Déjà Vu Vintage Finery will celebrate its grand opening by hosting a fashion show on February 16, 2012 to kick off The Palm Springs Modernism Week. The theme is “Jet Set Style-Mid Century Fashion,” with looks inspired by early historic Palm Springs hotspots such as the Racquet Club, The Chi Chi Club and other haunts of Palm Springs illustrious star-studded past. The evening features a silent auction of vintage clothing, purses, and accessories .  A pop-up store at The Ace Hotel will make many of our fabulous designer fashions available throughout the weekend. Proceeds from the event will benefit The Palm Springs Preservation Foundation.

The event will take place at The Ace Hotel & Swim Club at 701 East Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs 2/16/2011 at 7:00PM.
Tickets are $20.00 and available for purchase on the website www.dejavuroom.com or by calling Déjà Vu Vintage Finery 760.699.5365

We never want a repeat of 2009 in Palm Springs, what felt like the depths of the Recession….  The good news, is that things are picking up in Palm Springs, as reported in The Desert Sun this past week.   The following are highlights of the article that shows Palm Springs is experiencing an economic recovery.

Palm Springs has experienced a surge in tourism; tax revenue from hotel stays up 17.7% from 2010 to 2011,  and new airline routes by Virgin America connecting the city with New York and San Francisco are expected to open up the link for visitors from the East Coast.    

Real Estate is also on an upswing in Palm Springs.   Housing prices are  up over 10% from 2009 to present, showing an ever increasing demand for Palm Springs Real Estate.  People are scouring the market for great deals on vacation homes, after a few years’ drought of buyers waiting for the economic climate to improve.  The Paul Kaplan Group experienced record sales in 2011, to become #1 in sales for the year in Palm Springs.  2012 is proving to be as robust with over 21 homes sold by the Paul Kaplan Group in January, as buyers flock to the desert to buy 2nd homes, and vacation homes.

The local Palm Springs economy is further boosted by the high season events:   International Film Festival(this year attracting the likes of Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and George Clooney). We’re gearing up in February, for the annual Modernism Week, celebrating the wondrous architecture of the desert with works by Albert Frey, A. Quincy Jones and William F. Cody.  Tickets for the events are mostly already sold out.   And in April there’s the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival,one of the biggest and most profitable outdoor concerts in the country. This year it extends over two weekends this year from April 13-22 and brings performances by Radiohead, Florence + the Machine and David Guetta.

“Bohemian spirits in search of eternal sunshine and a less hurried urban life have always been at the root of desert migration, and those dreaming of a different life fuel many of the city’s burgeoning businesses — quirky cantinas, mid-century antique shops, lively bars and restaurants,”  says Michael Martin.  The Saguaro Hotel is a vibrant new venue operated by the Joie de Vivre hotel chain, opening Feb. 1, promises to infuse life to the South Palm Canyon area with vibrant guest rooms and lively restaurant. 

Cheeky’s Restaurant has proven one of the city’s tastier success stories and become an eatery known for its creative healthy breakfasts and feel-good foodie lunches. Last year, the restaurant added a pizza eatery called Birba next door, and this year the company has expanded to include the Alcazar Hotel.  Alcazar Hotel sits just west of the city’s downtown stretch, on the edge of the Palm Springs design district amid stylish antique stores, clothiers and art galleries.  Lulu’s, opening this past year in downtown Palm Springs, is a hip trendy new restaurant that has become a popular hot spot for visitors and residents alike.  One of the hot spots in Palm Springs, with a booming successful business, is Trio, voted one of the  top restaurants in town.  They recently started a lunch service which has proven to be very popular.

The recent demolition of the decrepit Palm Springs Fashion Plaza in January, show signs that redevelopment is finally underway in the downtown core of Palm Springs. 

All good news for the recovery of Palm Springs…  Many people including myself,have commented that after a tough few years, it feels like we’re about to experience another Palm Springs Renaissance!  Bring it on!

