On-the-go creative director Joe Zee gives us the key to his (second) favorite city, serving up an insider’s guide to L.A. hot spots—and the looks to match—with the help of actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead

Back in June, during a budget review, I had to calculate exactly how much traveling I’d done in the past year. When the final tally was in, I realized I’d been on the road more than 179 days, roughly half a year—about three quarters of which was spent in Los Angeles. This would have thrilled my eighth-grade self. Back then I thought I had the answers to life all mapped out, and I decided I wanted to attend UCLA, for no apparent reason other
than its locale. I had no idea what I’d study—or even what one could study there. I just wanted to be in carefree Cali. But by the time I got serious about college, I’d had another revelation: fashion magazines. My new destiny had a different destination, New York.

Ironically, when I did land a job as a magazine fashion assistant in New York, my first work trip was to L.A. But single-handedly lugging 20-plus trunks of clothes and accessories through two airports and four cargo trucks (and back) quickly soured me on the “best” coast. L.A. was sunny, sure, but also inconvenient. Why couldn’t I walk anywhere? Where were the people? Why did everything close early? What was with this one-industry town?

What a difference 20-odd years makes. Today I call both New York and L.A. home. They’re my children with very different personalities, but ones I love equally. And all those things that were once turnoffs are now attractions: I consider driving therapeutic. (Plus it’s a chance to practice for my American Idol audition.) As I get older, the early nights are a dream. I also have an even greater appreciation for the entertainment industry now—though I find that L.A.’s fashion and art scenes are slowly stealing NYC’s spotlight.

What changed? I learned to love L.A. gradually, by discovering it from the inside. Today I can zip through side streets and back roads to avoid traffic. I’ve discovered out-of-the-way, locals-only, hole-in-the-wall haunts. When I need a quick hit of cheesy fun, I visit Disneyland; when I need to relax, I can get from the beach to the mountains in 45 minutes. And I finally have my L.A. routine down pat—so much so that I get mail at the hotel where I usually stay and restaurant valets know my name.

Plus, I’ve developed a love of L.A. style. Once a sea of Von Dutch trucker caps and Ed Hardy tattoo shirts, the city can now claim Rodarte and Band of Outsiders as its own. So this month I offer my guide to L.A. dressing, showcased in all my favorite hangouts—some obscure, most not, but all with distinct personal meaning to me. In honor of our Women in Hollywood issue, I’ve enlisted as my tour guide the lovely Mary Elizabeth Winstead, star of the upcoming movie The Thing. After six years on the West Coast, this North Carolina native finds L.A. as charming as I do—especially when we’re cruising through town, top down, in an Audi convertible, radio blasting as we belt out a tune.