Lifestyle
Do you know the Issey Miyake dress that was set on fire? Pechuga Vintage has a treasure-trove of stories
This story is part of Image’s April issue, “Reverie” — an invitation to lean into the spaces of dreams and fantasy. Enjoy the journey.
When Johnny Valencia was 14, a kid growing up in Koreatown obsessed with biology and entomology, he learned about a rare butterfly, the Papilio hospiton, that was endemic to the French island of Corsica. “I love the rarest of the rare,” Valencia says. “I’ve always loved the rarest of the rare.”
He thought about the butterfly for 10 years, until he eventually made it to Corsica while studying abroad and was able to acquire it for himself. Today, the delicate creature sits in a frame hung on the wall behind the desk in his sun-drenched L.A. showroom. It’s a totem that represents Valencia’s dedication to the rare, the special, the hard-to-get — and it’s found a home among the many other grails of the vintage collector. In this room you’ll find a Vivienne Westwood “SEX” choker, John Galliano-era Dior logo rings, a Gucci silver crystal mesh mask from fall/winter 2017, a pair of spring/summer 2017 Saint Laurent roller skate shoes, original Marc Jacobs Kiki boots from fall/winter 2016 and pieces from Jean Paul Gaultier’s cyberdot 1995 collection. The list goes on, and it goes deep.
Vivienne wears Thierry Mugler AW90/91 dress, shorts and gloves, Vivienne Westwood AW93/94 pumps, Schiaparelli SS23 earrings.
Valencia, who was dubbed the King of Corsets by Vogue for his deep knowledge and archive of the signature Vivienne Westwood pieces, is also the king of his self-created universe, his Bichon Lucas lounging on a custom-made dog bed like one of Marie Antoinette’s pugs while classical music purrs softly in the background. The collection that surrounds him is the result of his obsession with acquiring precious things, which may have started with butterflies but has grown to include rare vintage runway pieces from Comme des Garçons, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Alexander McQueen and Saint Laurent. “I look around me and I’m like, ‘Yeah, there has to be a touch of madness to pursue something you’re so passionate about,” Valencia says. “Not only to pursue it, but to have it come to fruition and materialize. It’s a whole different thing.”
Pechuga Vintage, Valencia’s vintage archive and business, has become a go-to for amateur fashion freaks and professionals alike. Stylists, hardcore collectors, It girls: They all flock to Johnny. Last year, Beyoncé purchased a pair of Vivienne Westwood fall/winter ’10 Red Label armor boots from Valencia. On a red carpet recently, Katy Perry wore the Vivienne Westwood mock croc Super Elevated Court Pumps from his shop. Rihanna recently was spotted with a Dior Hardcore fall/winter ’03 bag she purchased from the archive.
Before Valencia became the source for rare designer pieces, he studied animal sciences while living on a farm at UC Davis, and later studied international relations and economics, which led him to attending Sciences Po in France. He would end up working for the Salvadoran Consulate. He once harbored ambitions to become a vet, or, as his grandma would have hoped, the president of El Salvador, where his family immigrated to L.A. from. But in fashion — using Vivienne Westwood as his gateway drug — Valencia found it all: history, politics, nature, curiosity and, ultimately, freedom.
While he was pursuing his diplomatic ambitions, Valencia took a role as an unpaid intern at Vivienne Westwood and switched his focus to fashion, working his way up to being a buyer. (Before starting his business, Valencia also dabbled in PR and event marketing.) “In Westwood’s designs, I found a lot of liberty because it was so well made,” Valencia says. “It fit into every portion of life.”
Oscars weekend was on the horizon, and Valencia would end up working with Adore the Couture to get a pair of vintage couture silk Chanel opera gloves to supermodel Irina Shayk for the Vanity Fair Oscars party. On Instagram, Valencia posted a screenshot of a last-minute request from Shayk’s team, and the process of making a pull like that happen — which he does all the time with the help of his staff and Virgo moon.
It was a particularly insane week at Pechuga. Oscars weekend was on the horizon, and Valencia would end up working with Adore the Couture to get a pair of vintage couture silk Chanel opera gloves to supermodel Irina Shayk for the Vanity Fair Oscars party. On Instagram, Valencia posted a screenshot of a last-minute request , and the process of making a pull like that happen — which he does all the time with the help of his staff and Virgo moon. (For the record, Pechuga is a Scorpio sun and Leo rising, evident in his deeply mystic undertones and great hair.) He regularly gives followers a backstage pass to his process, highlighting the community that keeps Pechuga going behind the scenes, which often includes Latinos and trans women. “I’m so passionate about dressing women and being there for women,” Valencia says. “It spills over to my love for the trans community. I see that connection with marginalized communities, and I’m so impassioned to stand up for people that have been historically neglected.”
