Each month we share five unmissable things to see and do in the Golden State. You heard it here first.
Words by KELSEY McKINNON, REBECCA RUSSELL, ELIZABETH VARNELL, and S. IRENE VIRBILA
WEST HOLLYWOOD
Ulla Johnson’s Fairy-Tale Flagship Opens Its Doors
The interior of the new ULLA JOHNSON boutique.
Manhattan-born Ulla Johnson unearthed her trademark design style, embellished with ruffles and fanciful prints, by traveling far and wide to destinations around the globe. Now Johnson has decided to leave a significant impact in California with a 3,000-sq.-ft., two-story flagship in West Hollywood’s design district. Johnson has joined creative forces with a community of local designers, including Kelly Wearstler, who lent their talents to this retail fairy tale by creating otherworldly artisanal pieces that flatter Johnson’s already striking designs. “It was a very effortless collaboration,” Johnson says of working with Wearstler. In an effort to bring the outside indoors, an enchanting conservatory with a 16-ft. brachychiton tree invites guests to explore and shop the ready-to-wear, with seasonal and limited-edition pieces designed exclusively for the shop. Flushed with rich golden hues and terra-cotta tiles that mimic the California radiance, the dreamy ambience of the à la mode emporium will make you want to linger indefinitely. “Nature feels very close in California,” Johnson says. 8823 Beverly Blvd., L.A., 424-245-4359; ullajohnson.com. R.R.
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VENICE BEACH
Mexico City and Manhattan Favorite Spices Up the Westside
LEFT: Churros. Photo by Casamata. RIGHT: ATLA Chef Enrique Olvera. Photo by Araceli Paz.
Enrique Olvera, one of Mexico’s most celebrated chefs, isn’t just about enchanting worldly palates with stunning, technically brilliant dishes at his flagship Pujol in Mexico City, Cosme in New York, and Damian in the Arts District of L.A. His portfolio of restaurants also includes the five-year-old casual neighborhood spot Atla Noho in New York, and now that popular Mexican comfort food concept is arriving in Venice. Executive chef Marisol Corona gathers classic dishes from the original spot for her menu, but it’s not just a carbon copy. She has turned her radar on Southern California’s penchant for lime-drenched seafood cocktails, spicy aguachiles, and fish wrapped in lettuce leaves — and added, of course, our beloved avocado toast. “We are here to provide comfort, crafting delicious, simple, flavorful food without taking shortcuts. We want Atla to be part of the neighborhood, sharing Mexican vibes and fostering a strong sense of community through our culinary offerings,” says Corona. Nab a table inside or on the serene outdoor patio and order up a lobster burrito or slow-cooked barbacoa or Brussels sprout tacos with spicy peanut butter. 1025 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, 209-306-8720; eatatla.com. S.I.V.
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HOLLYWOOD
L.A.’s Art Scene Welcomes Another Blue-Chip Gallery
ROSE WYLIE’s Spindle and Cover Girl, 2022. Photo by Jack Hems.
New York–based mega-dealer David Zwirner — who represents the likes of Wolfgang Tillmans, Barbara Kruger, and Gerhard Richter — has finally unveiled his West Coast trifecta of exhibition spaces. Joining a handful of other new galleries on a seedy strip of Western at the intersection of Hollywood and Koreatown (an area that could generously be called Hancock Park adjacent), the crown jewel of Zwirner’s L.A. push is a three-story flagship building designed by starchitect Annabelle Selldorf, which boasts more than 15,000 square feet of exhibition space and an outdoor terrace. Next month’s show will be a series of large-scale paintings by British artist Rose Wylie, accompanied by a wonderfully detailed tome published by David Zwirner Books. The West Coast expansion marks Zwirner’s 30th anniversary in the biz — and is clearly where the visionary sees the future unfolding. Rose Wylie exhibition opens on September 8. 612 North Western Ave., L.A.; davidzwirner.com. K.M.
