Consumers generally don’t need extended warranties.

“They are cash cows for retailers,” said Linda Sherry, a spokeswoman for the advocacy group Consumer Action. “Salespeople get commissions, which is why they push them so hard.”

But that doesn’t mean you want to dismiss the idea of purchasing extra protection in all cases.

A tipster working in the eyewear industry contacted me the other day to warn that the $35 extended warranties sold by LensCrafters, Target Optical, Pearle Vision and other chains owned by glasses behemoth EssilorLuxottica are a waste of money.

“The breakage warranties that are being sold to patients of stores owned by Luxottica are a huge rip-off,” the tipster said. “Every eyewear lab offers one free remake to the stores. Therefore, the $35 being charged to patients is simply money in Luxottica’s corporate pocket.”

That’s not the whole story, though.

I contacted a half-dozen optical labs throughout Southern California, and each said they stand behind their lenses for at least a year, often two. So if a coating starts peeling off within a few months, most labs will fix it free of charge.

Moreover, Jane Lehman, a Luxottica spokeswoman, acknowledged that frames sold by the company’s eyewear chains automatically come with a two-year limited warranty covering “manufacturer defects,” which means if there’s anything wrong, they’ll get fixed or replaced.

So what do you get for that extra $35?

A Luxottica rep explained to me that the company’s 12-month extended warranties cover normal wear and tear for frames and lenses, not just manufacturers’ defects. So if your lenses get all scratched, the added coverage should cover replacement.

What about if people sit on their glasses and break them?

“That’s covered too,” the rep said.

A pair of designer glasses can run hundreds of dollars. Thirty-five bucks isn’t a bad deal for the peace of mind that comes with knowing you’re covered if you accidentally squash them.

But here’s where it pays to read the fine print — as consumers should do for all extended warranties.

In LensCrafters’ case, the added coverage costs $35 a year, yet you still have to shell out a “copay” of $25 to replace broken frames and another $25 for problematical lenses.

That’s potentially $85 in replacement costs, not $35. You can get a new pair of glasses online for less than that.

Also, LensCrafters has lot of exclusions, including “damage from abuse,” “failure to follow the manufacturers’ clean and care instructions,” and damage caused by “fire, collision, vandalism, theft, etc.”

That potentially lets the company off the hook for all manner of breakage, as do exemptions for “damage incurred during transportation,” damage related to “preventative maintenance,” and that majestic catch-all found in many lists of coverage exclusions, “acts of God.”

Also, what should people make of LensCrafters’ exception for “any and all pre-existing conditions” prior to coverage taking effect? Isn’t that, basically, every possible defect?

Luxottica’s Lehman said that “exclusions and other details of the coverage are set forth in the terms and conditions for the plans.”

The best rule of thumb when it comes to insurance — and that’s what an extended warranty is — is whether the coverage helps you sleep at night.

If you rest easier knowing you’re protected from the unexpected, insurance is a good investment. For example, I don’t buy new cars. Rapid depreciation, and the inevitability of dings and dents (and worse), make a certified pre-owned vehicle a smarter bet by my reckoning.

That said, I generally enhance the dealer’s coverage with added protection to cover a greater variety of mechanical mishaps for a longer period of time. It’s not that I expect every car I buy to be a lemon. I just sleep better knowing I won’t get into trouble down the road.

I also see an argument for added protection for smartphones. Let’s be honest, these suckers get dropped a lot. If you’re particularly prone to butter fingers, probably not a bad idea to prepare for the worst.

On the other hand, I advise most people to skip extended warranties for big-ticket purchases such as high-definition TVs and kitchen appliances. In most cases, the manufacturer’s warranty will cover at least the first year of ownership, and if there’s a defect, you’ll probably find out about it sooner rather than later.

“Extended warranties are generally a bad value,” said Jack Gillis, executive director of the Consumer Federation of America. “Rarely do they pay off.”

He added: “That’s the main reason why consumers are highly pressured into buying them, because they are so profitable for the sellers — profitable because, on the average, very little is paid back to consumers.”

Researchers at Northwestern University and the University of Pennsylvania concluded in a 2018 study that consumers overestimate the frequency with which things break — and that retailers exploit this concern by aggressively pushing unneeded coverage.

The researchers determined that an extended warranty for an electronic product such as a TV can cost as much as 24% of the list price. And consumers purchased an extended warranty for electronics at least 20% of the time.

But here’s the thing: The researchers found after analyzing roughly 45,000 purchases over a six-year span that TVs failed only 5% to 8% of the time during the period reviewed. Which is to say, more than 90% of TVs had no problem at all.

The researchers concluded that all the extra cash from extended warranties boosted profit margins of TV retailers by as much as 73%.

Remember: Heavy-duty electronics are covered by a manufacturer’s warranty. So even if you bought a dud, you’re almost certainly protected, at least for the first year.

Pro tip: Check with your credit-card issuer. Some cards include extra warranty coverage for purchases at no additional cost.

As for glasses, I recommend doing what I do — not sitting on them.

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America’s largest motorcycle company and its most successful manufacturer of electric motorcycles are going head-to-head with a pair of battery-powered street bikes.

Harley-Davidson has begun selling its dynamic new LiveWire, the Milwaukee-based giant’s first battery bike, and the first in a coming line of many such two-wheelers.

Zero Motorcycles has started deliveries of the Zero SR/F, the fastest and most powerful electric machine yet from the 13-year-old Scotts Valley, Calif., company.

I rode both and came away surprised by which bike I preferred.

Harley-Davidson first unveiled its battery-electric LiveWire in 2014 to a disbelieving motorcycle audience. Critics and hard-core Harley riders scoffed, and many believed the bike would never come to market.

But last year, company President and Chief Executive Matt Levatich, struggling to correct a downward stock slide and eroding market share, made the LiveWire and other electric motorcycles the centerpiece of a bold new initiative to revitalize the venerable company.

