RETAIL NEWS

Latin caterer extraordinaire Juanita Plana recently opened a culinary store and cooking school called Chef's Corner in the Village of Merrick Park in Coral Gables.  The shop by this grand dame of Miami catering features a Viking kitchen for cooking demonstrations and classes and a shop filled with gourmet foods, luxury tabletop accessories, unique kitchen tools, prepared foods and interesting gifts.  But the main draw is the cooking school, which will invite chefs, ranging from celebrity toques to the chef at a neighborhood hangout, to teach weekly classes. For more information, visit www.ChefsCornerCorp.com.

Carrying contemporary, ready-to-wear fashion apparel, and new and vintage accessories, the new hip.e boutique on Miracle Mile in Coral Gables offers unique brands, including Tracy Reese, Vera Wang Lavender Label, Chick and Nicholai by Nicky Hilton, Ted Baker, Paige Premium Denim, Vivienne Tam, Gold Hawk, Sworn Virgins, Bellekat, Bianca Nero, bread & butter, C & C California, Cynthia Steffe, Diabless, IRO, Julie Haus, Magaschoni, Matty M, Plan b, Poleci, Prairie, Sharon Segal, TAG Jeans and Walter.  The boutique has a relaxed atmosphere with a funky vibe, created by incorporating a myriad of design styles and design touches, like a loft area with private shopping and fitting rooms, and complimentary champagne and coffee for all shoppers. 

Mayfair in the Grove has added the following four new tenants: Cielo Supper Club and Garden featuring fusion cuisine of the Americas, is open for lunch and dinner daily with live Latin jazz-blues-salsa on weekends and the Grove’s most interesting happy hour every afternoon in the Atrium garden; Chandi Wine and Spirits, offers an interesting wine shop with a selection of unique artisan wines, as well as your favorite spirits and mixers; Maurizio Distefano Hair and More, an upscale salon is brought to you by internationally renowned hair designer Maurizio Distefano. The salons features the ultimate in hair and color design, holistic skin care, body treatments, massage, waxing and nail care; and the Center for Beautiful Skin is a magnificent spa that pampers your body and soul. Coming this fall--- a Grove Sports Bar restaurant concept located on Florida Avenue. For more information and links to the web sites of the above tenants, please visit www.mayfairinthegrove.net.

Samy Companies, the Miami based manufacturers of professional performance hair care products, recently opened its flagship salon, Samy Style Beauty Lounge Salon on Lincoln Road, in Miami’s ultra-chic South Beach. This is the first of many more salons for the company, and will serve as the blueprint for the rollout of this salon concept in many key fashion capitals of the world in the coming years. At more than 3,600-square-feet on two levels, the new Samy Style Beauty Lounge will be one of the largest full service beauty salons on Miami Beach. 

Sex &, a membership-only “sexy chic” emporium exclusively for women, opens its doors in July 2007 in the heart of South Beach.  Sex & offers a members-only policy through an approval system which helps maintain its elite clientele.  It features fingerprint technology to screen members when entering the lavish location, where “hedonism” is the only rule.  Sex & is open from noon to midnight, seven days a week so that shoppers’ desires can always be satiated.  Sex & is the first store to offer its “sexy chic” retail concept, introducing an entirely new way of shopping. The store will offer a collection of select lingerie, evening gowns, apparel, shoes and jewelry, with labels such as Sonia Rykiel, Fatina Lars, Ungaro, Jean Paul Gaultier, Brian Atwood, Christian Louboutin, Jacob & Co., Lolita Pompadour, Pierre Hardy Spoylt, Lala Rose and Love Sex Money, along with many other top names.  The store will also feature a complete line of high-end products such as massage creams and oils, fragrances, music and luxury gifts.  Additionally, the shop boasts a tea room, champagne bar, hair and makeup stations and a fashion runway which will have shows every hour.