Mercy wears Thierry Mugler AW90/91 jacket, Versace SS92 earrings, Saint Laurent heels, Wolford tights, Valentino ring.
Pechuga enthusiasts will recognize Valencia’s two assistants and friends, Priscilla Yael and Sophia Jaime, who make regular appearances on his social channels, along with endearing videos of his grandmother trying on pieces from the shop. What did she think of the Marni X No Vacancy Inn orange raffia hat with cutout sunglasses that Valencia had her wear? “Esta pretty.”
“For a very long time, until recently, she thought it was still a hobby,” Valencia says of his grandmother, whom he considers one of his first mentors. “One day — this was fairly recent — I was like, ‘I’m very stressed out. I have a lot of work.’ And she was like, ‘Why? This is your hobby.’ I had to make the distinction for her. Hobbies don’t pay you. This might be a passion. But I’m working.”
If Pechuga’s Instagram and TikTok are our classroom, Valencia is our teacher in Tabis, doing deep dives into specific eras in fashion history — like Marc Jacobs’ time at Louis Vuitton — or giving context to an item that’s re-entered the discourse, like that Alexander McQueen Dante mask from ’96. But it’s his unboxing videos that are truly addicting, almost as if we, the viewer, were absorbing that surge of dopamine that comes from finally opening up something special we bought off the internet. Valencia has a distinctive, infectious giggle that serves as the soundtrack to these videos. It’s like watching a little kid open a new toy. He holds up pieces he won at auction or scored through private collectors — like the armor jacket from Vivienne Westwood’s ’88/’89 Time Machine collection, or a dress from Thierry Mugler’s fall/winter ’86 collection. “I live for documentation,” Valencia says. “It’s a natural thing.”
Mercy wears Jean Paul Gaultier SS96 top and bottom, Schiaparelli AW21 earrings, Bottega Veneta heels.
Any fashion addict visiting the Pechuga showroom will clock a palpable energy radiating from the clothes — tension, desire, amazement filling the showroom. (Listening back on my audio recording from our interview, I’m pretty sure I audibly moaned when Valencia pulled out a Comme des Garçons latex vest from its fall 2019 ready-to-wear collection. Embarrassing, but valid.) When John Galliano paid Valencia’s showroom a visit last year, he summed it up: “There’s magic here,” Valencia remembers the designer saying.
The way Valencia sees it, he’s only the latest stop in a long journey that these pieces have taken throughout history. “It precedes me,” he says. “Westwood had to make those boots and those shoes. And women in the 18th century had to make those corsets. There’s a lot that’s implied with the items that we see.”
We asked Valencia to give us brief history lessons and share memories of some of the most special pieces in his archive, the grails that still spark that same level of curiosity and desire he had as a kid chasing rare butterflies.
Minji wears Vivienne Westwood Pirate Hat, Saint Laurent pantaboots, Vivienne Westwood SS91 bodysuit, Vivienne Westwood X Louis Vuitton 1996 bum bag, Dilitru “City Ring,” Gucci “Chicken” ring.
Louis Vuitton X Vivienne Westwood Bum Bag (1996)
There were only 100 made. [We have the 84th piece.] Vivienne Westwood made it in collaboration with Louis Vuitton to celebrate their centenary — the monogram was turning 100 in 1996. The shape of it: Vivian took inspiration from the bustle. In essence, she was the designer that brought back that silhouette in 1995. And her logic was that she wanted the silhouette to look like a sketch. She was like, “I want my women to look like croquis.” She accentuated the bum. The bust. In hindsight, everything aligned. The first time I encountered [one], I sold it immediately. [This is the second Louis Vuitton X Vivienne Westwood bum bag Valencia has had in his collection.]
Vivienne wears Alexander McQueen AW98 “Life is Pain” top, Andrew James hat.
Alexander McQueen “Life Is Pain” shirt (Fall/Winter ’96)
That was an ego purchase. I was going through a really difficult time in my life and I related to the message a lot. There’s a fascination with it. I purchased it, got out of the turmoil that I was in. It’s like, pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional. I think the experience you feel when you put something on can be very spiritual because everything has an energy.
