aside and saying “bag inside bag, lady!” What does this mean you ask? Well, since we women have a penchant for carrying fabulous bags that sometimes happen to be the size of trash bags, well then you must find an efficient form of organization to make that bag work it! So, my recommendation is the “bag inside the bag”. Anything smaller than a book, needs a bag is the basic theory.

Empty everything out of your big purse (handbag) and see what needs to be organized. Ever lose your keys in your purse? Well, if your bag doesn’t have key hooks or key clips (which the best ones in my opinion are Bartucci and JAMAH), then either always place your keys into the small zipper pocket or designate another small bag for the keys. Make this a habit and you’ll never dig for your key, which by the way is one of the first things a mugger looks for when a woman is walking through a parking lot, oh and long hair. I know, sad, but I guess it’s easier to hold a woman by her pony tail when mugging her.  I digress. Back to bags. Need cool key holders? Check out the Monogram Vernis at Luis Vuitton-the Red is HOT.

JAMAH Interior w/2 large side pockets & key ring

Next, what else do you have roaming around in your bag? Your iPhone? Your Blackberry? Darling, if it’s not a vintage bag it should, I repeat, should have designated pockets for these life treasures (the iPhone and Crackberry that is). Now if you happen to have a fabulous bag from the eighties you are out of luck and what I’d recommend is that you protect your iPhone and Crackberry with a nice (I mean not Barbie glitter-studded) protective cover or phone case to keep it from getting ravaged as it free flows through your purse. Most high-end designers have a multitude of phone cases to choose from as do the manufacturers themselves.

Cosmetics – Time to update your cosmetics bag. First, make sure that it has plastic lining so that when makeup splatters, spills, etc. (because you know it does) then it doesn’t ruin everything in your bag. Every high-end handbag designer line has a multitude of cosmetics bags. Want a Recessionista tip? Scan the cosmetics departments for the gift with purchase promotions.  Everything is on sale these days so charm one of the cosmetics girls and get yourself a lovely free or practically-free cosmetics bag. Can’t be bothered to go into the department store? Hit up your local Riteaid or SaveOn. They’ve a ton of cheap and functional cosmetic bags. Personally I like the heavy duty see-through SOHO acrylic bags because they are awesome for travel.

Loose change – I’m going to go loose-change Nazi on you. For goodness sakes, get a little change bag.

Michael Kors Coin Purse

You know you need it. Especially if you live in the Westside of Los Angeles and you are often caught digging at the bottom of your car floor for change in order to avoid the Republic of Santa Monica meter maid. In fact, purchase at least three cute little coin purses. One for the car, one for the handbag and one for when you forget those two – Michael Kors has some really cute ones for the summer.

Other loose “stuff” – Again, if it’s smaller than a book then it needs a bag! One thing that will help you is to find a cute leather envelope. That’s a bag that acts like an envelope and is chic. If I catch you walking around with a regular envelope in your handbag, we’re gonna fight (love you, mean it). These my children are very hard to find I admit. Look for them at high-end leather goods stores and at stationary stores. Luis Vuitton has a gorgeous paper parcel but it’s too big for a handbag. Still I mention it because it’s a chic alternative to carrying an ugly file folder. Another cool thing to look for is the “Market Purse” that you’ll find in most MZ Wallace bags. This little pouch fits a Crackberry and other “little” items.

MZ Wallace Clara Bag & Market Bag

Pens – A woman should never be without a pen and a pen should never be without a pen case – and I mean NEVER. Pen cases, carriers, bags, etc also act as a great lipstick holder.

Last but not least, try to find designers that have lighter interiors to their purses.  Oh yes, if your mother was from the Depression era she would have instilled in you a desire to buy all black interiors because they don’t show dirt or wear as much.   Good point, but if you can’t see inside your bag….well then you may as well leave the recession and head to depression because how will you find your wallet to pay the bill?  If you are following the basic tenets of the “bag inside the bag” concept then your bag won’t be getting sullied because anything that can cause that is safely ensconced inside another bag. And the lighter the interior, the more you can find things!  Voila!  My favorites for this sort of thing include JAMAH (all their bags are lined with luscious pastel blue suede), and Bally (lighter fabric interiors).  If you can’t find a bag that you like with a lighter-colored interior then buy a bag with lighting.  That’s right, Solas Fashion makes bags with interior lighting.  Great for when you need to look for stuff at night, not so great if you open it up in the movie theatre…trust me on this.

