The cultural gap between Northern and Southern California will be bridged at Vindulgence-LA, FBI’s swank soiree combining wine and fashion. The event will be held Wednesday, May 2nd from 6:30 to 9:00 PM in the third-floor loft of the New Mart Building, and FBI members and supporters are encouraged to attend. For ticket information www.fashionbizinc.org

The fashion show will feature new looks from American Apparel, Remy Leather, Couture, the Clothing Company, Stop Staring!, Ranahan Jeans, Vanessa Carreno, Sledge USA and high-end dog fashions featuring “I See Spot”.

Look for Stop Staring! to show its signature day and evening dresses inspired by the 1930s to 1950s, says owner Alicia Estrada. “I’m inspired by Silver Screen sirens like Marilyn Monroe, Rita Hayworth and Joan Crawford,” she says, “and the collection is basically really elegant, Golden Age of Hollywood glamour.”

Still, Estrada is no costume designer: “Most stores have told me they consider the collection timeless, regardless of its being vintage inspired.”

Five small-batch wines will be provided by event cosponsor Wente Vineyards. Founded in 1883 in the Livermore Valley Wine Country, Wente is California’s oldest continuously family owned and operated winery. “Vindulgence- LA will be our first new-release tasting and fashion event in Los Angeles, and we couldn’t be happier to be working with the FBI,” said Karl Wente, fifth-generation winegrower at Wente Vineyards. “There’s a natural affinity between the arts of winemaking and fashion design. Both are innovative industries where you can push creative limits while respecting and building on the fundamentals of time-honored artisanship.”

Inspired appetizers will be crafted by chef Fred Eric of Tiara, while Italy’s Bormioli Rocco will provide crystal stemware as your gift to enhance your winetasting experience. Chill grooves will be spun by DJ Randall.

“All the fashions to be featured are not just designed in LA, they’re made here,” says FBI president Frances Harder. “These designers are creating fashion jobs in LA, not outsourcing them.

“American Apparel’s Dov Charney is Mr. Made in LA,” Harder continues, “while Remy Leather has been producing domestically and successfully for years. Stop Staring is a fairly new business that has opted to manufacture in Los Angeles, and that has grown its business with the help of FBI.”

I will be spinning this fashion show vine tasting event on May 2nd. By the way I don’t know who DJ Grooves is. I guess they wanted to make up a name for me.

To purchase tickets click here

Around Los Angeles there is a huge art community. Plenty of incredible artists, but definitely more shitty ones. Come on you know how it goes. There are always those untalented, but hot art school girls, that paint pictures of gay guys or trannys in an expected mediocre way who get into shows in downtown because someone wants to put their dick inside them. Very boring, over done, and not interesting. Just give in, I know you are going to marry some 45 year old balding, boring, producer or lawyer. Anyway, what I have here is the complete opposite of that. A Chinaman with a mustache that draws some of the most entertaining and interesting drawings I have ever seen. That man is Michael C Hsiung. Personally I am a huge fan of his art. I shot a few questions way to pick Mike’s mind about his life as an artist here in LA. Here the are:

So how did you come about doing this art has drawing always been a big part of your life?
Drawing has always been a big part of my early life. I actually still have drawings my dad saved of dinosaurs, horses, and men with facial hair. I used to draw inside my Chinese Exercise books – everyone is melting, has a beard, or crapping I haven’t come a long way. Ha ha. I drew well up into high school, but somehow fell out of it and lost interest somewhere after college. It wasn’t until I had quit my job in San Jose, was majorly depressed, and moved back to LA that I started to draw more regularly out of boredom. I think at the time I was drawing to make my friends laugh, and slowly through that I got encouraged to draw more and more.

I remember seeing one of your first drawings on a sign at Nash’s house in K-town, the No More War for Metal with some unicorns on it. I thought it was fucking hilarious. At that time did you see yourself being an artist?
I didn’t see myself as an artist at that point. I hadn’t sold anything, I wasn’t showing anywhere, and thinking of it too seriously. It was me having fun and drawing for fun.