Vivienne Westwood Silver Horn Tiara With Orb (Fall/Winter ’05)
It’s interesting, because people think that it has some sort of allusion to the devil but it’s the complete opposite of that. They represent satyr horns. In the ’90s, Westwood took a lot of inspiration from pagans. Even with the draping of her garments, she looked at Grecian and Roman paintings and emulated that style. And one of the things to come out of that exploration were these horns. They represented, for her, fecundity and paganism. It alludes to the horn of plenty — the cornucopia and abundance.
Issey Miyake Plastic Body bodice (Fall/Winter ’80/’81)
I love corsets. I love what they do to the body. And I love Issey Miyake’s intention with that particular collection. One, because it came as a series. In the ’80s, Issey was exploring different materials. He would make pieces out of straw. Then Plastic Body came out. I love the juxtaposition. There’s clearly a feminine aspect to it, or what we attribute to feminine energy. And then the hard exterior. I told myself if I ever find this piece, I have to buy it. It’s probably one of my most expensive pieces — 50 grand.
Vivienne wears Gucci AW17 mask, Saint Laurent AW16 heart coat, Claude Montana X Byronesque tights, Y/Project mini-shorts.
Gucci Silver Mesh Mask (Fall/Winter ’17)
There was such a transition from Tom Ford’s Gucci to Alessandro Michele’s Gucci. To me, it’s embodied in this. Because how do we go from Gucci ’96, the wet look, to this? I mean, it’s also really cool. Rihanna wearing it [to Coachella in 2017] makes it so [powerful].
Minji wears Issey Miyake AW98 dress, Monies necklace.
Issey Miyake Gunpowder dress (1998)
With Issey and Cai Guo-Qiang [the artist who collaborated with Miyake on this Pleats Please collection] there was such an elaborate setting for [the process]. Guo-Qiang set down all this pleated fabric on the floor and put gunpowder on it, then he set it on fire. And the imprint that was left behind was then translated onto the garment, like printing. It’s my mission to tell you about this process because in the moment it was happening, yes, it was quite the spectacle. But it’s gone. And who knows how that conversation was initiated? We know that Issey started the artists series and this was one of the installations. I believe there were four [in total]. What does it mean now to wear it in 2024?
Location: The Wiltern
Producer: Mere Studios
Models: Vivienne Gomez, Minji M., Mercy Rivera
Makeup: Jaime Diaz
Hair: Belen Gomez
Photo assistant: Brandon Young
Styling assistant: Sophia Jaime
Lifestyle
Critics hated 'The Phantom Menace.' It might be time to reconsider : Consider This from NPR
A Jedi and a Jar Jar walk into a movie…
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Maximum Film/Alamy
A Jedi and a Jar Jar walk into a movie…
Maximum Film/Alamy
The year is 1999. Fans are lined up around theaters. News stations are treating it like a breaking news event.
On May 19, Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace hit theaters, the first movie of the franchise to be released in well over a decade. It promised to tell the origin story of how Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader.
Fans were so excited some camped out for days, sometimes even weeks, to see the film on opening day.
“The original trilogy was so phenomenal,” said one eager moviegoer. “People have been waiting for this for, like, 16 years.” Another went so far as to say, “There are now eight wonders of the world, one of them being this movie.”
When one reporter asked a crowd if there was any concern the movie might be bad, they responded with a resounding “No.” Oh how wrong they were.
You’re reading the Consider This newsletter, which unpacks one major news story each day. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to more from the Consider This podcast.
The consensus? It was a huge flop
NPR sent two critics to review the film. Neither had much good to say.
Here’s how Tom Shales described the movie: “The new Star Wars movie Episode 1 — The Phantom Menace is a menace. It’s not about storytelling and it’s not about people … it’s about effects and technology. It’s a computer movie through and through, by computers and maybe for computers.”
NPR’s Bob Mondello took issue with the infamous Jar Jar Binks: “‘What could he have been thinking,’ you say to yourself as [George Lucas] introduces a race of idol-worshiping primitives who speak with Caribbean accents and behave like refugees from Amos n Andy.”
The trailer for Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace
YouTube
The backlash didn’t stop there. People hated nine-year-old Darth Vader. They didn’t like all the talk of taxes and trade embargoes.
Hating on The Phantom Menace has become somewhat of a punchline in Star Wars circles, says Erich Schwartzel, who covers the film industry for The Wall Street Journal and is writing a book about George Lucas and Star Wars.
He told NPR the hype only amplified the sting of disappointment: “It’s really, looking back I think, the first example that I have, and maybe the film industry has, of the movie almost being beside the point.”
25 years later, nostalgia has given the film new life
While the overwhelming consensus was The Phantom Menace was terrible, only a Sith deals in absolutes (sorry).
