PRADA MARFA

A few months ago I checked Marfa, TX off my bucket list thanks to Tracy Chin (@agencyaddicts). I spent the weekend filming her bachelorette party and it's been the most fun and unique gig yet. We flew from LAX to El Paso and made the trek through the middle-of-nowhere-Texas to get to the tiny little town Marfa. And just outside of city limits is the infamous Prada art installation - something I've wanted to see for years.

Anyway, here's a short little teaser edit to give you a sense of what this small, eerie art town was like. I've traveled a lot and haven't seen anything like this before - definitely worth the trek. Make sure to check out the FULL LENGTH film of all the shenanigans Tracy and her friends got into, HERE.

HONOLULU

Just got back from the annual Hawaii trip. Gabe started out with the island vibes a week early. He flew out to Kona to film for Lexus. Afterward we met up in Oahu for a week of relaxing/exploring. Pow! Wow! Hawaii was of course happening and we only had one day of filming together, so it really did feel like a vacation.

As always, a list of places to hit up if you find yourself on the island.

• The Modern - My all time favorite hotel on the planet. Best poolside vibes and breakfast.
• Goofy for brunch. It's not only super tasty but really cute inside. It's like eating in a treehouse.
• Eternity Beach - private little beach spot.
• BLT Steak - this is our go-to Valentine's day dinner for the last few years. Get the lobster.
• Shrimp Truck - if you venture up to the North Shore definitely stop off at the Shrimp Truck on the side of the road. It's pretty yum.
• Lanikai Pillboxes - mild little 20 minute hike. The view is the reward. 
• Pow! Wow! Hawaii - if you go in February while they're painting it's cool to check it out and attend all the events happening. We're usually out there filming it :)
• Arvo Coffee - Super cute and they have some cool home goods. We got a plant pot.
• Pioneer Saloon - If you're looking for a good Hawaiian Plate Lunch, this is it.
• Mono - Cool little shop that sells design goods.
• Hanauma Bay - The most magical spot there is. Go for the snorkeling.

Special Thanks to: Lira Clothing, Barton Perreira, The Modern, Pow! Wow! Hawaii

NAPA VALLEY

What's better than a birthday with wine and lots of it. Gabe whisked me off to Napa Valley to do some wine tasting. It's all pretty self explanatory in the video but here are the highlights: 

• Silver Car - literally the coolest rental car ever. It's only in a few cities as of now, but you get a new silver Audi every time. Pretty fancy - it really set the tone for the whole trip.
• Charlie Palmer Mystic Hotel in San Fran
• Hops & Hominy for dinner in San Fran
• Robert Mondavi Winery
• Menage a Trois Winery
• Black Stallion Winery
• Monticello Winery
• Senza Hotel - seriously amazing boutique hotel. I mean it had a fireplace and was surrounded by vineyards. I loved it.
• Grace's Table for brunch in Napa
• San Tung Chinese in San Fran

LA XMAS SHOPPING GUIDE

I don't love shopping at the mall. Every Christmas Gabe and I take an entire day and shop small in Los Angeles to get unique gifts for our family and friends. This year, as we were driving up the 110 freeway, we decided it'd be fun for us to film our shopping adventures and give a glimpse at how we do Christmas. Only the coolest places made the cut. Xmas or not, they're a must.

Here's the store list:

• WITTMORE
• HAMMER & SPEAR
• POKETO
• ARTBOOK
• SALT & STRAW (BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO GET A LITTLE SUGAR HIGH)
• ALCHEMY WORKS
• HENNESSEY & INGALLS
• AMERICANO FOR BRUNCH
• STAMPD
• AMERICAN RAG CIE
• ROLLING GREENS
• HEATH CERAMICS

Also, other places we frequent for a shopping adventure:

• TINI (THIS IS NOT IKEA)
• THE GENERAL STORE
• SKYLIGHT BOOKSTORE
• CHURRO BURRO
• DEKOR
• SHOPHOUSE KITCHEN
• CB2

NYC

A couple weeks ago I caught a red eye out to NYC. Gabe and I were heading out there to film for the luxury sunglass company, Barton Perreira. We went straight to the shoot as soon as we landed - seriously, I did my makeup in the taxi that morning.

Anyway, when life gives you lemons make lemonade. I'm not sure if that phrase is appropriate here because nothing about this situation is negative. What I'm trying to say is we got the opportunity to go out to NYC to film and decided to stay a few extra days for fun. Why not?

We ended up making this trip a little celebration for our 5 years together. Making art with your best friend the best feeling - we shot this short vid together and Gabe surprised me with the edit recently. I can genuinely say that I'm so grateful for everything in life and wake up everyday with that sentiment.

Here's the deal - a lot of food was consumed while on this trip. It's just way too tempting when there's amazing places all over. So I'll fill you in on where you need to go.

-Lexington Brass - this place was actually at the hotel I stayed at (48LEX). ended up here after the first day of shooting all day/night. Good food and even better drinks. 

-Pax - super simple, easy little lunch spot. they're all over town. the one near bryant park has a create your own pasta station. that's right, this spot is not fancy but it's good and quick.

-Peter Luger - posted up in brooklyn and worth the trek. this restaurant has been the #1 steak house for years and years. you have to make a reservation - there are no walk in's. and you have to pay cash or debit - they don't take credit card. oh, and get the bacon - trust me.

-Baked by Melissa - you'll become addicted but that's fine. we went 3 times while in nyc and brought back 50 cupcakes for our friends. these are a must any and every time. and also very acceptable to have these delivered fresh to CA. that's how real the addiction is.

-Red Rooster - up in harlem and it's seriously so good. the vibe is great and the food amazing. everyone is talking about this place.

-Meatball Shop - spot on. when i went there the special was the 'mac n cheese ball'. it. was. amazing. 

-Momofuku Plus and Monofuku Milkbar - together in the same building and it equals heaven. Okay, first of all Monofuku Plus has a limited menu and you can't go wrong. I got the chicken sandwich and cheese fries. soooo good. Then I got even fatter and went to the Milkbar and got Fruity Pebble ice cream with sprinkles and also some birthday truffles. words don't even begin to describe how happy these desserts made me.

Anyway, you can thank me later. These were just the places from this trip. Others are: Freidman's for brunch, Tao for dinner and Ace for drinks.

BLOOD, SWEAT + TEARS

In just a few short days my new SS16 collection for 16thColony will launch.

When you're the only one running the show, you wear a lot of hats. I'm hands on with everything for 16thColony, just short of physically producing the product itself. Behind the scenes I'm designing, sourcing fabric and trim, hand drafting the patterns and sewing the samples. The term 'blood, sweat and tears' holds a lot of truth for me. 

Recently, I was up in LA on the hunt for new fabrics and felt inspired to capture my experience, so I shot this short vid on my iphone to give an inside look.

Stay tuned for the release of the new designs.

ITALY THROUGH IPHONES

I'm usually pretty reserved and don't typically share a lot of my personal life. This is one of those rare times but hey, maybe it'll be putting more out there in 2016. You never know.

Anyway, here's a very raw glimpse of my trip to Italy a couple months ago through Milan, Rome and Venice. Myself and @0484GABE filmed short clips on our iPhones throughout the trip. I think since we both film professionally it's definitely not to the quality we usually put out but I couldn't help myself this time. Everything is so in the moment and not planned out so that element alone adds something special that a cinematic video can't. Enjoy. 

*Side note: Long story but since we booked our tickets 23 hours before departure we ended up taking separates flights. That might clear up any confusion.