Next time you’re behind the “slowing me down because you’re digging in your purse lady”, send her this blog.

Ciao Bellas!

"Off with Her Head-Marie Antoinette"

Lately I’ve been reading fashion and celebrity  gossip magazines and I’ve noticed a distinct French Revolutionary theme – You know, the “off with her head” kind of thinking.  It makes sense given the recession that people are more aware of those with restraint or lack thereof.  And because celebrities’ entire lives are blotched onto every media surface known to mankind, well they seem to be our society’s primary target.

Which begs the question – In recessionary times are people, especially famous people, tasked with a duty to show some restraint?  And by restraint, I mean maybe don’t flash your $5 million engagement ring or keep it on the low that you just dropped £10 million on setting up your new household in New York. However, this doesn’t just apply to celebrities.  Look around you, sometimes I wonder what people’s reality is when I hear one person say she doesn’t understand why everyone is up in arms about the market, “it’s not like it’s dropped over 40%, they should be out there shopping, especially for my $250 scarves!”  Reeeally?  And while I’m all for cool, mack-daddy SUV’s (yah, if you live in Evergreen, Colorado and need the all-wheel drive because they have blizzards there!), I have to wonder what the brand new owner of the Cadillac  SUV with at least $30k of after-market customization sitting next to me at a traffic light was thinking.  Is he part of the cast of Entourage maybe?  I guess if I’m thinking this, I wager that others may be thinking the same thing– What message are we sending to each other and the world if we can’t even control our personal spending in an economic time which we’ve never experienced the like of before?  In a world where retirees are looking for work because their retirement plans are in the trash and where it’s not unusual to see news of 30,000 people being laid off.  I just have to wonder.  And then of course, being a bride really brings this home with a resounding “WHAP”.  According to The Knot Americans spend just under $28k on their weddings and many wedding sites recommend that the bride spend 10% of the wedding budget on her dress.  Reeeally?  And they also think it’s reasonable to pay $10/per person for wedding favors and don’t get me started on the wedding stationary.  After an hour of going through wedding sites, it’s enough to make me sick to my stomach.  I’m not kidding.  I feel as though there is a distinct part of the world that is so incredibly out of touch with our financial reality.  So this is my “off with her head” thinking and then I get slapped back into taking responsibility for my own way of living.

Beyonce Fashion Rocks 2008 - Dave Alloca/People Magazine

Look it, as a luxury loving Fashionista who is now a Recessionista, I’m not so glib as to sit here and place judgment on those who love luxury.  And by no means will I support beating up on those who work hard, they should be rewarded for it.  And if you work hard for your money then technically you should spend it the way you want to.  Neither do I believe that completely stopping consumer spending will in any way help dig us out of our economic hole – in fact that will take us only deeper into the hole.  BUT “off with her head” is still chasing me around like a cat after its cat nip.  So dear reader, I invite you to reflect on it.  I suppose it comes down to responsibility because the same people sitting in judgment are the ones buying into the billion dollar gossip magazine industry – How else do you think they know about Beyonce’s engagement ring (the upkeep of which probably costs more than that of a bank teller’s yearly salary)?  It seems we are all sitting in it together – We can’t escape our mutual responsibility.  So what role are you playing in our world of rampant consumerism?

And on that note, I’ll share one more thing of interest.  There were a multitude of bare necks at the 2009 Golden Globes. Yes there was bling on many wrists but there was a conspicuous lack of hefty-price tag jewelry on women’s necks.  Iiiinteresting.

Next week I’ll look at the other side of the coin.  Perhaps there is something to be said for a touch of glamour  in this doom and gloom day when every time you open the Wall Street Journal all you see is the drama of the stock market,  more news about corporate gluttony and what other retailer is slashing jobs.

