ONES TO WATCH
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Exquisite cuts and attention to detail go into each piece; owner and designer Kristen d’Offay in her signature camel coat; the petite studio in the Presidio; Leanna Drammer handpicks all the styles, accessories, and art for her boutique LOU Los Olivos.
Dressing Up Tucked into the Presidio District is D’OFFAY, a boutique as beautiful as its surroundings. Designer Kristen d’Offay has created a backdrop that’s as transporting as her elegant capsule collections. Inside the pale pink walls, brass racks display silk dresses, skirts, and tops in striking solids and patterns that pay homage to Santa Barbara; the Montecito Collection, for example, has florals inspired by Lotusland. After years of traveling around cities from Chicago to Paris doing trunk shows, “I realized no one wanted to make an appointment anymore,” d’Offay says. “They want to come in and get dressed.”Along with her custom prints, d’Offay also sells stunning coats and jackets in cashmere and upcycled leather, along with sweaters and pants. Accessories include handmade jewelry and belts from France that “feel equestrian, which suits Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez.” As the designer dons one with a quick wrap and buckle, she takes a basic black outfit and elevates it into something extra. “I love dressing up,” she says, “even if I’m just going to Blenders!” 814 State St., Santa Barbara,
Style - Lou Los Olivos
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Leanna Drammer spent much of her career in the celebrity fashion world, creating red-carpet and runway events in Los Angeles and New York. “I had every job in fashion known to man,” she says, having produced shows for houses including Chanel, Ferragamo, Hermès, and Michael Kors. But the burnout became real, as did the pull to return to her native Santa Ynez Valley. “Last year I did 17 fashion shows in four days, and I told my husband, ‘I quit,’” Drammer says. With the Auberge resort opening up in Los Olivos, she acted fast and nabbed a prime retail spot to debut LOU LOS OLIVOS. “We have so much relaxed casual here, there was a need for elevated fashion,” she says. LOU is stocked with ba&sh, A.L.C., Le Superbe, and Louis Verdad, along with handbags, fragrance, and jewelry. It’s Drammer’s first boutique, and she hopes it’s her last. “I want to be here for the rest of my life,” she says. While she’ll still make quick trips to New York and Paris, she adds, “I want to be going to the shows, not producing them.” 2938 San Marcos Ave., Unit 103, Los Olivos, 805-693-2913, L O U L O S O L I V O S . C O M . J.B.K.
SARA PRINCE (D’OFFAY), DANIELLE HONEA (LOU LOS OLIVOS)
D O F FA Y C O L L E C T I O N . C O M . J.B.K.
Red Carpet Style