Archive of ‘Hotel Shangri-La’ category
It’s a great honor & privilege of mine to be able to act, in a small way, as an art patron from time to time and it gave me great pleasure to sponsor Matthew Stone’s recent trip to the West Coast.
We brought Matthew out for BritWeek 2013, and were delighted when the interest in Matthew exceeded our already high expectations. Matthew was named by The Sunday Times as the most influential person in the arts under 30 in the UK and it is not surprising his reputation had already reached the West Coast even though he had yet to have his first show here.
As part of the BritWeek calendar we held 2 events with Matthew. A DJ party on our rooftop at Hotel Shangrila in which Matthew played the most tasteful and sublime set that I can remember hearing and a salon in which we discussed Matthew’s art, his motivations and his influences. We had a very elevating and enjoyable discussion, it was a pleasure to see the depth Matthew has an artist.
Matthew & I co-hosted the salon in the Dining Room of the Shangrila, it was an intimate roundtable format and our esteemed guests included Director of BAFTA Nigel Daly, wife of the former British Consulate Sharon Pierce, Executive Director of Britweek Lauren Stone, Artist Bexx Bissell, Music Video Director Georgia Hudson, and actress Tamzin Brown along w/ their lovely dates.
During the dinner Matthew read out his manifesto which I found incredibly life-affirming and elevating. Matthew & his art have an incredible sensibility and it does not surprise that he is held in such high regard.
…and of course, I can’t help mentioning what an absolute sweetheart Matthew is. I was lucky enough to spend some time with Matthew last summer in London and Matthew’s intelligent, gentle and playful manner makes him the most warm & wonderful company.
Shepard Fairey’s gallery Subliminal Projects reached out to me when they heard we were bringing Matthew out to LA. Somewhat magically, Matthew ended up having his first LA show at Shepard’s gallery which was a roaring success. Incredible crowd, breath-taking art and just the most delightful LA summer evening.
If you didn’t get a chance to catch Matthew or his work this time around I would definitely urge you to do so when Matthew returns, hopefully sooner rather than later. Come back Matthew! America needs you!
For our second event held here at the hotel for Britweek 2013 we had UK born, but LA based artist, KESH host & present her latest creations custom made for the hotel. The unveiling consisted of 7 limited edition pieces inspired by her personal experience’s, and the hotel’s almost 75 year old history brilliantly re-appropriated into a timeless collection of art. This is the first artwork of it’s kind to be hung on the walls of our Terrace Suites to capture the imaginations of our guests while they escape in Shangrila.
The beautifully lit penthouse with Kesh's brochure.
Sneak peek of one of the stunning pieces for our Terrace Suites beautifully displayed in our penthouse
Her works of art were showcased throughout our rooftop penthouse and the pieces were both captivating & alluring. Each piece carries elements of the hotels aesthetic through the eyes of Kesh and imbues a unique duality of modern art & art deco that is a perfect compliment to the style of our beloved hotel. It was an inspiring evening & the crowd was full of energy & excitement with an eclectic mix of fashionista’s & art lovers alike popping in throughout the evening, dressed to impress.
Kesh in her photo-booth zone on the rooftop
Such an amazing group of creative individuals made it out for the evening
Me & Kesh in front of one of the pieces inspired by our Rock & Roll suite's bathroom decor.
Amazing style & fierce poses throughout the evening
Also – Here’s a wrap up from our dear friend, Mark “Cobrasnake” Hunter
During Britweek 2013 I had the pleasure of hosting our first Jubilee Swing Tea Party at the hotel co-hosted by Mich Dulce, British milliner & corsetier.
It was a sublime Sunday afternoon, everyone in attendance was dressed to the hilt, swaying & dancing away the afternoon in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50′s attire. Mich’s spectacular and interactive hat display along with a photo booth allowed for everyone to partake in quite an impressive dress up party. Surrounded by fun conversation, an assortment of hob nobs, custard creams, tea, biscuits and swing dancing made for an incredibly delightful, creative, and innocent afternoon.
Britweek started out w a huge splash (and a red carpet) at the Residence of the British Consul General in Hancock Park. The theme was Art Deco which fits in perfectly with my tastes and inclinations although I did not know that when I dressed up to go. We were welcomed with open arms by the Consulate staff and even the former consul and his wife, Bob and Sharon Pierce, and it was lovely to have that kind of relationship with them after working together for 2 years. Everybody was dressed beautifully and I received a lot of complements which makes any girls night just complete:)
Love the step and repeat that featured the Shangrila!
