Artist: Jean Deaux
Makeup: Nimai
Styling & Photography: Emari Traffie
Studio: Natural Light Studios LA
Full shoot details here
SASHA
New glass means I'm super motivated to shoot all day er'day. This is was quick 30 minute session with a friend (Sasha, a killer quality human with abs that I am coveting and a recipe for the ultimate super salsa) at a friend's house. I wanted the feeling of another era but not anything really specific, probably just ended up with an early 90's vibe.
SMINO / JEAN DEAUX @ the lyric
SMINO (W. MONTE BOOKER), JEAN DEAUX (FEAT. SABA) @ THE LYRIC THEATRE.
BOOGIE x GOV BALL NYC
POOLSIDE PIZZA
TEST SHOOT w. STEPH MATSON
THE SOCIAL MEDIUM
What makes a good photographer? Why LA? Who are you? What do you do?
Those are just some of the questions The Social Medium forced me to think about on the spot and MAN y'all—being filmed is humbling... Okay enjoy, but brb I'm going for run now. >_<
This beautiful work by Stone Bridge Films:
Source: https://vimeo.com/167606527
(EVERYTHING BUT) COACHELLA
Inspired by my homies over at LA Canvas, I decided to run the weekend one Coachella events circuit instead of actually attending the festival (because who really has time for both—that's what weekend two is for after you've heard all the reviews anyway). Here's my roundup, in no particular order but starting with Revolve Festival because it was so well done (shoutout A-OK Collective).
REVOLVE FESTIVAL: Guestlist-only pool party with swag for days.
Sets by A$AP Rocky, Travis Scott, A$AP Ferg. Guests included Leo DiCaprio, Kylie & Kendall... actually, I can't even start because I physically bumped into half of Hollywood's it-babes there. Plus, got to rock the perfect summer T-Shirt dress from Ali Golden.
MOAG x Ember: Mind of a Genius (Gallant's label) had the best performances
Went here with my dear friends and amazing fashion bloggers Tania Sarin and Eric Christian to check out Zhu and THEY. and were STOKED to find out Goldlink was also performing. Also got to run into one of my faves, Michael Pak (LA's official Koreatowner).
Palm Springs: Blogger central; shout out Eric Christian and Tania Sarin
As a collab with Liebeskind, Tania Sarin, Eric Christian and I stayed at the AMAZING Amado (DO stay there if you ever vacation in Palm Springs) with some of the dopest fashion bloggers in the game including Michelle Madsen, Lisa Dengler, and Thrifts and Threads. We picked up some rad eye swag from Pared at the now practically classic Ace Hotel. I followed them around as they drove their Jaguar F Type around and looked awesome in general. Sigh, fashion bloggers are living the life.
Party in my Living Room: Weekend two party at Base Camp hosted by Thurz
A chill #partyinmylivingroom weekend two pool party with Reebok swag and a killer line-up feat. Iman Omari, Thurz, Tee White (Swim Team), KR, King Blaise and Dyson.
AMIR FARHANG
in editorial
MEET AUSTIN-BASED DIRECTOR AMIR FARHANG: OLD SCHOOL HIP-HOP, RARE KICKS AND A DREAM HOUSE IN AUSTIN.
I met up with Caviar director Amir Farhang at a local coffee shop of his choosing, which, to my pleasant surprise as a coffee lover, was Seventh Flag—a cool, modern shop with vintage Texas accents and delicious brew. At one point he mentioned his sneaker collection and of course I insisted we tour/photograph it as well his and his wife Kayla's beautiful home (recently featured by Airbnb's Design blog).
Check it out below, plus read a 10 question Q&A over at Caviar's news blog.
Nike AJ3 RF Vapor Zoom Black Cement, adidas Ultra Boost “Triple White”, adidas Yeezy Boost 750, Air Jordan IV White Cement
SOUTH BY
Never going to SXSW again because I don't think it could be a better experience no matter what—unless maybe I like perform with Beyonce or something, besides that, nah (lol jay kay, see y'all there next year).
