Los Angeles – My Love

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My love for Los Angeles started a long time ago when I went to a summer college there. The sunshine, the easy lifestyle, the friendly people, have fascinated me from the early start. The prejudices concerning the Californian city are multifarious, of course you have many people working in “the industry” and the plastic surgeries are higher per capita there than anywhere else. Yes, and the traffic is horrendous and I am scared of earthquakes.

However, there’s so much more to this metropolis that people don’t understand unless they immerse themselves in it. In summer 2010, I rented a house in Beverly Hills and spent two months there, long-time readers of Sandras’ Closet might remember. When the day came to fly back to Europe, I didn’t want to leave. Los Angeles has a mix of people, trends, fashion, nationalities, and industries that you can’t find anywhere else.

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Therefore I was so happy when Montblanc invited me to come to Los Angeles to live the Oscar experience and to attend their “Signature for Good” 2013 charity brunch. When I landed at LAX, my heart started already jumping for joy. But enough of my love letter. So, what follows is my list of a few of my favorite things to do and see in Los Angeles.

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Me in front of the Montblanc boutique on the famous Rodeo Drive.

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At Opening Ceremony, one of my favourite shops.

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Fred Segal‘s perfume store is gigantic.

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Shopping like the locals on Robertson Boulevard. (For a detailed Los Angeles shopping guide, please click here).

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Also home to my favourite restaurant for lunch: The well-known Ivy, a hot spot to see many celebrities.

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Have an Ivy Sunday, so yummy!

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Great for dinner: Cecconi’s

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Girls just wanna have fun: Tea time at American Girl Place.

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A must-see: Disneyland

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The famous star handprints in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre have to be on your sightseeing list…

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… along with Hollywood’s iconic Walk of Fame.

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At Venice Beach, you can enjoy the lively boardwalk with a crazy and colorful crowd. From rollerscaters, artists, palm readers and street dancers, to performers and vendors of any sort. It is also home to the iconic “Muscle Club” – an outdoor gym where bodybuilders shape their bodies under the sun. Arnold Schwarzenegger used to go there.

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My list could go on and on… my favourite hotel is by the way the Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica.

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If I had a wish granted from the fairy…? I would love to live in such a fabulous Beverly Hills mansion. It doesn’t hurt to dream.

Thank you, Montblanc, for having me brought back to this fab city!
Bye-bye L.A., I will surely be back soon…

LoL, Sandra

Los_Angeles_SkylinePhotos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Shop L.A.

Rodeo Drive

As you already know, I spent the last two months in Los Angeles. I am in love with the Californian city and had like always a blast, met many interesting people, designers and celebrities. L.A. is huge and a great place to shop. But you have to know where to go.

Famous Rodeo Drive is an attraction point for tourists but L.A. people and stars do not shop there as you have no privacy.

With this, I would love to lead you away from the obvious areas and introduce you to the places where locals meet, eat and first and foremost shop!

All of the stores have webshops of which most ship internationally. So in case you do not  make it in the near future to L.A., goodies from the sunshine state can make their way to you…

Beverly Center

If you like American malls, Beverly Center is the place to go. You will find high-end designers along with Victoria’s Secret, Sephora and more. Paparazzis are not allowed in the mall, therefore it is very likely that you will spot some famous people.

My favourite children’s store is there: Premier Kids carries a large variety of cool kids clothing, footwear and accessories.

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Very close is West 3rd street where many small and edgy boutiques are located. This is one of my favourite areas. If you are there, visit the Little Door restaurant in the evening. Gorgeous! When I was there, I had a nice chat with Jim Carey.

This popular area is also the home of Satine Boutique. A hot spot for insiders that carries high-end designers like Azzedine Alaïa and Balmain next to lesser known, independent labels.

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Let`s drive to 451, N La Cienega Blvd where Opening Ceremony is located since April 2007 in the former dance studio space of Hollywood icon, Charlie Chaplin. The 10,000 square foot boutique features many seperate rooms that each show a different shopping experience from a post-war Schiesser Revival atmosphere to a sleek Alexander Wang studio.

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Opening Ceremony – definitely one of my favourite places to go in L.A.!

Ron Herman

The Fred Segal area is an L.A. institution, designed like a collection of ultra-hip boutiques of which each has its very own vibe. Ron Herman offers since many years for women and men a wonderful selection of different brands in a wide price range. Next to it you can find Fred Segal feet, one of the best shoe stores in the city and Apothia, the place to find rare perfumes, scented candles and beauty products.

Maxfiled

Melrose Avenue is very long and home to many nice restaurants and interesting stores. One of them is Maxfield with major star-spotting potential and an outstanding clothing and furniture stock that you will rarely find elsewhere. A little inside scoop for you: Tommy Perse, the father of designer James Perse, owns the store that is said to have the largest  vintage Hermès collection worldwide.

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Maxfield specializes in unique and hard-to-find fashion for men and women and carries the best new season pieces of Chanel, Givenchy, Balmain, Stella McCartney among others, alongside an impressive collection of first-edition out-of-print art books. A must-go!

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Intermix

Another must when in L.A. is having lunch at the Ivy on Robertson, the place with celeb guarantee. After a signature bellini, you can indulge in a nice shopping spree. Intermix is just across the street. The boutique for trendsetters and glam fashionistas carries an exclusive mix of designers, styles and trends. Have a look at their webshop, absolutely gorgeous and they offer worldwide shipping!

streetspotted8_4On Robertson, I was photographed many times by trendhunters on the street. Here is one of the pictures they took for their L.A. style website.

I was wearing a white Gucci dress with a fringed suede vest by Roberto Cavalli and my Louis Vuitton Sunrise Denim (first picture to the left).


Enjoy some more of my very own impressions and start dreaming.

If you are in L.A., you will “just” need a car, a navigation system, sun block and a limitless credit card! To all California Gurls!

LoL, Sandra

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CIMG6307Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht