WHO: LINLEE ALLEN
WHAT: WRITER/PHOTOJOURNALIST/
TREND FORECASTER/CREATIVE CONSULTANT
WHERE: LOS ANGELES
VISIT: linleeloves.blogspot.com
FFF LOVES… Everything about Linlee! We want to meet her in LA for a cool cocktail and hot news… she is our go to girl for the West Coast and more!
STAY: The Parker, Palm Springs. There’s nothing quite like Palm Springs at any time of the year and The Parker is hands down, the best place to stay with its funky retro-decor by Jonathan Adler and luscious grounds filled with exotic flora and fauna, hammocks and fireplaces (for those who love to gaze at endless amounts of shooting stars).
RELAX: 60 Thompson Rooftop Pool, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles. Quite simply the coolest, most discreet poolside ambience in the city of angels complete with a salt water, Swarovski-lined swimming pool and frequent visits by celebs including Benecio Del Toro, among others.
EAT: South Food and Wine Bar, San Francisco. Aussie culinary king Luke Mangan serves up the finest food ever. The service is impeccable and the experimental nature of the recipes are a total hit: don’t miss the Licorice Parfait with Lime for dessert.
SHOP: American Rag, La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles. Because in my mid-30s I’m less inclined to search for amazing vintage dresses in flea markets opting in turn for dry-cleaned, unique finds sitting pretty on a rack. And boy do I find them here. I adore the French-inspired homeware section next door too.
EAT: Axe, Venice Beach, Los Angeles. The mouthwatering Salmon and Brown Rice Bowl and the Seven Grain Pancakes with Berries are right up there with the a-grade star-spotting. Think Ben Harper, Lisa Bonet, Raymond Pettibon, Rosario Dawson and more.
SHOP: Olvera Street Village, Downtown Los Angeles. My one-stop shopping arcade for flamenco dresses, Mexican embroidered cravats (worn as head pieces), and Frida Kahlo-esque accessories at affordable prices.
RELAX: Le Meurice Spa, Hotel Meurice, Paris. There’s nothing quite like having this entire Spa all to yourself (it stays open until 10pm every night for guests of the Hotel). One of my must-have indulgences post-Paris Fashion Week: imagine a giant, fluffy monogrammed robe ready and waiting for you as you exit the Jacuzzi/Hammam and scoop up a handful of fresh Moroccan figs and apricots, only to down them with a freshly made, especially for you, exotic Green Tea. Bliss.
Egon Schiele, Wally in a Red Blouse with Raised Knees, 1913SEE: Neue Gallerie, NYC. A definite must-see every time I visit New York as this gallery specializes in German and Austrian Art (a personal fave). The jaw-dropping works pieces by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner are incredible, as are the decor pieces in the vintage furniture room, alongside original sketches by Egon Schiele (right).
SIP: Sunset Towers Bar, Los Angeles. Because the Chateau Marmont is SO over. Here, expect the ultimate class as Dimitri (the host du jour) succumbs to your every whim and the martini’s are the best you will find in Los Angeles. Oh yeah, the star-spotting is epic as well (no wonder this place hosts the Vanity Fair Oscar party every year).
STAY: Hotel Ermitage, St Tropez. Graffiti king of Paris Andre Saraiva follows up his nightclub reign of Le Baron, Le Montana Bar, Le Paris Paris and The Beatrice Inn with this hotspot accommodation of choice in the coolest part of the coastline. Kate Moss, Lily Allen and Snoop Dogg are regulars.
About Linlee:
Linlee Allen spent several years working in public relations for Colette in Paris before relocating to Los Angeles in 2007 where she has since worked as a writer/photojournalist for The New York Times, Harper’s Bazaar, www.style.com, Grazia, V, Paper magazine, i-D, Purple Diary, LOVE and assorted other international titles. In addition to consulting for select brands she also works as a US trend forecaster for international design companies, extending upon fashion, art, cinema and assorted other genre’s, all of which are captured on her blog at linleeloves.blogspot.com
At 34 years of age, the Aussie ex-pat is currently in the process of writing her first book, “Linleelife”, an autobiographical tale of her transition from Paris to L.A, due out in 2010.