I went for the film fest for work (GIANT QUALITY NETFLIX BINGE—IT WAS AMAZING) and then just happened to have a few friends in town performing/attending the music. Listened to so much good music that I had to make a little Soundcloud playlist that includes my favorite SXSW discoveries and as well as classics. Welcome.
MF DOOM x GHOSTFACE KILLAH aka DOOMSTARKS
LITTLE SIMZ / dreamville showcase
TOO $HORT
TANIA SARIN (FRYE x SXSW)
in blogger
LA THRIFT: CERISE
HOOKED UP WITH PERRIER TO FIND OUT THE SECRETS OF THE BEST THRIFTERS I KNOW IN LOS ANGELES.
Last in this series is my girl Cerise. She has some of the best style I know and every time I ask her where she got something it is never retail. So annoying. I made her tell me all her secrets and you can go check out the full Q&A at Perrier's blog.
SO LACI LIKE
in blogger
SO LACI LIKE is a rad graphic designer in LA. We wanted to do a shoot for her that conveyed her brand so she created a mood board for me on Pinterest—yo, if you don't make Pinterest mood boards for every creative endeavor then I don't understand how you function. After looking at her board, the first location that came to mind for me was Pershing Square in downtown LA. If you've never been, it's where that ice skating rink (still open until January 18th, GO!!!!) is and the first time I saw it was from LA's most darling rooftop top hang, Perch. The bright colored walls, super LA-ish plant life, and a photobombing skateboarder made it the perfect spot for Laci.
LA THRIFT: JON
in editorial
HOOKED UP WITH PERRIER TO FIND OUT THE SECRETS OF THE BEST THRIFTERS I KNOW IN LOS ANGELES.
Number two is Jon Marcu. Jon is one of those people who only talks when it counts and what he doesn't give away in words, he makes up for with actions. I mean, just look at the white rope chair seat he wove by hand (scroll down). The full interview is really insightful as Jon is an incredibly talented prop maker from Eagle Rock (fun fact, he has a t-rex from a print shoot with Chris Pratt in his backyard) and has a ton of knowledge about furniture. He took his time to share some really valuable tips. Check it out over at Perrier's blog.
SWEETGREEN LA INSTAMEET
It should be a known fact by now that I am in a love affair with Sweetgreen. If not, please accept this as my public declaration.
I discovered the salad/grains bowl place when they opened shop on Boylston Street in Boston while I was going to school there. It was an oasis of food that actually didn't make me feel like crap after eating it. When I moved to Los Angeles last year I can honestly say that the ONE and ONLY thing I missed about Boston was Sweetgreen. To my delight they opened a location in West Hollywood shortly after my arrival here and finally, to my even more delight, they've opened a Hollywood location and it's just a few blocks from my 9-6 job. Praise be!
Salads aside, Sweetgreen is a company I get behind for so many reasons. One of those is a field trip I went on today with them. We hopped on a sweet fancy bus and drove an hour east to Ontario, California, for a tour of the goat farm that provides the chevre cheese for the LA Sweetgreen locations. I absorbed more knowledge about caring for goats than I can ever retain, engaged in some really good discussions about "organic" practices, tested a few samples of goat cheese, and we all pulled out our cameras like a pack of paparazzi at the sight of a one-day old goat. Goodness sakes, that thing was cute (go scroll through the Instagram hashtag at the bottom of this post for photos—I was too awestruck to take any on my DSLR).
LIVE: RAURY + OSHUN
in music
DC duo OSHUN claimed Brooklyn last night and gave a 30 Days in LA performance New York City would be proud of. Full-time NYU students Niambi Sala and Thandiwe, are 19 and 20 and spent their Monday night performing at the Sayer's Club in Hollywood instead of studying for exams. Not even old enough to get past the bouncer, they wow'ed the crowd with their cohesive performance and intuitive energy. From their bio: "The name OSHUN pays homage to the Yoruba river deity (Oṣun) and her sisters (Iyemoja and Oya) who all represent elements of femininity and womanhood."