Not only would LiveWire hit dealerships this fall, the executive said, but it would be followed by a wave of what Levatich called “lightweight, urban” transportation products that are designed specifically to appeal to “young adults, globally, living in dense urban spaces.”

The LiveWire, it turns out, delivers more than promised — or at least more than I expected. Having ridden the prototype in 2014, and having never been a huge fan of Harley-Davidson’s other motorcycles, I thought the production LiveWire would be stodgy and dull. At best, I thought, it would be capable of dramatic straight-line acceleration — it is a battery-powered machine, after all, and that is what they do best — but would disappoint in handling, braking, comfort and overall character.

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

On a half-day ride up and down San Gabriel Canyon Road in Azusa, I found the electric bike electrifying. It handled well, took corners at speed, responded with precision to braking inputs, and offered ergonomics comfortable enough that after a couple of hours on the bike, I was ready and even eager for more.

The LiveWire’s powertrain creates 105 horsepower and 86 pound-feet of torque, from a motor that is spun by a 15.5 kWh lithium-ion battery. It has a top speed of 110 miles per hour, and can get from zero to 60 miles per hour, the company boasts, in three seconds.

All that battery power means weight. The LiveWire tips the scales at 549 pounds, but that number is made manageable by the motorcycle’s low, 30-inch seat height, which allows the rider’s feet to be firmly planted on the ground.

It is fitted not only with ABS but with cornering ABS — a feature that calculates the lean angle of the bike when determining how much braking power to put to the rear wheel. Cornering traction control does the same under acceleration. Braking systems are supplied by Brembo. Suspension at both ends is by Showa.

Range with electric bikes is often the sticking point. The LiveWire’s presenters say their bike can go up to 146 miles in around-town riding, and 95 miles of combined city and freeway riding. During my hours on the bike, watching the range indicator on the 4.3-inch touchscreen fall, I reckoned those figures to be good estimates.

But the LiveWire is also set up for fast charging — unusual in the electric bike world. Harley says that will allow for zero-to-80% charging in only 40 minutes. On a regular charging system, the bike accrues 13 miles of range for every hour of charging, the company says.

I wasn’t crazy about everything. The seat is too hard for long-distance riding — which the battery range would prevent, anyway. The mirrors are among the worst I’ve ever encountered and would need replacing at once. Overall, though, having had low expectations, I ended my ride very impressed.

Feeling cheeky, I had ridden to the Harley event on a Zero SR/F. The company’s new flagship bike, its builders promised, was its “most innovative, intelligent and powerful” ever.

Those things were all true. Featuring a comfortable riding posture somewhere in between the upright position of an adventure bike and the crouched position of a sport bike, the SR/F is propelled by Zero’s new ZF75-10 motor and a 14.4 kWh lithium-ion battery.

That combination delivers 110 horsepower and 140 pound-feet of torque, Zero says, on a package that weighs 485 pounds. Capable of a top speed of 126 miles per hour, and a zero-to-60 rate of a startling 1.57 seconds, as tested by Cycle World, the SR/F is said to deliver up to 200 miles of range in city riding (on bikes equipped with the optional Power Tank battery storage).

Driving modes allow the operator to choose how much juice to send to the rear wheel. Power management comes via Bosch electronics. Brakes are by J. Juan. Suspension is by Showa. Seat height is a good 31 inches.

The SR/F isn’t perfect. The brakes are somewhat unresponsive. (Does the rear brake work at all? If you stand on it.) I had trouble finding suspension settings that weren’t too stiff for anything but the race track. Though I liked the feel of the Pirelli Diablo Corsa III tires, feedback from the front end was less than desired.

But this is still the first Zero that, for many potential customers, will feel like a real motorcycle — not a good electric motorcycle, but a good motorcycle, period. It’s fast, sleek and good-looking, and it handles really well. On a race track it would be a blast.

I’ve long been a fan of Zero folks. Like their Silicon Valley neighbors at Tesla, they have pushed the envelope on electric battery technology, and through the years have built better and better vehicles — each model seemingly faster, more intelligently designed, easier to ride and with longer range than its predecessors.

Though other electric bike companies have made great strikes toward building mainstream electric motorcycles — among them the American builders Mission Motors, Alta Motors and Lightning Motorcycles, and the Italian company Energica — Zero has outlasted or outsold them all.

I’ve also long been a Harley-doubter. With the exception of Ural, a Russian motorcycle company born during World War II and determined to stay there, it’s hard to think of a bike brand that has brought less innovation to motorcycling, and to an audience less likely to welcome it.

Whether it was die-hard Harley people resisting electric start, fuel injection or ABS, many of the improvements made in motorcycling were late to come to Harleys. So the idea of an electric Harley-Davidson seemed slightly preposterous from the start.

As a result, going in, I thought the choice would be obvious. The Zero machine is lighter, quicker, faster, offers greater range and is cheaper — a lot cheaper. The LiveWire starts at $29,799, and the Zero at $19,495.

But guess what? In many ways, I preferred the LiveWire to the SR/F.

This has a lot to do with expectations. I was somewhat unimpressed by the LiveWire prototype, but I have been really impressed by the Zero bikes. So when the LiveWire delivered so much, I was delighted. When the Zero wasn’t perfect, I was disappointed.

Harlan Flagg, whose retail shop Hollywood Electrics is the largest seller of electric motorcycles in the country, said that he’s selling SR/Fs at a fast clip. Some of the buyers, he says, are return customers, trading up from older Zeros. But many are switching over from gas-powered performance bikes — one a Triumph Bobber, another a Ducati Panigale.

“This is a pivotal product for us,” Flagg said. “It’s bringing in a new demographic into the room — real motorcycle people.”

