Floral

New York Marc JACOBS is one of the few American designers important enough to keep the fashion flock sweating. After an excruciating bout of humidity hit the city, show-goers were forced to trade their autumn tweeds for tank tops. Squeezed into packed bleachers at the New York Armory on Monday night, they were left to turn their programs into fans and watch makeup slide off of one another's faces as the show began an hour late. But when model Gisele Bundchen stepped onto the runway to the backbeat of Beyonces "Crazy in Love," all was forgotten.

It is a highly choreographed, unabashed spectacle, a contribution to the world of contemporary performance art from a most unexpected place: ikebana , the Japanese tradition of flower arranging. Backed with Broadway lighting and a large supporting cast, ikebana master Akane Teshigahara is promising to turn a once-intimate art into an onstage extravaganza titled “Iemoto Ikebana Live” on April 27, transforming the stage of the Aratani/Japan America Theatre in Los Angeles into the world's largest and most spectacular vase.

Tens of thousands of orchids will be in bloom at the 65th Annual Santa Barbara International Orchid Show , which draws top local, regional and international growers, orchid societies, amateur botanists and floral arrangers. Browse displays of orchid species from North and South America, the South Pacific and Asia. A vast selection of blooming orchid plants, corsages, art works and orchid supplies will be for sale. Earl Warren Fairgrounds, 3400 Calle Real. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Fri.-Sun. $12. www.sborchidshow .com .

Season three of "Shameless" may have come to an end Sunday, but fans won't miss star Emmy Rossum for long -- not even by a little. She can be seen next in the film "You're Not You" opposite Hilary Swank, and she can be heard on her newly released album "Sentimental Journey. " Rossum is an actress, singer and retro-glam fashionista. She's consistently chic, isn't afraid to mix her prints and acts as her own stylist. She tends to choose silhouettes that bring to mind the golden screen queens of the 1920s and 1950s.

IN THE '20s and '30s, while American companies manufactured Bauer, Fiesta, Hall and other everyday tableware, the British also were making streamlined beauties: Who would have thought that staid old Wedgwood and Royal Doulton would issue such wonderfully Moderne geometric and floral patterns in such elegant shapes. There is even a teapot in the shape of a yellow race car. Collectors will drool, especially because most of these are not available in this country. ($35)

First Lady Michelle Obama has become something of a muse to several New York designers, who showed pre-fall 2010 collections in December that reflected signature elements of her style. "She's a fashion icon, an inspiration for designers," Sasha Charnin Morrison, fashion director at Us Weekly, said in an interview. "Instead of looking at historical figures, which doesn't really work anymore, they are looking to someone so modern, who takes risks and wears clothes so well." The magazine recently bowed to Obama's fashion prowess -- and unspoken sex appeal -- by including her slinky but stately strapless Naeem Khan gown in a spread of best red-carpet dresses from 2009, alongside Angelina Jolie, Megan Fox and Blake Lively.

If a power outage has ever left you alone in the dark, with nothing to do but mull over past events and wonder what comes next, you'll feel at home in Christopher Russell's installation in the lobby gallery at the Hammer Museum. There's not a lot to look at -- unless you look closely, move slowly and savor details. Russell has covered the back wall with floral-patterned wallpaper and hung on it a handsomely framed, life-size photograph of a recently killed buck. Hunters usually pose with such trophies, but this one hangs alone, as solitary in death as the hunter who must have pulled the trigger and snapped the picture.

In Southern California, "seasons" are more loosely defined than in other parts of the country, but many of us still crave a change in style, scenery and mind-set once spring rolls around. A new scent can signal the onset of a new season, and beauty counters are more than ready to fulfill any yearnings for change. One of the easiest ways to achieve these changes is through scent, and with a new round of fragrances hitting beauty counters now, dabbing these behind your ear could kick-start your spring and be that subtle shift you're searching for. Finding a spring fragrance doesn't mean having to douse yourself in a garden full of freesia or lily of the valley.

When I discovered I was pregnant with our second child, I pulled out the storage bin containing the maternity clothes from my first pregnancy and was instantly depressed. After nine months of wearing a Diane von Furstenberg maternity wrap dress and Lilly Pulitzer maternity shift in heavy rotation — and I mean heavy in every sense — I couldn't face another pregnancy in these same few outfits. But at $300 for designer maternity dresses I would wear another half a year at most, I wasn't prepared to splurge on an entirely new pregnancy wardrobe.

On occasion, my wife and I have taken out-of-town visitors on Sunday outings to the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles to expose the uninitiated to the joy of a live gospel choir. I sometimes wonder how I stand with that power greater than myself while intruding on a house of worship solely to observe a spectacle. But we're always received so warmly that I quickly lose myself in the music and forget where I am. In that state, I've paid little notice to hats and shoes and dresses.