Their performance was a seamless transition to indie rapper blog darling Raury (also just 19). Since he released "Indigo Child" in 2014, Raury continues to fascinate with October's "All We Need." He cries for revolution and liberation and shares stories of teenage romance as he bounces through his set in the intimate venue, bringing a rush of young Stone Mountain, Georgia energy to the tired old Hollywood space. Each song had it's own moves making the album seem like just the cliff notes and the performance the full book. Fantastic choices by RB Sound Select.
RAURY at the SAYERS CLUB for 30 DAYS IN LA
OSHUN at the SAYERS CLUB for 30 DAYS IN LA
FIVE 4 FRIDAY
First of all my heart is mourning with Paris. I am sending up prayer after prayer for peace for those who lost loved ones tonight, for a city that suddenly became not so magical and turned into a nightmare under acts of senseless violence. I do need to say though, I believe that prayer is powerful and important but it should NEVER be a cop out. If you have money to donate to various organizations, if you can be there for some one who needs you, then you better freaking do that. Here's a list of organizations.
2. ANDRA DAY
ANDRA DAY for 30 DAYS IN LA at AMOEBA RECORDS HOLLYWOOD
Soul crushing vocals, a super good jazzy lil band (I was told they use ALL vintage sound equipment and starting setting up at 9 am for a 6 pm show, crasy), the lady has impeccable style and lyrics that make you FEEL. When Andra is pissed, you're pissed, when she's sad, you're sad and when she's in love, you're in love (with her, duh). Listen.
3. ALL MY MOVIES
My spirit animal, Shia Lebeouf's latest art installment was the ultimate internet age incident of self-awareness and connectivity. Shia breaks down the walls of "celebrity" by inviting anyone to watch all of his movies with him for free, for three consecutive days. I spent way more time watching this than I'm willing to admit—just staring at Shia, stare at himself. Shia rises, once again. Best part, you can watch all three days here.
4. MASTER OF NONE
This Aziz Ansari show just deserves applause on so many levels. Just mad props for the way he is addressing race and other things that people just aren't talking about, at least not on a Netflix series with an amazing soundtrack. I can go on all night about the show but instead, here's some tweets from my twitter feed this week about the show (and Aziz):
Sorry, Justin. Sorry, 1D. I haven't heard either of your albums yet because I have been listening to "Pilgrim's Paradise," the new release from Toronto-based Daniel Caesar non-stop today.I discovered Daniel a little late in the game through the track "Paradise," a collab with BadBadNotGood and Sean Leon. "A Cappella" gives me chills and made me want to go listen to some Oh Land after. Of course, I also really like the clean minimal vibes of his visuals (if you don't know, now you know, I'm a SUCKER for album art). You're welcome for introducing you to your new favorite chill music. Also S/O to Paris, this track is from last year but the eerie "A kiss is just a kiss/A sigh is just is just a sigh/The fundamental things apply, as time goes by/Woke up in Paris/Now it's occupied/By Nazis and terrorists" feels oddly relevant to tonight.
BONUS ROUND. CIVIL COFFEE
photo by rayneutron
Check out the coolest new coffee shop opening up in Highland Park tomorrow. We even brought up the g-word in this feature: interview and photos by rayneutron for TYPICAL MAG.
LA THRIFT: SHILOH
in editorial
Hooked up with Perrier to find out the secrets of the best thrifters I know in Los Angeles.
First up is Shiloh. This lady can't stop won't stop killing the game. She maneuvers a dope teal green Bronco around Glendale and owns little-to-none non-thrifted items—from her shoes to her furniture. Lucky for us, she is freely handing out some valuable thrifting lessons over at Perrier's blog. Take note y'all.
FIVE 4 FRIDAY
a weekly roundup of the things I am vibing with (with SOOO MUCH terrible punctuation because it's friday and i don't give a frick).
