Blog – Page 26 – Orlando Soria

Feb / 1 / 2011Oct / 12 / 2013

Whut Glamour: Used Books!

Dear Diary, I epiphanied last night that I have a fetish for first editions used books, ordered from Powell’s in Portland. This obsession began lightly a few years ago and was cemented last year when I received a first edition of my favorite novel of all time, Gore Vidal’s The City and the Pillar. What’s so important about the first edition of City is that Vidal rewrote the 1948 novel in the 60s and completely changed the ending. In my opinion the original version is much more authentic and a lot less clever and calculated than the rewritten version. Two…

Jan / 31 / 2011Oct / 12 / 2013

Homme Movies: True Grit

Dear True Grit, You are a good movie. I enjoyed watching you. The other evening, my beautiful friend ActorWriter Brian asked me if I wanted to see you, and I was like “Not really.” But I changed my mind (out of sheer desperation to see a movie) and we went with our pretty friend NotQuiteSureWhatHeDoes Jonny, who left halfway through the film because he got, like, totally bored. The plot of the film is as follows (spoiler alert: I give away the ending!): 1. Someone kills Hailee Steinfeld’s dad. 2. She enlists the help of Cartoon-Texan Matt Damon and Gurgle-Voice…

Jan / 31 / 2011Oct / 12 / 2013

Homme Sweet Homme: Trovata

Dear Model, I like your hooded jacket by Trovata. And your face. You look like you’re made of wax. Love, Orlando

Jan / 30 / 2011Oct / 12 / 2013

Whut Glamour: Fashion Sketches

Dear Richard Haines, I absolutely love the beautiful sketches you made that are featured in the NYT’s Paris/Milan Fashion Week coverage. The drawings give a sense of the fashion, but are also tremendously appealing and sensitively rendered. They are truly works in their own right. I’ve always liked fashion sketches, but I kind of want to be converted into a cartoon-fashion-sketch so I can enter into the wonderful cast of characters you’ve created in your drawings. Lovely. Love, Orlando PS: View the complete slideshow of sketches here.

Jan / 30 / 2011Oct / 12 / 2013

Five Haute Things for the Homme: Accent Lamps

Dear Diary, In about a month, I’ll be moving into a (yet to be found) apartment and the one thing I’m most concerned with is light. I like my apartment to be super bright at all times. Having too many lights on makes me feel cozy and protected. And like I’m slowly killing the earth (sorrlz). For the sake of the environment, I use compact fluorescents whenever possible (Ikea has great ones, by the way. They have a warm tone unlike most of the depressing, pore-accentuating bluetone ones on the market). I like lamps that have something to say. Something…

Jan / 30 / 2011Oct / 12 / 2013

Marthatimez: Beer Chicken!

Dear Foodlez (like a Foodie, but a Food-Poodle instead because I don’t like the word “Foodie”), Did you know you can stick a can of beer inside a chicken and then bake it? I thought it was common knowledge but I found out recently that some people hadn’t heard of it so I thought I’d bring it to your attention. Apparently roasting a chicken with a beer inserted in it makes for a tender, tangy meal. I’ve never actually done this before, but my handsome friend Matthew Lanphier did the other night and I must say it was totally delicious….

Jan / 30 / 2011Oct / 12 / 2013

Fake Joan Didion Quote of the Week

“Will someone get these nuts away from me!?! I can’ t stop eating them!” – Joan Didion* *Not a real Joan Didion quote, sadly.