To understand how popular opinion on the film has changed, Schwartzel points to Jar Jar Binks. Schwartzel said most of the fans who grew up on the original Star Wars trilogy would have been in their late 20s or early 30s when they lined up to watch The Phantom Menace.
“[Jar Jar] represents the inherently childish nature of Star Wars, and how childish it can be,” Schwartzel said. “I think Jar Jar is a bit of an affront to those fans, sort of being a reminder that this is also for kids.”
Fans line up at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York on May 6, 1999 to be the first to see the movie, Star Wars: Episode 1 — The Phantom Menace.
Stan Honda/AFP via Getty Images
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Stan Honda/AFP via Getty Images
Fans line up at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York on May 6, 1999 to be the first to see the movie, Star Wars: Episode 1 — The Phantom Menace.
Stan Honda/AFP via Getty Images
Now that those kids, whose introduction to the Star Wars world was The Phantom Menace, are adults, it’s unsurprising the film is remembered more fondly. The “prequel kids,” as Schwartzel puts it, hold The Phantom Menace as dear to them as older fans revere A New Hope.
After a recent anniversary screening of the film in D.C., All Things Considered host Scott Detrow met 29-year-old Eleni Salyers, who said she’s been a fan of the prequels since she was a kid: “For me it’s nostalgic. Growing up I always preferred the prequels, which is a hot take for many Star Wars fans.”
To fans like Salyers, some of the best moments include the lightsaber fights, which compared to those in the original trilogy, are faster and flashier. The Phantom Menace also introduced fans to podracing, with its now iconic visual and sound effects.
The prequel trilogy has played a foundational role in building the Star Wars franchise into a “multigenerational juggernaut,” Schwartzel said. He notes that if you look at the fire hose of Star Wars content Disney has released over the last decade, you’ll see much of the themes and characters come from the world the prequels created.
This episode was produced by Marc Rivers. It was edited by Jeanette Woods. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
Heartbroken after a breakup that was long overdue, crushed by a stalled entertainment industry and depressed by my temporary day job at a dementia center, I grasped at any semblance of stability. Desperation led me to apply for an office job at a law firm in Westwood despite having zero legal experience and a unique disdain for cubicles and fluorescent lighting.
Months of hopeful waiting ended with a curt dismissal: “We’ve decided to move forward with another candidate.”
I was bitter, and my mind was overflowing with imagined shortcomings directed at the other candidate. The guy they chose was probably fluent in legal jargon and adept at being mundane as hell. He probably penciled in his laughter. He probably was awful, I thought.
Two months later, I received a phone call. The firm was expanding and wanted to hire me. I knew I would have to work with the person who got the job I had applied for, but I needed the income, so I dusted off my loafers and put my ego aside.
I wasn’t going to be there for the long-term and I certainly wasn’t going to make friends, I decided. Naturally the universe had other plans for my time in the office. My aloof facade crumbled upon meeting Chris.
When we were introduced, I politely asked him how he was doing, and he proudly belted out, “L-I-V-I-N!”
It was obvious why Chris was selected for the job that I had wanted. He didn’t know about statutes or precedents. He wasn’t stuffy or boring, and his laughter was far from regulated. Everyone loved him. And why wouldn’t they? I’d never met anyone like him.
His smile was like a floodlight. He repelled negative energy, and anxiety feared him. In an office that made the DMV look like Disneyland, he was everything.
Chris was training me, and we were the only people in our department. I started wearing mascara, removing my headphones and asking Chris questions I already knew the answer to. He would leave notes on my car. We exchanged screenplays, and he would text me after work, referencing inside jokes that we pretended were funnier than they were.
But I’ll admit that I was stubborn. I couldn’t let myself enjoy anything about this job or this phase in my life. I needed to focus on my writing. The strike would end, the clouds would lift, and this blip in time would be forgotten. I couldn’t admit that I was in love with Chris. It wasn’t part of my plan.
We would go to Barney’s Beanery together on our lunch breaks but pretend that we weren’t going on dates. We would take our 15-minute breaks together to “get fresh air.” We made a combined Spotify Blend playlist, revealing our mutual love of Green Day and the Smashing Pumpkins. Sometimes I even forgot how much I hated going to the office.
Chris had an AMC Movie Pass, and I was a good liar. He would see movies after work to beat traffic, so I bought the pass and acted like I’d always had it.
The day we planned to see a movie after work, Chris received terrible news of a death in his family. I offered my condolences at the office. I wanted to hold him but didn’t know if I could so much as pat his arm. I asked if he’d still like to see the movie, and he insisted he needed the distraction.
