A Look Inside Cartier's Newly Designed Boutique In South Coast Plaza Inspired By The Environs Of Southern California

Cartier announces the recently completed renovation and expansion of its newly-designed Costa Mesa boutique, with the creative direction led by Moinard Betaille agency, who drew inspiration from Orange County’s diverse landscape—from its local vegetation to the shimmering waters at Laguna and Newport Beaches, and from the nearby Mojave Desert’s sweeping sand dunes to the cracked earth at Joshua Tree. The boutique’s overall design pairs modern shapes with the Maison’s timeless design codes and a touch of whimsical details. A Livatz glass canopy light inspired by the region’s ubiquitous skateparks adds a playful touch to the accessories and care service areas, while custom-designed chandeliers in the shape of dahlias—a symbol of eternal love—decorate the bridal area’s ceiling. The bridal area is also home to a lacquer and mother-of-pearl panel by Atelier Midavaine, depicting inspired by a High Jewelry brooch in the shape of an orchid native to Southern California. Visitors approaching the boutique will notice the unique three-dimensional façade, the first of its kind for the Maison in North America. Handcrafted in aqua resin with plaster details, it is intended to evoke a soft sea breeze wafting through the window, gathering the curtains in gentle pleats. Upon entry, guests are met with Cartier novelties set against a large panel depicting a panther by François Mascarello, fashioned in wood, straw, and mother-of-pearl marquetry. Local flora can be found throughout the boutique, including the handcrafted staff columns inspired by palm trees and the hand-painted Moss + Lam mural depicting a hyperreal portrait of local vegetation in dusty desert tones. The new boutique will be open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 am – 8:00 pm, and will offer a full range of creations, including jewelry, fine jewelry, watches, leather goods, fragrance, and Art of Living, in addition to other special collections. 3333 Bristol Street in the renowned South Coast Plaza shopping center.

Anton Yelchin and Kate Parfet in Joshua Tree, California on 35mm film

In an effort to avoid the tired '68 knockoff nostalgia that pervades desert images, actor Anton Yelchin (Charlie Bartlett, Star Trek Into Darkness, Only Lovers Left Alive, Green Room) and model/photographer Kate Parfet wanted to combine trash aesthetics with a flair for glam and Area 51. In a secluded desert domicile, the pair celebrated textures that inspired them, objects and fabrics they found erotic and simultaneously playful. Click here to read our interview with Yelchin and Parfet on their adventure in the desert. 

A Winter Weekend In Joshua Tree, California

The air in Joshua Tree is sweet, thin and immaculate. It is high desert air at its finest. It is a forsaken landscape. The Joshua trees that line the horizon and the desert seem like lost souls trapped in a spinning chokehold, moving so fast that everything is brilliantly still and hopeful. Despite its alienness and despite its strangeness, it is a beautiful landscape full of boulders and small shacks and homesteads. In the summer, it is too hot to live here, so many people move North or somewhere more forgiving. When you wake up in Joshua Tree, you want to walk for miles until you are an invisible stranger. At night, have a shot of whiskey at Pappy + Harriet’s and in the morning eat at La Copine in Flamingo Heights - make sure to order the beignets, which are splattered devilishly with cinnamon-coffee sugar. Just two hours away from Los Angeles, Joshua Tree is a strange and beautiful oasis. text and photography by Oliver Maxwell Kupper