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BEVERLY HILLS
Dr. Barbara Sturm Has an Appointment With The Maybourne Beverly Hills
The pool at the MAYBOURNE spa; hotel guests receive complimentary products.
When it comes to beauty and wellness, sometimes size does matter. This month, Dr. Barbara Sturm, the world-renowned German beauty guru and pioneer of the Vampire facial, brings her science-backed treatments and products to The Maybourne Beverly Hills’ luxurious 20,000-sq.-ft. spa, which is the largest in the city — spanning two floors with 17 treatment rooms and a restorative mineral pool. Dr. Sturm has curated an exclusive spa menu, including her super anti-aging facial, clarifying facial, and a specially formulated The Maybourne Sturm Glow facial, which features extended anti-aging massage and lymphatic drainage techniques to release facial tension and define structure. The partnership extends to the hotel’s rooms and suites, where guests are gifted Dr. Sturm’s Face Cream, The Good C Vitamin C Serum, and Super Anti-Aging face cream upon arrival. It’s just what the doctor ordered. 225 North Canon Dr., BH, 310-860-7840; maybournebeverlyhills.com. K.M.
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MONTEREY PENINSULA
Classic Cars Putter Into Pebble Beach
1962 FERRARI 250 GTO Scaglietti Berlinetta, David MacNeil, from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Class R-1: 24 Hours of Le Mans Centennial Early Winner. Photo by Kimball Studios.
Pebble Beach is, of course, regarded as one of the world’s top golf courses, but come August, the golf carts and linksmen give way to an assemblage of the world’s most spectacular roadsters for the annual Concours d’Elegance. Taking place on the course’s famed 18th hole, the prestigious car show (now in its 72nd year) is the finale event of the Pebble Beach Automotive Week, where perfectly preserved and updated classics from Ferrari to Ford are vying for the yellow Best of Show ribbon (last year it was presented to a 1932 Duesenberg J Figoni Sports Torpedo). Before the Concours, visitors can witness the participants in action during the annual Pebble Beach Tour d’Elegance, as the more than 150 Concours entrants seeking to prove their roadworthiness embark on the 17-mile procession from Highway One to Big Sur before crossing the finish line back at Pebble Beach. Roadsters that successfully complete the Tour get a favorable nod if they later tie in class competition at the Concours. Think of it like a motorcade down memory lane featuring the dreamiest dream cars. August 20. pebblebeachconcours.net. K.M.
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IN PARTNERSHIP
Celebrating 25 Years of Harry Winston’s Ocean Timepieces
Harry Winston’s most daring watch collection — instantly recognizable through each of the winding crown’s three arches referencing the entryway of the house’s New York flagship — is logging a milestone this summer. Over the past 25 years, the Ocean collection’s spectrum of ultralight round cases in 18K gold or the Winston-developed alloy Zalium have turned heads; new versions are now joining the family. Round brilliant-, emerald-, and baguette-cut diamonds gleam from five limited-edition high jewelry Ocean Date Moon Phase Automatic 42mm watches, a demonstration of the house’s gem-setting expertise. Even the Swiss movement is set with 26 baguette-cut diamonds, and the 18K white gold bracelet contains 558 more. The Ocean Date Moon Phase Automatic 42mm with blue alligator straps has a white beaded mother-of-pearl dial and 112 brilliant cut diamonds in addition to retrograde counters for the seconds and days. Indeed, most of the collection’s 36mm tickers also have mother-of-pearl dials made from one of the most lustrous materials produced at sea. The collection’s Project Z16, limited to 100 pieces, brings functionality even further to the forefront with a full calendar and an openworked three-dimensional cityscape of gears and mechanical components, an homage to the architecture and tempo of New York and the jewelry house’s roots. 310 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, 310-271-8554; 200 Post St., S.F., 628-867-1100; 3333 Bristol St., South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa, 714-371-1910; harrywinston.com.
August 2023.
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