Spring is here, and with it comes a flourish of exciting openings and launches. From fresh scents and skincare to the resurrection of a beloved eatery, the City of Angels abounds with inspired happenings.
Esthetician and skincare expert Gina Mari recently opened a new studio in Brentwood PHOTO: BY DANE DEANER
Byredo’s second L.A. location just debuted in Silver Lake, and offers fragrances, makeup—including the just-launched Astronomical mascara—and more. COURTESY OF BYREDO
Get Glowing After years of operating her skincare clinic out of Beverly Hills, esthetician and skincare expert Gina Mari has made the move to Brentwood. “It’s a lovely environment and I’m really enjoying working side by side with another business owner,” says Mari, who’s sharing the newly built-out space with her friend Heather Bradley. “Many of my clients are on the West Side, and I’m really happy to have a more convenient location for them,” she adds. “The space was formerly Star Toys, so the energy there is wonderful! There’s a peace about it... almost like a hidden ‘speakeasy’ that has been a nice change for me.” Known for providing clients—many of them A-list celebs—with a fresh and radiant no-makeup look and blending technology with manual techniques, Mari prides herself on always offering customizable services—nothing she does is cookie-cutter. “From radiofrequency to LED light technology, it’s all about the personal customization... and how I can really make a difference in someone’s skin.”ginamari.com
PHOTO COURTESY OF BRAND
PUTTING ON THE SPRITZ Adding to the exciting retail and dining landscape on Sunset Boulevard in Silver Lake is the newly opened Byredo boutique. Offering the beauty brand’s unique fragrances—including classics like Mojave Ghost and Gypsy Water—makeup and home items, the shop debut follows the opening of the brand’s Melrose Avenue flagship in 2020 and a recent pop-up at The Grove. “The space is multifunctional—of course it’s a shop, but it’s also a space to hang out. You will find all of our usual Byredo design cues in-store: contrasting textures, pops of color, high ceilings and our furniture,” says Ben Gorham, Byredo’s founder and creative director. “The facade is made from lava stone—a clean, textured slab to reflect the incredible light in L.A.” Inside, custom Italian terrazzo and aluminum in multiple finishes touch all counters and doors, while steel-cladded wall panels and pink lacquered tables mingle with Moroccan handknotted carpets and a custom daybed. “I love this neighborhood,” says Gorham. “I am super happy that we can now be a part of it.” byredo.com
Bay Area roaster Equator Coffees has opened its first L.A. cafe at Ivy Station in Culver City. PHOTO COURTESY OF BRAND
Coffee Talk“Bringing Equator Coffees to L.A. was a natural evolution for us as our Bay Area cafes represent the shared values around sustainability, an outdoor lifestyle and building inclusive community through coffee, which we believe parallel the thriving and culturally vibrant neighborhood of Culver City,” says Helen Russell, co-founder of Equator Coffees. The popular Bay Area craft coffee roasting company recently opened its very first L.A. cafe next to Etta and the Shay Hotel in Culver City. The woman- and LGBTQ+-owned company collaborated with L.A.-based designer Kellie Patry on the 50-seat indoor-outdoor space, and made sure to incorporate elements of the City of Angels elsewhere too. “We are thrilled to be partnering with celebrated L.A. chefs Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken on the Socalo spiced latte—a signature cafe de olla-inspired drink—and guava empanadas as well as a forthcoming Chef Blend coffee collaboration coming this spring,” Russell explains. “Look out for pastries from Farmshop, artisanal breads from Bub and Grandma’s and seasonal single-origin pour-overs and espressos.” And this is just the beginning. “We are actively looking for locations across Los Angeles and hope to have two to three additional cafes open here in the next two years,” Russell says. Cheers to that! equatorcoffees.com
André Fu designed the new Maybourne Bar in Beverly Hills PHOTO COURTESY OF BRAND
The menu features a number of classic and seasonal cocktails. PHOTO COURTESY OF BRAND