The Downfall of the Mermen

What inspires you the most?
Will Smith, Ice skaters, facial hair, mythology, Dungeons & Dragons, Doctor Who, friends, art, and boredom.

Do you ever think K-town is ever going to get gentrified? They have been talking about it for years just like Echo Park and you see how that part of town is now. K-town still seems the same. Just a few weeks back 18th street hit up Nash’s house and his neighbor got shot? Do you still walk the Gauntlet? Please explain us who don’t know what it is.
Korea town probably will get gentrified in a few years as the renters realize they can get more money of young kids and stuff, but for now it’s still double-parking, street tamales, abandon couches and tv’s. Just the way I like it.

Hell no I don’t walk the Gauntlet anymore. The Gauntlet is this stretch of sketchiness (2nd street and Kenmore) that I used to walk home from either drunk or whatever at like 2 am. Not advisable. Some nights I would run through it, or lightly jog. I almost got mugged on that damn thing. But yes, I totally stopped after someone got shot on Catalina by Nash’s home court. The guy was walking home at 1 am, 30 something, and Mexican. I wish the Gauntlet on no one.

A puppeteer entertaining a handicapped child

Your opinion on mustaches?
I’ve always been obsessed with moustaches as a kid. Don’t know why. It wasn’t until I was so depressed that I just stopped shaving for work that it grew. Nobody at the office even said anything about it until the lesbian IT person walked by me one day and said, “nice stache.” I think everyone should have a Hitler or Chaplin stache depending on what school of thought you’re from.

What do you define as good art?
Pearl Hsiung, Mike Stilkey, and the guy who draws D&D art . . .

What strikes you as bad art?
The guy who draws D&D art…

Two distinguished gentlemen riding a unicorn

What is your opinion on art school? Do you feel art school is necessary?
Well it’s interesting because while I didn’t go to art school, my sister who is a tremendous influence has been to art school and graduate school for Fine arts. So I see that it can be a helpful environment to develop ideas and collaborate. For myself, however, and some other artists I know like Mike Stilkey, it wasn’t necessary. We might have been different types of artists if we went .. who knows. I always encourage education, but it’s not necessary. You can be an artist without an art degree or an artist with one.

What current projects are you working on? I know you have tons of people interested in working with you.

Well I’m currently preparing for a show at Gallery Revisited (www.galleryrevisited.com) on June 23, 2007 with artist Cole Gerst that requires I draw like 20 pieces and put out a mini-publication of illustrations accompanied by writing (Kathleen Brzezinksi). I’ve got a Cd cover to finish for my friend Davin (sorry I’m behind), I’m contributing once in a while to www.daytrotter.com, writing a blog and doing interviews for www.ourartsite.com, and planning to build a robot.

Man at Cronos struggling with worms

What do you find yourself drawing the most?
It depends. I go through periods. For instance I’ll draw something until I sort of get tired of him. You’ll notice there’s been a lack of Mermen in my life. Shh!

Is there a message behind the art you are doing? I found it so entertaining that I didn’t even care for one.
I think my art is more thematic, but not purposely. I usually draw shapes and scenes where I don’t realize what they are until after they are completed. If there was a message in my art, I think it’s like kill animals, pandas and unicorns hate each other , let the gay mermen be, and ice skating can be stressful.

Baby Hitler

If you could sum up your art in one word what would it be?
I know what my friends would say, but I think “realistic” would sum it up very accurately.

Michael is always showing in the local LA area. Best way to view his pieces are at shows which are listed on his website or myspace. You can also purchase prints through his website. Get them while they last! You can find his work at the sites below.

Website
Myspace
Gallery Revisited
OurArtSite.com

Freethescene.com has teamed up with LAvsSF.com. They will now be posting some of their material here, including local SF performers/artists, and other random shit they are known for such as how much subway sucks, famous gay dogs, and translating what peoples myspace’s mean. A lot of good shit here, but to tell you the truth no one in LA cares to compare themselves to SF. They just like to visit there. Anyway you can find some awesome stuff on the site from the infamous local Angelino Scott Maize and Curt. Anyway check it out.