A look for the Eres swimwear collection

Listing the celebrity fans of French swimwear and lingerie company Eres could take ages. Reese Witherspoon, Uma Thurman, and Penélope Cruz have all been known to tread water wearing the label, and they’ll surely visit the brand’s newly relocated boutique, which opened in October on Dayton Way in Beverly Hills.

When it comes to swimsuit design, Eres’s creative director, Valérie Delafosse, takes the female form into serious consideration, keeping in mind what makes the brand stand out from the crowd. “Eres has a very unique approach to swimwear,” says Delafosse of the label’s dedication to creating a perfect final product. “[It’s] rigorous design combined with the softness of the Eres fabrics that enhance feminine curves and bodies. [With our] endless study of fit and function, Eres has an architectural approach that embraces the body.”

Morocco, Egypt, Syria, and the Greek Islands were the inspirations for Collection Plage Été 2012, the first swim collection to grace the new boutique’s shelves. The classic, sporty one-pieces and bandeau bikinis flaunt splashes of saffron, purple, and turquoise, and are the perfect complement to the blue waters of the Pacific Coast. 9566 Dayton Way, Beverly Hills, 310-246-1008

Maybe it’s the attitude, but I love LA,” says fashion designer Monika Chiang, who considers the City of Angels her home away from home (she lives in New York City) and the ideal place to open her first boutique. A world traveler and self-professed handbag snob, Chiang started her eponymous label with a mission to create the ideal everyday bag. “I’m drawn to the effortless style of the LA woman. I use her as my daily inspiration,” says the designer, whose gloriously slouchy bags and covetable tassel loafers (with and without heels) are this season’s staples. “I live in loafers right now,” she says. “They’re the perfect variation of the flat for the coming season.” But don’t imagine Chiang’s line to be conservative. The spike jewelry, gold crocodile cuff, and ladylike handbags adorned with whipstitches or horn handles are the must-have accessories for LA’s fashion set. And Chiang doesn’t stop there. The collection also features perfectly sheer tissue-soft tees with draping backlines, leather miniskirts, and the quintessential boyfriend sweater. With her killer fashion instincts and hot new real estate, we can’t wait to see what Chiang has in store next. 108 S. Robertson Blvd., LA, 310-786-8200; monikachiang.com

Oliver Ifergan Atelier features makeup applications and lessons

B2V Salon
Remember the Vanity Fair cover featuring a nude Demi Moore wearing a painted-on suit? It was the cocreation of makeup artist Deborah Esposito, who has also worked with Madonna and Salma Hayek, as well as legendary photographers Herb Ritts and Annie Leibovitz. Tuesday through Saturday she’s at B2V doing theatrical, glamour, and red-carpet makeup, as well as makeup tattooing and brow design. 646 N. Doheny Dr., West Hollywood, 310-777-0345; b2vsalon.com

Blushington Makeup & Beauty Lounge
Opened last month, this makeup and beauty lounge exudes old-Hollywood glamour and offers brow tweezing, faux-lash application, eyelash tinting, and a menu of several makeup looks. The ultrafeminine décor will make you want to lounge all day, but in a crunch the expert artists will have you out in 30. There is also a VIP section for private parties. 8591 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, 310-652-5874; blushington.com

Byron & Tracey
It’s more than likely you’ll bump into an A-lister when visiting this Beverly Hills salon known for catering to LA’s most fabulous set in its clean, modern, and indulgently relaxing space. Byron Williams and Gina Veltri are the salon’s incredibly talented makeup artists, who beautify and transform their high-profile clientele. Be prepared to receive more compliments than you know what to do with. 9294 Civic Center Dr., Beverly Hills, 310-276-4470; byronandtracey.com

Karen Scott
Her small but comfortable studio is housed inside the one-stop shop Salon Republic, where each room is dedicated to a specific primping specialty and Scott is the veteran makeup and brow expert. While she boasts her own makeup line, Scott is a purist at heart. Ask her for advice on home beauty remedies using items from your pantry. 9911 Pico Blvd., Ste. 200W, Studio 21, LA, 310-553-5126; karenscottcosmetics.com

Kimberley Bosso
For those seeking exclusivity and privacy, a visit to celebrity makeup artist Kimberley Bosso is a must. Her studio has no sign, but she’s built an impressive clientele—including Marisa Tomei and Justin Bieber—through word of mouth. Bosso offers traditional makeup, airbrushing, lessons, tattoo coverage, and even a four-day intensive makeup school for aspiring artists. 7510 W. Sunset Blvd., LA, 310-415-4885; kbosso.com

Makeup & Go!
This full-service makeup studio is elegant, affordable, and hasslefree—it doesn’t sell makeup, so there’s no pressure to buy. The studio’s professional makeup artists will create any look—from basic to dramatic. All foundations are applied flawlessly using an airbrushing technique, which also works on your neck, arms, and legs. 13038 San Vicente Blvd., LA, 310-451-6253; makeupandgo.net

