February 17, 2009 06:39 ET

Diva Zappa Paints With Yarn

EM & Co Boutique Hosts Art Installation Featuring Her Knits and Photographs

LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwire - February 17, 2009) - Los Angeles artist/designer, Diva Zappa, opens her art installation featuring hand-made knits and photographs at EM & Co on Thursday, February 19. Entitled "Hand Made Beauty," the exhibit connects art and fashion, with one-of-a-kind wearable pieces of art.

The artist uses cashmere and woolen yarns from around the world, which she gathers together in her pieces, forming a collage-like documentation of her travels. The pieces are organic in their energy and creation. In her knitting, Diva uses a freeform and stream-of-consciousness technique, allowing each knit stitch and pearl stitch to tell its own unique story.

Diva's collection is a reflection of her life and creativity: colorful, feminine and stylishly laid back. The stitched-over photographs printed on canvas highlight the vibrant texture of her pieces and how she combines multiple techniques to create layered images and 3-D works of art that tell a story.

Guests at the exhibit's opening reception will enjoy eco-friendly cocktails courtesy of VeeV, while DJ Gabriel Diggs spins his trademark global mix. "Hand Made Beauty" will be on display at EM & Co February 19 - March 25. A percentage of the proceeds from sales of the collection will be donated to Creative Visions Foundation. The event sponsors include Flaunt Magazine.

About Diva Zappa:

Daughter of music icon Frank Zappa, and artist advocate, Gail, Diva learned to express herself creatively at an early age, in all forms of the arts. She was raised to use her own voice and to follow her passions, which have most recently led her to fashion.

Diva Zappa, a pioneer in knitting, first created "Hand Made Beauty" in the hills of Los Angeles, in 2002. Diva's first showing of her "Hand Made Beauty" collection, at the Candela/Decker Gallery in New York, kicked off the city's Fashion Week in September 2007. Every piece that she creates has a life of its own and healing warmth, which has already won the hearts of fans Billy Bob Thornton, Kirsten Dunst, Tom Cruise, Cameron Crowe and Orlando Bloom.

Diva is also an avid Peet's Coffee drinker and an accomplished actress. For more information about Diva Zappa and "Hand Made Beauty," please visit: www.divazappa.com.

About EM & Co:

EM & Co supplies fashion-conscious shoppers with a well-orchestrated mix of fashions from world-class designers (i.e., Vivienne Westwood, Iodice, JC de Castelbajac, Beatriz), as well as innovative styles from emerging L.A. talent. Featuring over 30 lines from around the world in its gallery-like space, EM & Co is also an active supporter of local talent, hosting monthly art exhibits and other events featuring local artists and designers. EM & Co is located at 7940 W. 3rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90048 For more information about EM & Co, please visit: www.emandco.com.