If you are like me sushi is always a good option and sounds good at all times of the day. Some male friends of mine love finding the best sushi and turned me on to a restaurant called Sugarfish. It is located on 7th street in the heart of Los Angeles and celebrates the chef Kazunori Nozawa.
This sushi spot is definitely different because they value the simplicity in the fish that they feel has become lost through extravagant rolls. The flavor and texture of the fish itself is the key focus. If asked for extra sauces, spices, or rice they will happily say no. How they prepare all dishes is how the sushi and rolls are supposed to be eaten. Trust me, the food literally melts in your mouth like good sushi should.
One aspect that I have never seen before is a preset, chef inspired menu to choose from. It is referred to as the “Trust Me” menu. The chef, Nozawa, has chosen each of the three available preset menus based on what fish pairs well with others. Ranging from seven to ten items the “Trust Me” menus offer a delicious and reasonably priced assortment of dishes.
The values and guest experience may differ than your normal Americanized sushi spot, however I promise it is well worth the try. The fish is fresh and is taken back to the basics and will make you remember why you enjoy sushi in the first place. Interestingly enough Nozawa even makes his own soy and ponzu sauce!
Purity, tradition, technique, and ingredients is what makes this restaurant a must.
I’ve been interested in the vintage fashion scene for a while now since it mostly reflects my love for history and fashion. Ever since I was a child, I have always enjoyed looking at old antiques and old photos; mostly observing what people wore in the past. When I first found out about vintage clothing stores, I always wondered when would someone find it appropriate to wear something that was evidently out of style in terms of contemporary standards. It wasn’t until recently when I found out that there was an actual community of people who dress up in vintage clothing everyday. My initial thought was always, “Where do they purchase their clothes?” The common sense answer is always: A vintage store, but not every store is the same. Some stores only offer certain decades of fashion like 80’s or 90’s and will commit to only catering to those years in fashion. So it makes it very difficult to actually find a store that will consistently offer great merchandise. However, there are many stores in the Los Feliz Village area that offer Pre-1960’s clothing that is still wearable and in great condition. So far, my favorite in this area is far is Paper Moon Vintage, in Hollywood Junction.
This shop was recently named one of the best Vintage Shops in Los Angeles; obviously playing a role as to why I chose this store in the first place. It’s a very small shop so everything feels like it’s almost crowded when you’re searching for clothes. However, all of the items that are sold at Paper Moon hold a very personal story and it’s become on of the main attractions to the shopkeepers and customers. For first time shoppers, the women who work there will help out with anything you need, including on how the garment should fit since their sizes are based on body measurements. The price range is usually moderate but for the frugal shopper, they hold full moon sales every full moon. It’s simply a nice detail that will remind their regulars to look at their calendars or almanacs.
Since they’re located close to Hollywood and other film studios, they cater to costume designers when they’re looking for a certain period of dress. Most notably sold some of their items to the costume designer for the newest installment of American Horror Story. Aside from selling clothes and shoes, they’re well known for renting out a paper moon booth (holding on to the theme of the store). Before the store came into existence, the owner, Nicole Loretta created her paper moon photo booth to bring back the old romanticized photos of people sitting on a crescent moon. She rents the booth out for special events and private parties.
Store Owner, Nicole Loretta.
Paper Moon Vintage is located on:
4516 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90027
When one thinks of tailored fashions for men, our mind quickly races to the image of the infamous tailors of Saville Row in London or an amazing designer suit like Tom Ford or Hugo Boss. Even though the trends will generally begin in Europe, one never really imagines that these trends will travel farther than the normal lands of fashion where these brands are sold. Little do people know that in the Republic of Congo, there is a group of working class men who are making their own individual culture with these high end designs.
People think of the Congo as a place of political turmoil and extreme poverty. One doesn’t believe that half of these people can even dream of being able to afford a nice suit or owning high-end designs. While it may be the case for some of its citizens, it is not for the working class men in the capital city of Brazzaville. They call themselves the Sapeurs.
Sapeur Sunday in Brazzaville via AfriPOP!
This movement of elegance and creativity known as La Sapeor Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes, began during the French colonization of the Republic of Congo. Just like any other imperialist country, the French intended on “civilizing” the Congolese by bringing over second hand clothing from their mother country in efforts to gain a loyal following. By the end of the 19th century, the Congolese boys that worked for the French were given clothes to compensate for their labor. Thus, leading them to be the first to embrace modern French fashion of the time. The West African colonial workers also influenced the movement during the roaring twenties. As time progresses this social movement has become a form of resistance and as a form of support for the Congolese who immigrate to France.
Some of the most obvious characteristics of the Sapeurs are their love for creativity and individuality. It’s not always about being the most dapper; they’re supposed to be the embodiment of a well-mannered gentleman. When wearing their suits they’re not allowed to be aggressive towards anyone, they’re supposed to be pacifist individuals. In terms of styling these working class men will invest up to 20% of their monthly paycheck on tailored suits. However, since a large majority live below the poverty line, they will share their suits amongst each other. One of the most important rules of dress they will adhere to is that they will not wear more than three colors (including white) in an outfit. This is why they’re able to stand out to the others in Brazzaville. Sapeurs will appear as an obvious contrast of elegance against the impoverished background.
