From unique apps to intriguing new boutiques and restaurants, our edit of L. A.’s freshest finds offer up a September to remember.
Hem’s new Arts District showroom boasts tall ceilings, concrete floors and massive skylights. PHOTO: BY YE RIN MOK
BRIGHT IDEAS
“DTLA has a bustling, creative vibrancy that we feel right at home in,” says Sarah Ippolito, West Coast business development head of Hem, which just debuted a new Arts District showroom. The Swedish furniture brand creates bold, colorful and unique pieces marked by creativity and progressive thinking. “We collaborate with vanguard designers and renowned European manufactures in order to bring truly unique furnishings to those who won’t compromise on design, quality or sustainability.” Hem’s ethos of comfort and sustainability shines through the bright West Coast showroom, which boasts tall ceilings, concrete floors, massive skylights and a 40-inch glass brick wall. “[The glass wall] serves functionally to divide our office and showroom [spaces] but also feels like a giant glass sculpture,” Ippolito says. Standout pieces like the Puffy lounge chair by Faye Toogood and the T shelf, a new modular shelving system by Milan-based designers Formafantasma, are on display, and the space will also promote community building and gatherings through upcoming programming. us.hem.com–Lauren Nehorai
COURTESY OF BRAND
REFRESH & RENEW
In the spirit of elevating health and wellness, The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills has introduced four innovative new treatments. Designed to tone, sculpt, detoxify and more, the carefully curated menu items—including the Toning and Firming Body Sculpt treatment; the Marine Algae Body Detox body treatment; the Garden Zen Body Renewal treatment; and the MBR gentleman’s facials—are also meant to be deeply relaxing and rejuvenating. Assistant spa manager Gilma Linares’s favorite—the Toning and Firming treatment—uses vegan and sulfate-free products from La Natura Botanicals. “It was definitely a conscious choice to bring in more organic, plant-based products,” she says. “If you don’t take care of your body, where are you going to live?” fourseasons.com/losangeles–Laura Eckstein Jones
Mandolin Taverna serves Aegean dishes like roasted beets with tahini yogurt PHOTO: COURTESY OF RIVETER SPACES/THE HOLLYWOOD ROOSEVELT
Secure a workspace at hotels like The Hollywood Roosevelt on the Riveter Spaces app BY ROSE CALLAHAN
COASTAL CUISINE After customers prompted Ahmet Erkaya and Anastasia Koutsioukis to bring their Miami restaurant Mandolin Aegean Bistro to California, the husband-and-wife duo opened Mandolin Taverna at Soho Warehouse in DTLA. “People love the coastal flavors and simplicity of Aegean cuisine, particularly our unique mix of Greek and Turkish food,” says Koutsioukis, who thought the beautiful garden space at Soho Warehouse was “the perfect urban oasis.” After entering through a lush olive grove, diners are brought into an earthy, Greek island setting with taverna furnishings and lantern-lit tables. Indoor and outdoor bars serve specialty cocktails like the Kalimera, and hard-to-find Greek and Turkish wines. Alongside signature dishes, such as mezzes, prawns, kofte, baked feta and sea bass, are new flatbreads baked in a wood-burning oven. So that patrons can take the experience home, an outpost of their lifestyle boutique, Mrs. Mandolin, carries food, ceramics, glassware, jewelry and more. Says Koutsioukis, “I want to inspire our relaxed Mediterranean and coastal way of life to anyone who visits.” mandolinmiami.com–Jasmin Rosemberg
Savannah Yarborough is opening an outpost of her Nashville-based boutique Savas on Melrose Avenue this month. BY ANDREW JOSEPH WOOMER
LUSH LEATHER After spending more time in Los Angeles during the pandemic, Nashville-based Savannah Yarborough became familiar with the city in a way she hadn’t been before. “The quiet streets allowed me to learn my way around it, and I was able to explore it with an open mind,” says Yarborough, who is opening a second retail location of her custom leather clothing brand, Savas, here this fall. “L.A. feels so alive, so diverse and full of a new kind of energy that Savas was craving.” Located on Melrose between Sycamore and Orange, the new store will have a dark and cool feel. “[It’s] a respite from the outside world,” notes Yarborough, who counts Jack White, John Prine and Reba McEntire as clients. One side of the space will feature ready-to-wear retail (leather and suede jackets, footwear and more), while the other will serve as a private lounge for creating one-of-a-kind bespoke pieces. “Our bespoke process isn’t for the faint of heart,” says Yarborough, “but for the sartorially experienced folks who love the process of collaborating with a designer and a tailor.” ateliersavas.com–LEJ
Secure a workspace at hotels like The Hollywood Roosevelt on the Riveter Spaces app BY ROSE CALLAHAN
WORK IT OUT To help women advance personally and professionally, in 2017, Amy Nelson founded The Riveter, a female-built community of resources and coworking spaces. With supporters from Abby Wambach to Jane Fonda, the network had thousands of members and operated 10 coworking spaces—including two in L.A.—until the pandemic forced them to shut these locations. “However, it was clear that our former coworking members, along with a large portion of 60 million workers who had rapidly pivoted into remote employment, were looking for flexible out-of-home work solutions, as not everyone has a conducive work-from-home setup,” says Heather Carter, co-CEO of Riveter Spaces alongside Nelson. Their new app connects people looking for a workspace with high-end hotels that have underutilized lobbies, and also offers discounts on conference rooms, food and beverages, and rooms. After launching with The Hollywood Roosevelt, Riveter Spaces will soon be partnering with hotels in Culver City, Mid-Wilshire, Santa Monica and Downtown L.A. theriveter.co/spaces–Maren Miller
