One perfect day in the city of Angels

by marlies|dekkers

I just love being an LA woman. There’s nothing like starting the day with a hike in the Hollywood Hills, followed by a green tea espresso, some vintage Gucci-hunting on Melrose, a dip in the ocean and a hot date at the Chateau Marmont. This is the place where I can go from being a fitgirl to a fashionista to a beach goddess to whatever the hell I want!

All within just 24 hours…

6.00 am

I like to work out first thing in the morning. What better to do in LA than try the latest over-the-top fitness craze, like ‘hot barre’ (a barre-based work out in a heated room) or ‘acqua cycling’ (soulcycle with a splash)? Actually, even just a run along the palm tree lined boulevards of Beverly Hills is a real treat for me.

9:00 am

Tea time! I’m not a coffee drinker, so I like to give my day a boost with a ‘green tea espresso’ (made with organic matcha) and a delicious berry bowl at Urth Caffé on Melrose Avenue. This is where celebrity hipsters have their breakfast meetings, making the patio an excellent spot for people watching.

Urth Caffé: 8565 Melrose Avenue

11.00 am

Still buzzing from the matcha, I hit Melrose for a spot of vintage shopping at two of my favorite consignment stores: Wasteland and Decades. Since the Nineties I’ve been scoring the coolest stuff here, like a stunning Vivienne Westwood corset I still wear. Vivienne herself actually shops at Wasteland for inspiration, as do tons of other designers, like Marc Jacobs and Miuccia Prada. At Decades, the paparazzi often lay in waiting, so make sure you’re wearing sunglasses when leaving the boutique. Fabulous vintage ones, of course!

Wasteland: 7428 Melrose Avenue

Decades: 8214 Melrose Ave

1:00 pm

I have a hot date! Model and beach babe Holly Byrd Harrell is going to show me LA’s most stunning beach: El Matador. This is where Madonna danced in her Cherish music video, so I’m bringing some of my designs for an impromptu photoshoot. But first we grab some fish- and shrimp tacos with pineapple slaw at Neptune’s Net, a tiny shack-like eatery on the Pacific Coast Highway with a groovy clientele (a mix of bikers, cute surf boys and celebs like Cameron Diaz).

Photography: @anoukmorgan

Hair & make up: @claytonleslie

Styling: @kimkeizer

3:00 pm

With its sparkling blue waters, scattered boulders and awesome sea caves, El Matador Beach is the perfect backdrop for our ‘LA woman’ photoshoot. So we click away but at the golden hour, when the setting sun lights up the beach with a golden hue, I can’t hold back any longer. I strip down to my Holi Vintage bathing suit and jump in the sea myself!

Neptune’s Net: 42505 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu

El Matador Beach: 32350 EL Matador Beach Rd, Malibu

8:00 pm

For some old-school Hollywood glamour, we end the day with dinner (truffle steak tartare) and drinks (a ‘Little Edie’ with Earl Grey-infused vodka) at the the legendary Chateau Marmont.

This gloriously gothic hotel above the Sunset Strip is both very rock ‘n roll –Led Zeppelin once drove their Harley Davidsons into the hotel lobby- and serene, with its lucious vegetation and secret corners. In other words: very LA. But this is where I leave you. Because what happens at the Chateau..

Chateau Marmont: 8221 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood

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