Loved the gorgeous stage
Gorgeous Art Deco panels
Met lots and lots of fun elevating stylish people
Come check out the Britweek Events I’ll be hosting at my beloved Hotel Shangri-La
(a decorated pool-side cabana)
It is frequently stated that Los Angeles is the land with no seasons. Our beautiful blue skies & warm nights fill out most of the 365 days of the year, but even with the idyllic weather I always know the holidays are here when Justin Howard (the Flaming Florist) transforms Shangrila into a winter wonderland.
(the Courtyard's frosted snowman)
Justin’s eccentric ornaments & floral arrangements create the quintessential holiday atmosphere blended with the right amount of hollywood glitz & a just pinch of naughty.
(the Lobby at Hotel Shangrila)
And the perfect soundtrack to Justin’s decorations & Shangrila’s holiday ambiance is:
Sex Pistols – Holiday in The Sun
AFM 2012 poster
The business of independent motion picture production & distribution reaches its peak every year at the American Film Market (AFM), the world’s largest film market. Each year I can always sense the vibrancy added to the brisk & sunny city of Santa Monica telling me that AFM has arrived.
AFM 1981 poster
Founded in 1981, AFM is a pivotal destination for independent film companies & business people from all over the world.
AFM gathering in Santa Monica
Each year, more than 8,000 industry professionals converge in Santa Monica for eight days of deal-making, screenings, seminars, premieres, networking & parties.
It is tradition that the official AFM Happy Hour take place in the lush greenery of the Courtyard at Hotel Shangrila.
In just eight days, more than $800 million in deals will be sealed on both completed films & those that haven’t started yet. It is a pleasure hosting AFM participants from more than 70 countries & to offer them a chance to experience the timeless atmosphere at Hotel Shangrila, year & year again.
(Matthew Stone)
Matthew Stone is a photographer, sculptor, performance artist, curator, writer, Optimist & cultural provocateur.
(Photograph from Matthews body of work titled Ritual)
The Sunday Times recently placed him at number one in the arts section of their “Power players under 30” list.
(Piece from Matthew's limited hardback book, The Body Beyond)
He spearheaded South London’s !WOWOW! art collective, organizing guerrilla art exhibitions, throwing decadent squat partied & revitalizing the London art scene.
(Piece from Matthew's limited hardback book, The Body Beyond)
He has exhibited at the Baltic, the Royal Academy, the ICA & Tate Britain, provided the soundtrack to each of Gareth Pugh’s fashion shows & films & I have the pleasure of hosting him at Hotel Shangrila as part of BritWeek 2013 programming.
(Piece from Matthew's body of work titled, Optimism as Cultural Rebellion)
Hosting cultural tastemakers, like Matthew Stone who are having a global impact, at Hotel Shangrila has long been a tradition for me & I am proud to share it with such a like-minded institution as BritWeek 2013.
(Shangrila, 1939)
As Hotel Shangrila approaches it’s 75th anniversary I have been researching the hotel’s rich history in preparation for the Diamond Jubilee celebration in 2014.
I discovered that William J. Donovan, a New York lawyer, WWI Medal of Honor hero & the first Coordinator of Information (appointed by President FD Roosevelt) headed the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), operating out of Hotel Shangrila!
(Santa Monica Beach Lifeguards in 1938)
(Historical artifacts from the OSS event)
He recruited Santa Monica & LA County Beach lifeguards for his OSS Maritime Unit (MU) & from 1939-41 he and the MU trained on the Santa Monica beaches that Hotel Shangrila overlooks.
Almost 75 years later, Hotel Shangrila, The Los Angeles Adventurers Club, OSS Society & British United Services Club of Los Angeles brought several surviving members of the original OSS Maritime Unit Operational Swimmers back to Hotel Shangrila for a 3-night stay.
(Walter Mess (99) an original member of the OSS MU)
Among the honorees was Walter Mess, who at 99 years old prior to the war worked with General Donovan as a civilian secret agent in Europe on special assignment & during the war became the senior flotilla commander for all MU operations as a skipper in the Burma theater of war.
(Erick Simmel, a filmmaker/historian who helped put together this event, Tamie Adaya, Henri Birmele GM of Hotel Shangrila)
The spirited celebration on the rooftop terrace of the Penthouse at Hotel Shangrila was illuminating, touching & absolutely something for the history books!
To learn more about this treasured piece of history head over to the Santa Monica Mirror:
Santa-Monica-Based-OSS-Surviving-Members-Honored-At-Hotel-Shangrila
Hotel Shangrila was built in 1939 & has been Santa Monica’s monument to art-deco for nearly 75 years.
(An iconic photograph of Hotel Shangrila taken by famed photographer Julius Shulman)
My youngest son Ali & I recently started on our detective work, uncovering historical gems for my upcoming Diamond Jubilee Book (1939 – 2014) celebrating the Hotel’s 75th anniversary.
Buried beneath years of old letters from notable guests & pieces of press I found an envelope from a mysterious Michael to an even more mysterious Jack…
(A mysterious piece of mail from my Shangrila archive)
Other gems inside this riveting piece of mail included these gorgeous 1940′s promotional materials…
(A scanned image of a vintage Shangrila matchbook)
(A quaint 1940's Shangrila promotional card)
There is much more to uncover & dust-off, the highlights will appear in Hotel Shangrila’s Diamond Jubilee Book.
This July 4th, Virgin Produced hosted its Second Annual Summer Vacation at Hotel Shangrila to celebrate Independence Day in style by putting on a lovely poolside soiree for hotel guests & invitees.
The Virgin Produced crew was out in full force filming the event for Virgin in-flight programming…
We had a gorgeous July 4th cupcake display provided by Baked By Melissa…
Dangerously smooth tequila cocktails by Peligroso Tequila…
Barrymore Pinot Grigio provided the wine…
To top it all off we had a marvelous vocal/acoustic live performance
As the Virgin Produced pool party was winding down I headed over to Brad Hoss’s (who was hosting a BBQ) to celebrate the 4th with a few good friends…
My dear friend Brad Hoss presenting me with a tribute burger
Slip n slide
Rounded the evening off at Soho House taking in the high-rise panoramic view of all the firework displays lighting up the Los Angeles night-sky.
London was still jubilant after the close of the Queen’s Jubilee weekend as designers, fashionistas & early-adopters paraded into the first ever Men’s London Fashion week.
The sense of pride was evident is many collections, some of which referenced the union jack…but others, like my good friends Barnzley & Joe Corre of A Child Of The Jago, took a more refined approach referencing the design history of the empire, which they showcased for a fortunate few…
(The over-exaggerated Jago hats & scarfs were out of this world!)
(My hat's off to Barnzley!)
My youngest came along for the shows & was suited & booted by myself & Amr…
(Ali Tannir rocking A Child Of The Jago)
I ran into Joe Corre again, this time along with Phil Dirtbox at the Daniel Lismore Black & White party…
(Phil Dirtbox, Tamie Adaya, Joe Corre)
(Such gorgeous black & white flowers)
(Let them eat C…)
Dave Thomas, stylist to the stars, invited me & my husband to join him at his showcase of his newest trends…
(At the Dave Thomas show with Dave & friends…)
(Tamie Adaya & Amr Tannir at the Dave Thomas party)
(My eldest Tarik Tannir & youngest Ali Tannir might have a career in modeling coming there way 
ha!)
Out of all the looks I saw these 2 photos are my favorite by A Child Of The Jago…
(My favorite looks of London Mens Fashion Week)
(Young Queen Elizabeth II)
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is the longest-lived & second-longest reigning monarch of the United Kingdom.
(Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II and His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh in the official Jubilee portrait)
Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee marks 60 years as queen & in celebration of Elizabeth’s accession on June 4, 2012 thousands of beacons were lit across the Commonwealth.
The precursors of the flotilla before the Royal Barge
The commonwealth boats/flags for the flotilla
The celebration extended into the night as my decoratively dressed friends & I jubilated over festive cookies & drinks!
Traditional Lemon Posset Jubilee style
Everyone at this Jubilee party has gone mad w national pride, in a good way!
Everyone wearing Union Jack or Queen clothing
In the spirit of Queen Elizabeth, I’m already planning Shangrila’s Diamond Jubilee (75th anniversary) in 2014. We’ll be making highly useful & desirable custom, unique, original, limited edition, commemorative products of the highest quality that will be gifted to our guests…but the details of those products are under wraps for now as they are still in development.
