10 ways to shop online and explore fashion during quarantine - Los Angeles Times
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10 ways to stay connected to the fashion world while you’re stuck at home

10 activities for cooped-up fashionistas
You can still shop favorite stores, explore brands and learn new skills like crocheting.
(Sandra Navarro / For The Times)
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Although the coronavirus pandemic has left fashion-loving folks confined to their homes, the stay-at-home order is offering plenty of time to recharge and renew in the style department. Organize your closet with expert help. Learn to crochet (a spring fashion trend). Or travel to Europe by way of an international fashion magazine. For those looking for an excuse to shop, supporting L.A. fashion brands, particularly those helping to fight the crisis, is an option.

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Buy from local brands giving back

The John Elliott label has pledged $10,000, along with 10% of sales from the brand’s core collection of essentials (currently 25% off), to a UCLA Health fund “to support medical personnel on the front line who are putting others before themselves,” said the label in a recent Instagram post. The goal is to reach $100,000.

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Through March 30, fine jewelry designer Irene Neuwirth (ireneneuwirth.com) is donating 20% of all online and phone sales to No Kid Hungry, a campaign by the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Share our Strength to assist with access to healthful meals.

Jennifer Meyer (jennifermeyer.com) is contributing 20% of sales of her jewelry through March 31 to the nonprofit Baby2Baby, which provides essentials to L.A. children living in poverty. Kim Kardashian West is donating 20% of profits from the new Skims (skims.com) cotton collection drop to nonprofit Baby2Baby’s COVID-19 assistance efforts.

Swimwear brand Robin Piccone (robinpiccone.com) has pledged 10% of profits through March 31 to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank to assist families coping with COVID-19. Also, local footwear label Mia Becar (miabecar.com) is donating all proceeds through April 6 to the California Community Foundation COVID-19 L.A. County Response Fund. And footwear designer George Esquivel (esquivelshoes.com) is giving $45 of every tote sale and $80 of every sneaker purchased from his Esquivel X line to nonprofit Giving Children Hope to support those in need.

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Shop L.A. designers with discounts

Here are five local brands offering special shopping incentives. Take 20% off all Jenni Kayne (jennikayne.com) with the code THANK YOU. Garrett Leight’s eyewear (garrettleight.com) is 25% off with the code STAYHEALTHY. Jacquie Aiche (jacquieaiche.com) is offering 30% off select jewelry, hoodies and sweat pants with code STAYHOME30. Clare V. (clarev.com) is giving 25% off all handbags and accessories with the code 25OFF. And get 30% off all A.L.C. fashion by Andrea Lieberman (alcltd.com) with code SAFEATHOME30.

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Admire the hat game in “Emma”

Thanks to Universal Pictures’ decision to make movies accessible for home viewing, director Autumn de Wilde’s film “Emma” is available to watch now. The 19th century fashions in the 21st century adaptation of the Jane Austen novel — the film stars Anya Taylor-Joy — were custom-created by fashion photographer and costume designer Alexandra Byrne, an Oscar winner in 2008 for her work on “Elizabeth: The Golden Age.” Hats play a starring role, while several scenes take place inside a haberdashery. (Screen for $19.99 on iTunes, Amazon Prime, Google Play and other on-demand services.)

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Catch up on fashion documentaries

Now is a good time to get up to speed on fashion documentaries. Three of last year’s releases are out: “Halston,” a portrait of fashion designer Roy Halston Frowick; the HBO film “Very Ralph” about Ralph Lauren; and “Chiara Ferragni: Unposted,” chronicling the Blonde Salad blogger’s rise to fame (as she splits time between Milan and L.A.).

Angelenos who missed it may enjoy “Jeremy Scott: The People’s Designer,” a 2015 profile of the local designer, who also serves as Moschino’s creative director. (The film includes cameos by Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry.) The 1995 cult classic “Unzipped,” a supremely entertaining, black-and-white snapshot of celebrated 1990s designer Isaac Mizrahi, is buzzy right now. It’s also the film’s 25th anniversary. All are available on Amazon Prime Video and other streaming or on-demand services.

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Consult virtually with wardrobe pros

With business drastically reduced because of event cancellations, Los Angeles wardrobe consultants are focusing on remote services. Brentwood-based styling and personal shopping business LaLaLuxe (lalaluxe.com) offers virtual image and closet styling sessions starting at $400 per hour, with 30% of the rate donated to Baby2Baby.

“I tell my clients to resist the urge to binge shop right now. There will be plenty of shopping as the world heals,” said owner Nicole Pollard Bayme. “What can we do with the pieces we already have to revive them? I am available to help dream up your wife’s 50th birthday present with a local jeweler by Skype.”

