U.S. debut for a globe-trotter
After setting up global boutiques in the South Kensington area in London and in the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Bangkok, Marie France Van Damme made her U.S. debut earlier this month with a store — her ninth — at the Peninsula hotel in Beverly Hills.
“Everything I make is for the Los Angeles lifestyle,” said Van Damme, who lives in Hong Kong, where she has two stores. “The big houses, pools, people always entertaining, the warm weather. It’s the perfect choice.”
The 460-square-foot space carries a selection from Van Damme’s various categories: resort wear, pieces for day and night and sophisticated travel separates. In addition to her boutiques, her collection sells online and at retailers including Bergdorf Goodman, Harrods and Le Bon Marché. The brand started in 2011 offering resort selections and swimwear, then expanded into dresses for day and night.
Her aesthetic, she said, has always been “flowing, easy-to-wear dresses in lightweight silk you throw on for day, and then put on your heels and you’re set for dinner. It’s a whole wardrobe that is easy to travel with.”
Other top sellers include elongated cardigans and her “Boubou” dresses — think high-glam caftans perfect for at-home entertaining or a swanky dinner party. Selections from the collection range from $365 to $1,800. Marie France Van Damme, 9882 S. Santa Monica Blvd.,
Beverly Hills, www.mariefrancevandamme.com