To Read the full article, click the link below:

Palm Springs Is in Economic Bloom Again

From one of our agents at The Paul Kaplan Group in Palm Springs, Kris Rain:

 Meet Craig and Diane, our new homeowners in Racquet Club Estates, Palm Springs- this cool mid-century home built by the  Alexander Construction Company, is their first home purchase! They did their final walk thru today and brought their dog Winston who walked right in and sat in the pool. Welcome to Palm Springs!

Coachella Valley Water District is gearing up for its annual Landscape Workshop for Home Gardeners. The workshop will feature presentations by experts on converting lawn to desert landscaping, plant selection, efficient irrigation practices There are three different times that the workshop will be offered- November 18 at 8 am or at 1PM; or November 19 at 8am. The $20 registration fee includes a landscaping book, a 3-inch potted plant, and refreshments. For more information, visit www.cvwd.org

Midcentury Modern aficionados get ready! The untouched living room of design legends Ray and Charles Eames wil soon be available for public viewing at the Los Angeles County Museum as part of an upcoming exhibition- California Design, 1930-1965: “Living in a Modern Way.” The exhibition will showcase California’s role in shaping home and interior design in the US. The show will open October 1, and will be available through April. While the living room contents are on display, a complete renovation of the home will take place under the direction of the Eames family, the first renovation since the home’s construction in 1949. More information can be found at LACMA’s website: http://lacma.wordpress.com/

The Stephen Archdeacon Gallery in the Uptown District of Palm Springs will open a new show this evening, the art of Eric Nash. His show, “Palm Springs Noir” will be on display for a limited time.

Eric believes that art is for everyone. He is inspired by the landscapes, myths, moods and moments of Los Angeles and the new American West, as well as various icons and themes he has worked with since early childhood. The interplay of dark and light to create mood has been a constant.

Stephen Archdeacon Gallery
865 N. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92262
760-673-7520

Palm Springs is very excited to be so much more accessible to New Yorkers (who are not known for having the nicest Winters of late)!   Virgin Airlines will now be offering service to Palm Springs from New York with a single stop in San Francisco with same-plane-links. This new route will begin December 15.

Derek Lam, San-Francisco based fashion designer, showed his line at new York’s fashion week- and interestingly enough listed Palm Springs as his inspiration for the line!  He specifically listed the Kaufman house, designed by Richard Neutra as an influence in the program’s notes.  We’re glad that our great city was such an inspiration for a talented designer.

This Saturday, September 17 from 6-9PM, there will be a special night of shopping in the Uptown Design District!  Hope to see you there!

To celebrate the Documentation and Conservation of Buildings, Sites and Neighborhoods of the Modern Movement’s (do.co,mo.mo) National Tour Day on October 8 and 9, 2011, PALM SPRINGS MODERNISM WEEK is pleased to offer its most popular event, the Modernism Double Decker Bus Architectural Tour, a fun, open-air, double decker bus tour of Palm Springs’ notable mid-century modern architecture.

The tour is conducted by a guide who is knowledgeable about the local renowned modernist architects and their striking architecture, as well as Palm Springs’ fascinating 90-year history as a glamorous destination and celebrity outpost. The three-hour bus tour focuses on the exteriors of dozens of residential homes and commercial mid-century modern buildings throughout Palm Springs. Participants will learn the history of Palm Springs’ architecture and the celebrated architects that put modernism on the map. As ground zero for mid-century modern architecture, and with the world’s largest concentration of mid-century modern architecture, participants will see why Palm Springs draws modernism aficionados from around the world.

As a bonus, participants will receive free admission to the architecturally-significant Palm Springs Art Museum, designed by the late modernist architect E. Stewart Williams, a 10% discount from the Museum’s gift shop, a complimentary booklet on Class 1 Historic Sites of Palm Springs produced by the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation, and a tour map of modern architecture in Palm Springs from the Palm Springs Modern Committee.
$75

For more tickets, go to: http://www.ticketderby.com/vendor/modernism-week-id-1809