FASHION VENICE
P.S. I LOVE YOU
All-American interior designer and blogger Mark D. Sikes’ first foray into women’s fashion is focused, to say the least. His inspirations? The work of designer Claire McCardell, ’30s and ’40s sportswear and stripes. “I don’t know if I have ever met anyone who didn’t love a blue-and-white stripe,” says Sikes, whose debut M.D.S. Stripes collection is made in L.A. and comprises classic cotton tops, dresses, ball skirts, scarves and accessories named for style icons including Grace Kelly, Jane Birkin and Lauren Hutton. Coming up: cashmere and additional knit silhouettes for fall, plus more ball skirts—can you ever have too many? mdsstripes.com.
Gold and clear quartz Mother’s Day Locket, $245.
Taking a Page
What are the five eye tricks every girl should know? How do you make your bedroom a sanctuary? Check out L.A.-based fashion journalist, TV host and blogger Louise Roe’s first book, Front Roe: How to Be the Leading Lady in Your Own Life (Running Press, $25), a comprehensive roundup of practical tips and guidelines Roe has learned through years of working in the industry.
Fashion Bits Louise Roe
Pure Brilliance
F
or Milan-born gemologist Tito Pedrini, jewelry design is not dictated by fashion. Instead, he says, “my stones dictate my designs.” Having just signed a collaboration with a reputed diamond cutter in Antwerp, Pedrini thrills to the idea that he “can have any kind of rare thing I want in one day,” he says. The jeweler, who views California as his spiritual home away from home, travels primarily between London and New York, where he crafts collaborative custom pieces for clients starting at $100,000 and four carats. His true passion? Gemstones, of course. “I remember the colors and the stones of the jewelry my mother wore when I was a child. It was always a bit innate,” he says. And while he can easily elaborate on the distinction between a Burmese sapphire and one from Kashmir, his current focus is diamonds of the large, jaw-dropping variety. “I sell the most emerald cuts, but I love the marquise shape, though it’s not very popular,” he says. “And I always love hearts—I think they are coming back in America.” titopedrini.com. titopedrini.com FROM LEFT
C 50 MAY 2015
Tito Pedrini. A selection of extraordinary rings, price upon request.
WRITTEN BY KATHRYN ROMYEN AND HEATHER SEVERS. SIKES: AMY NEUNSINGER. ROE: COURTESY OF LOUISE ROE. PEDRINI: CRISTINA MACAYA
STARS IN STRIPES
The designer and friends in M.D.S. Stripes.
Just in time for Mother’s Day, Brooklyn-based designer Alexis Bittar has created a limited-edition locket. “It’s a play on a traditional Victorian locket,” he says, “but with a futuristic and edgy twist.” 1612 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, 310-452-6901; alexisbittar.com.