As an independent dealer, Flagg won’t be selling any LiveWires. But he welcomes Harley to the electric field. “When the largest motorcycle company in the U.S. enters the market, it legitimizes what we’ve doing for the last decade. The LiveWire is good for everybody.”

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A Jonas brother, a Chinese filmmaker and a hockey franchise co-owner were among the biggest movers and shakers in L.A. County’s real estate market last month. Here’s a closer look at the biggest residential real estate deals that closed in November.

$22.5 million — Beverly Crest

In the 9600 block of Oak Pass Road, a limited liability company tied to Chinese filmmaker and businessman James Wang sold a modern showplace for $9.5 million less than the original asking price.

The multilevel house, designed by architect Noah Walker, sits on a roughly 3.5-acre lot where late film and television producer Bert Schneider once had a home. Some 130 live oak trees surround the main house, which was designed so that the public spaces sit above bedrooms buried beneath the hillside.

A separate guesthouse is topped by an amphitheater designed for outdoor concerts and entertaining. Between the two structures, there are six bedrooms, 10 bathrooms and nearly 10,400 square feet of space. Elsewhere on the property is an infinity-edge lap pool.

The estate previously changed hands in 2015 when scrap metal entrepreneur Nathan Frankel sold it for $20 million.

Michael Chen and Tomer Fridman of Compass were the listing agents. Zach Goldsmith of Hilton & Hyland repped the buyer.

$15 million — Beverly Hills

A trust tied to Roberto Aquilini, a Canadian businessman and Vancouver Canucks co-owner, sold an estate on North Hillcrest Road for about $5 million less than the original asking price.

The single-story home, built in 1958 and recently renovated, features a wavelike ceiling that begins in the living/dining room and extends outward to create a covered patio. Other eye-catching details include a marble entry, chrome accents and a center-island kitchen.

The master suite is outfitted with a bar, a sitting room and an outdoor lounge. There are four bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms in all.

The trust tied to Aquilini acquired the three-quarter-acre estate three years ago from former Paramount Pictures Chief Operating Officer Frederick Huntsberry for $9 million.

Branden Williams and Rayni Williams of Hilton & Hyland were the listing agents. Carl Gambino of Westside Estate Agency represented the buyer.

$14.1 million — Encino

On Valley Meadow Road, pop star Joe Jonas and his wife, actress Sophie Turner, paid about $100,000 more than the asking price for a newly built home.

The two-story contemporary sits behind gates on about an acre with a swimming pool and spa. Some 15,000 square feet of living space includes chef’s and prep kitchens, multiple living rooms, a home theater and a gym. A custom wine cellar sits behind a glass and steel wall in the formal dining room.

Including a two-story guesthouse, which has its own kitchen and living area, there are 10 bedrooms and 14 bathrooms.

The sale was among the biggest residential transactions ever recorded in the San Fernando Valley neighborhood, trailing only the $20-million purchase of another newly built house by Jonas’ brother, Nick Jonas, in October.

Carl Gambino of Westside Estate Agency represented the buyer.

$11.5 million — Beverly Hills

A European-inspired mansion on North Rexford Drive sold for about $1 million less than the asking price.

Arched front doors embellished with wrought ironwork mark the entrance to the home, which was custom built in 2008. Inside, the three-story floor plan includes a library, a screening room and a wine cellar. A sweeping staircase and an elevator service each floor.

A total of six bedrooms and nine bathrooms are within more than 9,500 square feet of space. French doors off the master suite open to a balcony overlooking the backyard, which has a swimming pool, a spa and an outdoor kitchen.

Michael Libow of Compass was the listing agent. Joyce Rey of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage represented the buyer.

$11.1 million — Pacific Palisades

On Amalfi Drive, a development opportunity on more than three-quarters of an acre sold for about $1.9 million less than the asking price.

The property, which centers on a 1937 English traditional-style home, was marketed with plans by architect Marc Appleton to expand and remodel the current structure. The seven-bedroom, 6.5-bathroom house previously sold to a trust two years ago for $9.8 million.

David Offer of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties represented both ends of the deal.

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Five weeks ago, a visit to Barneys New York’s Beverly Hills flagship to survey the state of the store-closing sale found discounts of a meager 5% to 10% and and no shortage of inventory on hand. A revisit this week found much deeper discounts and clothing racks and shelves thinning out considerably. Below are a few of the things that have changed since last month — and a couple that haven’t.

What’s changed
Handbags are currently discounted 25% (compared to just 5% on Nov. 5); women’s accessories (including hats, scarves and sunglasses) were 20% off as of this writing (the category was only 10% off when we checked last month); and footwear by Chanel and Gucci was displayed with a 20% off sign (a discount deepened from 5% five weeks ago). And cosmetics and skin-care products (on the lower level of the store) that were originally 5% off are now discounted 15%.

The women’s designer ready-to-wear category is now 25% off, including that sequined georgette silk slipdress by Dries Van Noten that caught our eye the first time around. It’s still there and ready to be someone’s New Year’s Eve frock for $2,377.50, down from the original $3,170, with men’s designer ready-wear seeing a deeper discount at 35% and men’s footwear clocking in at 20% off.

The selection of fine jewelry on hand appears to have shrunk considerably, most likely due to the fact that what started out as a 10% discount across the category has tripled to 30%. (Still on display? The stunner of a ruby necklace by Irene Neuwirth that’s now discounted more than $5,000 from its original retail price.)

The deepest discount of all — a whopping 40% — now applies to a cordoned-off clearance section on the third floor of the five-story Wilshire Boulevard flagship filled to overflowing with previous seasons’ merchandise, including a shimmery teal blue Calvin Klein gown originally priced at $5,500 and previously discounted down to $2,639.99. Cleaving off an additional 40% would send it home with a lucky shopper for $1,604.

A bummer for the bargain-shopping cannabis enthusiast: the high-end head shop concept on the fifth floor is no more; the 300-square-foot space is now filled with LVMH’s Rimowa hard-sided luggage (which, according to a sales associate, is not being discounted) and an assortment of travel blankets and memory-foam pillows.

