We Love: La Traviata

We couldn't believe it when we heard one of our favorite fashion houses, Valentino, was teaming up with one of our favorite directors, Sofia Coppola, to make La Traviata for the Opera of Rome. The first show premiered last night, and it was fun to follow along with the show and dinner on social media.

Mood boards and costumes for the show.

Valentino and Coppola on the red carpet.

The backdrops created by Nathan Crowley are beautiful as well.

Standing ovation

The dinner reception was held at the Acquario Romano.

The table settings perfectly complimented the opera.

Images from Maison Valentino's Instagram, Valentino's Intagram, Daily Mail and The New York Times

What We're Talking About This Week

This weekend, Los Feliz hosts the Roaring Twenties Street Jam, a festival that celebrates the spirit, style, music, and dance moves of the 1920s.

The Pebble Beach Food & Wine Festival kicked off last night, and it's sure to be an amazing weekend of eating, drinking, and schmoozing.  There are still a few tickets left if you feel inspired to indulge and enjoy some time in Monterey County.


Up in San Francisco, this Sunday is the season opener for a summer of Off the Grid's Presidio Picnics.  Every Sunday from 11-4 there will be food trucks galore and plenty of lawn seating in the beautiful city park.

The cast for Sofia Coppola's upcoming remake of The Beguiled was just announced, and we can't wait to see it. Ice queens Nicole Kidman, Elle Fanning, and Coppola favorite Kirsten Dunst should make for the perfect mix within the film's Civil War era school.

Can't Wait For: A Very Murray Christmas

Bill Murray, George Clooney, and Sofia Coppola?  December 5th, we'll be there!

David Downton's Portraits

Naomi Campbell on the Versace runway

British artist David Downton has been sketching fashion show illustrations and drawing celebrity portraits for the past twenty years.  His whimsically elegant work has been featured at Claridge's in London and in Vanity Fair, most recently for his portraits of the magazine's International Best Dressed honorees.  We are inspired by his illustrations, and many of his subjects are our own Style Icons.  These are some of our favorites, and you can see more of his work on Downton's site.  Should you feel inspired, he does do commissions...

Sofia Coppola

Cate Blanchett

Hamish Bowles

Catherine Deneuve

YSL Couture

The Best Looks from The Cannes Film Festival Days 10-12

Uma Thurman in Atelier Versace

Bianca Balti in Chanel Couture

Sofia Coppola in Marc Jacobs

Li Yuchun in Chanel Couture

Chloe Grace Moretz in Chanel

All images via Google

The Best Looks from The Cannes Film Festival Days 3-6

Hillary Swank in Atelier Versace

Suki Waterhouse in Armani Privé

Cate Blanchett in Armani Privé

Blake Lively in Gucci, with Ryan Reynolds

Julianne Moore in Chanel

Léa Seydoux in Prada

Sofia Coppola in Michael Kors

Jessica Chastain in Alexander McQueen

All images via Google

The Best Looks from The Cannes Film Festival Days 1-2

Nicole Kidman in Altuzarra

Jane Fonda in Elie Saab

Blake Lively in Gucci

Zoe Saldana in Victoria Beckham

Sofia Coppola in Louis Vuitton

Cate Blanchett in Valentino

Liya Kebede in Roberto Cavalli

Lupita Nyong'o in Calvin Klein

All images via Google

Wedding Week!

As wedding season quickly approaches, we decided to share some of our favorite California-inspired wedding ideas, from fashion, to food, to decor.  All of our posts will be bridal-themed this week!  To kick things off, here are some of our Style Icons on their special days...

Lauren Bacall & Humphrey Bogart, 1945

Paola & Albert II of Belgium, 1959

Liya & Kassy Kebede, 2002

Nicole Kidman, in Nicolas Ghesquiere for Balenciaga, with Keith Urban 2006

Kate Middleton, in Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, 2011

Kate Moss, in John Galliano, with Jamie Hince and her daughter Lila, 2011

Sofia Coppola, in Azzedine Alaia, with Thomas Mars, 2011

All images via Google