Haute 5 Places to Shop in South Florida: A Fashion Enthusiast’s Opulent Enchantment

Worth Avenue
For everyone from celebrities to heads of state, from literary and artistic icons to business moguls, the allure of Palm Island has always been irresistible, known all over the world as a place synonymous with “The Good Life.” The shops that line Worth Avenue is just that, a taste of the good life, with the hottest stores, like Chanel, Michael Kors, and Tiffany & Co, the shops of Worth Avenue are certainly a nice, tall drink of the good life.

For more than 100 years, Worth Avenue has attracted royalty, celebrities, politicians, and anyone enchanted by fashion. If the shops on Worth Avenue could talk, they’d tell stories of romance, intrigue, and opulence.

Worth Avenue Shops are located in Palm Beach, Florida. For more information, call (561) 659-6909.

Lincoln Road

Celebrating it’s 50th anniversary, South Beach’s famous Lincoln Road Mall located between Lenox Avenue and Washington Avenue, is a thriving shopping and dining hot spot for residents and tourists. Its unique stores offer items not found in regular malls, filled with specialty and only several international luxury labels. Its restaurants and cafés have been spotlighted in several commercials, movies, and reality shows like Miami Social, with its indoor and outdoor tables very similar to those in L.A. At Lincoln Road, there is always a hookah bar, theatre, store, or restaurant filled with stunningly attractive men and women in a large abundance that you can’t really find anywhere else in the city.

Lincoln Road is located between Lenox Ave. and Washington Ave. in South Beach, Miami.

Bal Harbour Shops
Perhaps one of Miami’s most elegant shopping malls, Bal Harbour Shops is famous for its gardens and beautifully decorated stores and boutiques. Brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Lacoste, and Diane Von Furstenburg will make you run out of the door for that always necessary retail therapy session. We can assure you that this elegant oasis-like mall with stores like Cesare Paciotti are definitely worth your while. “This holiday season Cesare Paciotti shoppers are drawn to interesting detailing, bold statement pieces and colors, and versatile looks that can make an outfit pop, either day or night,” says Cesare Paciotti’s store manager, Scott Handler. “Must-haves include double platform electric blue stilettos (a favorite of Beyonce!) and silver tweed studded rocker bootie (loved by Blake Lively). Unique printed leather lace-ups (Justin Timberlake is a fan) and tan loafers are a big hit for any man looking for classic styles with a sharp twist that add edge and style.”

While you’re at Bal Harbour Shops, also take a stroll through the Diane Von Furstenburg boutique, now offering exciting holiday gift items, including the new “Estella” Small Leather Goods collection for Resort 2010.

Bal Harbour Shops is located at 9700 Collins Ave. in Bal Harbour, Florida.

Village of Merrick Park
The Village of Merrick Park is a Miami favorite shopping destination. Much like Bal Harbour, their mall includes some of the best high-end stores like Gucci, Jimmy Choo, Carolina Herrera, Neiman Marcus, Diane Von Furstenberg, and Donald J. Pliner, just to name a few. Since we’re right on time for the holidays, it would be a good idea to pay the Village a visit. Once you’re there, pop on in to the Carlos Miele store. “The Carlos Miele shopper at Merrick Park looks for clothes that are sophisticated and edgy at the same time. One sleeve dresses are a big hit for anyone looking for edgy, trendy styles,” explains Carlos Miele Owner and General Manager Alex Berger. “Chiffon layered dresses are very sophisticated, and the royal blue color is one of the big colors not only for this season but for the next season as well, and it looks good on any skin tone.”

Also, don’t forget go on over to Blumarine. “For the Fall/Winter 2009 collection, Blumarine at Village of Merrick Park is alive in an elegant palette of rich colors that bring a brilliant, unique, yet exquisite femininity to our customer’s wardrobes,” says Blumarine Store Manager, Handry M. Velasco.

Village of Merrick Park is located at 4425 Ponce De Leon Blvd. in Miami, Florida.


Miami’s Design District
Although it’s a limited edition experience, pop-stores opened all over Miami’s Design District just in time for Art Basel to showcase designers’ fashions in the most artistic ways possible, and to entice Miami’s crowd to take shopping to the next level. For example, The Gucci Icon-Temporary store located at 180 NE 40th St. offers limited edition sneakers, a few of which were designed by record producer Mark Ronson. Each pair of shoes comes with silver or gold dog tags, your initials laser-etched on a lace tag, and a 12-inch vinyl with exclusive Ronson tracks. Also, be sure to cross the street to Christian Louboutin‘s pop up store filled with every lady’s favorite red-soled pumps. “We were trying to capture the very moment of a woman falling in love with Christian’s shoes,” says store designer Eric Clough, who’s designed several of Louboutin’s other stores. And when Louboutin himself was asked how the recession affected his luxury brand shoe business he replied, “you still need to walk.”