newstoreblock – South Coast Plaza https://www.southcoastplaza.com Mon, 07 Feb 2022 17:42:03 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.1.1 Q & A: Laurent Vrignaud On His Paris-Inspired Cafe, Moulin https://www.southcoastplaza.com/stories/2021/11/q-a-laurent-vrignaud-on-his-paris-inspired-cafe-moulin/ Mon, 15 Nov 2021 16:59:00 +0000 https://www.southcoastplaza.com/?p=64376

Q&A: LAURENT VRIGNAUD ON HIS PARIS-INSPIRED CAFE, MOULIN

The new outdoor eatery offers pastries, crepes, champagne and more

With its cheery red umbrellas, cafe tables and chairs, the new MOULIN at South Coast Plaza’s Garden Terrace aims to give you a taste of Paris. Imagine plates of croissants, pain au chocolat, and other beloved treats baked daily by a cadre of French patissiers. Picture those all-time Parisian favorites – fresh sweet or savory crepes – made to order. Now savor them with cafe au lait or Champagne, sit back and watch the people walk by. Authenticity is at the core of MOULIN, according to owner Laurent Vrignaud, from the furniture to the food and drinks.

We spoke recently with Vrignaud about his coming to California and why he brought MOULIN to South Coast Plaza.

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We’ve filled the terrace with big red umbrellas and the famous chairs and tables by Maison Gatti and Tolix. It will be the next closest thing you can get to Paris in Orange County without boarding an airplane.

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LAURENT VRIGNAUD ON HIS NEW MOULIN LOCATION AT SOUTH COAST PLAZA

Here are highlights from our conversation with Vrignaud:

You’ve created MOULIN inspired by wonderful memories of your Parisian childhood. What is your go-to café when you visit the City of Light and what do you order?

I enjoy visiting Le Musset, a classic Parisian café located a block from the Louvre on a great corner with a big outdoor terrace. I always order le Salade Nicoise and glass of rosé – the same thing I enjoy at MOULIN.

At 18, you left to pursue the California dream. Why?

My father got a job in the Bay Area and I joined him because it was my dream to become a surfer. Thirty-eight years later, I’m still surfing and living the California dream!

Laurent Vrignaud

What was your role in the action sports industry and why did you decide to make a change?

In order to keep surfing as a teenager, I started wholesaling surfing equipment to surf shops up and down the coast of California. In the winters, I started wholesaling snowboard equipment. Eventually, I grew that into the biggest independent action sports sales agency in the country, but in all those years, I could rarely find an authentic French café that reminded me of those from my childhood in Paris. Eight years ago, I was ready for a new challenge so I decided to create MOULIN.

Why did you settle in OC?

Orange County is the mecca of the action sports industry so it made sense for my former business to be headquartered here. We were raising our family and our daughter was attending OCSA (Orange County School of the Arts) so it made sense to open MOULIN here.

What appealed to you about opening at South Coast Plaza?

I would like to see more international growth from our brand. From the brand selection and retail presentation, South Coast Plaza delivers a world-class experience. So when Anton Segerstrom invites you to join them and the other renowned French brands, it is an offer you don’t refuse and it validates what we are doing at MOULIN.

What attracted you to the outdoor site on Garden Terrace?

Just like classic Parisian cafés, MOULIN is all about the outdoor patio experience so the Garden Terrace location is a no-brainer for us. We’ve filled the terrace with big red umbrellas and the famous chairs and tables by Maison Gatti and Tolix. It will be the next closest thing you can get to Paris in Orange County without boarding an airplane.

You’re going to have breakfast, lunch and then make a late afternoon stop at MOULIN at South Coast Plaza. What will you order for each?

Breakfast is always a double espresso with pain au chocolat, my favorite lunch is le Salade Niçoise and glass of rosé, and for a late afternoon visit, nothing beats chatting with a couple of friends on the patio with a Paris-Brest pastry and a glass of Laurent-Perrier Champagne.

We hear you have a special MOULIN creation exclusively for South Coast Plaza. We love exclusives!  Tell us about it.

To celebrate our newest location, we are introducing a new pastry that can only be found at MOULIN at South Coast Plaza. It is the Earl Grey & Fig tart – trés magnifique!

Do you have a signature item?

Our signature item would have to be our jambon fromage (ham and cheese) sandwich. We make our ham in-house Parisian style and serve it on a fresh-baked baguette with Emmenthal cheese. Our saucisson cornichon sandwich is a close second.

What are MOULIN’s top three sellers?

Our top seller is the jambon fromage sandwich followed by our almond croissant. The chocolate éclair is our top-selling pastry.

What Champagnes will you have at MOULIN at South Coast Plaza and what do you recommend as a pairing?

We have a partnership with Laurent-Perrier, one of the most acclaimed Champagne brands in the world. Guests at MOULIN at South Coast Plaza can enjoy it in the split size, half bottle or full bottle. A perfect pairing is Champagne and our freshly-made strawberry or lemon crêpe.

