Justin Credible x Brandwills Lookbook

Justin Credible is many things -one of L.A.'s hottest DJ's, one half of Power 106's #LIFTOFF team with J.Cruz, one half of the Los Angeles Leakers with DJ Sour Milk, and also quite the fashion monger.

Recently, Creddy teamed up with Brandwills (aka Brandon Williams), stylist to some of the NBA's and NFL's top athletes, for the Brandwills 2013 Lookbook  and Justin's From the Booth to a Brand campaign.

The shoot features some impeccable suit and tie looks, none shy of spring-ready pops of color. I certainly appreciate the use of gentleman accessories from pocket squares to tie clips, watches and cuff links to the bold red optical frames.

Watch Brandwills describe how he pulled Creddy's looks together and his take on styling, here:

Follow Justin Credible on Twitter to keep up with all his L.A. gigs, and catch Brandwills on Instagram for all your designer eye-candy cravings.

Of Peace & Past

I was invited to the dOMAIN Los Angeles showroom for Champagne, manicures and of course to peruse some of their designer collections.

I was super impressed with the jewelry designs from Charmed Circle and the personal story behind the pieces.

Designer Gina Cartwright explained the inspiration behind many of her designs, which stem from a charm bracelet her mother wore when Gina was young. The bracelet and charms were real gold (which is rare today) with intricate details. Specifically, she noted a trolley charm with wheels that would really spin. Gina's designs incorporate those same ideas.

I also got to chat with Daniella Clarke, designer of the much loved Frankie B Jeans. As we discussed her latest collection, she told me that she grew up in Israel but ran away to Los Angeles at 16 to marry the man that captured her heart.

Yep, they're still together today!

Amazing how designers can take pieces of their past and weave them into their designs.  More pics from the dOMAIN showroom on The Dope Girl Instagram!

Shop the CheckHimOut.com Man Market

For the single dolls in Los Angeles, CheckHimOut.com has some Valentine's Day fun for you! A Man-shop, which is exactly what you're probably thinking. The dating website that lets women peruse eligible fellas is setting up a real life pop-up at the Americana at Brand featuring actual guys from all over SoCal.



Sound like fun? I think so.

With the term Galentine's Day sweeping the nation (it's v-day with your gal pals and I'm very unsure how I feel about the hybrid phrase), it's the perfect occasion to gather up some single girlfriends and cruise the sites man-ventory in person -while supplies last!

Visit CheckHimOut.com's Man-shop at 132 Caruso Ave in Glendale, CA Saturday, February 16 from 10 -10 p.m. and Sunday, February 17 11-8 p.m.

Gypsy Junkies + Luxurious Poverty Pop-Ups

There's a lot happening over at Kitson right now. In addition to the NCLA Nail a la Carte fab-ness, a few additional designer pop-ups have claimed stake inside the Robertson Blvd flagship store.

Last week I attended the Gypsy Junkies pop-up launch inside the store, to peep the much coveted fall collection while sipping red wine and mingling with Creative Director, Marcus Paglialonga (seen above surrounded by the F/W collection).

I was familiar with Gypsy Junkies luxe velvets, furs and floral prints, but was surprised to find that they also offer an amazing line of bohemian jewelry. The perfect combination, of earth and edge. Like, I want them all.

Loved discovering another side of Gypsy Junkies!

Unbeknownst to me, another line was also celebrating their pop-up launch inside Kitson that night. And so, I was introduced to Luxurious Poverty, by Lisette Correa. It's a collection of jewelry that -in the designer's own words- "spreads love through art", donating 5% of all proceeds to various charities and non-profit organizations.

Myself, designer Lisette Correa and NBA baller Matt Barnes

A few of Lisette's Hollywood friends came by to support, which is how I ended up having a near panic attack when L.A. Clippers' Matt Barnes showed up. Gloria Govan, cast member of Basketball Wives: LA (and Matt's wife) was also there. Being as sweet as she was (I was even invited to attend her toy drive taking place later that night), I had to resist all urges to snatch up the tall and dashing man in front of me. But I'll always think my moment with him fondly.

Pop-ups are at Kitson until January!