Viviana M. Rueda
La Fashionista (Recessionista for now)

So I’m getting married in November and true to form, I’m doing things the Viviana way rather than the standard issue, everyone else does it this-way. I mean, I bought my wedding gown before setting the tone of our wedding and now I’m setting the tone of our wedding to my gown – what would one expect of a Fashionista?  I mean, really?  Given the business that I’m in naturally there is a certain element of glamour when dressing women or men for formal affairs, but honestly we tend to focus primarily on personal branding and the reality of daily life, i.e. training them on how to use their image for a positive impact, and effectively using their budget to have a functional wardrobe that fully supports their personal goals and ambitions…sometimes this means a little glamour but not the all out, glamazon fashionista you look like you walked onto a red carpet or into a society ballroom type of glamour, which has become my wedding state of mind.

Okay, so like 99.9% of women have some sort of a  fairytale love affair with weddings.  It’s our time to indulge in creating an atmosphere that is solely the vision of you and your groom (okay, family plays a part in it of course, but you know what I mean).  Every woman has had a wedding in their mind that was spectacular whether it’s their dreamy contemporary-chic vineyard wedding or a glorious cathedral wedding a la Princess Diana.  And mine has always had illusions of glamour, well, because when you spend your summers helping your Wedding Dress Designer Godmother finish socialites’ wedding gowns you get it in your head that everyone has these sumptuous and glamorous weddings.  How’s that for preconceived notions?

Princess Diana Wedding

Take the fact that I’m fascinated by glamour, couture, bling and everything having to do with luxury (I’m a luxury-loving Taurus what can I say) and add that to a tanked economy and what do you get?  A Recessionary Fashionista (sounds like a political group) or a Recessionista.  What does that mean?  It means I’m having my cake and eating it too Ms. Antoinette!  How?  Creativity darling, creativity.

Romona Keveza - Encore Bridal

Darlings if you love couture, why pay full price unless your are Lauren Davis?  Check out couture bridal consignment extraordinaire Julie Jones of Encore Bridal, I found my dream, 1930’s Hollywood Glamour-inspired Ristarose gown there for (ahem, less than a bride should be able to get away with legally).  Truly, if couture is what you are after, get ye to the exquisite taste of this Bridal Fashionista.  Not only does she have style in spades but Julie provides the level of service that one expects at a salon where the prices start at $5,000.

And ps you can make your own veil…buy a pattern from Vogue, some tulle, some crystals, pearls, etc from Michael’s, a glue gun and you are on your way to a beautiful veil, or you can pay up to $400 for one.  Recessionista says, get crafty…Martha Stewart is and she’s a stylish billionaire…

Here’s a really wonderfully convenient thing about wedding attire as it relates to the shoes.  Guess what?  Unless your groom plans on twirling you over his head on the dance floor or you are doing the traditional wedding garter thing, odds are that your shoes will be visible to..oh, NOBODY, and if they do see them, they’ll be too drunk to see if they are designer or not. So, what I recommend is that you hop onto your online resource for bargain shoes and shop away!  Better yet, go to Macy’s or Bloomies, or (egads!) Sears and see what they have to offer in the “fancy” shoe section.  Are they going to be Manolos, uhm no!  But you wouldn’t do to your Manolos what will probably happen to your wedding shoes after hours of tramping through the ceremony, the reception and then the dance floor until the wee hours of the morning.  My point is this – Go Recessionista budget by shopping the less expensive stores because you’ll trash your shoes.  Also, look for COMFORT!  This is key, you may even discover that your typical three+ inch heel will not do for your wedding day because it’s quite a feat going 8-10 hours in high heels.  Eschew the traditional wedding boutiques and online sites for shoes…they will charge you an arm and a leg ladies!  Buy shoes that you can reuse after the wedding thereby truly getting your highest bang for your buck.  If you really must buy specific wedding shoes, customize them at Artyce Designs.  They’ll not be recession-friendly prices but at least you’ll have customized and unique shoes to show for it!  Think Value Ms. Recessionista.