IN THE SPIRIT Since The Maybourne Hotel Group took over the Montage Beverly Hills, it has been busy at work transforming the beloved property into something truly spectacular. One new area that deserves a shout-out is the gorgeous lobby-level bar, designed by André Fu, who worked with the hotel group on projects in the French Riviera, London and more. For the design, Fu leaned into an art deco look and feel mixed with colors inspired by the California landscape. Bar stools in punchy Yves Klein blue and tangerine shades stand out against bold patterns and burr walnut-paneled walls in charcoal gray and ivory. Black-and-white photography by Mary McCartney adorns the walls. Drinkswise, expect a menu of classic and seasonally inspired drinks, including the Haymaker (Mount Gay Black Barrel rum, Woodford Reserve bourbon, gingerbread, rooibos and clarified milk), the Killer Joe martini (Grey Goose vodka, Maru espresso, Kahlúa and dulce de leche) and more. “From exceptional service and welcoming interiors to exquisite drinks, nothing is more important to us than creating a convivial, inviting atmosphere for our guests,” says Eugene Leonard, general manager of The Maybourne Beverly Hills. “Our new bar... builds on that great legacy of hospitality, creating a meeting of California spirit with European style.” maybournebeverlyhills.com
COURTESY OF PENDRY WEST HOLLYWOOD
Health Kick Pandemic fatigue and the current state of the world have left most of us feeling frazzled at best. Here to help is a brandnew partnership between Hydration Room—the custom vitamin and IV drip go-to with more than 17 SoCal locations—and Pendry West Hollywood. Located on the hotel’s spa level, Hydration Room is offering a special menu of targeted treatments, including the Pendry Exclusive IV, which boosts energy, reduces stress and provides immune support. Other options are the immune-boosting Antioxidant Refresh Shot that helps maintain heart health, preserve memory and clear toxins; the hydrating Skin Health IV; the Jet Lag IV and more. “Great for eliminating downtime for feeling under the weather or run down, IV therapy gives your body the boost it needs to alleviate symptoms ranging from fatigue and stress to dehydration and hangovers to help you feel your best,” says Jennifer Holzworth, corporate director of spa operations for Montage International. Look out for additional signature blend IVs to launch later this year. pendry.com; hydrationroom.com
PHOTO: BY BARA KIM
Clark Street Bread’s new diner—located in the former 101 Coffee Shop space—has kept much of the beloved original’s spirit alive but with an updated twist for today. PHOTO: BY BARA KIM
NEXT GENERATION Like many of the city’s beloved restaurants, the historic 101 Coffee Shop—long a low-key mainstay for industry folks—shut down during the pandemic. But to the delight of Angelenos everywhere, Echo Park-based Clark Street Bread swooped in to save the day. Now named the Clark Street Diner, the reimagined cafe looks almost identical to the original, but with some important updates. “We definitely didn’t want to disturb the design or the diner menu too much. We wanted to focus mostly on making diner classics but thinking about the ingredients in a modern way,” says Clark Street Bread’s Zach Hall, who made sure to keep some of the diner’s original staff in place. “We were excited by the idea to work with people who were and are a part of the fabric of the diner itself,” he explains. Look out for dinner service to launch soon and another cafe opening in Larchmont this spring. clarkstreetbakery.com
BARBARA KRUGER, “THINKING OF YOU. I MEAN ME. I MEAN YOU” (2019), DIGITAL PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ARTIST
INSTANT MESSAGE Coming to LACMA March 20 is “Thinking of You. I Mean Me. I Mean You,” a new show from Barbara Kruger. Known for her bold commentary on consumerist society and popular culture, the L.A.-based artist—in collaboration with LACMA, MoMA and the Art Institute of Chicago—has assembled 33 works that span four decades, including videos from the 1980s, audio soundscapes, vinyl-wrapped rooms and more. “Barbara Kruger’s art, and her dialogue with advertising and propaganda and human nature, is ‘essential reading’ for anyone who wants insight into our modern culture,” says CEO and Wallis Annenberg Director of LACMA Michael Govan. “We are thrilled that Kruger’s influential and distinctive visual language will take over LACMA’s campus in March, including new works that will be integrated into our buildings and onto our facades, bringing the artist’s work out to the street and to a wider public.” lacma.org
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