A Few Things to Do 12/10-12/16

Fill up your week with these social and shopping events:

Join The Supper Club and GQ magazine for a special in-store event offering a chance to meet J.Crew Men's Head of Design, Frank  Muytjens, samplings of single malt plus a complimentary cut or shave from The Blind Barber. (Tuesday, December 11 6-8:00pm @ The Grove)

Mint Holiday Sample Sale

I've got a special Invite code for you! RSVP Here.

Your chance to party in style with myself and other top bloggers. Buy tix here.

NCLA's 'Nails a la Carte' at Kitson

Something cooler than usual is happening at the Kitson flagship store on Robertson Blvd. Aside from copping Brian Lichtenberg's HOMIES snapback -currently making it's way around to all your fave trendsetters- you can also stop in for the NCLA hosted Nails a la Carte holiday pop-up.

Last week I stopped by to celebrate the launch of of the holiday shop, nibbling Georgetown Cupcakes and sipping cocktails made with Little Black Dress flavored vodka, while waiting my turn for a fab mani.

Each Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the month of December, you can select from a menu of services featuring NCLA's ever-stylish nail wraps and trendy fall and holiday laquers (I lurrve the Dirty Martini polish). The pop-up will also host special guest appearances and treatments from celebrity nail gurus. Prices range from $29-$69.

The Kitson flagship and NCLA Nails a la Carte pop-up is located at 115 Robertson Blvd. Don't forget, NCLA nail wraps and polish make great gifts and stocking stuffers!

We're in the City

[Downtown Cityscape]

Over a year ago, I had no choice but to move to Orange County with family due to a long bout of unemployment. Since then, I landed a job in Beverly Hills and have spent the last year commuting each day, all the while, working to move back to the beloved city of Los Angeles. Needless to say, blogging was put on hold, with only a few measly posts whenever I could muster up the energy. But I'm stoked to tell you that last weekend I hauled my ass (along with a butt-load of shoes and clothes) back to the city of angels. I'm back y'all!

[Sunset Blvd and the Hollywood Hills]

Admittedly, the move came with a lot of compromises. Rent has gone up quite a bit in the last few years, so I eventually had to give up my hope of a luxe apartment in a trendy west side neighborhood. I found a nice one-bedroom in Koreatown, which can only be described as L.A.'s Brooklyn (remember how hard it was for Steve to convince Miranda to make the move to BK?). But it's amazing to be back in my own place, with my own furniture -a place that's all mine. 

And I can grocery shop again! That was probably the hardest thing to give up -the ability to cruise the food aisles and stock my own refrigerator.

[Beverly Hills]

[Coastal view from Malibu]

Lastly, now that I'm local and without a completely draining commute, I'm free to start hitting the amazing events  and conduct the awesome interviews you've grown accustomed to me bringing your way. December's calendar is already chock full of events so I hope you're ready for some fun.

L.A, I've missed you!

L.A. Style Profiled: DJ B. Hen

Following a little advice from Grammy-award-winner, Herbie Hancock, DJ B. Hen left his corporate career to pursue his passion and study the art of the turntables. Since then, his career has taken off and the opportunities that have come his way are bigger than he ever dreamed. We sat down over iced coffee at West Hollywood hideaway, Palihouse hotel, to discuss his career, personal style and chasing your dreams.

Raised in Baltimore, Brian Henry -aka DJ B. Hen- found himself in Los Angeles after college not quite fulfilled by his 9-to-5. A chance meeting with Herbie Hancock changed all that when the musician gave him a tip. "Stop fooling around. If your really serious about your craft take the time to learn and take lessons."

Not long after, DJ B. Hen enrolled at Scratch DJ Academy and left the corporate world. And it paid off. With residencies throughout the city, you can catch him spinning at hotspots like Drai's, My Studio, Cafe Entourage and Lexington Social House. Most recently, B. Hen acted as a music consultant for the fourth installment in the Step Up dance movie franchise,  Step Up Revolution,  selecting songs for the final dance scene, working with the films choreographers and providing artist and publishing information. Impressive.

DJ B.Hen wore Nike Jordan Retro XI's, FORMANDSPACE t-shirt, Orphan Age pants and a hand-tailored blased by Asha of Hong Kong.

Sporting some pretty impressive duds, I really wanted to discuss B. Hen's personal style. He quite honestly told me "I hate shopping." This took some time for me to digest. How can that be?