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West Hollywood-based image consultant and stylist Laurie Brucker Amerikaner has been offering virtual styling services since 2015 and has reduced prices during the pandemic. Her Stylepowerment Style and Mindset Makeover ($599 for two one-hour style sessions, a 30-minute follow-up, and text access for 30 days) includes a closet and outfit evaluation, styling and shopping advice, and a takeaway book with tips. The $125 Empowerment Hour is a one-hour chat with Amerikaner offering personalized advice on styling or wardrobe. Sessions can be booked through lauriebstyle.com; 10% of all proceeds will go to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank to support families in need.

This week, Julia von Boehm, InStyle magazine fashion director and stylist to Nicole Kidman, launched one-on-one wardrobe styling services using Zoom ($300 for 30 minutes; $600 for 60 minutes; book through calendly.com/donate-with-style), with 100% of proceeds donated to a choice of three charities helping with COVID-19 relief efforts.

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Escape with international fashion magazines

Put the digital devices aside and kick back the old-school way with a beautiful fashion magazine. Laurel Canyon News in Studio City is fulfilling orders through payment by phone and curbside pickup or limited delivery (call [818] 769-3327), owner Desiree Levine said. Shelves are stocked with French glossy L’Officiel, British Vogue, Vogue Italia and Vogue Paris along with Russian, British, Italian and German editions of GQ and the British edition of Esquire. The newsstand carries the large-format Italian fashion magazines Show Details and Riser as well as edgier British quarterlies Tank and 10 Magazine and the biannual Another Magazine and Another Man created by Jefferson Hack, who shares daughter Lila Grace with Kate Moss.

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Get crafty with crochet

Given all the lacy crochet knits seen on the spring and summer runways — from dresses at L.A. label Jonathan Simkhai, Stella McCartney, Marni and Kate Spade New York to tops by Altuzarra and Giambattista Valli — it is prime time to unearth (or order) crochet hooks.

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A representative for the brand We Are Knitters said there was a 120% increase in sales last week, compared with the previous week. The company offers free video tutorials and patterns (from crocheted laptop sleeves and totes to blankets and slippers) and sells supplies and kits. (Our top picks are the $72 Keaau tee and $54 Cozumel bikini). Shipping is free through Saturday.

The Knitting Tree LA in Inglewood offers FaceTime shopping by appointment; orders can be charged by phone at (310) 395-3880 and shipped or picked up curbside. Owner Annette Corsino-Blair recommends knit and crochet-focused social networking site Ravelry as a resource for patterns. The store is transitioning to virtual classes and is offering a Virtual Sunday Brunch using Zoom (email [email protected] for details) to help knitters connect for instructional support.

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Pay it forward with Apolis

L.A. brand Apolis (store.apolisglobal.com), created by brothers Raan and Shea Parton, is known for its utilitarian basics (including signature jute market bags) with a global conscience. Last week, the label created a #kindneighbor Instagram challenge in which anyone in the U.S. can earn a free Original Apolis Market Bag ($58) by buying one, filling it with supplies (from toilet paper to ramen noodles), and dropping it anonymously on a neighbor’s doorstep. Once notified of the Instagram tag, the company will send a private link and shipping code for a free bag.

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Closet purge and resell

Translate spring cleaning during this quarantine into extra bucks. Luxury consignment company the RealReal (therealreal.com) is offering virtual consignment appointments by FaceTime. As clients hold up each item in a well-lit area, a representative takes screenshots to check the garment’s condition. A packing list is emailed to the consignor, along with a prepaid UPS label, and a pickup is scheduled for the following business day.

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Repurpose old sweats and jeans

Last week, Miley Cyrus launched a new daily Instagram Live talk show, “Bright Minded: Live With Miley,” from her home and intended it as “a distraction from the chaos, confusion and fear,” she said. A fashion-focused episode recently included a craft session with fashion designer Jeremy Scott. The pair repurposed old or outdated sweat pants and jeans by decorating them with items they had on hand. Scott cut Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse characters out of old T-shirts to make patches that he sewed onto Adidas sweats. Cyrus decorated ripped jeans with Planned Parenthood and LGBTQ pins, a dog-face key chain, a scrap of a T-shirt with a heart and lightning bolt design, and a smiley face patch.

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“Don’t worry about doing it perfectly; we want it to be DIY punk and rebellious,” said Scott, adding that crafting can be “therapeutic” to help relieve the stress everyone is feeling and that the personalization could be applied to worn-out pajama pants — perfect to lounge in during quarantine.

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