Make Up For Ever
If you’ve ever dreamed of going backstage during a photo shoot, this shop is for you. The Parisbased makeup brand opens its first freestanding West Coast boutique in LA this month, complete with professional lighting. Services include makeovers, faux-eyelash application, and lessons, which can be filmed in a glass-enclosed recording station and taken home on a USB drive for later reference. 132 S. Robertson Blvd., LA; makeupforever.com

Oliver Ifergan Atelier
Located in the posh Robertson shopping area, this salon offers both regular and airbrush makeup application. Furthermore, when you sign up for a makeup lesson, an extra $50 (plus the cost of products) gets you a professional-grade kit customized with everything you need to look beautiful at home. The salon also features a blow-dry bar Sundays and Mondays. 205 S. Robertson Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310-967-0100; oliverifergan.com
 

BY ELISE EDWARDS

Stylish LA handbag and accessories designer Kendall Conrad’s favorite bag from her fall line is the brass-adorned Gitana suede saddlebag ($960). “I like to wear it long and slinky on my shoulder with one of my cuffs and a great pair of sandals,” says Conrad, whose Abbot Kinney store has garnered a high-fashion following since opening last year. Take note: It’s the LA must-carry of the season. 1121 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, 310-399-1333

Judith Ripka by Judith features her dazzling pieces and diverse clients such as Angie Harmon

Jeweler-to-the-stars Judith Ripka teamed up with Assouline to launch her first book, simply titled Judith Ripka by Judith ($65), hitting bookstores this fall. The coffee-table tome documents the fine jeweler’s inspirations, designs and production process, as well as her luxurious life and—perhaps most important—her love affair with Hollywood. “New York is my home,” says Ripka, whose stunning designs are filled with colorful precious and semiprecious stones on intricate beds of gold and silver, “but LA is where my jewelry shines on some of Hollywood’s most elite—from Kate Hudson to Vanessa Hudgens.” Judith Ripka, 234 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, 310-275-3013

A leather dress from Bui’s Fall 2011 collection

Francophiles, the line forms now! We couldn’t be more thrilled that after two years of searching for the perfect space, famed French designer Barbara Bui recently opened her first Left Coast outpost on Rodeo Drive. With her sexy—but not too sexy—dresses, perfectly fitting trousers and to-die-for leather jackets, her luxurious collection is no longer just for the Parisian gamine. It’s almost as if Bui designs with Angelenos in mind: Her silky dresses and ideal-for-all-occasions heels and booties scream LA. “For me it was obvious we should be represented on the West Coast,” says Bui. “The LA woman [personifies] the core values of my brand. She can be cool and casual but also dressy, and she always remains glamorous—with a rocker’s edge. LA customers have chased our clothes all over the world.” Finally, the chase is over. 405 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, 310-275-4452

PHOTOGRAPH BY LUCAS ZAREBINSKI

Max Mara camel-hair drop-waist coat with buckle closure ($2,250)

It may be hard to believe, but Italian cashmere powerhouse Max Mara is 60 years young this year—and chic as ever. Known for superbly soft outerwear and sleek separates, the brand celebrates its milestone birthday with Coats! Max Mara, 60 Years of Italian Fashion, a book tracing the design house’s iconic heritage, as well as a traveling exhibition that has made stops in Berlin, Tokyo and Beijing and opens in Moscow October 13. With a family of collections that includes Sportmax, ’S Max Mara, Weekend by Max Mara and Max Mara Elegante, to name only a few, the label caters to the woman who appreciates luxury in any shape or form. While the dreamy, coveted cashmere coats are a must for jaunts to Aspen and New York this winter, the house’s mod dresses and sexy eveningwear are perfect for LA society year-round. 451 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, 310-385-9343

PHOTOGRAPH BY LUCAS ZAREBINSKI

Inspired by Mademoiselle Chanel’s travels and her fascination with the crossroads of Eastern and Western cultures, Chanel announces its new fi ne jewelry collection, Les Secrets d’Orient. Byzantium, Isfahan, Samarqand and Venetian references culminate in a line of pieces featuring emeralds, rubies, sapphires, diamonds, pearls and pink tourmalines—all exemplifying the iconic designer’s predilection for opulence. 400 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills

Luxury lingerie fans—and their signifi cant others—will love Agent Provocateur’s new Art Deco-esque Rodeo Drive boutique. A glamorous space with hand-painted silk walls, the boutique stocks sultry boudoir staples and lacy, sherbet-hued underpinnings. The sweet and sexy Mariana set (ABOVE, from $630) is a sure thing. 242 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills

“Perfect for the LA woman, Cesare’s shoes are sexy and always eye-catching, with a focus on comfort.”
–Darryl Murray, Cesare Paciotti Store Manager

9528 Brighton Way, Beverly Hills; cesare-paciotti.com