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.

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