MALL CRAWL FOR 2: 140 NEW SHOPS TO RACE THROUGH.Byline: DIANA MCKEON CHARKALIS and SHARYN BETZ Staff Writers CANOGA PARK -- Grand opening. Nothing brings a gleam to a shopaholic's eyes like those two little words. With the unveiling Friday of nearly 140 new shops at the Westfield Topanga mall, our hunger for fresh merchandise was insatiable. But what were two time-strapped editors on deadline to do? We hit the mall for a fast-paced spree to see what we could see (and eat and purchase) in just 90 minutes. Here's what we found: 9:30 a.m., Preshop: After a quick VIP breakfast of vegetable strata and fresh berries, we headed off to the makeup tailgating Tailgating The action of a broker or advisor purchasing or selling a security for his or her client(s) and then immediately making the same transaction in his or her own account. party in a big white tent in the Nordstrom parking lot. There, representatives from all the major makeup lines ``demo'd'' new products. We chose MAC. The Bronze and Brazen lip color was a bit off-putting, but what really caught our eye were the MAC models -- two men and a woman fully made up and clad in gold stretch outfits looking so very ``Louis XIV meets Ziggy Stardust.'' ``We're the MAC makeup `visuals,''' explained a sparkly spark·ly adj. spark·li·er, spark·li·est 1. a. Giving off tiny flashes of light; glittery: a dress with sparkly sequins. b. Bradley Hughes. ``People keep asking us when we're going to perform,'' complained a bronzed Eric Wilcox. 9:55 a.m.: The line of shoppers waiting to get inside Nordstrom snakes around the building. ``We don't want anyone to get hurt,'' said a security guard, gently guiding an older woman out of the path of the eager throng. 10:01 a.m., Target: Nabbed a wide black cinch cinch a saddle girth on an American stock saddle. Tightens with a knot on a ring instead of with straps and buckles. belt for $17.99, to be paired with a houndstooth Houndstooth or houndstooth check is a duotone textile pattern, characterized by broken checks or abstract four-pointed shapes. Houndstooth checks originated in woven wool cloth of the Scottish Lowlands,[1] but are now used in many other materials. dress and tights. The new two-story store has no lines yet; salespeople stand on alert, ready to serve. The Christmas aisles are bright and full of merchandise. Other cute items: pleated knit skirts in black and plum, $22.99. 10:10 a.m., Melt: An appropriate name for a gelato ge·la·to n. pl. ge·la·ti An Italian ice cream or ice. [Italian, from past participle of gelare, to freeze; see gelatin.] kiosk near the food court. With all the heat from the crowd and the opening-day cameras, the gelato is melting away, but not before we grab a lick of Cookies and Cream Cookies and Cream (or Cookies 'n Cream) is a popular flavoring in foods, including ice creams, milkshakes, and confectionery. It is typically a flavor infused into desserts using crushed chocolate cookies sandwiching a cream filling. -- a little sugar rush to push us down the mall. 10:14 a.m., Coffee Bean coffee bean see sesbania. kiosk: Who can resist good, strong coffee samples to wash down the sweetness and send us on our way? Veteran shoppers need food and coffee to power them through their search. 10:16 a.m., Metro Park: New shop, one of 55 women's stores in the mall, offers music, clothes and books, a kind of mini-Urban Outfitters with an emphasis on skulls -- on T-shirts, jewelry, even a skull tie for $9. Energy drinks are sold in the back. Betsey Johnson jewelry in the display case. 10:20 a.m., Bebe Sport: Filled with black and red and pink spandex, first in the Valley. 10:23 a.m., Global Feet: Footwear for those on the go, one of 28 shoe stores booked in the mall. $94 Diesel sneakers sneakers Noun, pl US, Canad, Austral & NZ canvas shoes with rubber soles sneakers npl (US) → zapatos mpl de lona; zapatillas fpl for adults, $50 for kids and toddlers. 10:27 a.m., Zara: Deemed the cutest new store, this Spain-based chain is big on jackets, long and short. $149 for a black-and-silver glittery swing coat with big buttons. A welcome import. 10:35 a.m., Forth and Towne, New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of & Co., H&M: We pass storefronts for these highly anticipated stores but sadly their doors are closed. Scheduled to open later this month. 10:40 a.m., Lacoste: Easily wins for brightest new shop with its trademark crayon crayon, any drawing material available in stick form. The term includes charcoal, conte crayon, chalk, pastel, grease crayon, litho crayon, and children's wax colors. colors. 10:45 a.m., A/X Armani: Cute black-and-white polka-dot jacket. $160. 10:59 a.m., Carousel: After perusing all the stores in the new wing of the mall in less than 60 minutes (not a personal best, but close), our visit is capped with a ride on a snarling snarl 1 v. snarled, snarl·ing, snarls v.intr. 1. To growl viciously while baring the teeth. 2. To speak angrily or threateningly. v.tr. tiger on the two-story carousel. At $2 a pop, it's an affordable way to rest the feet and relax after a whirlwind shopping spree. diana.charkalis(at)dailynews.com (818) 713-3760 CAPTION(S): 6 photos Photo: (1 -- color) Apple employees at the new store high-five customers waiting to enter the location in the new section of the Westfield Topanga mall on Friday. More in BUSINESS. Tina Burch/Staff Photographer (2 -- 3) The new Lacoste store at Westfield Topanga mall, left. Diana Charkalis, right, rides the carousel at the refurbished, expanded mall. (4 -- 6) Above, MAC models pose at the makeover tent in front of Nordstrom at Westfield Topanga mall. Right, clothes from Spain at the Zara store in the redone re·done v. Past participle of redo. mall. Far right, a rack of purses in the Target store. Photos by Diana Charkalis and Sharyn Betz Daily News |
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