Diamonds are a girl's best friend

Diamonds baby.  Oh yes.  I’ve always adored diamonds.  In fact I believe I used to chew on my mother’s wedding band when I was a baby -  Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.  That said, the reality of shopping for diamonds after you’ve watched your IRA leap down an abyss, is…ahh, no bueno.  So for the Recessionistas of the world I suggest two options, well-designed, white gold or sterling silver Cubic Zirconia (CZ).  Who will know?  You and only you unless you plan on showing your diamonds to a jeweler at  your wedding who’ll be conveniently equipped with a loupe.  Seriously, anyone getting that close of a look at your wedding finger better be your husband or your jeweler or you’ve other complications to contend with.  Suffice it to say that a very worldly and chic friend of mine went eight years with a beautiful CZ as her solitaire with no one knowing the difference, except her jewelery designer.  If that’s not your thing, then consider synthetic diamonds. For some people it’s not even the recession but they’ve political issues with buying African diamonds, well then grow your diamond.  They are exactly the same thing people!  And they can be lower grade or even higher grade than natural diamonds.  For some spectacularly well designed and tasteful wedding jewelry I recommend Emitation.  These people really have their act together for the right price. It’s a Vivendi Fashionista must.

Tejani Wedding Necklace

Or check out Tejani. Gorgeous designs, at a slightly higher price point but uhm still decidedly less expensive than diamonds and for those of you who still want the real thing, you’ll have to skip the diamonds but opt for elegant and dainty at May Yeung Designs.  This designer specializes in quality designs using gold, silver, pearls, and Swarovski crystals all at prices for the Recessionista.  She’ll also do custom designs for some bridal parties.

Planning, planning, planning.  Wedding vendors are hoping that you don’t do your research because my dear ones there is indeed a dirty little conspiracy called the “let’s mark it up because it’s a wedding”.  Knowledge is power and once you’re armed with an understanding about the costs related to reception sites, photography, flowers, etc, etc, etc…then you’ll be able to a. find the type of deals that you need and want and b. negotiate from a position of knowledge.  You should also consider talking to 2-3 wedding coordinators.  Although some do prefer to throw lavish affairs others will save you on costly mistakes and will negotiate for you so that you stay within your budget.  I recommend The Haber Event Group and Cassandra Santor..  Lastly, bear in mind that the economic slow down is hitting EVERYONE, even the wealthy have slowed down in throwing lavish events, ergo party locations, restaurants, caterers etc all need the business right now.

Suggest Recessionary Wedding Planning Books:

How to Have a Big Wedding on a Small Budget

Bridal Bargains, 9th Edition: Secrets to Throwing a Fantastic Wedding on a Realistic Budget

That’s my recessionista bridal planning insight for now.  I’m off to shop online vendors for party favors – Recessionista + Internet =’s True love.

Ciao!

You’ve heard it once from me and you’ll always hear it from me.  Image has everything to do with it.  In this case I’m talking about downtown Los Angeles.  That area which Westsiders like to refer to with a sideways glance and lifted eyebrow…”Oh, I’ve been to The Standard, before, it’s cool.”  Live it up folks!

Downtown Los Angeles’ image has changed.  And it is decidedly cool.  It happened a long time ago among the avant-garde types and is now hitting main stream.  And it’s getting cooler by the year.  If you aren’t careful…you’ll miss it.  The bridge and tunnel crowd (you know what I’m referring to if you’re a New Yorker and although I’ve been trying to make it popular to call these Los Angelinos “The Canyon People”…do I really need to explain why they are the Canyon People?, it just hasn’t stuck yet, so for the time being we’ll call them Bridge and Tunnel) can be seen overtaking the line at The Edison on a weekly basis – a sure sign of the cool factor fading at this club – Although, they have instituted a recession-friendly happy hour on Fridays that I highly recommend – free sandwiches and depression era-priced drinks…Seriously worthwhile and scoot out of there before the Bridge and Tunnel show up around 9 p.m.  If still hungry, slide into the bad Chinese restaurant on the ground floor of the Higgins to watch the Edison party-going fashion disasters retrieve their cars from the valet or better yet, stroll down Main Street to Blossom which is hands down the freshest and most economically-priced Vietnamese food in town.