Jan / 30 / 2011Oct / 12 / 2013

Typoglamour: The Yosemite School

Dear The Yosemite School, I went to you for 9 years, but I never noticed how totally glamourous your signage is. I believe this sign was installed in the 1950s when the school turned from a log cabin into a bigger, more modern building. I had many funtimes at The Yosemite School. Probably because of the sophisticated typeface on the school’s sign. Love, Orlando Dumond Soria, 8th Grade Diploma – 1996

Jan / 28 / 2011Aug / 21 / 2013

Whut Glamour: Neo80z Crop Shirts

Dear Gay Calvin Klein, The current 90 degree weather in Los Angeles has me thinking about spring fashion so I decided to go online and check out what have you in store for the next few months. The most exciting and ridiculous part of your collection is the 80s inspired cropped off shirts. Since my childhood, I have had a secret obsession with crop tops. When I was little, they were all the rage. The fact that they’ve just been revived is the most exciting thing that has ever happened in my whole entire life. They’re not quite as casual/sporty…

Jan / 27 / 2011Oct / 12 / 2013

Too Cool For Azul

Dear Frida Kahlo, This week Emily and I were discussing blue and I naturally thought of your amazing homestead, La Casa Azul. La Casa Azul is the house you were raised in that is now a museum dedicated to your life and your hilarious and lighthearted paintings. Thinking about your blue casa made me start thinking about other blue casas, so then I went on the interwebs and LOOK what I found!: La Casa Azul (Frida Kahlo Museum): Other gorgeous blue houses: I like the bright color of this one: I’m pretty sure the makeup artist from Blue Man Group…

Jan / 23 / 2011Oct / 12 / 2013

Gladvertising: Levi’s

Dear Levi’s, I have been raving about you to everyone on set because it has recently come to my attention that your combination of good product and amazing lifestyle branding have completely won me over. While I was living in New York last year, I went to the movies and your “Go Forth” advertisement featuring a Walt Whitman poem was played before the previews began. That ad (below) is probably the most beautiful ad I’ve ever watched. It’s sexy, raw, and showcases perfectly the glamour and adventure of the West. It made me miss California. The images of crazy kids…

Jan / 23 / 2011Oct / 12 / 2013

Whut Glamour: Colour Stripes!

Dear Installation Artist Jim Lambie, I have always loved your graphic stripe installations and have had them on my mind recently. On Secrets, we’re doing a few family rooms and are looking for exciting ways to incorporate colour, so naturally I thought of your wonderful striped floors. I highly doubt we would ever get to do something like this in one of our makeover houses (it might be a little too crazeballz for most peoples’ taste) but someday when I buy my own house (read: in like 20 years when the market has completely collapsed and I’ve saved up enough…

Jan / 22 / 2011Oct / 12 / 2013

Hair Do?

Dear The Boy in This Picture, I think you hair is awesome, but I highly doubt I could get away with it. Oh well. Love, Orlando PS: I found this image on my favorite website in the whole world, Hedi Slimane Diary. I will be posting more from Hedi in the future.

Jan / 22 / 2011Oct / 12 / 2013

Hot Couture: Belmain

Dear Balmain, I love your glamorous new fall collection for hommes. Too bad I’ll never be wealthy enough to afford it and it’s highly unlikely that it will ever show up at Ross where I, like, actually shop. Love, Orlando PS: View a slideshow of your delightful collection here.

Jan / 21 / 2011Oct / 12 / 2013

Fake Joan Didion Quote of the Week!

Dear Joan Didion, You said this: “In Beverly Hills, it’s who you know, and I know everyone.” – Joan Didion Just kidding, no you didn’t. Love, Orlando

Jan / 20 / 2011Mar / 6 / 2013

Five Haute Things for the Homme: White Bookcases!

Dear Diary, For this week’s episode of Secrets From A Stylist, Emily had me research some modern, minimalist pieces for our client. This got me thinking about white bookcases and shelving systems, which I have always liked. In my living space, I tend to use a lot of white because it keeps everything bright and airy and prevents seasonal affective disorder. A lot of Angelenos get seasonal affective disorder because we are so ridiculously spoiled by the glorious light of summer (10 months out of the year) and we cannot handle it when it isn’t bright and sunny for 15…

Jan / 20 / 2011Mar / 6 / 2013

Whut Glamour: Business Cards!

