By Laura Medina
Blink! You'll miss it. Then again, it supposed to be a refuge from the fun but chaotic buzz from West Hollywood's super trendy Santa Monica Boulevard which is only a stone throw away.
If you want to discover a "secret garden" in the urban jungle, Donna Karan's new LA outpost of Urban Zen on little side street, at 9045 Nemo Street, West Hollywood CA 90069.
For a WeHo local, it's a quiet respite from the city's hustle and bustle. For the tourist, it's a gem waiting to be unearthed...and something to tell the folks back home about.
This West Hollywood outpost of Urban Zen is a manifestation of Ms. Karan's Urban Zen Foundation. She build the foundation after her husband's illness and passing away. She took her design skills then stretch them into a new extension where her Urban Zen boutiques in New York and West Hollywood reflects a holistic, all-emcompassing lifestyle. It's a graceful wabi-sabi where she took what most folks call "flawed;" she took that design aesthetic where an object's intrinsic features are highlighted and made it the main focal point, as the banyan tree root that was polished up then made into a coffeetable.
In fact, every piece of furniture and art work was personally handpicked and decorated by Donna Karan herself. The furniture line is an off-shoot of her Urban Zen Clothing Collection. All made in Bali from reclaimed teak. All available for purchase.
Jerome, "We try to be eco-conscious as possible and everything is made with love."
Her personal touches welcomes the visitor. Her banquet table in the open-air courtyard hosts fundraisers and guest celebrity supper dinners. The last celebrity supper was cooked and hosted by Chef Jamie Olivier. Jerome mentioned don't be surprised if you see Donna Karan, herself, lounging on a couch in the boutique/living room. This WeHo outpost is her LA home-away-from home.
Since Urban Zen the shop supports charity, Haitian art work and paintings personally decorated by Ms. Karan, from her own personal collection, is up for sale. The bowls of handwoven leather cuffs and bone (aka ivory) and leather necklaces are also up for sale. Every cent earned from these handcrafted jewelry and art work goes back to the Haitian artisans who made them. The Haitian Earthquake Relief is her main cause right now. However, the various art work and accessories also fund the first two of the three tenets: Preservation of Culture, Empowering Children's, and Well-Being.
The welcoming, lush solace and supper dinners nourish the Well-Being.
Her Urban Zen Clothing Collection is not available online or in department stores, only in Urban Zen boutiques in West Hollywood and New York and a pop-shop in the Hamptons. It is only a small but consistent collection. Nothing goes out of style. Then again, very few items go sale.
Again, it is the Donna Karan aesthetic. Whatever Donna designs, she designs for herself and how she lives. Believe it or not, these funnel-neck motocycle jackets and off-shoulder, buckle and strap jersey tops are great for her dropping her grandkids off at school then run directly to the gala at night. This effortless hip chic counts Barbra Streisand as a fan. This is the branch of her original 7 Easy Pieces that bloom her career thirty years ago.
The customers range from the young Hollywood Starlets to the Hollywood Established Ladies. The figure-skimming knits fits the very young and lucky skinny to the more voluptuous ladies. It is for all body shapes and sizes. It is not for just the lucky 1% but they have gifts and accessories from $15 to $30,000. All they have in common is a love for the environment while having an affinityy for what is hip, chic, and fashion-forward for the 21st Century lifestyle. Jerome, "We accomodate anyone."
This all-emcompassing boutique is selling a lifestyle, not fads or trends of the moment.
If you're weary from the city's nonstop buzz and want to hide out, recharge, and discover something new, Donna Karan's Urban Zen is your retreat.
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