from nautical jewelry to naughty letters, here are our picks for the month:





book of love.
we're talking about hedi slimane's portraits of a performer: courtney love. david lachapelle's resident muse struts her grungetastic stuff for the dior homme designer in his latest limited-edition book. $80. www.visionaireworld.com





cuisine for a cause.
the 5x5 dinner at providence is all the justification we need for an extravagant meal. on april 30th, the restaurant will donate $20 from each reservation to cure autism now. feeling generous? book a ringside seat at the chef's table for $300 and they'll donate $50. $190-$300. call for reservations. 323.460.4170. www.providencela.com




dahlface.
project runway reject alison kelly's new clothing line, dahl, is full of girly but tough puff-sleeve tops and sack dresses in black, white, and pink. $172-$436. exclusively at www.shopbop.com.





the anti e-mail.
samara o'shea's for the love of letters: a 21st-century guide to the art of letter writing is ideal for people who haven't sent a handwritten note in, uh, never. it even offers advice on writing erotic letters and ripping your enemy a new one. (with grace, of course.) $19.95. www.amazon.com





number one stunna.
shock value, timbaland's solo album, is finally here. the man behind the mixing board scored guests (from nelly furtado to she wants revenge) for his own cd. because you know he was tired of justin taking all the credit for bringing sexy back. www.itunes.com




the mann show.
artist mark mann's exhibit at taylor de cordoba features digitally-altered postcards from the '60s. his photographs capture nuclear families on vacations that are permeated with an overwhelming sense of doom. in other words, every road trip you ever took with the fam. 2660 la cienega boulevard. between cullen and alvira streets. www.taylordecorcoba.com





bling for the beach.
jeweler josef arzili's new azaara showroom is stocked with marine-inspired pendants like shells, starfish, and yes, even an occassional octopus. never thought you'd like the feeling of tentacles wrapped around our neck? when they're covered in diamonds you'll reconsider. 8384 beverly boulevard. at orlando avenue. 323.852.7100. www.azaara.com




the british are coming.
london-based clothiers reiss will open in L.A. this may, taking over an old reebok store as part of their master plan to rid the world of sneakers and sweatshirts. we think. the spring line is full of bespoke styling and smart frocks. (we just like saying frock.) robertson boulevard. at beverly boulevard. www.reiss.co.uk




glove-ly.
barney's will carry the first accessories line from rodarte this spring, and though the limited collection will be in high demand, scoring a pair of their perforated, leather biker gloves is completely worth a mean-spirited game of tug-of-war. (and half a month's rent.) barneys new york. 9570 wilshire boulevard. at camden drive. 310.276.4400. www.barneys.com





black is the new black.
checkout ella moss black label. designer pamella protzel has unleashed a foxy collection of silk bubble and trapeze dresses that are more dinner date than lazy brunch. $138-$240. available at lisa kline, barneys, and madison. www.ellamoss.com





karlifornia.
it's true. lagerfeld is launching chanel's new cruise collection in los angeles this year. while the kaiser has yet to select a location, we've heard the show will happen the week of may 18th. and we got so worked up when we heard about it, we were tempted to bust out the handheld fan. www.chanel.com





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