Trunk Show

For the soon-to-be Mrs., Kirstie Kelly comes to Costco with couture-inspired bridal gowns at recession-minded prices. This trunk show comes with its own jewel-box salon, changing room and consultant on hand to answer questions. Appointments recommended. Costco, 6100 Sepulveda Blvd., Van Nuys. Thurs.-Sun. (818) 464-1480, http://www.kirstiekelly.com.

Reggae musician Ziggy Marley is planning to launch his first children's book, "I Love You Too," with signings, readings and acoustic concerts at the Americana at Brand and the Grove . The first event is a concert and reading at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Kids Club at the Grove, 189 The Grove Drive, Los Angeles, followed by a book signing at the shopping center's Barnes & Noble at 1 p.m.  The second concert and reading is scheduled at...

The coordinator was French and so was the champagne. Tea and petite sandwiches were served on silver. And one of the jackets was selling for $9,950. The occasion was the recent unveiling of Yves Saint Laurent's spring-summer ready-to-wear collection at South Coast Plaza's Rive Gauche boutique and was--because of the designer's prominence and the French coordinator's efforts--more European than many such shows in the county.

Fans of Alabama Chanin who are brave enough to attempt the firm's stunning reverse - appliqued style of handcrafted clothing and housewares themselves will be pleased to learn that founder Natalie Chanin will be in Los Angeles on March 16 to lead a one-day workshop. Participants choose from six Studio Style DIY Kits in advance: a set of six placemats, a shawl and matching hat, an apron with four tea towels, a baby blanket and onesie, a swing skirt, or a corset. Select your design, color and size preferences, and the DIY kit will be ready upon arrival.

The Mercedes 280SE pulls up to the door, and out steps a tall redhead dressed in the newest and trendiest. She is followed by her husband, who unloads a trunkload of suitcases, and the next thing you know, they're knocking on your door. Bonnie and Alan Roseman offer the latest twist in door-to-door salesmanship.

It was late in the afternoon, the doughnut supply was down to crumbs and Jellyroll the elephant had had enough. She flapped her ears, stomped her feet and wound her trunk under the neck of the lead actress. Then she nudged her head playfully toward an extra, nearly raking his ears with her foot-long tusks. Finally, after a handful of gummy worms and a few pokes in the rear, Jellyroll was coaxed into holding her head obediently above the actress. "Roll tape," the director yelled.

In the context of feminine youth, there is one rite of passage that seems to lead nowhere. It happens the moment a young girl dives into the ocean and discovers her bikini bottom has slipped south, while its top has shifted west and east. Defiled by the wave, she learns something: Bikinis don't stay on very well in the water. Rather than retreat to the beach, she devises ways in which to move through the elements gracefully without exposing herself.

Monica Kline emerges from a dressing room in Neiman Marcus clad in a salmon-colored Armani pantsuit two sizes too big. "Fabulous," pronounces an attentive saleswoman. Kline's not worried that the suit practically swallows her up. Here at the Armani trunk show, held recently at the Neiman's in Newport Beach, she can order the suit in her customary size 2. That's just one reason Kline prefers to shop trunk shows. Small sizes go fast in the stores, she says.

Although several designers have tried to forge a modern identity for Nina Ricci over the last decade, the French fashion house is still better known for the iconic fragrance L'Air Du Temps (launched in 1948 in the Lalique bottle with glass doves) than for clothes. But the brand's new creative director, Peter Copping, is trying to change that. Copping follows on the heels of Belgian designer Olivier Theyskens, who wowed critics and fashion eccentrics alike with his collections (remember those heel-less fetish shoes?

Trunk show canceled: An event in Image's Oct. 28 Shopping List, the Graeme Black Personal Appearance and Trunk Show scheduled for Saturday at Nordstrom Fashion Valley, was canceled because of the San Diego fires.