Although those are the posted discounts, it’s worth knowing that in-store fliers and email blasts have been touting the opportunity for shoppers to temporarily take an extra percentage off the top. Monday, for example, was the last day of a five-day chance to slice an additional 10% off certain categories, a discount that appears to have been extended for an indeterminate length of time based on an email that landed in our inbox this morning.

What hasn’t changed

The discount still don’t apply to any of the other LVMH brands (including Givenchy, Celine, Fendi and Loewe), though most of that inventory, if it still exists, isn’t on the floor (save for a few Fendi handbags). And shoppers who drive should still expect to pay for parking (both self-parking and valet) as Barneys no longer provides parking validation.

Here’s our list of stylish books to give as presents this season.

“John Galliano for Dior”

By Robert Fairer

During the 15 years John Galliano spent designing for Christian Dior, photographer Robert Fairer was perched along the runway documenting the outsized creations that strolled past. This big book flaunts Fairer’s full-bleed photos that capture Galliano’s Dior shows from 1998 to 2010. Like many creatives at the time, Galliano’s late-’90s pieces remixed and recycled, distilling 1,000 years of creativity into multifarious visions fit for the end of the millennium. In the iPod Shuffle age of the early 2000s, Galliano’s designs went further, shoring disparate influences into a mix-and-match aesthetic, referencing everything from Russian Suprematist painter Kazimir Malevich to “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Thames & Hudson, 432 pages, $160. amazon.com

“Supreme Glamour”

By Mary Wilson

The Supremes showed the power of threes. When the Motown originals — Florence Ballard, Diana Ross and Mary Wilson — took the stage, their voices came together as one. These powerful performances made them one of the most successful girl groups of all time. Together the trio’s look compounded the unifying effect, each clad in identical sequins and feathers. “In time our dazzling gowns became as famous as our Motown hits,” Wilson writes in this photo book that charts how the kohl-eyed group’s sartorial evolution mirrored — or perhaps led — styles of the times, everything from go-go boots to hot pants and pantsuits. Thames & Hudson, 240 pages, $40. amazon.com

“The Sartorialist. India”

By Scott Schuman

When photographer Scott Schuman was invited to shoot high-end fashion events in India, he found little inspiration in the auspices of couture. Instead, he looked to a venue more familiar to him: the streets. The influential street-style chronicler behind prototypical fashion blog the Sartorialist turned his camera toward the everyday looks of people throughout the region. Traveling through Jaipur, Mumbai and Delhi, his photographs capture candid moments of public life and personal style. However, it’s in his stop-and-shoot portraits of people on the streets that he humanizes his subjects instead of objectifying them; Schuman snaps glimpses of their personality in each gaze, lean and pose. Taschen, 300 pages, $70. amazon.com

“Born to Party, Forced to Work”

By Bronson Van Wyck

Since Bronson Van Wyck started his event company in 1999 with his mother, the New York party king has thrown legendary galas for such figures including Sean Combs and Beyoncé. This golden-covered book doesn’t only give an exclusive look at his most lavish bashes; it also provides party tips he’s learned along the way, no matter what your budget may be. “The act of breaking bread can always be made better in some way — even a simple plate under a Big Mac, a playlist you love … can mean you are adding a touch of extra care that makes your guests understand you want to show your appreciation.” Phaidon, 256 pages, $79.95. amazon.com

“Rick Owens”

By Danielle Levitt

Taking cues from the underground — black leather and nylon — Rick Owens transcends genres like athleisure and casual wear, creating boundary-breaking works that can sometimes double as wearable sculpture. Obliterating the silhouette that typically slinks down the catwalk, Owens’ pieces also reflect multivalent body types. It’s a beautiful ambiguity embodied by the bicultural designer, who was raised in Porterville, Calif., but forged in the L.A. fashion world. Owens, who calls Paris home, found a kindred spirit in photographer Danielle Levitt, whose crisp images inhabit the pages of the book. “I had seen her interest in subcultures and alternative families,” Owens writes, “from teenage wolf packs … to senior burlesque performers and radical faeries.” Rizzoli, 200 pages, $55. amazon.com

“Hunks & Heroes: Four Decades of Fashion at GQ”

By Jim Moore

When GQ’s creative director Jim Moore first sketched out a book culled from his decades at the magazine, he went through every photo from every issue he worked on. “I was responsible for over 30,000 images over 40 years and I chose about 1,700 that I wanted to include, that were my favorites.” He edited further, creating a photographic compendium of his career dressing men at work and play. Kanye West, in a conversation with Moore, sums up his cultural influence: “You see it in that moment in ‘American Psycho’ where the two letters GQ are used to express if a man had taste or not. The way people would say, ‘That’s very GQ.’ That’s iconography!” Rizzoli, 352 pages, $75. amazon.com

“Craig McDean: Manual”

By Craig McDean

Long before he became an award-winning fashion photographer, Craig McDean was a mechanic in Middlewich, his small hometown in northwestern England. His latest photo book ruminates on his roughneck past and his artful present, photographing the glamorous creations of big names in fashion. Pairing images of speeding race cars and chrome engines with vibrantly adorned models makes for an unexpectedly interesting experiment. In this look-book-styled tome, there is a dialogue between the human body and machines; after all, we often see humanity reflected in the shape of a headlight or the curve of a fender. McDean celebrates the design of both. Rizzoli, 208 pages, $115. amazon.com

“Legaspi: Larry Legaspi, the ’70s, and the Future of Fashion”

