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Swimwear designer Lisa Vogel at the new Santa Monica Place SwimSpot with Chris Lohman, SwimSpot's vice president.

SwimSpot runs women’s swimwear boutiques from Santa Barbara to Orange County. On May 15, the boutique chain made a splash when it opened a 1,600-square-foot boutique at the exclusive Santa Monica Place mall.

Betsey Johnson, on the mike, rocks with the band The Mulhollands. Photo credit Felix Salzman/LookBookLA

When the Betsey Johnson label promised that the venerable designer would entertain during her first Los Angeles area appearance in five years, they weren’t kidding.

As part of its new “My Santa Monica Summer” promo campaign, the recently revamped Santa Monica Place is offering out-of-town visitors a free SMP canvas tote bag filled with summer schwag, including a Shopping and Dining Rewards Book that promises $500 in savings at participating stores and restaurants.

Otis College of Art and Design fêted legendary costume designer Bob Mackie and Santa Monica Place with a cocktail reception at The Peninsula Beverly Hills. The event kicked off the annual scholarship fundraising efforts for the college which will culminate on May 7 at the 29th Annual Otis Scholarship Benefit and Fashion Show.

Tokidoki's Ivan Arnold and Cindy Shin with two cartoon friends, outside of the brand's Santa Monica store

Walt Disney built an empire on a cute mouse, Sanrio created a huge following and business on a pokerfaced kitten, Los Angeles-based Tokidoki is forging a big biz on an adorable ghoul. His name is Adios.

Nordstrom Glitz from the retailer's Newport Beach store

Retailing west of the 405 Freeway just got a lot more fabulous.
 
Nordstrom opened its first full-line store west of the 405 Freeway on Aug. 27, when it debuted its location at the Santa Monica Place shopping center. The center opened Aug. 6 and offers stores such as Bloomingdale’s, Kitson and Barney’s Co-op.
 

Let the retail parties begin.

Santa Monica Place is officially reopening tomorrow, and retail tenants in the completely redesigned center are hosting kickoff events to entice the public to come take a new look at the mall’s new look.

Fluxus is having a party all weekend long, with free drinks, guest DJs, vintage films and a special appearance by Fluxus head designer—and Project Runway winner—Jeffrey Sebelia.

Yep, this is a dressing room

Bloomingdale’s promised it would create something completely different for its new store at Santa Monica Place retail center.
 
When the store opens Aug. 6 a few blocks away from the beach, the Santa Monica, Calif., Bloomie's will offer a feast for the eyes. I went on a tour of this Bloomie's Tuesday morning, and I saw wild design features.

Who says port people aren't fashionable?

Just check out the mannequin the Port of Los Angeles designed for The Mannequin Collective, a competition organized by the soon-to-open Santa Monica Place shopping mall.

Geraldine Knatz, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles and the first woman to hold that position, received an e-mail inviting community leaders, retailers and fashion designers to decorate 100 blank mannequins to be displayed at the mall's opening on Aug. 6.

Kitson Malibu at the Malibu Lumber Yard retail center

Summer 2010 should be a hit season for the high-profile Kitson boutique chain.
 
On June 10, the boutique chain's owner, Fraser Ross, opened a Kitson & Kitson Kids store. It’s located in a 1,700-square-foot space at the luxury retail center Malibu Lumber Yard in Malibu, Calif. One-half of the store will offer kiddies’ clothes; the other half will sell women’s accessories and shoes.