Vanity Fair exhibit among top Los Angeles attractions

By Abby Samler

It is only appropriate that the Vanity Fair exhibit Vanity Fair Portraits: Photographs 1913-2008 is making one stop in the United States — Los Angeles. I had the pleasure to view the Vanity Fair exhibit at LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Contemporary Art) prior to its recent opening.

The exhibit showcased celebrity photographs from 1913 to present day — a collection of the magazine’s vintage prints and contemporary photographs. I spent hours just lookingat the photography of many amazing artists including Annie Leibovitz.

This is one exhibit that you won’t want to miss. In addition, there is a new photography exhibit, The Story of Photography, which is also a recent addition at LACMA.

Los Angeles is a mecca of cultural events and happenings. The American Film Market, an annual Santa Monica event, brings together companies that sell the rights to films and companies that purchase the same films to distribute to theaters and other media. This is the only event of its kind held in the United States. Representatives attend from 75 countries, and the event brings in approximately 8,000 people to the city.

Re-connect this fall and enjoy all that the city hasto offer: culture, shopping and new and exciting Los Angeles hotels. The SLS Beverly Hills Hotel just opened this month — in a central location near Museum Row and the George C. Page Museum/La Brea Tar Pits, California Craft and Folk Art Museum and the Petersen Automotive Museum. It’s also close to some of Southern California’s famousattractions: the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Kodak Theater, Universal Studios Hollywood and The Grove, a European-themed shopping destination.

If you’re looking for a little taste of Europe here in America, the Sofitel Los Angeles (a Paris-based company) is also a perfect location within the same distances as the SLS. Recently renovated, the hotel is definitely a sight to see. The Stone Lounge and Simon LA are very popular among the local community for fine dining and evening beverages.

Keeping with a European theme, The London is also a fantastic new hotel (less than a year old) located on San Vicente Boulevard. The internationally acclaimed chef fromHell’s Kitchen, Gordon Ramsey, oversees all of the dining at the hotel. In addition, calls (from the hotel rooms) to London are complimentary. The hotel is within walking distance to the famous Sunset Strip.

The Strip has many famous venues and shops, from the House of Blues to Club Monaco, from the Viper Room to BCBG, from tattoos to Jaguars and more. Another new hotel — the Andaz, a boutique brand by Hyatt — is due to open on the Strip. This hotel is the former home of the Hyatt on Sunset.

When shopping and culture have you exhausted, nothing says relax like a day at the beach on your Los Angeles vacation. Santa Monica (where Baywatch was filmed), Malibu, Venice and the south bay beaches of Manhattan, Hermosa and Redondo are all within your reach.

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Abby Samler is an Orbitz market manager based in California.

Tagged: California