By Rick Owens

Blending Afrofuturism and a sci-fi aesthetic, Larry Legaspi’s spaced-out silver-and-leather styles dominated the 1970s music scene, glamming up funk stars including George Clinton and Parliament as well as disco-era queen Patti LaBelle. This comprehensive photo book — with text by Rick Owens — displays the genesis of Legaspi’s otherworldly oeuvre, including his most gripping works: the interstellar superhero costumes for rock band KISS. Rizzoli, 144 pages, $75. amazon.com

“Fabien Baron: Works 1983-2019”

By Fabien Baron

French art director-designer Fabien Baron is a creative powerhouse. He worked at Harper’s Bazaar and Italian Vogue, was the creative director for Calvin Klein for 20 years and designed Madonna’s infamous “Sex” book in 1992. In this heavyweight book, with text by author Adam Gopnik, we dive deep into the fashion shoots, magazine spreads and graphic design that originated from Baron’s peripatetic mind, where every detail — from typography to styling — is carefully considered. In the intro to the book, Kate Moss, whom Baron introduced to Klein, encapsulates the spirit of the polymath: “He makes magic happen.” Phaidon, 424 pages, $200. amazon.com

It’s been a whirlwind sprint to the finish line of 2019 for New York-based designer Prabal Gurung. At New York Fashion Week in September, he presented a conversation-starting 10th-anniversary collection framed around the question, “Who gets to be American?”

In November, Abrams published a 272-page monograph, “Prabal Gurung: Style and Beauty With a Bite,” detailing a decade of his designs, stories and runway shows. The weighty tome is crammed with 300 photos charting his label’s evolution from the first major runway collection in fall 2009 to the spring 2019 collection shown earlier this year.

Along the way, he managed to get jewelry collections for Japanese brand Tasaki Atelier (for which he serves as creative director) in front of Hollywood stylists looking for baubles and bling to accessorize upcoming awards-show looks.

It was the book and jewelry launch that found Gurung alighting in L.A. in late October to host a star-studded, flower-filled dinner at the Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood that bordered on the surreal.

During the affair, Laverne Cox spun like Wonder Woman midcostume change, clad in a black sequined dress, with her fluffy blond curls bouncing in the air and a cutout revealing her midriff. “Only for you, Prabal,” said the “Orange Is the New Black” actress to the designer of her flirty dress, as he filmed her on his phone in front of a fern wall bursting with tropical flowers.

In another vignette, actress Olivia Munn, who flew in from Detroit to attend the dinner and show solidarity for a fellow Asian American, chatted amiably with a reporter. “It’s so hard to break through in these places,” she said, dressed in a Gurung-designed bowling shirt and sarong skirt with $216,820 worth of Tasaki Atelier pearls, diamonds, sapphires and white gold sparkling on her wrist and ears.

Then there was Tommy Dorfman, recognized onscreen for Netflix’s “13 Reasons Why” and offscreen for their gender-fluid fashion, who tied a satin bow around the neck of an azalea-hued caftan, accentuated by an $8,470 ear cuff with two giant pearls. “It’s really rare that you find a designer who’s willing to dress people who maybe present more masculine in their womenswear,” Dorfman said.

Resembling a Model United Nations in terms of appearances and accomplishments, other guests included singer Kim Petras, models Joan Smalls and Tao Okamoto, beauty guru Cassandra Grey and her DJ-girlfriend Samantha Ronson; Olympic ice dance bronze medalists Alex and Maia Shibutani; and actresses Lana Condor, Adria Arjona and Debby Ryan.

As for their host, a sky-blue suit enhanced Gurung’s compact build. One of his ears was adorned with a pearl and the other with a diamond, both from Tasaki.

“He represents the diversity of America and the beauty in that,” said Micah McDonald, who, along with styling partner Wayman Bannerman, has dressed clients such as Tessa Thompson and Regina King in Gurung’s gowns for various red-carpet appearances.

Born in Singapore, raised in Nepal and educated at New York’s Parsons School of Design, Gurung has a voice inflected with a cosmopolitan accent and Gen X slang. Along with his mother, Gurung’s friends have influenced the way he sees the world and designs clothes.

“I listen to their experience. I listen to their story. I listen to their validation or lack thereof,” he said the day after the party in the hotel’s Tower Bar. “It really makes me want to create a world, with my brand, with my own self, that is inviting, that is welcoming, that is inclusive.”

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Gurung said the aim of his self-titled monograph was to give readers a glimpse of his colorful world and to feature “everyone who has touched my life and really helped me move it forward,” he said.

In the book, a collage highlights his Nepalese roots, composed of family portraits and snapshots of children aided by a foundation Gurung cofounded. There are sketches of custom designs, glam shots at the Met Gala and runway images of his major collections. He also shares stories about his muses and heroines, ranging from model Gigi Hadid to Oprah Winfrey, “who inspired me to move to America and live out my dreams after I first saw her on TV in Nepal,” he reveals in the book.

Actress Sarah Jessica Parker writes in the foreword about how Gurung created “a luxury brand with a soul.” As she puts it, “Prabal’s clothes, very simply, help you feel good about yourself, and they also bring joy.”

The $75 book is more than coffee-table decor. “It’s truly a manifestation of an immigrant’s dream,” Gurung said. “It is a story of hope for a lot of people who feel like their current reality may not allow them to dream a better reality for themselves.”

Gurung acknowledged that his outspoken advocacy for immigration, women’s rights, body positivity and other issues have turned off some fashion insiders.

But Arjona said society needs more people like Gurung. “Having different people from different ethnicities and different cultures express themselves artistically and show it to the world, I think, is really important,” she said. “It brings an emphasis of empathy.”

Cox added that clothes serve as political statements. “How is it made? Where is it made? Who makes it? And what are we saying?” she said. “Fashion is about telling stories.”

“I’m interested in storytelling,” Gurung said, “whether it happens through a runway or whether it happens through film or TV, whatever it is, books or anything.” To help him achieve that, his two talent agents from Creative Artists Agency also attended the Sunset Tower party. Gurung said he hopes to spend more time in L.A. When asked if he’d like to direct movies, as designer Tom Ford has, he took a sip of iced tea and paused for five seconds before answering.

