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The number of UK retailers going into administration increased for the first time in five years during 2017 as falling consumer confidence and a drop in consumer spending start to bite.

A group of Burbank firefighters from Local 778 had a phone ready when a Prius — with people inside — careened down a Burbank hillside road on a river of churning mud Tuesday as heavy rain pelted the area downstream from December’s Creek fire burn area.

The car’s driver told KTLA that he was in the Prius with another person when it was swept down the hill, and he posted his own video after the harrowing experience:

Sara and Mickey Tepper have been residents of Laguna Woods since 1990. Over the years, Mickey and Sara have been active members of the Laguna Woods community through clubs, service organizations and by reaching out to newcomers within Laguna Woods to make them feel welcome.

Mickey was an avid tennis player into his early 90s, and he and Sara loved to folk dance. Currently, they are members of the Concerned Citizens group, which reflects their ongoing commitment to making the world a better place for all. They continue to enjoy Emeritus classes, especially those which feature philosophy and opera.

In addition to the many activities they enjoy in Laguna Woods, Sara and Mickey love spending time with their family. Sara and Mickey have three loving children, Judy, Laurie and Steve. They also have four wonderful grandchildren, Nina, Matthew, Josh and Daniel. In addition, Sara and Mickey have four very sweet great-grandchildren, Liat, Noah, Jordan and Maya.

Sara and Mickey just celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary on January 10, 2018.

–Submitted by Matthew Perlman

Today, the Irvine Company released the names of 14 of 30 new retail and food shops coming to the Irvine Spectrum Center, one of the county’s busiest malls.

With the exception of Sephora, this first wave of restaurants and stores are expected to open by summer. A grand opening celebration of the center is planned Aug. 18, 2018.

Related: A closer look at the $200 million Irvine Spectrum Center expansion

85°C Bakery Café

Irvine is no stranger to Taiwanese sensation 85°C Bakery Cafe. The city was the first one in Orange County to welcome the international bakery, known for its sea salt iced coffee and inexpensive breads and pastries.

The first one opened 10 years ago at the Asian-themed retail center Diamond Jamboree. It has since grown to more than 20 cafes across Southern California.

Hello Kitty Café

The temporary pop-up store has been open for more than a year at the Irvine Spectrum. It finds a permanent home in the new expansion. The 1,700-square-foot cafe plans to have a bar, a first for the Sanrio brick-and-mortar brand. On Thursday, the pop-up cafe said it is hitting the road, and closing its Irvine location this weekend. The Instagram post said it will close after 10 p.m. Saturday. The cafe operator could not be reached for comment.

Stance socks

San Clemente-based Stance has grown into a pop-culture phenom by selling artistic and playful socks geared for “punks and poets,” according to its website. The socks garner fans from action sports enthusiasts to corporate executives. While the socks are found in dozens of boutique retail shops and department stores, this will be Stance’s 7th branded store to open in the country and the first in Southern California.

Sephora

This beauty store, on the northeast side of the expansion near the Giant Wheel, won’t open until 2019.  The international brand is one of two mega Sephora stores opening at Irvine Co. centers. The chain, which sells cosmetics, fragrances and skincare products, is also opening a new 5,400-square foot store at The Market Place later this year.

Afters Ice Cream

After Ice Cream is a local leader in the “food as fashion” movement. The flagship store opened in Fountain Valley, and became an internet sensation for its Milky Bun, a glazed doughnut tucked with a heaping scoop of ice cream.

BLKdot Coffee

Irvine-based BLKdot specializes in strong slow-dripped Vietnamese craft coffee.

The first cafe opened at the Google Center in Irvine in 2015. This year, the cafe is going into expansion mode. Co-founder Mai Tran said the expansion is fueled by the growing popularity of its niche products including “VTM” coffee,” sea salt coffee and Thai tea latte. The cafes also serve food including a chicken banh mi sandwich, croissants, bagels, muffins and scones.

Falasophy

This food-truck-turned restaurant has earned buzz for its modern take on Lebanese street food. It has a food stand at 4th Street Market.

Gorjana

Pronounced gor-yan, this local jewelry shop “features approachable, quality jewelry channeling the chic, breezy style of its Laguna Beach origins,” according to the Irvine Co. Each piece, designed by Gorjana Reidel, is plated in 18K gold.

SoHa Living

This home decor chain has locations throughout Hawaii, and specializes in home furnishings that embody a coastal lifestyle.

The Denim Lab

The jeans store is known for its “fitting lab,” where shoppers can find a flawless fit on their next pair of jeans.

Perverse Sunglasses

The Los Angeles-based store is a “starlet-approved purveyor of stylish and sexy sunnies displayed in sleek surroundings,” according to the Irvine Co.

SST&C

The Milan-based Italian menswear brand embracing “simple, stylish, and trendy for casual life,” the Irvine Company notes. The store sells suits, shirts, ties and casual wear.

Robata Wasa

This upscale sushi restaurant is from the owners of Izakaya Wasa.

Concrete Rose

The shoe boutique will occupy a 1,529-square foot space.

The OC Fair & Event Center snagged 19 awards for some of its year-round programs, the 2017 OC Fair and the intake of dozens of horses during recent wildfires, at a fair industry conference in Anaheim.

The awards were bestowed Jan. 3 by Western Fairs Association, a nonprofit that promotes the prosperity of fairs through educational activities, training programs and legislative advocacy.

The Fair & Event Center received first place for its Friends of the Fair program, which allows guests with special needs to have a private fair experience; the Centennial Farm birthday party; the Damsels of Destruction demolition derby; and the Heroes Hall story booth.