#1 THUMBS
'i can run the world from my mama's house'
the first single off this has been stuck in my head for weeks. folk-y chords line the background of this not-even-barely-average rap 'WORLDS TO RUN' by los angeles rap entity Busdriver with Anderson .Paak and Milo (he opens with them mellow raps that make it a must-listen track for me). The whole project has so much to offer and I can't wait to sit with it while editing photos this weekend. Also, the track in this music video, 'MUCH', speaks to my heart as someone who is ALWAYS doing too much... and has me all cocky singing the hook out loud all day. Just listen dang it.
#2 30 DAYS IN LA
the based god has blessed november
30 days of fantastic shows courtesy of Red Bull Sound Select, curated by tastemakers who know their stuff (KCRW, Fake Shore Drive, Manifesto to name a few). The only sad part is that I can't catch em' all. This week, I hit up the Joey Bada$$ show at the Belasco Theater and that was super fly. Next week, I'm signed up to attend Club Vinyl at Amoeba—and they added the darling Andra Day who I've been obsessing over for months now (there's still tickets for that I think). planning on hitting up Soulection (I'm feeling the new Goldlink) tomorrow night and a few shows later in the month as well, Raury and Jazz Cartier being the highlights.
#3 AFI FEST
obviously—the cool kids are all going to afi fest. i learned my lesson last year when as an intern i was asked to watch someone's computer and refresh it once every minute while he waited for AFI fest tickets to be available. this year, i was ready. i signed up, got me some tix and plan on spending some quality hours inside the chinese theater watching some of the best new cinema for freeeeee. i'm sort of most excited for JAMES WHITE. it took the 2015 Best of NEXT Audience Award at Sundance, and director James Mond is nominated for a Gotham award for breakthrough director, but honestly, i just have a giant crush on Christopher Abbott. i'm not a real film nerd—obviously.
#4 CAVANAUGH
"You're not taking food off my table, I owe 200 hundred grand in back taxes"
Open Mike Eagle and Serengeti are Cavanaugh. Open Mike Eagle, is an LA staple and local fans can be heard singing his lyrics over the guy himself when he performs. Serengeti is the Chicago rapper who is one third of Sisyphus, a collaborative project between him, Sufjan Stevens and Son Lux (so dope, if you don't know it treat yourself to it this weekend). check out Cavanaugh's nuanced music video for 'Screen Play' featured on NPR.
#5 HYPERTUBE
HYPERTUBE
This an experiential speakeasy event Nov. 7th and 8th in Highland Park. I'm mentioning it because it's one of those very Los Angeles things that no one tells you about until you see cool photos of it all over Instagram. I know very little about it except that there are four 'exploratory' drinks, some art, and some food. Rumor has it they have color changing drinks and drinks that come with a pick axe to break through the ice. Swing by after if you didn't get a ticket before they sold out. Expect a full report, a la 'the wrong way to consume alcohol.'
NOW TELL ME WHAT YOU'RE DOING THIS WEEKEND.
30 DAYS IN LA: JOEY BADA$$
30 DAYS IN LA IS A MONTH OF 60 CAN'T MISS ARTISTS IN VENUES THROUGHOUT LOS ANGELES.—which if you live in LA and don't know about, then you must have not left your house or used the internet in weeks. It also means you probably found out about it too late to buy tickets so feel free to live vicariously through these photos.
The Joey Bada$$ show last night was LIT. LA locals Warm Brew set the night up right and then G Herbo aka Lil Herb brought that Chicago heat. Then Joey Bada$$ maintains a stamina and energy throughout his entire 20 track set that can only come from years of conditioning (or maybe 30 Red Bulls). The place was packed, the energy was electric and of course, the raps were straight fire.
DIMEPIECE x TAVIA BONETTI
Dimepiece is an edgy, irreverent clothing company headquartered in a sunny fifth floor office in Downtown LA. One look around the office will reveal that the company is completely run by women. The place is girl power city. Also, Ashley Jones' (co-owner) office is worthy of it's own blog post because it has everything you never thought you wanted in it. Here's a product shoot I did recently for the brand with the amazing Tavia Bonetti. This girl, you guys, is so good.