Specific Standard Time

Last week, on our final day in France, after a long day of walking and walking and shopping, I'd just jumped in a cab on my way back to the apartment in Paris when my iPhone rang. I almost didn't answer it as I didn't recognize the LA number calling me as I'm cruising in the back of a Mercedes taxi (I still love the fact that taxi's are Mercedes, it's like instead of a cab, someone has sent "my car" around to fetch me) down the quai d'Orsay. Deathly scared of the international charges from AT&T, the only reason I had my phone turned on at that point was because I was waiting for a call from le Mari to make a meeting point. But I grabbed it and very happily it was Max Padilla, journalist for the LA Times looking for a quote for a piece he was writing on The new Shop at the Standard hotel downtown LA. "Max!" I said, excitedly, "perfect timing! You're reaching me in Paris!" As if calling a domestic cell phone on foreign soil was akin to mental telepathy. Here's what came of that remarkable, incredible Parisian conversation:

To read complete article click here.

The Shop has been garnering a lot of good press, I'm so honored to be included in the coverage.

RF29 ran this one!

And naag, the coolest of cool blogs, by model Agness Deyn and her friend Fiona Byrne wrote this:

This is what they say:

"And it's about freakin’ time! We love the Standard, and its brand-new-and-improved shop is more incentive to go to LA. It was totally redesigned by the Standard team and Commune (awesome LA-based design firm) so it's got that chic, modern allure (expect bright magenta, high-gloss lacquer cabinetry in contrast with a dark green marble floor.


Design aside, it’s the actual merchandise that had us at hello. They are all produced and made by locally based designers, including jewelry, clothing, accessories and more. Think rad, quirky stuff, too, like Mimobots flash drives, Ksubi Skeleton sunglasses, WOW Yoshimoto Nara artist towels, limited edition clutches by Clare Vivier and fun Kid Robot toys. Loving it, but super-bummed we're going to miss the actual opening date (August 24).

The Shop at the Standard, 550 South Flower at Sixth St., Los Angeles tel 212-892-8080 www.standardhotels.com"

Look how cute their collage "about" page is...I'll be checking back with this blog.