It was Christmas for all of December in Century City. As we drank three limoncellos each, Chris told me stories about his uncle who made Southern California feel like home, and we shared our first hug. He smelled like clean laundry, and I was drunk enough to tell him.
We sneaked more drinks into the theater and watched Paul Giamatti in “The Holdovers,” which made me cry. Chris held my hand. We stumbled into another movie — a private screening of a live production of “Titanic the Musical.” We didn’t want our night to end, so we went to Barney’s for a nightcap. Standing outside of our favorite bar, we shared our first kiss. It felt overdue.
Since then, we’ve met each other’s families and friends, taken road trips together and seen many more movies. (For me, the AMC Pass was a great investment.)
We also finished all of our work assignments at the law firm. Three weeks ago, the firm let Chris go. I wondered if I should quit. I wanted to. Chris was the best thing about that office, and I couldn’t bear the thought of being there without him. Thirty minutes after Chris was let go, I was let go. We were so happy to be free. The next day we went to Universal Studios to celebrate.
The maze of dead-end interviews, the drudgery of temporary gigs and the tumultuous nature of making a living as a writer don’t feel so bad anymore. We have new day jobs but still go to Barney’s Beanery. We also work on our screenplays and write bad jokes.
Occasionally I make arbitrary plans and ridiculous statements about how things ought to pan out. And I find myself laughing. Not a penciled-in laugh. An unchecked laugh. A Chris-inspired free laugh. I don’t know what the future holds for us, but for now, Chris and I are falling deeper in love and “L-I-V-I-N.”
The author is a screenwriter living in West Hollywood. She’s on Instagram: @mlindz
L.A. Affairs chronicles the search for romantic love in all its glorious expressions in the L.A. area, and we want to hear your true story. We pay $400 for a published essay. Email LAAffairs@latimes.com. You can find submission guidelines here. You can find past columns here.
Brian Wilson, performing in Los Angeles in 2015.
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Brian Wilson, performing in Los Angeles in 2015.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Brian Wilson, one of the founders of The Beach Boys and the writer of many of their hits, will be placed under a legal conservatorship due to a “major neurocognitive disorder,” a judge in Los Angeles ruled Thursday. Wilson’s conservators will be two longtime associates: his manager, LeeAnn Hard, and his publicist, Jean Sievers. Wilson’s family pursued the conservatorship after the death of his wife, Melinda, in January.
Wilson’s situation appears to be markedly different than that of another high-profile celebrity conservatorship: that of Britney Spears, which was in place for 13 years before being lifted in 2021.
In his order, Judge Gus T. May of Los Angeles Superior Court noted that Wilson, now 81 years old, agrees to the conservatorship, and that the court has found “from clear and convincing evidence that a Conservatorship of the Person is necessary.”
May observed in his ruling that Wilson lacks the capacity to make his own healthcare decisions, because “the Conservatee has a Major Neurocognitive Disorder and lacks capacity to give informed medical consent for medications.” Judge May stipulated that Wilson’s seven children will be consulted by the conservators regarding major healthcare decisions and kept informed on their father’s condition.
Wilson’s family publicly announced its intention to file for a conservatorship in February, writing on social media:
“Following the passing of Brian’s beloved wife Melinda, after careful consideration and consultation among Brian, his seven children, [longtime family housekeeper] Gloria Ramos and Brian’s doctors (and consistent with family processes put in place by Brian and Melinda), we are confirming that longtime Wilson family representatives LeeAnn Hard and Jean Sievers will serve as Brian’s co-conservators of the person.
This decision was made to ensure that there will be no extreme changes to the household and Brian and the children living at home will be taken care of and remain in the home where they are cared for by Gloria Ramos and the wonderful team at the house who have been in place for many years helping take care of the family.
Brian will be able to enjoy all of his family and friends and continue to work on current projects as well as participate in any activities he chooses.
Although the exact nature of Wilson’s illness has not been disclosed publicly, the family’s court filing in February seeking the conservatorship also noted that Wilson suffers from “a major neurocognitive disorder.”
Wilson has experienced mental health issues throughout much of his life. He continued to record music and tour until 2022, which he credited to his late wife.
In the mid-1970s and again in the early 1980s, he became deeply entwined with psychologist Eugene Landy, who wound up exerting near-total control over Wilson’s life; as Wilson told NPR’s Weekend Edition in 2016: “He wouldn’t let me talk to my family on the phone for nine years … He had power over me.”
In the early 1990s, members of Wilson’s family filed other conservatorship petitions in bids to separate him from Landy; a 1992 restraining order forbid Landy from having any contact with Wilson.
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