Taking note of the fact that you pretty much have to drive everywhere to get anywhere in LA, it’s a wonderful thing to encounter somewhere compact in the city that sprawls for miles. Intro, West Hollywood and the cool girl’s hang-out, Melrose Avenue and Melrose Place. Set within a 2-3 block radius in a the triangle between Melrose Avenue, La Cienega and Melrose Place, this concentrated area is the ultimate haven where LA luxury meets Californian cool. With so much to see and do in such a perfectly concise area, the tree-lined oasis is perfect for a day of exploring, shopping, eating and playing; all within walking distance.
Here are a few of Haute So Fabulous’s favourite spaces to shop hop your day away..
Z I M M E R M A N
8468 Melrose Place // Mon - Sat 10am - 6pm, Sun: 2pm - 5pm
From it’s interiors to it’s beautifully made designs , Zimmerman is Australia’s most infamous luxury fashion brand and one of Melrose’s treasured shopping destinations. Founded in 1991 by sisters Nicky and Simone Zimmermann, the brand offers an extensive selection of dresses and resort wear.. not forgetting the best dressing room in the entire world. This one is not to be missed.
T H E A P A R T M E N T B Y T H E L I N E
2nd Floor, 8463 Melrose Place // Tuesday-Saturday 10am - 6pm
A store in a home or a home in a store, The Apartment by The Line is accessed by appointment only. The brainchild of Adam Pritzker and Vanessa Traina, CEO and Creative Director, respectively, of Assembled Brands, the space is home to a carefully curated collection of pieces from small companies within the homewares, fashion and beauty industries. The high-end collection of beautiful pieces are set up as though in an apartment.. and everything is for sale. It’s dreamy AF, so be warned, you’ll never escape without loosing a piece of your heart to it.
T H E R O W
8440 Melrose Place // Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen know a thing or two about good design. And in opening their flagship store on Melrose Place the designer duo were all too aware of the importance in making it a space their customers would never want to leave - long after falling instantly in love with their elegantly cool creations. Designed by US firm Montalba Architects, the store is a quintessential LA space, marrying Californian cool with a sleek modernism that the brand is so distinguished by. Mid-century furniture, fireplaces and an assortment of art pieces give the space a residential feel while you will find the brands pieces placed perfectly throughout.
M A N S U R G A V R I E L
8475 Melrose Place // Daily 10am - 6pm
Mansur Gavriel is a hottie on a mission. Dreamed up by Rachel Mansur and Floriana Gavriel, the young New York based brand is making waves in the industry with it’s perfectly designed clothing and accessory lines built on a healthy love of pastels and vintage Italian fabrics. The flagship store is somewhat of a homecoming for Mansur and Gavriel as the pair originally met in LA. Bringing together all that they love about the city, with it’s healthy combining of indoor and outdoor spaces, the duo have created far more than just a retail store and more of a lifestyle experience which includes a marketplace where the brand houses their latest third-party finds, along with a flower shop on their porch, selling custom made arrangements. Recently partnering with Laudureé, the store now offers the perfect spot to drop (while you shop) and munch on some Parisian nibbles too.
V I O L E T G R E Y
8452 Melrose Place // Monday - Saturday 10am - 6pm
Discrete yet beautifully positioned on Melrose Place, Violet Grey’s boutique atelier is a beauty product addicts crack den. Born of Hollywood beauty culture, Cassandra Huysentruyt Grey opened the store having founded VIOLETGREY.com, the part luxury editorial and part e-commerce destination. Drawing upon the insider knowledge and hero products of Hollywood’s most cultured and well informed makeup artists and nail artists, the team curate a glittering den of must-haves from well-known brands and more obscure but nonetheless fabulous brands you can be sure you’ll find there first.
K E L L Y W E A R S T L E R
8440 Melrose Avenue // Monday - Saturday 10am - 7pm, Sunday 12pm - 6pm
Kelly Wearstler’s eponymous boutique on Melrose Avenue plays home to her stunning sculptural home designs and furnishings. The famed interior designer, who has designed luxury hotels, commercial spaces and residences around the world, is so stranger to design as a form of story telling and her flagship retail space is one of absolute love at first sight. Her signature lavish and vibrant designs are all on show at the opulent store, including her high-end furnishings and everything you image Wearstler to bring her unparalleled design genius to, from a brass bottle open to her jewellery and ready-to-wear line.
I S A B E L M A R A N T
8454 Melrose Place // Monday - Saturday 10am - 6pm
Flooded by natural light, Isabel Marant’s WeHo location is something of a beautiful mid-century, desert dream. Set amid a flourishing garden filled with a diverse collection of species, sizes and shades of plants - typical of outdoor Californian spaces, the main space reflects the welcoming warmth and familiarity of a home. Showcased in two large solid oak wardrobes, the collections are representative of the French designers classic boho styles while her ‘Star’ collection is available in the stores specially dedicated second room with it’s spacious dressing room and jewellery collection.
F R E D S E G A L
8100 Melrose Ave // Monday to Saturday 10am - 6pm, Sunday 12pm - 7pm
Perhaps one of the most recognisable names in the way of famed LA retail spaces, Fred Segal was made famous by a series of cinematic shout-outs in cult classics like Clueless and Legally Blonde. The 21,000 square feet boutique is a sprawling Mecca filled with home furnishings, designer pieces, accessories, beauty products and shoes. This celebrated LA hotspot also hosts a series of live events including trunk shows, music events and meet-and-greets. In need of a shopping break? Pop into the Fred Segal café for a bit to eat and a mid-shopping pick-me-up.
MA X F I E L D L A
8825 Melrose Ave // Monday - Saturday 11am - 7pm, Sunday 12Pm - 5pm
The epitome of cool, Maxfield is the world’s sharpest and most considered expanse of chic that ever there was. Founded by Tommy Perse, who also stands as the brands creative director since it’s conception in the early 70’s, Maxfield is on another level with Perse’s on-point eye for avant-garde aesthetics and highly regarded intuition in knowing a good brand when he sees it. A supporter of brands in their early stages, Maxfield has become a visionary in giving brands their big break in California - where local shoppers turn to immediate cult followers of anything stocked at the store. Stocking Giorgio Armani, Yohji Yamamoto, Rick Owens, Sacai and Come des Garçons to name a few, it’s a pandora’s box that’s hard to not leave with a wishlist the length of your arm. The brand’s original location launched in West Hollywood while another has opened in Malibu.
G L O S S I E R
8407 Melrose Place // Monday - Sunday 10am - 7pm
Born out of Emily Weiss’ successful beauty blog Into The Gloss, Glossier is a beauty brand on a mission. It’s first L.A brick-and-mortar store, which opened in 2018, is an on-brand-pink-loving-instagram-addicted millennial’s dream. Home to the brands cult favourites, the space has a calming feel with it’s minimal but warm interiors and the core concept of the store is to give the vibe of escaping the city and driving out to the Californian desert. Millennials will fall in love with the digital aspects of the store which include an immersive “Glossier Canyon” room with life-like rock formations and sounds to Zen you out - not forgetting the array of selfie mirrors spotted throughout the store.
