Each month we share five unmissable things to see and do in the Golden State. You heard it here first.
Words by DAVID NASH
PACIFIC PALISADES
Inspired by the Ocean, This Store Offers Style and Serenity
If you thought the Pacific Palisades couldn’t get any more stylish, the new CULT GAIA boutique will prove you wrong. With outposts already in New York City and St. Barts, it marks the sixth — and possibly most enchanting — brick-and-mortar shop from Los Angeles–based brand founder and designer Jasmin Hekmat. For the 1,225-square-foot space, the fashion and accessories darling hooked up with architecture and design firm Sugarhouse to create what principals Jess and Jonathan Nahon have named “The Shell” for its subtle seaside design references and physical proximity to the Pacific Ocean. Plaster walls and pastellone floors incorporate terra-cotta granules mimicking the texture and color of sand, softened edges ripple through the interior contours and furnishings like a wave-shaped sofa, undulating clothing racks and rock formation-like display pieces make for an otherworldly retail experience. Showcasing a wide selection of the brand’s ready-to-wear, shoes, bags, and accessories, there’s every likelihood you’ll emerge victorious from your first visit. 15225 Palisades Village Ln., Pacific Palisades; cultgaia.com.
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SAN FRANCISCO
Flavors of the American South Delivered With West Coast Flair
Chef Celtin Hendrickson-Jones was influenced by his family’s Southern heritage when developing his menu for PRELUDE, the latest contemporary dining spot from The Omakase Restaurant Group. Located in the Embarcadero — and set within the neighborhood’s newest luxury hotel property, The Jay — the restaurant will showcase the flavors of the American South with many of the recipes coming from Hendrickson-Jones’ Alabama-born grandmother and great-grandmother. The Morimoto and Commis alum adds his signature California flair to comfort foods like creamed corn, biscuits, and fried green tomatoes, and presents plates that might include a cornbread financier with in-house cultured Hokkaido uni butter, Tierra Farms hominy grits with a “smattering” of garnishes, deviled eggs with crispy chicken skin, or a grilled trout with smoked Brentwood creamed corn, pole beans, and trout roe. The space itself, designed by AvroKO to feel as sophisticated as it is welcoming, includes a main dining room, a stylish salon with bar seating, and two more private spaces. 433 Clay St., S.F.; preludesf.com.
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L.A. / PASADENA
Lita Albuquerque Has Los Angeles Covered With Two Art Happenings
Known for her wildly transformative works, artist Lita Albuquerque is making her mark on Los Angeles this month — figuratively and literally. First, MICHAEL KOHN GALLERY introduces Earth Skin, an exhibition of her new works that “blend the earthly with the cosmic.” The gallery’s fourth show of the artist’s thought-provoking work will include a new installation and a series of paintings that are presented in conjunction with The Getty’s 2024 PST ART: ART & SCIENCE COLLIDE event — for which, on September 27, Albuquerque will also unveil This Moment in Time, a site-specific installation featuring a gold-wrapped bridge outside the California Institute of Technology’s Caltech Hall in Pasadena. The crossover project was conceived as part of The Getty’s art happening, PST ART, that includes a series of exhibitions and public programs across Southern California over the next six months. Sept. 12–Oct. 19. 1227 N. Highland Ave., L.A.; kohngallery.com; pst.art.
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SAN LUIS OBISPO
This Updated Central Coast B&B Exudes Gallic Charm
With its close proximity to glorious stretches of beaches, coastal wineries, and the stunning Santa Lucia Mountains, San Luis Obispo has been a favorite weekend getaway destination for decades. Adding a bit of European charm, the newly renovated PETIT SOLEIL is an ideal spot to escape for a few days. Located in downtown SLO, the 17-room boutique bed-and-breakfast has been completely remodeled — and rebranded — by award-winning Santa Barbara–based Good Lion Hospitality. Designed by NM Studios, each room’s look and feel varies in color, pattern, and texture, but all include amenities like an elevated minibar stocked with house-made bottled cocktails and local wines, Bellino Fine Linens, Sangre de Fruta bath products, and custom furnishings. Guests can also enjoy a cozy Parisian-style courtyard, a cocktail garden, firepits, scrumptious complimentary breakfasts, and even a curated aperitif hour. Just a 10-minute walk to the town’s best shops, restaurants, and watering holes, this charming oasis carries on a tradition of small-town hospitality that began when its original owners first opened the doors to vacationers in 1952. Nightly rates start around $209. 1473 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo; petitsoleilslo.com.
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L.A.
A Sleek Design Showroom With a Heart of Stone
The career trajectory for FORM (LA) founder Jordan Mosslar was written in stone. His fascination and appreciation for natural stone that began in childhood eventually led to designing and customizing furniture and objects from the earthly matter that are both ultra-contemporary and a nod to antiquity. Having conceived the design atelier in 2021, the Australian expat unveils his first fully shoppable flagship showcasing current designs alongside new collections of seating, fireplaces, vanities, and bathroom fixtures. The 5,500-square-foot emporium is enveloped in rich tones of brown and cream that serve as an appropriate backdrop to Mosslar’s sumptuous furnishings and allow each individual form to make its own statement. Further outfitted with plaster lighting from Studio Tristan Kallas, custom artwork by Ali Enache, and decor from Aussie brand Tsu Lange Yor, the space is the epitome of a new Stone Age. 835 N. La Brea Ave., L.A.; form-losangeles.com.
September 2024
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