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With gas prices (and parking fines) increasing on a daily basis I decided it was time that I purchase a bike. I’m certainly no pro and I don’t intend to become one so the most economically viable choice was heading straight to the nearest Target. Just to make things clear, Target in the U.S is a completely different ball game, where anything of absolutely every category can be found in a one-stop shop. So it was no surprise when Tony, a hilariously insightful Target employee and recent car/metro convert to the bike riding fraternity, came to my aid.

First and foremost it was interesting to note that Target had completely ran out of male bikes of every make. Even though I am a female, I was experiencing a first-hand socio-cultural reaction as a result of the oil crisis (something that- don't ask me why- immediately made me think of what it would’ve been like with the fabric shortages during WWII).

What then got me curious was Tony’s in-the-know info about the group formally known as the Midnight Ridazz: “bicycle enthusiasts who have been riding together on the second Friday of every month since February of 2004”. Using their movable force to support local initiatives such as Los Angeles River Clean-Up Ride, AIDS LifeCycle and the San Fernando Valley Critical Mass together with the strong support of the LAPD, the Midnight Ridazz have been truly successful in ‘ building bicycle culture... One ride at a time.’

With the next (potentially) 1300+ group ride at midnight on August 8, I’m definitely up for the challenge! Cheers to Tony for the great customer service and definitely check out my impending first-hand account with the Midnight Ridazz.

Living in Los Angeles with fresh eyes, it’s always a massive head f%#$ seeing swarms of paparazzi hunting down their next prey. But I was double bowled over when I came across AUSTIN VISSCHEDYK, a barely 15 years-of-age paparazzi on the prowl. Don’t be fooled by his seemingly inexperienced exterior. Visschedyk’s official website austinseye.com boasts the kind of names - Britney, Paris, Lindsay - that would usually demand massive dollar signs for magazine covers.
All I can say is 'where the hell are his parents?’
Have a read of this caption from the ‘Me’ section on his website and maybe you’ll get an idea:
“Austin is very bright but he has never fit into the standard classroom experience. Most teachers (though not all) don't want to deal with his constant questioning and inability to fit into a structured mold. He's been successfully home schooled for the past year. During this time he picked up a camera and a little photographer was hatched. He has always possessed an amazing visual acuity. He notices anything out of place in a room and can scan photos for details at an astonishing rate.
About 6 months ago, Austin's mom was at a local spa and Paris Hilton happened to be there. While talking to Austin on her cell phone, she casually mentioned the famous celebrity's presence and Austin came right over. Paris was very kind to him and later left the spa side by side with Austin into a throng of waiting paparazzi. The experience fascinated him and he started to bring along his camera when he frequented top restaurants in the Beverly Hills/West Hollywood area with his mother and friends...”

As a freelance journo working from home, I often find myself yearning for that desperately needed ‘coffee break’ - a time to sit down, de-brief and bounce ideas off anybody creatively likeminded (baring your gossip buddies). So you can imagine my big surprise when I stumbled across the awesome concept of Likemind.us
Summed up perfectly by its creators ‘Piers’ (one half of online trend bible PSFK) and ‘Noah’ (advertising creative/strategist guru) Likemind is:
who: people like you
what: an opportunity to enjoy coffee and conversation
why: because drinking good coffee with likeminded people is fun
how: Piers and Noah thought it might be a good idea originally, and lots of other folks seemed to agree.

I decided to try my first session last week at Susina Bakery & Café in Los Angeles and it certainly didn’t disappoint! I got my audience from all walks of creative life and I got my caffeine fix.

Definitely check out the next Likemind catch up near your part of the world!

Let's be honest, street style blogs have reached over-bearing saturation.
The point-and-shoot mentality has slowly but surely diminished any real sense of originality in the documentation of our sidewalk culture leaving us hungry for something new and exciting.

Street Style website TurnedOut.tv officially launched in Australia this month, coinciding with the release of the global phenomenon that is Apple's 3G iPhone. As the world's first street style publication to have developed a customised iPhone site, browsing is now fast, beautiful and easy wherever you are in the world.

Beyond its innovative hand held medium, the success of Turned Out is due to the simple yet savvy aesthetic of founder, Maya Villiger, a New Zealander living in Los Angeles and her handpicked team of contributors from all over the globe. Rather than adding to the online clutter, their unique photographic perspectives and quirky style commentaries captures the perfect amalgamation of global street style in one powerful hit – literally at your fingertips.


P.S Turned Out also feeds a curated selection of online style blogs... Get involved!!