HOT PICKS
Trend, 1673 Meridian Avenue, Miami Beach; 305-534-4755 or visit www.trend07.comWhat: Shell top and shorts by April May; $570Why: It's elegant, sexy, and versatile enough to wear out to dinner and then to a chic spot in South Beach.What: Yellow dress with black sash by April May, $435Why: A perfect prom dress and cute enough to wear to a daytime affair.What: Gladiator shoes by Barbara Bui; $770Why: It's the ''it'' shoe for the summer.''When something is really fashionable you say it's pointu in French, sort of like the way you say something is trendy in English,'' explains boutique owner Leslie Benitah from her South Beach shop. Aptly named Trend, the store strictly sells high-end French designers such as Vanessa Bruno and Elia Stone.
Benitah, 30, a former journalist, says she decided to open a boutique after leaving her television career in Paris to live in Miami with her husband. ''My two passions have always been being a journalist and fashion,'' Benitah says.
Today she focuses on selling shoes, accessories and clothing from her native country because those labels are her favorite and there was no place in Miami to buy them before.
''I'm a crazy shopper and when I first moved here a year and a half ago, I couldn't find any of the brands I like,'' she says. ``The French brands that I did find at Bal Harbour [Shops] were for an older crowd.''
Benitah says she carries clothing versatile enough for women of all ages, and her clients range in age from 18 to 60.
''Look at this top,'' Benitah says, pointing out a Barbara Bui blue-and-white striped tank and matching sweater. ``I sold this to a 30-year-old and Juliana [Marquez, the store manager] sold it to a 60-year-old.''
''It's really about how you wear an outfit,'' chimes in Marquez. ``We try on the clothes when they first get here and come up with different looks.''
Trend is nestled between a few other boutiques just off Lincoln Road. The 1,800-square-foot store has minimalist flair. Prices start at $60 for a T-shirt and go up to $6,000 for an evening dress. Shoes average about $700 and jewelry like a Paolo Pasotti necklace can cost $259. ''I buy all the merchandise and most of the clothes are my taste,'' Benitah says. ''I am still trying to adapt to Miami because they like color and fitted clothing down here,'' she adds, pointing to her emerald-hued dress. ``In France, it's different. We like natural colors like beige, brown, black, and our clothes don't have to be so fitted.''
Miami Beach resident Carolyn Baumel says she likes Trend because its clothing is elegant, pretty and well-made.
''The store has a warmth to it and yet it's sophisticated like a gallery,'' Baumel says.
Downtown resident Patrice Brea, 19, says she loves French labels like April May. ``I shop here five times a month and what I like about the store is that you can't find these brands everywhere.''
Benitah buys only a few pieces of each style to keep her customers feeling exclusive: ``I would hate for one of my clients to run into someone else wearing the same thing as them.''