"My mom worked as a retail manager and she would bring items for me, I never had to shop. As an adult I'm having to do it all myself."

With that, he confessed that his style is in it's infancy. "As I grow, it grows. If find that less is more. More is clutter and that prevents people from connecting with you." These days when B. Hen is inclined to shop, its usually online, with Jackthreads, Cranium Fitteds, and Goodwood NYC  being a few of his favorites.

This personalized Coach bag was a gift to DJ B Hen.

Where else can you catch DJ B. Hen when he's not behind the 1's and 2's? Still digging the music scene, of course, like SBE's exclusive Sayers Club Skinny's in North Hollywood. "I'm a huge live music fan," he says.

Be sure to stop by DJ B. Hen's website to keep up with upcoming events and download exclusive mixtapes, and follow him on Twitter and Instagram under the handle @DJBHen.

City Guide: The Guise Archives

I headed to Melrose Ave to check out LA's newest eyewear boutique, The Guise Archives, last week. It's A petite shop but not lacking a wide selection of styles from lines like Wild fox, Elizabeth and James, RayBan, Benjamin Eyewear, a collection of their own namesake and some pretty stunning vintage frames.

Your surrounded by style as soon as you enter. The shop gives a subtle masculine energy -simple and airy, with cork board-lined walls, wood floors and succulent plants. The neutral color palette paired with metal decor compliment the generous display of eyewear throughout the shop.

The retro styles from Tart Optical (seen above) definitely caught my attention. The legendary collection was founded in the 1940's and James Dean was known to be a big fan of the Arnel frames. The plastic frames and the 7-barrel hinge make the quality on these babies superb.

The Guise Archives also offer a selection of Clare Vivier bags and accessories, including a wallet that fits your iPhone.

TAVAT is another impressive line of frames, found exclusively at The Guise Archives. The lenses are fused with melanin (a naturally occurring pigment found in hair, eyes and tanned skin) which creates a stunning HD-type effect when you put them on. Like, seriously, instantly enhanced.

Anyone who covets the most amazing and rare eyewear, or someone just looking to invest in a pair of high quality frames would find themselves overwhelmed with the selection at The Guise Archives. Plus, the staff here really know their stuff and can chat hours about classic styles and quality crafting. Stop by to check them out (and try on those TAVAT frames)  at 7928 Melrose Ave, one block west of Fairfax.

Sole' Fix

So, the question of where you can find an uber stylish, locally made and affordable bicycle has been answered. Yeah, I'm going to tell you.

the MANHAPPENIN

Sole' Bicycle Co is a Venice-based bike shop founded by two former USC students, offering sleek, lightweight fixies for less than $400 -if you're not in the L.A. area they offer really reasonable shipping rates- and they've just released a few new summer styles.

I'm actually quite smitten with these designs and thoroughly impressed with the overall aesthetic of the company.

The color mash-up's, the lines, the details... I'm just swooning.

the FIANCE

the OCEAN FRONT WALK

the OVERTHROW

the EL TIGRE

the VICE

Sole' has also recently taken to providing you with tunes to accompany your bike rides, with a monthly fixtape (eek!). Download the Sole Fixtape Vol. 1 by Tropicool.

All images courtesy of Sole' Bicycle Co.

Keds Spring 12: As Fresh As It Gets

Since 1916? The simple, casual style of Keds shoes has been around for almost 100 years! I was invited to new L.A. eatery, The Eveleigh, to check out the new styles of Keds spring collection and the classic styles with a more modern stamp pretty much stole my heart.

The Eveleigh is such a cool restaurant - a bit of southern hospitality right on Sunset Blvd. On an outdoor patio with shrubbery just tall enough to block out the passing traffic, I caught up with a few blogger buddies while viewing colorful crochets, southwestern stripes, dainty floral prints and more from Keds.

Each attendee grabbed a canvas tote which we got to fill up with goodies from around the party - custom Keds breath mint tins, pencil cases and USB drives - but the real highlight was the fashion sketch artist who drew fantastic drawings of everyone in their favorite pair of Keds and pieces from the new Keds x Open Ceremony collection.

I think I'm going to frame mine.

I found the men's collection to be so dashing. Something about a man  rocking suede kicks...

What do you think of the new styles from Keds?