Places Are only Places... People Make Them Into More than They Are
Thoughts on the fires in Los Angeles, as well as some inspiring items that have caught my eye lately
When I moved to Los Angeles in 2005, I didn’t move to the LA of movie stars, tabloids, and stereotypes, I moved to Altadena, the most northeastern part of the sprawling city. I lived in an old craftsman house that was surrounded by tons of vegetation. I shared this home with two roommates, one who lived in the dining room right off the kitchen who liked to have loud sex with her boyfriend, and the other, I only met twice. It was my first time living alone as a 23 year old “adult”, attending Art Center’s night program, hoping that my creativity would pay off. Driving into the city was a long haul. 40 to 50 minutes just to go party in West Hollywood for a night or to visit my friends in Westwood who were going to UCLA.
Living in Altadena, I felt like I was still in the suburbs of Roseville still, which in part, was comforting. It was peaceful, a reprieve from the sometimes chaotic energy of the city. I only lived there for about a year until the homeowner, who lived in the small unit behind the house, let me know her daughter would be moving into the home. I don’t know if the home is still there anymore.
I’ve been thinking a lot about my friends who live in Altadena. I’m grateful that those I know are safe, and miraculously, their homes have been spared from the fires. One couple in particular have occupied a lot of my thoughts, because I think back on the wonderful times spent in their home. They live in a very modest home (ok, it’s tiny!) but it’s filled with the most amazing art, sculptures, knick knacks, and books, like the Cave of Wonders from Aladdin (yes, I worked with them at Disney). These two have the most immaculate taste in everything, and their home was like a museum, a shrine, and any who visited felt like a kid in a candy shop. They hosted the most fantastic holiday parties, their dinner table filled with holiday treats and platters of sushi. It was very LA. They served the best martinis at these gatherings. A large group of us would sit, knee-to-knee, and open presents white elephant style, and be gifted books from all kinds of creative backgrounds. Those were very special nights.
The fires in Los Angeles impacted everyone I know there. Schools that our friends children attend have burned down, the air quality is in the 300 range, and though the fire department has done an incredible job at containing the fire, there’s a lingering fear that it will continue to spread. Kyle and I have been checking in with everyone we can, even to simply ask, “Do you need anything?” It feels sad and frustrating to be so far away from a place you care for deeply that contains so many people you love so much. I keep thinking to myself that it’s not about me, though my empathetic and overly-dramatic nature makes it very hard not to feel these feelings so intensely. It’s a good reminder to check-in with people to see how they’re doing, no matter the time or situation. Sometimes people just need a friendly face to hear their problems 💙
Iconic fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto spoke with Divya Bala just before his 81st birthday to share some pearls of wisdom. He speaks on the helpful practice of meditation, clearing his head by going on walks, and why he started wearing all black so long ago. My favorite part is where he talks about staying active, because remember, he’s 81 years old.
Recently I started doing press-ups every day. On the first day, I could do only 20, but recently, I did more than 50. I’ve always done a lot of sports – judo and karate. So, in the street, if I get too angry, I can kick people!
Hell yeah Yohji, get ‘em! It’s now a personal goal of mine to meet him in person, I bet he’s the most chill dude ever.
🪑 — I love a good collaboration (rather than a boring, shameless, 200 piece zombie collection money grab, but I digress) and this is not one I would have expected. The Musée dÓrsay in Paris opened up Le Fumoir – a room that is normally closed to the public – into a showcase of Norwegian artists, designers and brands. I’m obsessed with the contrast and tension between the space and the objects, and I’m particularly taken by the sand-casted aluminum table by Ali Shah Gallefoss.
🥖 — Can Pa is a new bakery that opened in the El Terreno neighborhood of Mallorca, which was designed by renowned British designer Jasper Morrison. The bakery is a collaboration between Morrison, local tile artisans Huguet, and the social organization Esment. The bakery is part of the Gomila Mallorca project, a regeneration plan for the El Terreno neighborhood started by the footwear brand Camper.
For a while now I’ve been wondering who was behind the new brand identity for Massimo Dutti and I finally found my answer! Querida is a Barcelona-based creative studio who’ve worked with Solange, Rosalia, Troye Sivan, Paloma Wool, Zara, and does incredible work. Recently they started working with revitalizing the brand Delpozo, creating a fantastical short film starring Tilda Swinton, as well as a book by STILLZ that collects photos that were taken during a trip to Japan. I’m so impressed by everything this studio touches, it’s all so nuanced and detailed, such an inspiration.
🔤 — If you’re looking for a playful new typeface to mess around with check out Maroni by Calame.Bureau. It was created for the for the identity of the Marronnage exhibition at the Maison de l'Amérique Latine, and I think it’s so wonderful because of it’s unique roundness and character.
🎙️ — There’s a great interview with photographer Jenna Saraco, designer Natasha Mead and editor Yasmine Ganely of ANYONEBOOKS over on Éditions about the making of the book they released, ‘ALTARS.’ The book was inspired by a photograph of Saraco’s father took in the 1960s, where he’s pictured as a young altar boy on a family trip to Italy. The book looks stunning, and I love the deeper story involved.
Overall the book touches upon three very different things, all connected to heritage: cultural background, textiles, and my grandmother as an individual, whether that's through the costumes in the religious ceremony, the women in the ceremony representing a cultural past, the garments I created as a modern interpretation of that past, or the home of the grandmother I stayed with, which also embodied so much familial history.
I’ve been working on a project for a big champagne brand and I’ve been looking for photo inspiration everywhere. This lead me to the most charming photo shoot ever by Kyle Weeks for Vogue Italia and Gucci called A Midsummer Italian Dream. This is from back in 2019 and every image feels like a dream or the most iconic vacation in Italy, it actually makes me almost want to visit Italy. I must shout out the masterful styling by Viola Galassi who created such incredible looks for the models. I want her to dress me everyday in Gucci!
👜 — In 2024, the thing I wanted most was a slouchy leather tote bag to carry my things around. I fell in love with the Hermes Double Sens 45 in orange but not with it’s €2500 price tag! Then I came across these beautiful bags by Adam Wade Wagner which come in a variety of wonderful shapes and sizes for half the price. I can’t afford these either but I love them and I think it’s important to support indie designers.
🧀 — Truffle continues to be an overhyped ingredient (nothing more sad than truffle oil on french fries) but what if there was a truffle alternative? Enter Belper Knolle, a Swiss cheese made from raw cow's milk in the town of Belp. Yes, you read that correctly, Belp. It’s a tiny ball of cheese that is covered with garlic powder, black pepper and Himalayan crystal salt and then aged for 9 weeks. I saw this Tiktok where they grate the cheese over pasta, similar to a truffle, and now it’s all I want to eat.
Current Listening 🎶
Stars - Set Yourself on Fire (20th Anniversary Edition)
Bad Bunny - DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS