Agent Trovata-teur

It's a big deal when a cute surfer foursome hailing from the OC become Vogue's wunderboys of the year. Trovata snagged the annual CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund award -- a grand prize of $200,000 cash as well as all the publicity perks and magazine support any up-and-coming designer(s) could ask for.

This OC groupie designs for both men and women, describing their aesthetic as "California-meets-the-East-Coast" prep. Each collection has its own complicated little story: title, characters, and all. Though Jeff Halmos, John Whitledge, Sam Shipley, and Josia Lamberto-Egan are not officially trained in design technique, they've gotten themselves an adoring fan base in Barneys, the CFDA, and Vogue. That triad for this foursome ain't too shabby!

Southern Cali Trovata-heads, it's time to get excited. There's a warehouse sale this weekend with fall 2005 overstock and samples from both the men and women's collections. The deals range from a 20-spot to no more than a hundred and a quarter ($20-$125). Details, you say?

Dates and Time: This Friday (11am-6pm) and Saturday (10am-2pm)
Not-So-Secret Location: 1945 Placentia Avenue - Suite B (between West 19th and 20th Streets), Costa Mesa CA
Got Questions?: Email lovers@trovata.com

You dig, dude? Good.






I'm Lovin' it: New car smells. Yup, that's right. Got me a new vehicular, which is unfortunately on back order (geez, I thought back orders only happened with Birkin bags) for one to two weeks. Black, sporty, sunroof, great sound system...it's going to be a smooth ride to San Francisco this New Year's!

I'm Over it: The flimsy black (with white stitch) clutch sent to me for being such a loyal subscriber to Conde Nast-y magazines. Couldn't they have just sent me a Doo.Ri top instead to help get my New Year's Eve outfit started? I mean, c'mon now.

Track Classic of the Day: "Luv'en Me" by Nelly. Ok, please don't get on my case about calling a song by this dirrty South pop-rapper a classic. The lyrics are sweet (and not as in "cool" sweet) and the delivery is smooth. Let's refer to it as a guilty pleasure classic. Nelly may look good in sweats and suits, but his new "Grillz" ain't got nothin' on this older jam.

Random Celebrity Sighting: Avril Lavigne and her teeny-tiny Sum 41 fiance Deryck Whibley driving down Santa Monica Boulevard. They were in the same black Volvo SUV that was in the episode where Avril gets Punk'd. Of all the Escalades, Beemers, Porsches, Ferraris, and Mercedes, the engaged duo pick a Volvo, thus validating mundane stereotypes of married life.

* photo courtesy/property of rollingstone.com