May in L.A. brings a fresh batch of offerings, from decadent French pastries (they’re vegan!) to bold, limited-edition luggage and so much more.
Chaumont Vegan just opened a new location in Santa Monica PHOTO: BY LAILA ABDDAIM
BEAUTIFUL BITES Attention, West Siders: Beverly Hills favorite Chaumont Vegan is now open in Santa Monica. Known for serving some of the city’s best French pastries, including croissants that some say are the best outside of Paris, Chaumont also offers meat- and dairy-free items that are virtually indistinguishable from their butter-filled counterparts. “I want people to realize that they can enjoy vegan pastries without compromising on taste or quality,” says founder Laila Abddaim, who grew up between France and Morocco and currently lives in Beverly Hills. “Everything is made from scratch daily, including the butter,” she adds, pointing out that her nonvegan customers can’t believe it when they try her vegan offerings. Make sure to try favorites like the pistachio cream croissant, the orange chocolate croissant, the za’atar jalapeno cheese roll, and even the artfully arranged housemade granola, fruit and yogurt. “Some of the proudest moments for me are when customers express how happy they are that they can get to enjoy French pastries again,” says Abddaim. “I always say, ‘Great food creates great lasting memories.’ That is so important to me.” chaumontvegan.com
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, IV drip vitamin infusions and more are offered at Oxynergy2. PHOTO: COURTESY OF BRAND
HEALTH FIRST When COVID hit, certified Iyengar yoga instructor and yoga therapist Michele Bohbot was forced to close her studio. She took that as an opportunity to reinvent herself, and opened Oxynergy2, a wellness medical center in Beverly Hills. “The primary offering at Oxynergy2 is hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), where patients enter a unique oxygen chamber with multiple seats, TVs and comfortable amenities to inhale pure oxygen,” says Bohbot. Besides relaxation and oxygenating the blood at a cellular level, benefits include tissue and organ repair and enhanced brain and body function. “Additional oxygen rejuvenates all parts of the body,” says Bohbot, who runs the center with her daughter Cloe. Besides HBOT, sauna pods, red-light therapy, lymphatic drainage massage and more are available. “We love helping people and watching them heal on their health and wellness journey,” Bohbot shares. “Many people come to us as their last option, and we are here to welcome them with open arms and give them hope again.” oxynergy2.com
Tappan Collective co-founder Chelsea Neman Nassib PHOTO COURTESY OF BRANDS
CREATIVE VISION With the opening of its first brick-and-mortar gallery in Los Angeles, Tappan Collective has brought its extensive online art collection to life. Located across from Paul Smith’s pink wall on Melrose, the gallery was designed by architect Marco Marraccino and interior designer Brandi Howe, and is meant to look like an inviting, deconstructed living room. It highlights work by Tappan’s existing artist roster along with an ever-expanding range of pieces by new talent. “With the new space we’ll be taking on more sculptural work and more functional objects to continue to open the door for new ways to collect art,” says co-founder Chelsea Neman Nassib, who calls out Cheryl Humphreys, Brian Merriam, Umar Rashid and Jaimie Milner as standout creatives. “We’re looking for artists who are making truly unique and beautiful work—artists with a distinct hand and point of view.” With the gallery, Nassib hopes to continue her mission of bringing great art to all. “Everyone should have access to fine art, and we want to facilitate that in every way.” tappancollective.com
Rōz’s new shampoo and conditioner PHOTO COURTESY OF BRANDS
TRESS TALK Known for creating covetable hairstyles on stars like Emma Stone, Olivia Wilde, Natalie Portman and more, Mare salon owner Mara Roszak has recently added the Foundation shampoo and conditioner to her luxurious clean haircare line, Rōz. “These two products have been in the works for over two years,” says Roszak, who launched Rōz in 2021 with styling and treatment oils. While pregnant, the entrepreneur couldn’t find what she was looking for—a clean, pregnancy-safe foaming shampoo and a silicone-free conditioner that actually smoothed and detangled her thick, coarse hair. So, she created a gentle, coconut-based shampoo and a deeply hydrating peptide-rich conditioner, both of which deliver noticeable results. “I bring all my knowledge and technique into a product that I think is actually missing in the space and that I myself need for my clients,” says Roszak, who incorporated her new product into her clients’ looks for the Oscars. “I am truly living my dream,” she says. “I have wanted to create Rōz for almost 20 years, and being a founder of this brand is the most exciting.” rozhair.com
Pause Studio’s new Brentwood location. PHOTO COURTESY OF BRANDS
FLOAT ON When former Equinox executives Jeff Ono and John Klein opened Pause Studio in Venice in 2016, they brought flotation therapy—a meditative zero-gravity experience in healing, Epsom salt-infused water—into the conversation. Since then, Pause has expanded in scope, with new locations and services. The brand’s recently opened Brentwood studio offers private float therapy suites, private contrast therapy suites (where clients alternate between an ice bath and an infrared sauna), IV vitamin and NAD drips, and much more. “We always envisioned Pause being a one-stop shop for holistic healing, so while floating was perhaps our most prominent inspiration, we now feature a full range of modalities intended to increase overall health and wellness and have the ability to be stacked with one another to amplify benefits,” says Ono, who considers Brentwood to be Pause’s most refined studio. “This space is slightly smaller than our other studios, but the design is highly efficient, featuring all of the services our clients love while still offering space to breathe.” Look out for a new Studio City location later this year, along with franchised outposts across the country. “Our goal has always been to make people live better, and we are excited to positively impact many more people in the near future,” Ono adds. “We all know that life has no ‘off’ button, but there is a pause.” pausestudio.com
Roam teamed up with L.A.-based artist Amanda Wachob on a limited-edition collection. PHOTO COURTESY OF BRAND
ROLL WITH IT Multimedia tattoo artist Amanda Wachob’s work has been shown in a variety of prestigious institutions, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Whitney. Now, a new limited-edition collaboration with American luggage brand Roam is bringing her vision to the streets and the sky. Inspired by the shimmer of a beetle, the 100 signed carry-on suitcases are crafted with multiple layers of paint, which creates a unique luminescent effect. “I’ve made little beetle tattoos for people before, but this really came about after I tattooed a scientist who was studying iridescence in insects,” says the Echo Park resident. “He told me that iridescence doesn’t come from a pigment, but from tiny structures on an insect’s body that reflect light. I felt that could be a fun effect to explore with Roam.” roamluggage.com
Maor Unity bracelets PHOTO BY BENJO ARWAS
The Maor boutique is located inside Caviar Kaspia on Melrose Place PHOTO BY BENJO ARWAS
PERFECT PAIRING When Maor Cohen and Rahav Zuta were on the hunt for a storefront for their jewelry brand, Maor, they came across a location on Melrose Place that seemed perfect, but had a kitchen. “That night, our partner Sam Ben-Avraham came up with an idea—he simply said ‘Caviar and Diamonds,’” says Zuta, Maor’s CEO. Now, visitors can entice multiple senses at once when experiencing Maor’s L.A. store, located within an outpost of Parisian fashion crowd favorite Caviar Kaspia. Offering multiple gold, diamond and precious stone fine jewelry collections, Maor’s pieces are meant to be layered. “You can mix different metals, stones, textures and proportions,” says designer and creative director Cohen. “By doing so you are creating your own individualized curation of jewelry.” So, what’s next? “I want to offer jewelry, fashion, accessories, art, home decor and furniture,” says Cohen. “The evolution of Maor is to create a true Los Angeles lifestyle brand!” maorofficial.com
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