BEST LUXURY SHOPPING
The Design District is growing at breakneck pace, yet instead of selling out, it keeps selling up. This year ushers in a number of retail, culinary, architecture and public programming high points, starting with the debut of four Joël Robuchon dining concepts and Museum Garage, a seven-story structure with ground-floor retail and space for 800 vehicles. Now that Creed, Gucci, Joseph, Oliver Peoples and Rag & Bone have opened, Balenciaga, Dolce & Gabbana and the first U.S. boutique from Ralph & Russo are prepping for unveilings. These days, shoppers have even more reason to linger thanks to Paradise Plaza, a new multi-level urban park and retail space anchored by iconic architecture. Call it artistic shopping.
BEST CUSTOM EYEWEAR
Even after 30 years of ensuring his bespectacled followers flaunt the most fashionable eyewear available, Edward Beiner shows no signs of slowing down. Instead, the guru of glasses is determined to focus more on his customers than ever. In addition to partnerships that allow his clients to custom order eyewear from various designers, he now offers Ottica Su Misura, an exclusive traveling eyewear trunk show that invites clients to become designers and customize every detail of their specs (by appointment and ranging in price from $450 to $800). The frames are sent to an atelier in Italy, where skilled artisans handcraft each of the one-of-a-kind designs. For his clientele, Beiner explains, “there is a sense of prestige and uniqueness.” In other words: a clearly out-of-sight experience. Various locations throughout South Florida
BEST NAIL ARTISANS
Vanity Projects delivers the ultimate Miami mani/pedi experience, so it was no surprise that after two years in Little River, founder Rita de Alencar Pinto recently nailed down a new location in the Design District’s Paradise Plaza. Not only are clients provided entertainment via ever-changing contemporary video art on the walls, but the high-end nail art atelier also provides equally awe-inspiring creations for each and every finger or toe. Only the finest nail lacquers from brands like Dior, Smith & Cult, Floss Gloss, NARS and JINsoon are offered, and only the best nail artists do the applications. Some of them are even part of an international artist-in-residency program, so asking for an autograph—though it might be ever-so-tiny—is encouraged. 151 NE 41st St., Suite 221, Miami, 786.292.3442
Photography Courtesy Of: