I was at The Annenberg Space For Photography on yesterday to view their latest exhibit: Beauty Culture. The majority of the images are rather iconic so you've probably already seen most of them in popular magazines. It was indeed a treat, though, to be able to view them in one setting, printed in larger formats. The exhibit was broken down into several different categories: What Size Is Beauty? and What Color Is Beauty? being just two of them. Images presented were by such renowned photographers as, Albert Watson, Herb Ritts, Norman Jean Roy, et al. 

If you have the time, make it a point to see the twenty minute film on Beauty by Lauren Greenfeld; enlightening, shocking, beautiful and a little disturbing.

Since they don't allow to to take pictures of the pictures, following are just a few of the portraits from the exhibit that I "borrowed" from their website to share with you.   (All images via The Annenberg Space For Photography_)

Sade by Albert Watson

Cindy Crawford

Carmen Dell'Orefice by Fadil Berisha

Waris Dirie by Albert Watson

Kristina Semenovskaia by Tyen

Brooke Shields by Albert Watson

Laetitia Casta by Tyen

Naomi Campbell by Gilles Bensimon

Du Juan by Sofia Sanchez and Mauro Mongiello

Alek Wek by Gilles Bensimon

Hilary Swank by Norman Jean Roy

Photograph by Herb Ritts

Photopgraph by Leonard Nimoy

Michael Buble's Los Angeles home is prominently featured on the cover/inside the November issue of House & Home (Canadian Edition). While I liked the Manhattan space of Donny Deutsch in last month's Architectural Digest, Michael's home feels more comfortable and inviting to me. I especially like the cabana-styled patio, which vaguely reminds me of the cabanas at The Viceroy in Santa Monica.

Even though he lives here with his new bride, I think that this would make for a great bachelor's pad. Oh, and the view is rather spectacular, as well. 

His latest CD, Micheal Buble Chistmas.

You'd think that since I've worn a hat nearly every day for last four years, that I would have made it into Goorin Bros. Hat Shop long before yesterday. This gem of a hat shop has been in Old Town Pasadena for only three months, but the company has been around since 1895. (In this economy, that's always very encouraging news). Handsomely housed in a hat-box sized store front on Colorado Boulevard, this outpost of Goorin Bros. offer a rather vast selection of classic and modern style hats: from bowlers, straw fedoras and "apple caps" to women cloches. While I didn't find the hat I wanted in my size (this after being encouraged to try on any hat in stock), the very knowledgable and helpful sales associate, Liz, said that they should have more of the fall collection coming in shortly. I will definitely be returning.

All above images by N.D. Harrington for The Sophisticated Gentleman

If you're going to be in the Pasadena area this coming Thursday, October 13th, the store is having their Grand opening from 6-9pm. (Hopefully, I can make it.) Liz invited me to stop by to listen to some live music  and to try on some more  hats. This store's interior, with its  wood check-out counter, banisters, shelves and tables remind me of a small saloon from the 1920's. Because of this wonderful "old world" feeling,  once you descend the wooden stairs, you're bound to feel like you're in a scene from HBO's Boardwalk Empire. (Just be sure to not get "whacked" after indulging in the free libations.)

James Galanos, former couturier for former First Lady Nancy Reagan, is featured, at his Hollywood Hills home, in this month's issue of Architectural Digest. While I prefer darker wood interiors (cherry, ebony, mahogany) these almost beachwood toned walls definitely play well against, what appears to be glossy, black marble floors. Very sophisticated, indeed.

(All images by Miguel Flores-Vianna)

My friend, Adilifu Nama's second book, Super Black: Imagining Race in Science Fiction debuted this week. Super Black is more than just a book offering a cursory examination of Black superhereos. It is an in-depth analysis and exploration of the Black Superhero (Luke Cage, Blade and Storn, Among them) as more than just one dimensional "characters, " but rather as complete and actualized entities. Dr. Nama, Associate Professor and Chair of the African American Studies Dept. at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, fleshes out these heroes, who have not always been afforded the prefix of "super," and lets us know that, given the opportunity, they quite often have more to offer than the role of mere ineffectual side-kicks. (At the very least, they prove equal to their white counterparts.) Captain America and the Falcon are perfect examples of this belief. As you can image, this book is  indeed  also a rather forthright commentary on race relations, equality and social justice in our society, most specifically during the 1960's and 1970's, as seen through the colorful pages of comic books.

Adilifu's award-winning first book, BLACK SPACE, debuted in 2008 to excellent reviews. He will be doing a reading and book signing next Friday, October 14th, at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena. If in the area, I'm certain that it will be worth your while to attend.

(All images taken from the book, SUPER BLACK)