Via Maison Bentley StyleVia Arsenal Creativo
This social movement has not only brought about a touch of dandyism to Brazzaville, but they have provided a form of comfort to the people living in the capital. The Sapeurs teach one simple philosophy, which is beautifully worded in the short Guinness documentary, Sapeurs: “To Defy circumstance and live with joie de vivre”. For more information about the Sapeurs, you can check out this short documentary created by GUINNESS
There are many fashion subcultures that are currently present Los Angeles. All of them a distinct feature that will separate them from everyone else but there is one that not only caters to Los Angeles but it’s become a very popular form of putting outfits together around the world. It’s called Disneybounding.
Disneybounding is when you take any character from the Disney franchise as an inspiration and you’ll create an outfit based on that one character or their color palette . It’s been commonly confused with cosplay but people in the cosplay community have argued that it holds no relation to them. Unlike Cosplay, Disney Bounding takes a very different approach on how to emulate their favorite characters. They’ll create these looks by using clothes that they already have in their closets. This allows them to use them out in public without the awkward stares from the rest since the people are in “regular” clothes. This form of dress has also been used as an alternative for adults who visit the Disneyland Parks; since they don’t allow adults to wear costumes in fear of other children confusing them as the real character employees. Disneybounding is also used as an inspiration for all occasions; it’s been seen on the runway as well, unintentionally of course.
Below are examples of a few Disneybounds worn by park visitors:
Left: Minnie Mouse. Right Jane Porter from Tarzan
Disney bounding has become very popular with new bridal trends being inspired by Disney’s most recent hit, Frozen. Alfred Angelo recently revealed his new bridal collection, but his focus was on this dress inspired by the Ice Queen Elsa.
This is merely a preview of the many possibilities that rise when people combine one of the most popular figures of their childhood with fashion and it’s something that I have enjoyed seeing.
Working near Downtown Los Angeles allows for easy access to some great food finds. Downtown houses many unique restaurants that strive to be different than all other trendy places and definitely achieves just that. Pitfire Pizza is an absolute favorite of my coworkers and I recently visited the location on 2nd Street right in the middle of the art district.
Pitfire Pizza differs from your regular pizza joint with the artisan-inspired pizza and an industrial-chic atmosphere. Picture an Italian café meets a bar. Multiple “pitfires” are found outside that you are able to eat in front of while enjoying the warmth it provides. On some nights live DJ’s and ping pong tables can be found outside for some funky entertainment.
As far as food, the restaurant is mostly known for their pizza baked in a wood burning oven and using farm fresh ingredients. They value taking trips to local farmer markets and using ingredients at the peak of ripeness. This year a fall pizza favorite they have on the menu is a tasty Pumpkin Pizza incorporating pumpkin seeds and in brown butter sauce. Salads, panini’s, and pasta make up the rest of the mouthwatering menu. (Gluten-free and vegan options are available!)
Drinks? A decent selection of beer, sangria, tea, and many lemonade flavors seem to please regulars. My personal favorite is the cucumber mint lemonade however watermelon is also very popular.
So if you are ever in need of a quick lunch to pick up on your break this is definitely a place to try!
As an LA native, I never get tired of discovering small crevices that will usually go unnoticed. At least to me they have gone unnoticed. I remember mostly going to Downtown LA with my mother for all of the discounted goods at the Santee Alley’s. Whenever we needed to buy wholesale items for parties, Downtown LA was the place to go. Unfortunately, my mother always spoke negatively about Downtown. Since she lived in Mexico City for most of her adult life she would always compare and contrast the aesthetics of her old home to that of Los Angeles. I was always discouraged to go there because of how dirty and dangerous it was. I didn’t really get to discover Downtown LA for what it was until I began my University studies almost 4 years ago.
There are many things that I genuinely enjoy about Downtown LA, the food, the landmarks, and most importantly the history behind the majority of these buildings. These places are just a portion of my favorite areas in Downtown LA.
Fine Arts Building
The fine arts building is actually an office building now, but it was originally built in the late 20’s for the artists that resided in Downtown. This building features beautiful architectural details on the outside that resemble catholic European cathedrals.
Details of the Fine Arts Building
The most eye opening part of this building is the Lobby. The Lobby looks like it’s something out of a Grimm’s Brothers’ castle. It’s a two-story lobby with a lot of painted details that remind a person of gothic art and architecture. They do display works of art in the display cases. Unfortunately they’re only there for a temporary time because they always change them for the LA Art Walk
Bradbury Building
Located on the corner of 3rd St. and Broadway, The Bradbury Building serves as an architectural landmark and a very popular place for movie sets. The interior of the building instantly takes people back to the turn of the 20th century since the building reflects old Victorian era details including the caged elevators. This building is very well lit inside because of the all window ceiling allowing the natural light to bring out all of the colors in the lobby.
Grand Central Market
Right across the street from the Bradbury is the Grand Central Market. Initially founded in 1917 and serving the residents of downtown. Today, half of the Market serves as an upscale food court with a wide variety of food. This place is especially popular with everyone who works in the surrounding areas.
Gelateria Uli
I became aware of this little treasure about a month ago while I was at a wedding rehearsal dinner with my sister. We were both really excited because the dinner had just ended and the dinner did not include dessert. We stumbled upon this place located in the Spring Arcade building while walking down Spring Street. All of the gelato is made in the shop every single day so the flavors are bound to change.
I hope you’ll keep these places in mind when you plan a trip to the Fashion District or if you happen to have a meeting in Downtown that day!
L.E.A 