For the holidays, will you have any special seasonal desserts?

Oui! In early December we start taking pre-orders of our famous Bûche de Noël, (yule log). This year’s bûches will be available in two sizes and three flavors. Last year, we sold out with people driving from LA and San Diego to get them. We can’t wait to introduce our SCP visitors to our Bûche de Noël.

MOULIN

OPEN NOW

LEVEL 1, GARDEN TERRACE

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]]> Visit the New Canada Goose Boutique https://www.southcoastplaza.com/stories/2021/10/visit-the-new-canada-goose-boutique/ Fri, 29 Oct 2021 04:41:52 +0000 https://www.southcoastplaza.com/?p=63513

VISIT THE NEW CANADA GOOSE BOUTIQUE

Experience the Snow Room at this Exclusive West Coast Store

Canada Goose has brought its Canadian heritage to the West Coast with quintessential products that embody style and the technical features needed for all types of outdoors adventures, curated especially for the California lifestyle.

Without a doubt, the most exciting feature of the boutique is the iconic Snow Room, the next generation of the brand’s award-winning Cold Room – available in the U.S. for the first time – giving guests the opportunity to explore Canada Goose’s extensive collection of products in sub-zero temperatures and snow, of course. The new store also brings to life its purpose platform, HUMANATURE, through exquisite artwork, store design and curated assortment.

This location carries the brand’s highly sought-after collaborations and special collections, including Canada Goose’s collection with Polar Bears International, consisting of men’s, women’s and children’s lightweight down jackets, parkas, rainwear and accessories. With every purchase, Canada Goose donates a portion of the proceeds to PBI, to aid in environmental research and polar bear advocacy. 

Romeo Beckham in Canada Goose

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Known around the world as a performance luxury essential, Canada Goose can be seen on city streets, mountain peaks and film sets, alike. 

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THE SNOW ROOM EXPERIENCE

For locals who want to feel the Arctic, the store’s Snow Room simulates a daily snowstorm with temperatures reaching as low as -10°F. This innovative experience replicates various weather conditions, an invitation to put Canada Goose products to the ultimate test in performance. The Snow Room’s environment is inspired by the climate of Churchill, Manitoba, best known as the Polar Bear capital of the world, and home to longstanding Canada Goose partner, Polar Bears International (PBI), the non-profit organization dedicated to advocacy and the worldwide conservation of polar bears and their habitats. 

Canada Goose x ANGEL CHEN

Known around the world as a performance luxury essential, Canada Goose can be seen on city streets, mountain peaks and film sets alike. The brand’s lightweight down jackets are made for every day, perfect for chasing sunsets in Malibu and hiking in the redwoods. Stars such as Daniel Radcliffe, Elizabeth Olsen, Daniel Craig and Emma Stone have been spotted bundled up in the brand’s recognizable padded jackets with the signature round logo on the upper sleeve.

Cypress Collection

The newest line of lightweight down jackets, puffers and vests, called the Cypress and Crofton collections, are made with the brand’s Recycled Feather-Light Ripstop Fabric, which is 100% Recycled Nylon and includes a water-repellent finish. The HyBridge® collection provides lightweight warmth that is designed to move with you, perfect for active use, layering and on-the-go adventures. Packable and portable, these styles are also the perfect travel companion.

The selection of knit sweaters, hoodies and zip-ups, made with merino wool and organic cotton, are fit for a casual, laid back look. Thermal Mapping technology is incorporated in the knit styles to maximize warmth and breathability with strategically placed down-filled panels and a more open knit construction in areas that are prone to overheating.

Cypress Collection

INTRODUCING THE FOOTWEAR COLLECTION

Beginning Nov. 12, Canada Goose’s brand-new footwear collection will be available in store. The collection complements and completes the Canada Goose coats and jackets. The collection features two styles: the Snow Mantra Boots and Journey Boots. The Snow Mantra Boots are born from the brand’s Snow Mantra Parka, renowned as the warmest coat on Earth and designed with functional intention. The Journey Boots are expertly crafted in Italy and built for the demands of the everyday. Designed with an iconic squared off-toe, The Journey was inspired by classic hiker boots worn in the Alps.

A COMMITMENT TO THE CAUSE

Canada Goose’s HUMANATURE platform is the driving force of its purpose to keep the planet cold and the people on it warm. HUMANATURE unites the brand’s sustainability and values-based initiatives, including its Sustainable Impact Strategy, philanthropic work and dedication to culture through the arts. 

HUMANATURE is brought to life in the South Coast Plaza boutique through the Northern Art Program, which celebrates Northern Canadian artists. Guests will be treated to an entrancing animation of beautiful scenes that rise and fall with the introduction of new environments. Additional illustrations and sculptures by Inuit artisans are showcased throughout the store, all embodying the symbiotic relationship between people and the planet.

