Being an Angeleno now for almost 10 years, I feel quite at home here in LA. Before I landed on LA as my home base, NY was the place I wanted to move to. Then I visited LA, and more and more it grew on me to the point that I made it my home. I felt it was close enough to NY that if I had to go there easily I could and a good spot to travel to Australia from to visit relatives as well. LA to me is a special place for a number of reasons. Creatively I feel I can be free here. The environment I find conducive to creativity. I am inspired by the mountains to the East and the ocean to the West. The weather in Southern California is also, I feel, the best in the world. From Malibu to Beverly Hills to Downtown Los Angeles. From the palm trees to the smog. I embrace it all. The only downside can be the traffic at times though.
LA is the center of so many things - fashion, sports and entertainment - and a melting pot of creativity and aesthetics. It also has some amazing clothing manufacturing that you don’t find in a lot of places, and for me, that is huge. I source a lot of our fabric right here in LA and manufacture the bulk of our product here too. The only exception being footwear which we make currently in Portugal. So LA ticks a lot of boxes on many different levels, and it’s laid back active nature made it a perfect fit for our luxury sportswear aesthetic.
Westfield Century City - Kind of a random one for sure, but growing up in Australia, Westfield was somewhere I would spend a lot of time. Century City has my favorite movie theater, good food and good shopping.
Griffith Park hike - Runyon Canyon may be the go-to for a lot of people, but for me I like the less crowded run up the mountain that Griffith Park offers. When I first visited LA back in 2008, I stayed with some friends right at the foot of Griffith Park in Los Feliz and have, ever since, had it as my spot to escape the city for a quick 30 mins up and down.
Terrenea (Rancho Palos Verdes) - Although I haven’t been since the pandemic hit, one of my favorite things to do is go to the spa at Terrenea Resort. For special occasions, a great place to unwind. Even the drive along the Palos Verdes cliffs is quite relaxing and feels like you're worlds away from the hustle of downtown Los Angeles, while only being 45 mins away.
Call me bias, but I think LA has some of the best food. These places are my go-to’s in LA:
Shin Sen Gumi - A hole-in-the-wall, authentic Japanese restaurant in the Torrance area. I could eat here 2-3 times a week and sometimes do. The best yakitori in town.
EP & LP - Before the pandemic, this would be our spot for Asian fusion. The owners are Australian, and with things easing here in LA, they have recently re-opened their dining room. They've changed their menu and chef, and I am looking forward to trying the new cuisine this coming week.
Mastros - Whether it’s the Beverly Hills location or the Malibu location, this place is amazing. I usually go for the sauteed shrimp, rack of lamb and the butter cake. Quite an experience.
Matsuhisha - The original Nobu. You will even find Nobu himself there quite frequently. Some of the best sushi in LA, in my opinion. My usual is the yellowtail jalapeno.
Coffee - I come from Australia where we are known for our amazing coffee and café scene. The funny thing is, though, I only really got into coffee when I moved to LA. Over the past ten years I have seen the coffee scene grow here, and there are some amazing choices. My go-to drink is a cortado, and I like a place that has a good protein option when it comes to food. Two of my favorites are Blue Bottle and Go Get Em Tiger. Also of note is Intelligentsia and La Colombe, so we are definitely spoiled for choice here.
Daniel Patrick Melrose - How could I not mention our Melrose flagship store. So much thought went into the creation of this store, and I feel it represents the brand as a space. Minimal, yet cozy.
