Few Angelenos feel the need to cross over the O.C. border. Once on the other side of the Orange County curtain, it is like another country and culture for we Angeleno’s. Like New Yorker’s, all Angelenos could ever want or need appears to be right here in LA proper. Or so we thought. The OC may have bid adieu to their captive TV audience, but many are still saying Hello to the fashion, food, beverage & laid back So Cal lifestyle that truly exists on the other side. We suggest, you take a walk on The OC side…
We too felt the pull of Orange County last week as we hit the 405’s carpool lane, hightailing it to Corona Del Mar, the sister city of Newport Beach, the posh spot in the OC. It was an Escalade full of fashionistas hailing from New York and LA. We were serious about our fashion and were told that Karizma Boutique the where the chic shopped. Really? We had to see for ourselves.
Karizma was celebrating it’s 4th anniversary in style. The shop was located on East Coast Highway, comparable to LA’s tony spot Robertson Boulevard, as the street was filled with chic shops, vintage stores, exchange shops and many yummy local restaurants and bars.
The four year-old store’s fashion forward array of clothing and hip accessories has won over the discerning folks at Lucky, People Magazine and Gillian Barberie’s "Style File" on Good Day L.A. Owner Shellie Morrisette Okon definitely makes the trip well worth your while. She has a flawless eye. We were quite impressed as her styles were contemporary, hip to the minute, yet not common. It and she were effortlessly chic.
Shellie notably champions the little guy, the new designer on the block all the while bowing to the fashion altars of yester year. Each piece was a truly inspired choice. Her designers are an interesting mix of the well-known, noted, tiptop and the up and comers like Mike & Chris, Marlova, Ingwa Merero, Geren Ford, The Princess Collection by Roberta Martinez, the very Hot in Hollywood trendsetters Gorjana, Hudson, Rock & Republic and the noted A-List fashion talent Rachel Pally, Nicole Miller, Anna Sui, 12th Street by Cynthia Vincent.
Shellie says, "We deliberately seek out those lines that are not what people see everyday, but will ultimately emerge as a definitive presence in fashion," continues Morissette Okon. "The first six months we were in business, we picked up Botkier handbags because we knew she would deliver the kinds of bags women were looking for-roomy, feminine and with the softest leathers. We knew she would continue to grow and get better. We also chose Rachel Pally before she really hit it big. She is a designer women from 18 to 60 can wear."
Shellie quietly presided over her anniversary party, enjoying her four years of fashion success and her strong presence in The OC. The store was filled with girls, girls, girls. The hot cast of the action reality series Destination X, including Celeste Thorson, Lauren Fray and Ashley Van Dyke were in attendance as were American teen soap veterans Alex and Addison Hoover, the identical twins formerly of The Bold and The Beautiful. Producer of Destination X Dallas Tanner said that they pull clothes from the store for the show, all the time. Many of his cast members have since made Karizma heir fashion spot of choice.
Shellie said, "Our clients range in age from local high school girls to their mothers and grandmothers, up to about 60. They like to be fashionable, but have their clothes wearable. They don’t want pieces to be so funky and fashion forward that they won’t be comfortable wearing it out into the street. They want to come in, buy a few dresses and be ready to go, whether it is dinner in Orange County, Los Angeles or even Las Vegas. When they want something special, our girls are ready to help them select the perfect item."
I can speak from experience that her staff was really hands on. They walked all the guests, each and every one, as if they were the only ones in the store, through the fashion process helping them find pieces that spot on and best suited for their particular style and size.
We were hard pressed to find any size Mediums or Larges in the store. We were told that they were busy in previous weeks with the holidays. Maybe the larger sizes were cleaned out with the holiday cookie crowd as I can safely say not every one in The OC is an S or XS. We ate at the Mexican Restaurant down the street and unlike LA, we were happy to see a full range of sizes and women in town.
Shellie assured us that many of their chosen designers are very generous in their sizing with their flowy styles, which is why she tends to lean towards the smaller sizes. Regardless, her jazzy staff said that they do special order any size, style or color as requested. They cater to the clientele as needed.
If you want to make a fashion statement in the New Year, check out Karizma online.
The online store is spot on! You can avoid the 405 and the noted Orange Curtain and still get the feel and the fashions of The OC and this fashion forward chic boutique.
Tell them LA’s The Place sent you. www.karizmaboutique.com