I’m not sure if I should be happy or slightly depressed that downtown is becoming mainstream cool because now we’ve an Urth Café.  An establishment where you feel slightly violated after realizing that you paid over $20 for a cup of tea and a dessert…really?  But their peach pie is to die for I must admit.  And if mainstream isn’t your thing, stroll through Little Tokyo, where you can find the tastiest ramen in the city at Orochen Ramen.  In fact, if your palate allows for searing spicy food, take their challenge and order the #1.  You’ll get your picture on the wall, but you may need a new stomach after that kind of spice abuse.

Although it’s become just a little trendy to know about the Brewery I’d wager to say that it’s not quite yet mainstream.  What is the Brewery you ask?  It’s a live-work art colony on Main Street.  Actually reminds me of Christiania in Denmark with less scary large dogs roaming the streets and less scowling European starving artists.  The art colony consists of about 500 incredibly cool artists who live and work in a smattering of industrial factory buildings – one loft features a hot tub that you have to walk across a plank to get to (think Peter Pan plank), and the hot tub looks more like a cauldron out of the Hansel and Gretel  children’s stories than a hot tub.  Immensely cool.  Every year the art colony has an art walk where all the residents open their doors to the public.  This year I lucked out when I unexpectedly walked into an Akiko sample sale.  And I came away with two FABULOUS dresses for $90 which were originally over $200 each!  HEllo…  Plus I found the most adorable apron (yes people, you must look good even when you are cooking and why would you ruin a perfectly fabulous frock while cooking…cover thyself with an apron please).  And if you are looking for truly cool art galleries, this is the place.  You must check out the avant-garde designs at Claudia Endler (Christmas is almost here and in case you are wondering, I’m drooling over her smoky quartz pendant with champagne diamonds, uhm champagne and diamond all in one!  So me).

The Downtown image is infinitely cool these days with fabulous restaurants that will charm your palate if not challenge the serious foodie .  You can find almost every type of cuisine including French which for some reason seems sadly represented in Los Angeles.  For a great experience check out Church and State - A charming bistro down a one-way street in front of the Toy Factory Lofts.  With the cute lights streaming above you it’s reminiscent of a Paris bistro but for me it has more of a LoDo feel to it and for me, that alone is worth the dining experience.
The city center has a ton to offer that you just don’t know about until you stroll the streets.  From phenomenal Chinese food in Chinatown where you can have Sweet and Sour soup that will actually titillate your senses (I think everyone has forgotten that Chinese doesn’t have to taste like Panda Express) to charming Olivera Street where they’ve recreated a Mexican-style plaza on the site that was the birthplace of Los Angeles.  If you’re curious about the history of Los Angeles indulge in the walking tours offered by the Los Angeles Conservancy.  It will give you a new perspective next time you drive down Broadway or walk into the Bradbury building.

And for those of you Fashionistas, well, it’s easy enough to see why you’d want to get to know downtown.  While it’s not your Melrose or Rodeo Drive where you really don’t need to think about fashion because thanks to the millions of dollars spent on branding, marketing and advertising you don’t have to think, it’s served on a pretty silver platter for you, downtown will challenge you to think.  “How can I make those $20 patent booties from Santee Alley work with my Michael Kors skirt” for instance.  I’d encourage you to hit up The Scholarship Store.  There’s a ton of inspiration there and all courtesy of the tirelessly arty students.  Are you a true fashion snob?  Then hit up the Comme des Garcons Guerilla store which is so fabulously cool that you can barely find it as it’s down a VERY obscure alley.  Although rumor has it that it’s closing in 2009 (shocker given the economy) so get your booty down here if you want to check it out.

I’ve barely touched the surface of what downtown has to offer.  There are way too many cool restaurants to talk about, a phenomenal arts and culture center, museums, nightclubs, live-music venues, gorgeous live-work spaces, a ton of free/live concerts courtesy of local city improvement organizations and if you aren’t into edge but like main stream there’s L.A.  LIVE, which is being vaunted as the The Times Square of the West (OMG, I’m not going there).  Next time someone glances askance at you when you mention the downtown cool factor, tell that person they need to get out more often.

Viviana M. Rueda
Fashion & Image Fury