“Possibly,” Gurung said. “I want to be able to bring my aesthetic, my point of view, my storytelling into everything that I touch and create the universe where, hopefully in 10 years, people can look at what I’ve created and be like, ‘Oh, he walked the road that was not the most populous.’”

For now, fashion remains his medium of choice. For his first two Tasaki Atelier collections, he was inspired by female Surrealist artists and underwater life. Tasaki Atelier also helped make jewelry for Gurung’s fashion shows. For his spring-summer 2020 collection that pondered “Who gets to be American?” he created $401,910 earrings with diamonds, rubies, green garnets and multicolored sapphires flaring like Fourth of July fireworks from big golden pearls.

Tasaki Atelier is sold in the U.S. through online retailer Farfetch. Tasaki representatives said they’re scouting locations for the brand’s first Stateside store, either in New York or L.A. Tasaki also works with Thai-American designer Thakoon Panichgul on its Collection Line, which is considered more accessible, with prices running between $1,000 and $20,000. In his role as the brand’s creative director, Gurung has oversight of the future boutique’s design.

Certainly, the jewelry is a harbinger of the retail concept. While Gurung was at the Tower Bar, stylist Law Roach inspected the gems in a suite on behalf of clients such as Ariana Grande and Zendaya. He was intrigued by the $58,180 earrings crafted from a cascade of yellow gold and pearls, which could be worn four different ways. “It’s expensive but feels fun [and] not too serious,” Roach said.

Whether it’s a bauble, dinner party or boutique, “I want to create a universe like that, where people feel it is aspirational but it is also inviting,” Gurung said. “It’s no longer saying, ‘You need to look a certain way to be welcomed here.’ All you need to do is you need to have intention, a good soul and a heart. That’s pretty much it from me, and you’re welcome to my world.”

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The allure of Atwater Village lies not in the many restaurants and specialty stores that line Glendale Boulevard, but in its abundant small-town charm.

Despite recent changes — a new suspension bridge will connect Griffith Park with Atwater Village next year — many things remain the same. There’s always a line at Tacos Villa Corona, one of many family-run businesses that strike a chord beyond the commercial strip. The tables outside Dune and Kaldi Coffee are invariably filled with people enjoying Mediterranean food, a caffeine fix and people-watching. The pastries at Proof Bakery are considered among L.A.’s best, and the Sunday farmers market is a popular gathering place for the community.

It would be impossible to tackle everything on Glendale Boulevard in one afternoon, so we offer some shopping highlights, starting on Larga and heading on a loop of Glendale Boulevard.

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Items on display at Individual Medley in Atwater Village.  

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Nicole Walpert and her dog, Ginger, of Glassell Park, view items at Individual Medley store, where locally made goods such as pottery, books, clothing, rugs and candles can be found. 

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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A man strolls by the MCA mural by David Flores in Atwater Village.  

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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An interior view of Goodies, where the claim is “Nothing over $25.” You’ll find wooden bowls, ceramics, spoons and baskets on display. 

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Wooden bowls, ceramics and spoons on sale at Goodies in Atwater Village. 

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Vintage outdoor furnishings at Grain offer a welcome place to sit in Atwater Village. 

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Truth Bells by Beachwood Ceramics at Grain in Atwater Village.  

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Aja Kai Rowley of Highland Park shops at Grain in Atwater Village.  

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Patrons wait in line at Tacos Villa Corona, where Anthony Bourdain once stopped in Atwater Village. 

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Interior view of DeKor, which has a Swedish vibe in Atwater Village. 

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Interior view of DeKor. 

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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DeKor adds a Swedish vibe to Atwater Village. 

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Mike Savas, Lindsay Deaguila, Wally the dog and Emily Wanserski grab a bite to eat in front of Proof Bakery in Atwater Village. 

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

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Na Young Ma’s chocolate chip cookie at Proof Bakery in Atwater Village.  

(Amy Scattergood)

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Cultivate Meditation and Wellness studio in Atwater Village.  

(Cultivate)

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A woman waits for her order at Hail Mary pizza.  

(Lisa Boone )

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Pizza and chicken wings at Hail Mary in Atwater Village  

(Lisa Boone )

11 a.m. Start your day at Individual Medley at 3176 Glendale Blvd., Monica Navarro Boyes and Justin Boyes’ independent boutique devoted to unique goods by local artists. On a recent visit, the store was jam-packed for the holidays with candles by Sydney Hale and PF Candle, Sqirl jams, books and apothecary items as well as Moroccan rugs, clothing and ceramics by Kat & Roger and Pauline Wolstencroft. The small showroom offers occasional in-store events, including a recent wreath-making pop-up with floral designer Yasmine Mei .

11:30 a.m. You can’t walk past Proof Bakery at 3156 Glendale without stopping in. Treat yourself to one of pastry chef Na Young Ma’s chocolate chip cookies or croissants, or perhaps something for a dinner party or brunch. (If you are planning ahead, you might even want to have a cooler in your car.) Then, head across the street to Grain, a small showroom selling new and vintage furnishings and accessories. There’s always something interesting at Grain, (a blue-glazed ceramic lamp by Brent J. Bennett spotted a few years ago comes to mind) including Truth Bells by Beachwood Ceramics, Danish modern sideboards and chairs, vintage lighting and outdoor furnishings by Brown Jordan.

Noon There are many places in the area for java, but we like Kaldi Coffee at 3147 Glendale Blvd. It’s a neighborhood favorite and a refuge for many Hollywood screenwriters. From there, head to Goodies at 3189 Glendale, a new showroom that promises “Unique goods. Nothing over $25.” Budget gifts include wooden bowls, cutting boards, kitchen utensils, ceramics and notebooks.