Arey Wash shampoo and Smooth conditioner, areygrey.com. PHOTO: BY KELSEY FUGERE
GRAY MATTER“We often see [gray] hairs as an inevitable sign of aging, but with Arey, we’re encouraging people to instead see it as a message from the body,” says celebrity hairstylist Jay Small, who launched Arey—a science-driven line of products that prevent, slow and repigment gray hair—in 2021. Co-founded with CEO Allison Conrad, Small—who has worked with Matt Damon and Nick Fouquet—and team have recently added new products to the initial lineup, which included Not Today, Grey supplements and To The Root serum. “To The Root combines our complex blend of antioxidants with a clinically effective peptide to preserve natural hair color and repigment strands. We are now proud to offer this patent-pending formula in Arey Wash,” he says of the brand’s new shampoo that’s joined by the Arey Smooth conditioner and Live In mist, a leave-in spray that detangles and helps protect hair against sun damage. This fall, look out for a new styling product, details TBD. “It’s another science-meets-style formulation... [that helps] increase volume and maintain effortless hair,” says Small. “As our products evolve, we are always working to make it so people can focus less on gray and more on great hair.” areygrey.com–LEJ
Aman Beverly Hills is set to open in 2026 COURTESY OF DAMIAN
STAY AWHILE After years of speculation, plans for an unused part of the One Beverly Hills development at the intersection of Wilshire and Santa Monica boulevards have been revealed—and it’s very good news for Southern California. Aman, the luxury lifestyle and hospitality brand known for stunning properties like Amangiri in Utah, Amangani in Jackson Hole and more, is set to open Aman Beverly Hills in 2026. Consisting of an Aman hotel, Aman-branded residences and an Aman Club, the stunning collection will be set within 8 acres of botanical gardens filled with native plant species, creating a stunning urban green space in the heart of Los Angeles. “Aman Group’s strategy is to bring the brand’s coveted resort experiences to urban destinations,” says Vlad Doronin, chairman and CEO of Aman, who calls out soon-to-open properties in Tokyo, Bangkok, Miami Beach and New York. “The announcement of Aman Beverly Hills further demonstrates our commitment to this strategy and long-term vision.” aman.com–LEJ
Damian recently launched brunch service on the weekends. COURTESY OF AMAN
RISE & SHINE Known for explosive flavors, beautiful presentation and attentive, friendly service, DTLA’s Damian has been a smash hit since it opened in the Arts District in 2020. The “twin brother” to Cosme in New York—led by famed Mexico City-based chef Enrique Olvera, who’s also head chef and owner of Pujol there—has recently opened for brunch on the weekends, but don’t expect your typical pancakes-and-egg s fare. Instead, dishes that merge traditional Mexican flavors and seasonal California produce rule, including tuna tostada, rockfish ceviche, elote asado, a burrito omelet, fried chicken (a must-order), market fruit and more. “At Damian, we offer a wide range of flavors, textures and colorful dishes with a ton of spice meant to wake you up for your weekend,” says chef de cuisine Chuy Cervantes, who names the scallop aguachile with coconut as his favorite item on the menu. “We want our guests to leave feeling great, not heavy, after a delicious brunch.” damiandtla.com–LEJ
Two high-end jewelry brands open new L.A. boutiques that offer bespoke experiences.
BY CAMRYN WILNEFF
Maria Tash’s new Melrose Place flagship PHOTO COURTESY OF BRAND
MARTIN KATZ
Her petite floating double light blue and white diamond charm PHOTO COURTESY OF BRAND
After 20 years, legendary Beverly Hills jeweler Martin Katz will say farewell to his Brighton Way atelier and move a few blocks away to the Fred Hayman building’s stunning penthouse suite this month. “I was ready to introduce a redefined shopping experience and spend more time focusing on designing beautiful jewelry and enjoying one-on-one time with clients,” says Katz of the elegant, art deco-inspired space and private terrace. “Over the years, my designs have traditionally been inspired by my love of vintage jewelry and Hollywood glamour,” he says. “The new atelier is a nod to that history, inspired by the golden era of Beverly Hills and the once-enjoyed luxe lounge lifestyle experience.” One of the first independent jewelers on the red carpet, the celebrity-favored designer will also introduce one-of-a-kind pieces exclusive to this location. martinkatz.com
Katz’s mixed shape fancy colored diamond earrings. PHOTO COURTESY OF BRAND
MARIA TASH
Martin Katz PHOTO COURTESY OF BRAND
When New York-based fine jewelry maker and piercing pioneer Maria Tash decided to expand to L.A., she wanted her new space to reflect her work. “We created a 9 1⁄2-foot-tall triple spike earring sculpture that appears to intersect floors,” says Tash of the bilevel, 6,000-square-foot Melrose Place flagship—her third U.S. shop and largest yet. “The store also features metal accents that look like white, yellow and rose gold.” This location boasts a VIP entrance, a private suite and a stylist for her high-profile clientele to peruse event-ready large diamonds and statement pieces. In addition to her classic items—like the diamond eternity hoop earring and diamond engraved lotus threaded stud earring—and unusually shaped diamonds, Tash created a light-blue diamond collection exclusive to L.A. “[The diamonds are] the color of the sky and ocean on a cloudless day in California,” she says. mariatash.com
Fine jeweler Tash PHOTO COURTESY OF BRAND
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