STYLE Buy the Beach “I LOVED MODELING, AND STILL LOVE IT, BUT I WANTED TO BUILD SOMETHING ON MY OWN.” —INA LETTMANN
Fine Import BY SCOURING THE WORLD’S MOST ECLECTIC INTERNATIONAL LOOKS FOR HER BOUTIQUE, VIOLET & GRACE, MODEL INA LETTMANN LETS CUSTOMERS SHOP LOCALLY BUT BUY GLOBALLY. BY RACHEL FELDER
Ina Lettmann has appeared in campaigns for Victoria’s Secret, Louis Vuitton, and Prada, but now the Germanborn model is quickly building a reputation for a different kind of fashion work. As owner of the newly opened Violet & Grace boutique at 1 Hotel & Homes South Beach, she’s bringing a polished collection of chic pieces by
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tastemaker designers— including Cushnie & Ochs, Aquazzura, and Cecilia de Bucourt—as well as her own creations to the South Beach shopping scene. “I’m trying to offer things that are sophisticated and of good quality,” says Lettmann. “If you want to get [something by] a well-known designer, you can get it here, but you can also get [a piece by] an
up-and-coming designer.” Ocean Drive caught up with Lettmann to discuss her boutique’s unique selection and to find out how modeling inspired her latest career turn. Why did you decide to open Violet & Grace? I was always interested in fashion. I would make jewelry for myself, or cut
T-shirts and do my own designs. I loved modeling, and still love it, but I wanted to leave something for the future—I wanted to do something creative and build something on my own. The first trial [run] was jewelry, when I opened the original Shore Club location five years ago, and now our concept store at 1 Hotel & Homes is where I carry my own fashion line along with pieces from many other designers. How has modeling helped with opening Violet & Grace? Even though I studied fashion design [and merchandising] in Paris and Germany, modeling helped me much more, because it taught me how to have an actual eye for style. How do you edit your
selections for the store? I curate by choosing things I really love, which is obviously more risky [than buying only what you think will please your customers]. But I buy what I like, and people [seem to] love it because it’s really different. 2341 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, 305-534-1500; violetandgrace.com OD
MY MIAMI
Ina Lettmann shares what she loves about our city. THE BUZZ ABOUT MIAMI:
“Miami has become more multicultural. There were times when I wanted to move back to Paris, but now there’s so much more to offer here, and the people are more interesting.” ON HER MIAMI CUSTOMERS: “There’s no age
limit: You can come to the store when you’re 15 and find something—we have great bikinis—and if you’re 60 or 70, we have beautiful jewelry, sunglasses, jeans, and shoes. We have about 20 designers, as well as my own line, Violet & Grace.”
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF INA LETTMANN (PORTRAIT), BRETT HUFZIGER (INTERIOR, PRODUCT)
Ina Lettmann. FROM TOP RIGHT: The interior of Violet & Grace; an example of some of the contemporary jewelry designs sold at the boutique.