Think coffee's just the drug of choice for humans looking to stay alert? Scientists have some eye-opening news for you: Bees get a buzz when they drink nectar laced with a little caffeine, and it supercharges their long-term memory. In laboratory experiments, honeybees were roughly three times as likely to remember a floral scent a day later if the nectar had a minuscule amount of the stimulant than if it was caffeine free. They were also twice as likely to remember a caffeine-laced scent a full three days later.

The season's crop of floral prints is blooming as fresh and varied as a field of spring wildflowers. At Marni, Consuelo Castiglioni's collision of checks and chrysanthemum prints on roomy skirts and tops is reminiscent of Scandinavian modern design, while the bold cherry blossoms and daisies on Miuccia Prada's boxy dresses and pants make for a Far East-inspired, 1960s Pop art look. In California, growing conditions are always right for beachy floral sportswear and gear, such as Aviator Nation's hibiscus-print "Surf Safari" sweat shirts, the new Stubbs & Wootton leafy-print, rope-sole espadrille slippers for Brooks Brothers' Black Fleece offshoot, and the perfect boardwalk ride, Didi Dunphy's skateboard with vinyl zinnia graphics.

Floral prints are making a big comeback this spring after having been in full bloom on the fall runways back in 2011 at Miu Miu, Givenchy and more. Featuring tropical Hawaiian breeds, orchids or classic daisies, some prints look as if they were plucked straight from the garden. Floral prints and flower embellishments also made their way onto the red carpet. At the recent SAG Awards, Julianne Moore wore a white Chanel haute couture gown with black flowers, Nicole Kidman choose a Vivienne Westwood gown with black-and-navy blue floral embroidery and Ellie Kemper donned a sea-foam green Reem Acra dress also with floral embroidery.

Jordana Brewster is one of those actresses who seems to be photographed everywhere. Whether it's a premiere, luncheon or album release party, Brewster makes an appearance looking stylish and camera-ready. When she's not busy on the party circuit, she's lighting up the small screen as Elena Ramos in the TNT remake of the series "Dallas. " Brewster was recently spotted at the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. luncheon at the Beverly Hills Hotel. She kept her cool despite the heat in a lightweight floral print Max Mara dress.

Talk about flower power. From February through April, San Francisco and environs, the historic home of hippiedom, busts out in blooms. Here are dates and details for several Bay Area floral displays and festivals: Through Sunday: Tulipmania This annual festival adorns Pier 39 on San Francisco Bay with thousands of tulips and other flowers. Free guided tours step off at 10 a.m. daily from the entrance plaza, followed by free coffee, cookies and other refreshments at Fog Harbor Fish House.

Sweepstakes trophy: Dole, "Preserving Paradise" Grand marshal's, for most creative concept and design: Discover Card, "The Dream Believers" President's, for most effective use and presentation of flowers: Republic of Indonesia's Ministry of Tourism & Creative Economy, "Wonderful Indonesia" Lathrop K. Leishman, for most beautiful entry from a non-commercial sponsor: Kaiser Permanente, "Every Body Walk" Director's, ...

It's time for our annual list of spring garden tours and events, for all you planners. Be sure to check organizers' websites for more information and updates, because some events do sell out. Additions to the list and suggestions are welcome via reader comments. April 6-7: More than 40 gardens, each planted with at least 50% California native plants, will be featured in the 10th annual self-guided tour organized by the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wildflowers and Native Plants . 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.

To the uninitiated, the boysenberry may look like a big, blowzy, underripe blackberry, but it is in fact a noble fruit, as distinct from a common blackberry as a thoroughbred is from a mule. Large, dark purple, juicy and intense, it derives its unique flavor from its complex ancestry: sweetness and floral aroma from its raspberry grandmother, and a winy, feral tang from three native blackberry species. It's a California classic, emblematic of the joys of growing up in the Southland before it succumbed completely to sprawl.

With royal fever still burning in Los Angeles in the wake of Prince William and wife Catherine's visit, it's natural to ask, "What did the coveted couple drink?" It turns out that mixologist (and Neve Luxury Ice founder) Michel Dozois — who created the artsy cocktail scene for Stark Bar at LACMA — was asked to make cocktails for William and Catherine at the black-tie British Academy of Film and Television Arts gala that took place downtown at the Belasco Theater over the weekend.

It happens every year. Spring arrives, and flowers appear — and not just in your garden but on all kinds of fashion accessories. This year, the fashion bloom is especially bountiful. Designers including Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino and Juicy Couture have worked flower embellishments all over their shoes and bags — in rosettes, embroidery, appliqué and straw. And in all manner of design, color and application. "Flowers never go in or out of style. They're a timeless design element," says Jody Kuss, executive vice president of merchandising for Coach, whose new Natalie handbag pairs a classic straw tote with leather floral embellishments "It's a great contrast in textures," she says.