Native Australian designer, Nicholas Bowes began his career in fashion as a successful runway model. Today, he is the Owner/Designer of one of the Hottest Street-Chic clothing labels in NY, LA, and Japan. Krma by Nicholas Bowes launched in 2003. The clever acronym stands for Kangaroos Roam Mainland Australia. His leather jackets and Rock Star Tees have been a favorite among Superstars from Alicia Keys to Adrian Grenier and A-list fashionistas!

MUST HAVE FOR SPRING:

Krma's women's leathers are BAD ASS- with the perfect balance of edge and femininity. These timeless jackets come in an assortment of colors and are cut to flatter various shapes and sizes (they just so happen to be SUPER comfortable too). Oh and guys... Krma's Men's line is just as Hot! The leather used throughout the collection is buttery soft to the touch (as it should be when made with fine Italian lambskin) and just feels lucious. I promise that this will be your go-to jacket once the weather warms up a bit. My fave is the Dean Jacket...

STYLE TIP:

Ladies,with Spring just around the corner, pair your Leather with a soft flirty dress and a pair of high heel booties and Voila! Instant Chicness.

SHOP:

Krma Jackets and Tees at Atrium, Henri Bendel, Barney's New York & LA, Fred Segal, Isetan in Japan and online at Maluka.com, shopmanhattanite.com and Krmaclothing.com

BE CAREFUL: Big Drop is carrying a cheap knockoff of Krma called PORTER. Don't make the mistake of trying to save a few bucks and ending up with the impostor! Honestly, if you don't have the $600 to spend on the real deal, you might as well buy a pleather from Forever21.

Location, location, location! This definitely rang true in the homage to film noir Fritz Lang style, Across the Hall, directed by Alex Merkin and written by Jesse Mittlestadt. The Riverview Hotel, lighting, set design, music and mad editing skills were personified respectively. These elements were also utilized to thread  together the tangled web tale of mass deception and desperation.

I had the privilege to be invited by the fantastic Amy Britt, Executive Director of Britt Media Relations, to a private screening of Across the Hall at Cipriani's Wall Street. I must say, that the collective performances by Brittany Murphy, Mike Vogel, Danny Pino and Brad Greenquist, seemed to simultaneously enhance and melt into the Barton Fink-esque world created by Merkin and Mittlestadt.

FYI: The film was shot in 17 days, with not a single pick-up or re-shoot... This, if anything, confirms that Ms. Murphy, the co-stars, and crew are diligent, professional, and rock solid talents.

Across the Hall was first introduced as a short starring Adrian Grenier in 2006. After gaining critical acclaim and winning over 15 awards at multiple festivals, Merkin was quickly approached to turn it into a full-length feature.

I'm not sure if Merkin ever imagined he would end up directing on the same Sound Stage at Universal where his personal influence Alfred Hitchcock, shot Psycho in 1960.

The feature-length noir thriller follows the tense stand off between a young man, his best friend, and his fiancée.

Terry (Pino) learns that his fiance, June (Murphy), has checked into a hotel with another man, sending him into a fit of near-homicidal fury. Desperate to hear a friendly voice, he calls his best friend (Vogel), admitting he's in a hotel room across the hall from June and plans to kill her lover. [IMDb.com]

Stay tuned for interviews with Danny Pino, Brad Greenquist, Mike Vogel, and others...

Across the Hall premiers tonight in Los Angeles and opens this Friday, December 4th in New York and Los Angeles.

*Production: Elton Brand, Gary Gimelfarb, Evan Ferrante, Stephen Fromkin, Insomnia Media Group, Cold Fusion, Milk and Media, and Image Entertainment.