Matt Bomer, who stars as the charming rascal Neil Caffrey on USA Network's "White Collar," is the inspiration behind a menswear collection that is to go on sale on gilt.com on Tuesday -- coinciding with the launch of the final six episodes of the series' sixth season. The "Caffrey Collection" was designed in collaboration with bespoke tailors Alton Lane. It includes bespoke suit packages ($2,000-$2,995), a three-shirt package ($425), ties, bowties and pocket squares ($29-$69). The sale, which will also include items from other menswear lines, is scheduled to begin on gilt.com at 9 a.m. (Pacific)

Decades is having its ninth annual Chanel event this week, with nearly 400 pieces of modern and vintage clothing, accessories and jewelry from the label. Included are tweed jackets, one-of-a-kind vintage jewelry and Chanel's signature quilted bags. The sale is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at the boutique, 8214 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles. Can't make it to Melrose? You can buy online , too, starting the same day. EVENTS West Third Street plans to host a holiday shopping party from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday (Dec.

Malibu County Mart is gearing up for its Halloween incarnation as the Maliboooo Country Mart. Participating stores - visitors will know which ones by the Halloween balloon displayed outside - will offer treats for trick-or-treaters on Halloween, Oct 31.  There will be a costume contest for children and pets at 6 p.m. at the Jester fountain (first place in the kids' competition wins a $100 gift certificate to Toys R Us, with $50 certificates from...

Singer Christina Milian and actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler were on hand last week for the West Coast opening of C. Wonder at Fashion Island in Newport Beach. The new store from entrepreneur Christopher Burch (designer Tory Burch's ex-husband) offers customers affordable lifestyle products including women's apparel and accessories, home decor and personal electronics. The average price of C. Wonder products is under $40. The store is open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Singer Pink is the latest CoverGirl celebrity brand ambassador. Her "appointment" to the post was announced Monday in Santa Monica. [WWD] (Subscription required.) New details are out about the dress Natalie Portman wore when she married choreographer Benjamin Millepied on Saturday. The 1950s-reminiscent tea-length dress reportedly was designed by Rodarte. Not a surprise, because the label's design team, Kate and Laura Mulleavy, designed some of the costumes for "Black Swan," upon whose set the couple met and fell in love.

Designer Rebecca Minkoff is opening her first Los Angeles shop, inside a boutique that helped launch her chic, unfussy leather bags on the West Coast. The New York-based designer will open an 1,800-square-foot shop-in-shop later this month inside Confederacy, the fashion-forward Los Feliz boutique co-owned by Ilaria Urbinati — an early champion of Minkoff's ladylike, playful handbags. The shop is intended to be a regular fixture of the store, not a limited time pop-up. It will occupy the front section of Confederacy's sprawling space (Urbinati is expanding the menswear selection in back)

Designer Rebecca Minkoff is opening her first Los Angeles shop, inside a boutique that helped launch her chic, unfussy leather bags on the West Coast. The New York-based designer will open an 1,800-square-foot shop-in-shop later this month inside Confederacy, the fashion-forward Los Feliz boutique co-owned by Ilaria Urbinati — an early champion of Minkoff's ladylike, playful handbags. The shop is intended to be a regular fixture of the store, not a limited time pop-up. It will occupy the front section of Confederacy's sprawling space (Urbinati is expanding the menswear selection in back)

For the soon-to-be Mrs., Kirstie Kelly comes to Costco with couture-inspired bridal gowns at recession-minded prices. This trunk show comes with its own jewel-box salon, changing room and consultant on hand to answer questions. Appointments recommended. Costco, 6100 Sepulveda Blvd., Van Nuys. Thurs.-Sun. (818) 464-1480, http://www.kirstiekelly.com.

Rugged boots and delicate ballet flats are modern must-haves in any stylish shoe wardrobe. This may be why the first shoe collection manufactured by Los Angeles boutique chain Madison is made up entirely of the two looks. That, and the Italian factory producing the private-label collection "happens to be very good at making both," said Mark Goldstein, president and owner of Madison et cie, the parent company for Madison stores. The company recently debuted the line ? which ranges from $185 for simple black ballet flats to $445 for the studded, ankle-length "Gioiello" boot ?