LalaLuxe

"Fall" in Love with Dame

A favorite amongst in-the-know Westside hipsters, Dame in Santa Monica is off the beaten track but on our fashion radar.

Dana Rossi, the sweet as pie and equally stylish owner, has a keen eye and fills her store with new trends and stunning pieces in every price range.  See just a glimpse of what's in stock below...

Not sure if you can really pull off the bootie trend?  Fret no more, at Dame you can pick up a pair of sassy black patent booties for a mere $49 bucks.  And if they don't suit you - toss'em.

Dame

725 Broadway 

Santa Monica, CA 90401

310-394-2402

Shareen Vintage's New Venice Outpost

Here's the scoop courtesy of apperalnews.net ...

The scene: It shouldn’t have been a surprise.

Shareen Mitchell, a doyenne of fabulous and affordable vintage, has been luring starlets, stylists and fashionistas to her out-of-the-way warehouse near downtown Los Angeles for years. So when news of a second outpost broke, this time on sunny Abbot Kinney in the Venice Beach neighborhood, word spread like wildfire. Still, Mitchell was surprised by the reaction she was met with on the inaugural day of her new shop. She had envisioned an intimate affair with a few friends and loyal shoppers stopping by to sip champagne and peruse the pretty dresses in her new location in a cute Craftsman bungalow. Instead, she was greeted with throngs of girls shopping with gusto.

“I love this. It is more than I ever expected,” Mitchell said, standing in a house packed to the eaves with vintage shoppers. “But if it is going to be like this every week, I’m going to need a bigger place!” Ever the hostess and stylist, Mitchell moved among “her girls,” critiquing fit, belting dresses and offering snacks. “You know it’s busy when they won’t eat a bite of chocolate,” she said, holding a plate of gourmet brownies.

The Venice location will be open four days a week on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Like Mitchell’s other shop, there is a strict “No boys allowed” policy and red petticoats on the gate.

Mitchell’s fashion archive collection, which she makes available to designers looking for vintage inspiration, will remain at the downtown location.

For more information about Shareen Vintage Venice, visit www.shareenvintage.com.  —Erin Barajas

Packing Cosmetics ... A Labor of Love

Arriving at your Labor Day destination with your Nars Orgasm blush crumbled to pieces because you didn't pack properly is a problem of the past thanks to Stephanie Johnson. Jet-away in style with her Belize collection and know that your most precious cosmetics are safe and stylishly secure.  

Our favorite part is the flirty interior - silky mocha liner accented by blush pink grosgrain. Meow!

GETAWAY

Made famous by shows like the OC and MTV's Laguna Beach, this once sleepy beach town is Southern California's artsy hotspot and a rising fashion influencer...

photo courtesy of California Image, 

http://www.californiaimage.com/

STAY: On the dramatic cliffs of Montage Resort and Spa. Each room boasts an ocean view in this intimate seaside retreat. Book a ninety minute "Symphony in Massage" where two therapists work in tandem.  The ultimate ménage à trois!

30801 S. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA 92651

BRUNCH: Share Fillet Minion and Crab Cake Benedicts at The Beach House while sipping farmers-market fresh peach bellinis and enjoying the rumbling Pacific below.  

619 Sleepy Hollow Lane, Laguna Beach, CA 92651

DO: The first Thursday evening of every month, local galleries open their doors and offer champagne and special receptions for the Laguna Art Walk.

Not to be missed is Laguna's annual Sawdust Art Festival where over 202 artists to exhibit their original creations.  Louboutin lovers beware, the festival's name bares relevance -  the ground at this event is indeed covered with sawdust!

SHOP: Stella for Dini's jeweled flip-flops, silky summer shift dresses, a great denim assortment, fun jewels and more.

812 S. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, CA 92651

And don't miss, Gold Digger Shoes where OC style mavens (aka gold-diggers) flock for sinful stilts by labels like Christian Lacroix, Celene and Hollywould.

660 S Coast Hwy, Laguna Beach, CA 92651