Two and a half years in the making, the new Balenciaga store on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles finally opened in mid-March. A collaboration between creative director Nicolas Ghesquière and the French artist Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, the 5,000-square-foot, two-floor space is a futuristic departure from the label's other boutiques in New York, Europe, and the Far East. Where the walls aren't mirrored or silver-leafed, they're lined with shutterlike floor-to-ceiling slats that regulate the amount of natural light that comes in through the windows. Elsewhere, LED fixtures cast a cool blue glow. And, in the ultimate example of space-age chic, transactions are conducted out of sight, at silver consoles off the sales floor.

All this sounds like the perfect setting for Ghesquière's sci-fi Fall collection, but in the meantime, the shop is abloom with the bold florals he designed for Spring. Early best sellers include Edition sunglasses, a giant gold city handbag, and gladiator sandals, both the flat and wedge versions. There's a waiting list for the season's woven leather runway boots. Two Fridays ago, the designer was in town to celebrate the opening with L.A. fixtures like Lisa Eisner, Brigette and Mark Romanek, China Chow, Nicole Richie, and Spike Jonze, as well as PPR CEO François-Henri Pinault and his fiancée, Salma Hayek. The actress and new mother clearly approved of the latest addition to the PPR fold, proclaiming, "This really is the most beautiful store in the world."