12:30 p.m. Next door, at 3191 Glendale Blvd., is deKor, designer Isabelle Dahlin’s hygge-centric showroom filled with an eclectic mix of rugs, accessories, and vintage and custom furnishings. New inventory for the holidays includes palo santo kindling bundles, pet items, pottery, Swedish holiday gnomes, handmade wreaths and Nepalese scarves in addition to fragrances, jewelry and candles.

1 p.m. Stop for lunch at Hail Mary Pizza, at 3219 Glendale, chef David Wilcox’s casual eatery, which was previously Journeymen. Place your order at the counter, take a seat and enjoy the view of the boulevard while waiting for your pie (we can recommend the meatball-za ($16) the chard, radicchio, spinach, mozzarella and garlic pizza ($16) as well as chicken wings with carrots and blood-orange glaze ($12). All bread and dough is made on site as are the tempting stacks of chocolate rye brownies and salted chocolate chip cookies that line the counter.

2 p.m. After all that walking, shopping and noshing, end the day with a reiki class ($22) at Cultivate Meditation + Wellness, a new studio offering classes on mindfulness, yoga nidra and kundalini, among others. Curl up with a blanket and pillows on one of the cushions inside the elegant studio, and enjoy 45 minutes of guided meditation and healing energy. “Imagine your loved ones bathed in green light,” co-owner Jen Stavitsky says before placing her hands on each participant and sharing “universal life force energy.” Even if you’re skeptical of the practice, you’ll leave the studio with your mind and body at rest. And that’s a good thing.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — 

Former President Obama said Friday the Paris agreement on climate change may fall short of expectations but is still the way forward to achieve progress and encourage businesses to invest in clean energy.

Nearly 200 nations pledged to cut greenhouse gas emissions and help poor countries cope with the worst effects of an already warming planet under the accord signed in 2016 that was a cornerstone of Obama’s environmental legacy.

But his successor, President Trump, abandoned that legacy when his administration notified the U.N. last month that the U.S. would pull out of the accord. Trump has said the agreement could impede growth and impinge on U.S. sovereignty.

Speaking to young Asian leaders at a Kuala Lumpur conference hosted by his foundation, Obama said he knew the standards set by each country were insufficient but that the accord was practical and meant for the long haul.

“I took satisfaction knowing that just by setting up the mechanism, we had created the ability to over time, turn up the standards, turn up the demands. Send a signal to businesses so that they started investing in more clean energy because they saw change coming,” he said in response to questions on the climate change crisis.

Obama didn’t mention U.S. withdrawal from the accord. He said there is no “silver bullet” to solve climate change but he remains optimistic that global warming can be slowed down.

“It’s too late for us not to have some impacts. And so there’s gonna have to be some adaptation that’s going to take place. The oceans will be rising and that is going to displace people. And so we’re going to anticipate and care for some of the consequences of that, including large-scale migration and disruptions that are going to be very costly. But there is a big difference between the ocean rising three feet and rising six feet,” he said.

He urged young people not to despair but to use their voices to raise awareness on the issue.

“We take two steps forward. We take one step back … but the trajectory has been positive. And the best we can then do is just do our work and try to advance it as best we can. Understanding that we will not finish the job,” he said. “Most of the time, the way the world’s gotten to where we are now is small incremental victories, not big sweeping victories all at once.”

About 200 people from the region were chosen by Obama’s foundation for the event in Kuala Lumpur that included workshops, leadership development and community projects.

Obama was joined by his wife, Michelle, who on Thursday gave a talk to the young crowd with actress Julia Roberts.

Obama also spoke on other issues including family and work. He said on his deathbed he would remember moments spent with his wife and two daughters, not any bills he had passed or speeches he had made.

“Seeing them laugh … that’s going to be the thing that sticks. That’s going to be the thing that will give my life meaning,” he said.

PARIS — 

Abdelmadjid Tebboune, a former prime minister and loyalist of Algeria’s influential army chief, has been elected the country’s new president.

Tebboune, 74, was elected with 58.15% of the vote in the oil-rich North African nation, according to the head of the National Independent Electoral Authority, Mohamed Charfi, on Friday.

Tebboune served briefly as prime minister in 2017 under former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who was ousted from power in April amid a pro-democracy protest movement.

Tebboune reportedly has strong ties to the powerful army chief Gaid Salah, a much-criticized figure among members of the movement that some have called Algeria’s Arab Spring. Participants have been staging peaceful protests nationwide since February.

The election of an establishment figure provided little hope of changing the protesters’ view that the poll was rigged in favor of the old regime.

Democrats and Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee began sparring over the articles of impeachment against President Trump on Thursday.

Here are the stories you shouldn’t miss today:

TOP STORIES

A House Committee Divided

Fourteen hours of vitriolic debate on Thursday did virtually nothing to change the minds of Democrats and Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee. Now, after a surprise move to push the vote from last night to this morning, the committee is poised to approve two articles of impeachment against President Trump along strictly partisan lines. That would send them to the full House for a vote, probably next week.

Meanwhile, top Republicans in the Senate are refining their approach to an impeachment trial. Trump would like it to be a weeks-long spectacle in an effort to seek political retribution against Democrats. But GOP leaders appear determined to conduct a relatively brief trial, possibly without calling witnesses.

And in Ukraine, more than $20 million of the Pentagon aid at the center of the impeachment fight still hasn’t reached the embattled country. The delay undermines a key argument against impeachment from Trump’s allies and a new legal memo from the White House Office of Management and Budget.

More Politics

— An official says Trump will not impose new tariffs on an additional $160 billion of Chinese imports that were scheduled to take effect this weekend after tentatively signing off on a so-called phase-one trade agreement with Beijing.

— Trump lashed out at 16-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg a day after she was named by Time as its Person of the Year, calling her selection “ridiculous.”

