Do It. "Rodarte: States of Matter" at MOCA's Pacific Design Center.

If you caught the Oscars last weekend, you might have heard Best Actress winner Natalie Portman sneak in a thank you to Rodarte. Rodarte, consisting to the two sisters Laura and Kate Mulleavy, designed the gorgeous ballet costumes seen throughout Black Swan (and also Portman's mahogany dress for the night), and are widely considered a great new force in the fashion world. Their designs are often conceptual, sensual and just downright beautiful. It's no wonder that the art world would soon seek them out.

It seems MOCA has gotten to the two first. The museum's Pacific Design Center is presenting Rodarte: States of Matter beginning today, featuring Rodarte's artful works from past runway shows to Black Swan's memorable costumes. It'll be a fascinating sight for those interested in costume design, fashion, and just simple conceptual beauty as a whole.

The official public opening happens tonight at 7pm. You're sure to see some famous faces, especially among the art and fashion worlds (but also probably some film celebs too), and maybe the Rodarte sisters as well. Check out more info here.

Rodarte: States of Matter will be showing until June 5th at the Pacific Design Center, located at 8687 Melrose Ave. in West Hollywood.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: AP Photo/Chris Pizzello

Check It. Ballet style.

After seeing The Black Swan on Sunday, I was itching to find my Kookaï ballet-style wrap sweater. Ballet flats are my favorite style shoe anyway, but the elegant look of Natalie Portman's character is something I think many viewers will want to emulate.

Where to shop in L.A. for this look:

Capezio Dance Theatre Shop in Hollywood

London Sole in Santa Monica

Most beauty supply stores (like Ball Beauty Supply on Fairfax) for Smoothies hair ties (to create a bun) and bobby pins

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: blochworld.com

Check It. Black Swan [Guest Post].

Perfection in art. Is it possible? Is it the purpose? Is it worth the pursuit? Darren Aronofsky's new film, Black Swan, shows the dangers of tempting that all too precious and fickle bitch that is "perfection." And while modern art eschews the perfect, a classical art like ballet has the balls to think it can achieve such a peak. Aronofsky has reached high and been found wanting in his previous film The Fountain, but here he seems to find a bastardized middle ground between that ambition and the more down-and-dirty (Dardenne Brothers-ripped-off) style of The Wrestler. It's pretty strange and powerful.

Still, Black Swan, like The Wrestler before it, is dominated by its performances. Natalie Portman occupies the flawed hero role that Mickey Rourke played so well before. But instead of drugs, alcohol and old age being the Achilles' heel of our hero, Portman's has to wrestle with paranoia, insecurity and the pains of pursuing perfection. And she is incredible. She plays Nina Sayers, a young, fragile ballerina who lives with her mother in a small New York apartment. This season, her company, under the direction of the vicious Vincent Cassell, has chosen to produce Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. The ballet is about a White Princess who falls in love with a Prince but when a magic spell turns her into a swan, the Prince falls in love with another princess who resembles the White Princess, disguised in black. The White Princess is devastated and kills herself. The parallels between Nina and the White Princess are immediately obvious, and (spoilers! [not really though]) the story unfolds just like the ballet. But the trip is INTENSE.

Do It. Bid in the Crafts For a Cause auction.

In just pure devotion and stamina alone, the relief efforts for Haiti have been truly awe-inspiring. The country still needs help in rebuilding, though, so here's another creative fundraiser coming your way, which--even if you've already donated--should easily convince you to continue.

For Crafts For a Cause, Binki Shapiro--member of Little Joy, an indie-rock band headed by her boyfriend and Strokes drummer Fab Moretti--rounded up a few of her famous and artsy friends to create one-of-a-kind creations for an unbeatable kind of auction, with all proceeds going to filmmaker Paul Haggis' charity Artists for Peace and Justice.

The line-up of contributors range from the famous to the more-famous, and the items being auctioned are quite, well, priceless. Natalie Portman is offering a signed pair of ballet slippers she wore in the to-be-released film Black Swan, Spike Jonze has an original drawing to sell, Daft Punk (!) is giving away limited-edition and autographed “Daft Punk 1000% Kubricks” toy robots, Mark Ronson is offering his personal production services on an original song (!!). And that's just naming a few items, with more coming in, it seems.

Surely once-in-a-lifetime opportunities are at hand, and it all goes to a good cause! So get out your wallets and get bidding: the auction officially begins today and ends on Mar. 27 at 3pm PST. And if you win that Mark Ronson-produced song, we'd love to hear it! (and join you in the studio?? Ronson's a stud!)

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: Drew Barrymore decorating a camera for auction, courtesy of Crafts for a Cause

Check It. A book and two films.

Leslie Caron (An American in Paris, Gigi) is discussing and signing her new memoir, Thank Heaven, at where else but a place of worship? The Vroman's Bookstore Friday night event will be held at the All Saints Church in Pasadena. In the book, the Golden Age actress shares stories about everyone from Gene Kelly to Warren Beatty.

All Saints Church is located at 132 N Euclid Ave. in Pasadena. Free. Doors open at 6 p.m., event begins at 7 p.m. Book price, $25.95.

At the movie theater this weekend, we have (aside from Up in the Air) the choice of: Everybody's Fine or Brothers. Barrymore, Beckinsale and De Niro, or Gyllenhaal, Portman and Maguire? For a couple of films that I have very little interest in seeing, these are impressive lineups.

With the former, you have the likely feel good family/holiday theme going on--in the vain of the flawless Planes, Trains and Automobiles and maybe some Home for the Holidays disfunction thrown in for good measure. The man who played Jack Byrnes (among many, many other great characters) needs no explanation, and Drew Barrymore is just plain adorable.

The latter appears to have the over-the-top domestic drama of, say, Enough, with a hint of Coming Home? Director Jim Sheridan (My Left Foot, In America) and screenwriter David Benioff's (25th Hour, The Kite Runner) involvement definitely help the case, along with the fact that Natalie Portman can do no wrong.

Choose wisely, my friends.

Or just stay in and rent a Disney classic in honor of Walt, whose birthday was December 5.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: www.artfiles.art.com