Dear Misako Rothery, Thank you so much for the luxurious business cards you designed and printed for me at your wonderful New York design studio, To You, From Me. I totally love my delightfully thick business cards and the classic design you gave them (which was exactly what I wanted). I’ll let the cards speak for themselves, but I’m totally obsessed with them. Love, Orlando They even came in cute packaging: Front: Back:

Jan / 20 / 2011Mar / 6 / 2013

Homme Video: JJ ‘Let Go’

Dear JJ, I know they’re not brand new or anything, but I love this video and this wonderful song. You’re delightful. Love, Orlando [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eA-H7z8Hv8]

Jan / 20 / 2011Aug / 21 / 2013

Homme Sweet Homme

Dear Diary, This is the most attractive man I have ever seen in my whole entire life. The face, the hair, the moustache. The bright tanktop. The rainbow surfboard. True love. Love, Self PS: I found him on the website of one of my favorite clothing companies, Warriors of Radness.

Jan / 18 / 2011Oct / 12 / 2013

Homme Movies!

Dear Reader, You know, people often ask me, “How do you stay so current on the latest pictures at the cinema!?!” Well, I’ll tell you. I don’t actually watch them. A true Hommemaker doesn’t have time for anything aside from making perfect meals, wearing perfect clothes, and excelling at his perfect job. Thus, I watch Youtube trailers for films and pretend I saw them at the theatre. This gives me ample topics to discuss at dinner parties, art openings, and fundraisers for the most influential of America’s politicians. Because watching these previews and faking knowledge of film has proven useful…

Jan / 11 / 2011Oct / 12 / 2013

Fake Joan Didion Quote of the Week!

Dear Reader, Everyone knows that being a good Hommemaker means being a Joan Didion fan. I spent many a day crying my eyes out whilst reading Where I Was From and The Year of Magical Thinking (“Tragical Thinking” is more like it!). Anyone who I am facebook friends with knows that one of my favorite pastimes is making up fake Joan Didion quotes, mainly because she seems so proper and intellectual (like me!) and imagining her saying anything crazy or stupid is absolutely hilarious. Thus, my weekly column of fake Joan quotes. Here’s this week’s quote: “I can’t believe I…

Jan / 9 / 2011Mar / 6 / 2013

Five Haute Things For The Homme: Barware

Dear Andy Cohen, If there’s one thing I’ve learned from watching “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” it’s that the ultimate expression of one’s hosting abilities is throwing cocktail parties. I have no idea how all those broads are so skinny, because those ladies could drink any sailor under the table and even when they aren’t at cocktail parties (which is rare), they are drinking alone on some beautiful/tacky veranda overlooking the gorgeous California coastline. Since my career goals include being a Real Househusband of Venice Beach, I’ve been researching barware to use at my uberglamorous cocktail fetes. Here is what…

Jan / 7 / 2011Oct / 12 / 2013

What Do YOU Do?

Dear Diary, As purpose of this blog is to inform people about hommemaking, I decided it was important for me to explore one of the less obvious aspects of keeping a home which is one’s professional life. After all, one literally cannot keep a home unless they have a job to pay for it, unless they have bags and bags and bags of gold coins (like Sofia Coppola, for example). For the rest of us who have to toil and sweat and, like, actually work for a living, jobs can be a meaningful and important addition to our wonderful homelives….

Jan / 4 / 2011Aug / 21 / 2013

How To Throw A Dinner Party: A How-To for the Half-BrainDead!

Dear Diary, While I was spending the holidays in Yosemite National Park, the home of the tallest waterfall in North America, I had the honour of hosting a totally glamorous dinner party for my BFF Caitlin. Caitlin has been a very, very close friend of mine since we met in high school. Her birthday falls on the 28th of December, which means that all the goyem are usually still too busy celebrating Jesus’s birthday to remember to celebrate hers. But not me. I got my delightful mother to help me throw a totally glamorous (yet simple and easy) dinner party….