Maverick Breaks Into the Scene

As I had mentioned, Maverick has relocated to Los Angeles for her graduate studies. Her classes just started and during the summer she hunted for part-time jobs to augment her allowance and to occupy her time. Because of the recession in the U.S. jobs have been scarce. She was hoping for a retail posting at Barnes and Noble or some other similar art or literature establishment (Maverick needs to smell art and literature at all times to in order to thrive) but had not been lucky. She passed around her resume and got a call from LA2DAY.com online magazine. Her first assignment was a write-up on the Tres Jolie boutique on Beverly Hills. In fact, she was in the thick of the interview with the owner when that recent earthquake rocked the Los Angeles area a few weeks ago. Basic utilities: power and phone lines, were cut as a safety measure and I was freaking out on this side of the globe because I couldn't get a hold of her for hours after having seen the news flash on CNN. Thankfully she was alright.

But how ominous, I thought. I joke about it still, as I always have. Maverick isn't the type of person to just quietly walk into a scene. There either has to be a brass band, a full-on Mardi Gras, or in this case, an earthquake to herald her arrival. So there, as a very proud parent, I present her first article, her official break into into the Los Angeles writing scene (I posted the text below). Please log on to LA2DAY.com to access the magazine or directly to http://www.la2day.com/fashion for the virtual article with photos.

Mabuhay, Maverick!!! You do us proud!



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Boutique: Tres Jolie
BY FRANCESCA AYALA FOR LA2DAY.COM 22 AUG 2008

As the Crew Cuts song goes, "Life could be a dream, sweetheart". And so it is for Tres Jolie boutique owner, Glenda Lugay.

Dreams of making a bold and bejeweled impact on the fashion world flitted through Lugay's twelve year-old head as she stacked handbags after school at her neighbor's shop in St. Martin. Since then, she's been working nonstop to fast-track those dreams into realities and now packs a resume laden with international exposure and employment under high-end brand names. The culmination of Lugay's endeavors now proudly stand on South Beverly Drive, right in the heart of Beverly Hills.



While Lugay may have named her store Tres Jolie ("very pretty" in French), the items she carries make it evident that this boutique does so much more than present consumers with pretty things of the cookie-cutter variety. The handbags and accessories that hang throughout wood and glass display cases - all built by Lugay and her father - call to those in search of stand-out pieces that can magically transform the ho-hum into the va-va-voom! A definite must-have on the top of the trendsetter's hotlist is Jivanna, Lugay's custom blend scent, which infuses tuberose, pikaki, jasmine and lilac.

The unusual and eclectic aesthetic of Tres Jolie has been on the radar of Hollywood's stylists and celebrities for some time now. Pieces from the store have made unforgettable cameos from the silver-screen (Remember Samantha's 18-carat diamond flower ring in Sex and the City?) to television (she's worked her magic on the past two seasons of American Idol).



But don't let Hollywood's passion for Tres Jolie scare you. "Tres Jolie is for every woman," says Lugay. "I wanted to create something that would be for everybody, every price point, every look... I wanted to have a price point for every woman that walked through the door and break that belief that if something isn't a designer brand, it isn't good. Fashion comes from all walks of life."

Additionally Tres Jolie supports several charities and works with several fundraisers, sometimes up to twelve a year. Past ventures have involved partnerships with the likes of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Downtown Women's Shelter, Young Musicians and the Gramercy Housing Group.

Tres Jolie breaks the high-brow, price-based stereotype affixed to Beverly Hills boutiques. It is, indeed, more than just your average store. It is Glenda Lugay's dream come true, a charitable business and a treasure trove of fabulous finds for just about every fashion fanatic. La vie c'est tres jolie!

And watch for LA2DAY's Fashion Make Over Contest for your chance to win Tres Jolie jewelry! It all starts September 1st!

THE MUST-BUY: Jivanna Perfume ($29 for 1/8 oz.; $56 for 1/3 oz.; $105 for 1 oz.)

THE DETAILS: Tres Jolie
181 S Beverly Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
1.310.860.1110
www.tresjolie.us

Story by Francesca Ayala.