— No #Bernieblackout here: Sen. Bernie Sanders, a leading Democratic presidential candidate, is riding a surge in alternative media on the left.

Will This ‘Get Brexit Done’?

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party appears to have won a decisive parliamentary majority in Thursday’s election, putting the country on track for a split with the European Union early next year. If the results are borne out, they mark a decisive victory for Johnson, who campaigned with the slogan “Get Brexit Done.”

When Recognition Is Not Enough

In a landmark vote, the U.S. Senate has joined the House in recognizing the Armenian genocide at the hands of Ottoman Turks a century ago. The resolution had previously been blocked three times at the request of the White House.

In Southern California, home to the nation’s largest Armenian American community, many say the fight for that acknowledgment binds Armenians across the globe. Yet activists say recognition is only part of the equation. Some want reparations from Turkey — a shift that’s come as many survivors have died and their children have taken up the cause.

A Cautionary Tale From Down Under

What might a catastrophic earthquake in California look like? The one that shattered Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2011 offers some urgent lessons, given the many similarities between the two. The recovery in Christchurch has been painfully slow — yet recovery from a huge quake in Southern California or the Bay Area would be many times more challenging.

That’s one of five lessons reporter Rong Gong-Lin II took from his visit to New Zealand. Among the others: That California doesn’t have enough insurance. That the warnings about dangerous buildings aren’t overblown. And that the emotional scars will last for years.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

This time-exposure photograph, taken on this date in 1988, captures the passing of nighttime traffic on Sunset Boulevard near Horn Avenue, back when the famous Tower Records store was still open. Built in 1971, the Tower Records building was for decades a center of activity in the vibrant music scene of the Sunset Strip, until it closed in 2006.

CALIFORNIA

— California Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Reps. Salud Carbajal and Julia Brownley have proposed sweeping boat safety legislation after the Conception dive boat fire that killed 34 people on Labor Day.

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— A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction to block Los Angeles from enforcing a law requiring companies that seek contracts with the city to disclose whether they have ties to the National Rifle Assn.

— Deborah Flint, the chief of Los Angeles World Airports, will step down at the end of this month after questions from The Times about whether she received proper approval to accept a paid board position at Honeywell International.

— A Los Angeles police officer accused of fondling a dead woman’s breasts was arrested and charged.

— Drought busters: New data show that recent rains have reduced the portion of the state deemed to be abnormally dry to just 3.6%.

YOUR WEEKEND

— Thinking of taking SuperShuttle to the airport? The shared van ride that has served passengers for decades will cease operations at the end of the year.

— There’s a new cruise ship designed expressly for the L.A. market.

— Spend a holiday weekend in San Juan Capistrano that will make you feel as if you’re in a Hallmark Christmas movie.

— The Santa Monica restaurant Pasjoli marks a return to grand French dining.

— The easiest holiday recipes start at Costco. Because of course. Here’s a menu of fast dishes.

HOLLYWOOD AND THE ARTS

— The director, writer and star of “Black Christmas” talk about how it became a “fiercely feminist” slasher movie for the #MeToo era.

— From Susan Orlean to Laila Lalami to Ronan Farrow, the authors who spoke with the L.A. Times Book Club this year told us about the best books they read this year, and what they’re up to next year.

— A new documentary about Pauline Kael lets the legendary film critic speak her mind.

— Actress Monica Ruiz, the star of a much-criticized Peloton bike commercial, is blaming her facial expression for the ad’s unwanted notoriety.

NATION-WORLD

— The Pentagon’s internal watchdog is investigating a $400-million border wall contract awarded to a firm that used appearances on Fox News to push for the job.

— Spanish sex workers’ fight for union rights is reigniting an old feminist debate.

— Why are the French so fond of protesting?

BUSINESS

— Power plants in Redondo Beach, Huntington Beach, Long Beach and Oxnard have become an early battleground in an increasingly urgent debate: How much natural gas does California need on its power grid, and for how long?

— The Los Angeles Times’ sprawling downtown printing plant has been sold to a New York real estate developer.

— How could a tiny brewery outside Chicago buy an industry icon once worth $1 billion? The story of the Ballast Point deal involves 9/11, golf, a desperate seller and plenty of secrecy agreements.

SPORTS

— Former NBA Commissioner David Stern, the man often credited with shepherding the league’s rapid growth in the 1980s, has suffered a brain hemorrhage.

— Facing a crisis over a spike in racehorse deaths, California is closer to adopting the nation’s most restrictive racing whip rule.

— Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey knows what he’s up against in Cowboys receiver Amari Cooper.

OPINION

— Medicare and Medicaid chief Seema Verma just may be the Trump administration’s greatest threat to public health programs, Michael Hiltzik writes.

— Birds are vanishing from North America. There’s a way to bring them back, writes naturalist Joan Easton Lentz.

WHAT OUR EDITORS ARE READING

— “That was the last little hope I had in my life, you know? I had that hope that I was gonna see my little brothers again.” Dontay Davis’ younger siblings were driven off a cliff to their deaths by their adoptive mother. He was left in foster care to suffer a more common fate. (Washington Post)

— How Instagram and plastic surgery created a cyborgian new beauty standard, and what it does each time we look in the mirror. (The New Yorker)

— For years, the Fed thought the jobs market was about as good as it could get. This interactive chart shows how wrong it was. (New York Times)

ONLY IN L.A.

The city of Los Angeles has 223,000 streetlights, but only a fraction are of the high-style variety. Perhaps not surprisingly, the lights in more affluent areas have some of the most distinctive looks. Now, officials have begun a design contest for a new streetlamp, one that places a premium on high design and great accessibility — and offers a space for poetry.

For the record: An item in Tuesday’s newsletter incorrectly stated that Sanna Marin would be the world’s youngest sitting head of state upon becoming Finland’s prime minister. She is the world’s youngest sitting head of government. In Finland, the president is head of state.

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