Canada Goose

LEVEL 1, CAROUSEL COURT
312.767.0544

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]]> Visit the Newly Opened Audemars Piguet https://www.southcoastplaza.com/stories/2021/10/visit-the-newly-opened-audemars-piguet/ Wed, 13 Oct 2021 06:26:56 +0000 https://www.southcoastplaza.com/?p=62061

VISIT THE NEWLY OPENED AUDEMARS PIGUET

The boutique offers the newest Royal Oak watches and other coveted timepieces

Renowned Swiss fine timepiece manufacturer Audemars Piguet has debuted its South Coast Plaza boutique, an Orange County exclusive. Inspired by the brand’s home in the Swiss Jura Mountains, the 1,200 sq.-ft. boutique has an understated and handsome contemporary aesthetic accented by curated sculptures and a dramatic photograph of alpine trees rising above rolling fog.

Among the men’s and women’s timepieces on display are the new Royal Oak Offshore models and the latest women’s novelties such as the Royal Oak Frosted Gold Selfwinding in 34mm, available for the first time with a light blue tapisserie dial.

The origins of Audemars Piguet date back to the 1800s, when Jules Louis Audemars (1851–1918) and Edward Auguste Piguet (1853–1919), two young and ambitious watchmakers, established their workshop in 1875 in their home village of Le Brassus. Believing in the power of the Vallée de Joux’s network of artisanship and following their firm convictions, they set on crafting unique complicated mechanisms by hand at a time when serial production was looming with the rise of industrialization.

Refined chiming, chronograph and astronomical watches, assembled and finished by hand, have remained the beating heart of Audemars Piguet ever since.

Among the watches in the Swiss maison’s history, the Royal Oak remains the most iconic. Designed by Gérald Genta and introduced in 1972, the Royal Oak was unexpected, with its large 39 mm tonneau-shaped case, octagonal bezel with eight exposed hexagonal screws, engine-turned “Tapisserie” dial, faceted bracelet and body of hand-finished steel. This watch broke the mold of design codes at a time when most dress watches for men were round, smaller in size, classic in design and made of precious metals. Genta’s idea was to protect the world’s thinnest self-winding movement with tough armor: stainless steel. An unconventional material in haute horlogerie then and much harder to work with than gold, steel was elevated for the first time to the same status as gold.

THE ROYAL OAK WOMENS NOVELTIES

ROYAL OAK OFFSHORE SELF-WINDING CHRONOGRAPH 42MM PETITE

ROYAL OAK OFFSHORE SELF-WINDING CHRONOGRAPH 42MM MEGA

ROYAL OAK OFFSHORE SELF-WINDING CHRONOGRAPH 43 MM

The Royal Oak has since grown to become a series prized by horological connoisseurs, along with other notable timepieces in the Audemars Piguet collection, including the Millenary and the Jules Audemars Grande Complication. As for Audemars Piguet, the company has become one of the world’s most esteemed Swiss timepiece maisons, while remaining independent, family-owned and still rooted where it all began – in Le Brassus.

Audemars Piguet

LEVEL 2, NORDSTROM WING
949.265.7832

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]]> Baccarat has Opened an Expansive and Interactive Boutique https://www.southcoastplaza.com/stories/2021/10/baccarat-has-opened-an-expansive-and-interactive-boutique-2/ Tue, 12 Oct 2021 17:02:53 +0000 https://www.southcoastplaza.com/?p=62097

BACCARAT HAS OPENED AN EXPANSIVE AND INTERACTIVE BOUTIQUE

Baccarat, the French luxury leader in high-end, exclusive crystal products since 1764, has opened an innovative, interactive boutique.

Baccarat, the French luxury leader in high-end, exclusive crystal products since 1764, has opened an innovative, interactive boutique in The Penthouse on level 3 at South Coast Plaza. The expanded boutique is modern and minimalist, yet sophisticated and inspired by timeless elements of the Philippe Starck concept. The design is clean but warm with a neutral palette and organic highlights of white concrete, white oak, matte black steel, vintage leather, clear acrylic and crystal. 

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The boutique opened with the theme of “The Color of Love,” which focuses on beautiful colored crystal found in dramatic window displays.

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“CRYSTAL CLEAR” BY VIRGIL ABLOH

The new Virgil Abloh “Crystal Clear” vases complement the earlier Virgil Abloh glassware collaboration. South Coast Plaza is the only boutique in North America to receive all four of the contemporary vases.

Baccarat debuted integrated digital elements with curated content presenting the latest brand campaign videos. An interactive space enables you to customize your lighting.

In the fall, Baccarat celebrated the 180th anniversary of the Harcourt, the most iconic and oldest collection in Baccarat’s vast portfolio. A collaboration with Martha Stewart on a collection appropriately called “Martha” was released in October —  the only pattern in 257 years to be named after a person. 

Baccarat Zénith Flou chandelier by Philippe Starck, photographed in a Parisian home

Baccarat

LEVEL 1, THE PENTHOUSE
714.435.9600

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