“It is very special to be honored by our peers in the fair industry,” said Kathy Kramer, OC Fair & Event Center CEO. “The fact that our give-back programs continue to receive recognition means a lot to us and inspires the staff to continue to find more ways to connect with the community.”

Among its second-place awards were the OC Fair Kids Club, which gives free admission to children from underserved areas and the OC Fair Express bus system, which transports riders to the fair from nine locations and offers $3 fair admission coupons.

The transportation service had nearly 88,000 boardings during the 2017 OC Fair, a 33 percent increase from the previous year.

Heroes Hall, Orange County’s only veterans museum, also won second-place honors for its community outreach program.

Other awards include the 2017 OC Fair’s olive oil competition, Centennial Farm’s wellness program and a photograph of the Ferris wheel during a sunset.

Dozens of Sam’s Club stores around the country were abruptly closed Thursday, including at least two in Southern California.

The Sam’s Club locations in City of Industry and Stanton were among the stores that were confirmed shuttered in the Los Angeles area, according to Business Insider.

The company has not released a list of the stores closed, and neither Sam’s Club nor Walmart have issued a statement about the closures. The only official mention from either company of the shuttered stores was a reply to a tweet:

After a thorough review of our existing portfolio, we’ve decided to close a series of clubs and better align our locations with our strategy. Closing clubs is never easy and we’re committed to working with impacted members and associates through this transition.

— Sam’s Club (@SamsClub) January 11, 2018

Neither company could be reached for comment immediately Thursday. According to multiple media reports, employees were not informed that their stores were shuttered before they showed up to work.

This story is developing.

The antique atmosphere of Florence’s Teatro Niccolini, the city’s oldest theater, created an interesting clash with the contemporary, quintessentially metropolitan look of Bunyamin Aydin’s fall collection. The Turkish designer mainly focused on a signature silhouette, combining cropped, straight pants with layered, more voluminous tops. These included oversize printed hoodies, featuring images inspired by antique monuments, such as the Egyptian pyramids, as well as quilted bombers, leather jackets, parkas and a range of anorak styles worked in velvet and fleece.
The brand also unveiled several women’s looks. While some of them were linked to the men’s lineup showing skinny pants, T-shirts and hoodies, others were infused with a clearly feminine attitude, such as tulle skirts, Eastern-inspired silk tunics with cutout details at the sleeves and sequined robe coats.

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SWEET TOOTH: Vera Wang and Ladurée have teamed up for a dessert collaboration called Vera Wang Pour Ladurée. The desserts launched this week.
The first of its kind for Vera Wang and Ladurée, the collection features a coconut crème Chantilly macaron as well as a mango and coconut wedding cake. Crafted in Ladurée’s patissiers, the confections were inspired by Wang’s bridal designs and pay homage to her lifelong connection to Paris.
“Among my most memorable and enchanting experiences in Paris has always been Ladurée, whether it was tea sandwiches, shopping with my mother or taking my daughters for lunch in St. Germain, Ladurée has always ben a part of my Parisian experience,” Wang said. She said she was happy to collaborate with Elisabeth Holder, the heir and president of Ladurée U.S., on designing a bespoke wedding cake inspired by one of her gowns.
“A coconut Chantilly macaron and a mango flavored coconut wedding cake were heaven at first bite for me. I could not imagine a more delicate or sophisticated creation to grace any couple’s celebration,” Wang said.
“This partnership is a wonderful opportunity for us to highlight the Ladurée Wedding Collection. It is the first time that a designer has created a cake

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NAME GAME: Delphine Delafon has lost control of her namesake company.
The designer on Thursday sent out an e-mail announcing that her company is in takeover proceedings in a commercial court.
“I am no longer the designer nor the director of the company despite it still carrying my name and will continue to exist,” she said, adding that she was pursuing new adventures.
In a separate e-mail, Delafon told WWD that she had been planning to put things on hold and pursue a freelance career after her partner left and negotiations with a potential investor failed to bear fruit. The company had hit financial troubles and was being liquidated when a former intern bought it through the Paris Commercial Court without telling her, she said, without disclosing the former intern’s name.
“[It’s a] really a crazy story. And now she has my name,” exclaimed the designer whose fate echoes that of designers including Chantal Thomass and Jil Sander.
Known for her mixed-media bucket-bag pouches on twisted chains, the Parisian bag designer’s business started organically seven years ago when she began making bags for herself and started receiving orders from friends. She added a clothing capsule in 2016.
Delafon generated 90 percent of sales through custom-made orders

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PRADA INVITES: For the first time in years, Prada will hold its men’s show in a new location in Milan. On Sunday, the company will stage the event at a company warehouse in Viale Ortles 35, not far from the headquarters of Fondazione Prada. This marks another first and a new project, as the fashion house has invited four celebrated creative talents — Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, Konstantin Grcic, Herzog & de Meuron and Rem Koolhaas — to each develop a unique item by using Prada’s iconic nylon material. The designs will be unveiled on Sunday during the show.
For the “Prada Invites” project, “the focus is shifted to the industrial side of the multifaceted Prada identity,” said the company, explaining that the new location “resonates with the creative signatures of the architects and designers.”
French brothers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec have designed over the years for the likes of Vitra, Kvadrat, Magis, Kartell and Established and Sons, among others. After founding its own studio, the Konstantin Grcic Industrial Design in Munich in 1991, Grcic has designed furniture and lighting for brands including Flos, Magis, Mattiazzi, Muji, Nespresso and Plank, to name a few. Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, who won the Pritzker Prize in 2001,

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