By Laura Eckstein Jones By Laura Eckstein Jones | May 16, 2024 | Lifestyle, The Latest, Lifestyle Feature, fashion, Entertainment, Community, Apple News, City Life, Guides,
From a fresh culinary direction at Hotel Bel-Air to stylish new openings and launches, L.A.’s summer offerings are sure to inspire.
The caviar-topped cucumber and crème fraiche parfait at The Restaurant at Hotel Bel-Air; PHOTO COURTESY OF BRAND
Tucked away north of Sunset, Hotel Bel-Air draws locals and out-of-towners in for its relaxed, elegant atmosphere. Now, there’s another reason to visit the swans: The hotel is shaking up its dining scene. The Restaurant is now serving modern California cuisine with Mediterranean influence, led by culinary director Joe Garcia (Bicylette, Manzke, The French Laundry, Bouchon), executive sous chef Gel Zara and pastry chef Christophe Rull. Expect elevated dishes like crispy skin loup de mer made with Madeira wine and black truffles from Perigord, bluefin tuna crudo local veggies and more. Later this year, the lobby will open The Living Room, serving small plates, caviar and Champagne, and The Patisserie, offering high-quality pastries and coffees. Bon appetit!
Grover Rad’s Yin Yang vest and trousers feature a print inspired by a vintage photo of a scientific chalkboard. The name Yin Yang refers to LSD’s street name. ;PHOTO BY CONI TARALLO
For socially conscious womenswear brand Grover Rad’s fifth collection, L.A.-based founder Lizzie Grover Rad dives into America’s complex drug history. “In college, I took a course called Deviants in Society, which touched on this subject, and I’ve always wanted to learn more and dive deeper,” she says. The collection, titled Under the Influence, A Trip Down Memory Lane, visually interprets things like the opioid crisis, the War on Drugs and more via bold signature prints on pieces like the Purple Haze dress, the Chronic silk top and more. Grover Rad hopes her brand will add intention to the collective consciousness. “More intention on where you’re buying from, how it’s being sourced, who it’s being produced by,” she says. “Sustainability and ethics.”
Two timeless rings from Kinn Studio; PHOTO COURTESY OF BRAND
When a robbery at her parents’ home left her mother without her treasured heirlooms, Jennie Yoon worked with vendors in DTLA’s jewelry district to replicate what was lost. Although the new pieces weren’t a perfect match, Yoon’s mother’s joy when seeing what her daughter created said it all. “Joy means so much more than an accessory,” she says. This led to the launch of Kinn Studio, Yoon’s line of timeless pieces made with solid 14K gold and ethically sourced diamonds and gemstones. Experience Yoon’s designs at the brand’s Platform LA pop-up—a collab with another AAPI brand, Almina Concept—which closes at the end of the year.
Regent Santa Monica Beach opens later this year; PHOTO COURTESY OF BRAND
A new Santa Monica hotel is on the horizon, right in time for summer. “[The hotel] combines the glamour and unmatched luxury of Beverly Hills with the serenity and splendor of Santa Monica,” says Younes Atallah, general manager of Regent Santa Monica Beach, located across from the Santa Monica Pier. Expect 24 suites, 143 generously sized rooms, and dining concepts from Michael Mina and Ayesha Curry. There are also incredible extras, including beach butler service, a Guerlain wellness spa, and a pool deck and bar with stunning ocean views. “Inspiration from the ocean and coastal living is intricately woven throughout our resort,” Atallah shares. “The design imparts the feeling of being worlds away while still offering proximity to the excitement of the city.”
The Spa at Sunset Marquis recently opened after a four-year closure; PHOTO BY MARK READ
Tucked inside the Sunset Marquis’ multi-acre oasis of verdant plant life and rock-n-roll history is a newly reimagined spa and wellness center. “This is the first time ever that the Sunset Marquis has had a multi-vertical spa offering treatments beyond traditional massage and manicures,” says spa director Sheneka Clark. Offerings include high-tech modalities like the Geneo Glo2Facial system, plus wellness-focused services that reference the hotel’s allure, including Sound & Soul Harmonization, Stairway to Heaven and Smooth as Tennessee Whiskey treatments. “While many spas tout a zen-like atmosphere, ours does too,” Clark says, “but with just a dose of rock n’ roll.”
PHOTO BY CAVAN IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES
Roscoe Mitchell “Let’s Take a Ride,” 2023, Acrylic on canvas board, 12 x 12 in. The Pit will present a solo show of Mitchell’s work this summer; PHOTO BY JEFF MCLANE, COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND THE PIT
The Pit, a new community-focused gallery run by artists Adam D. Miller and Devon Oder, has arrived in Atwater Village. Located in a 13,000-square-foot space, the founders, who previously worked with Sterling Ruby, created a multipurpose destination that houses a gallery, offices, a ceramics studio, a store and more. “Our program often resonates with expressionistic, or self-taught, or craft histories,” share the founders. “A few major art historical movements that we think about constantly [are] the German Neo-Expressionist painters of the 1980s, the Chicago Imagists, and the Bay Area Funk artists.” This summer, in partnership with Corbett Vs. Dempsey in Chicago, the gallery will show a solo exhibition of works by Roscoe Mitchell, a jazz musician who also paints. “This will be the first larger solo exhibition of the work in Los Angeles,” says the duo. “We’re thrilled for the opportunity to share this incredible work by such an important yet overlooked artist with the L.A. arts community.
OZMA founder Heidi Baker; the brand recently debuted a new showroom and studio in Frogtown; PHOTO BY DUSTIN AKSLAND
Known for fair trade knitwear and breathable, wearable pieces made from regeneratively grown silk in an easy, neutral palette, OZMA has kept Angelenos looking effortlessly chic since founder Heidi Baker launched the brand in 2015. Now, a beautiful new showroom-studio-shop hybrid in Frogtown makes it easy to experience Baker’s creations in person. Housed in a stunning space by Elizabeth Roberts—who designed Athena Calderone’s Brooklyn townhouse and Ulla Johnson’s L.A. store—and ORCA, who created the peaceful outdoor area, the showroom fully encompasses OZMA’s warm, organic sensibility. “The space is the perfect backdrop to all the clothes,” says Baker, who plans to host gatherings and events throughout the year. “It all works together so beautifully.”
PHOTO BY DUSTIN AKSLAND
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