Guests at LEGENDS of La Cienega's Hearst Cocktail Party.

In the 1950s, Los Angeles saw a major population boom, beckoning Americans from across the country to its sun-kissed beaches and sleek, modern homes. The city, which played a pivotal role in the mid-century design movement, quickly developed a reputation as the most stylish and innovative hot spot on the West Coast.

As Los Angeles emerged as a design haven, it was only natural that a bustling design quarter develop along with it. Brimming with shops, galleries, and showrooms, the area, now known as the La Cienega Design Quarter, was frequented by the most influential tastemakers of the twentieth century, including Elsie de Wolfe, Tony Duquette, and Michael Taylor. Today, the La Cienega Design Quarter—a verdant thoroughfare spanning La Cienega Boulevard and Melrose Avenue—remains one of the country’s top destinations for interior designers and discerning shoppers thanks to its wide range of high-end offerings, including one-of-a-kind antiques and contemporary design.

A keynote panel featuring Jessica Alba at LEGENDS of La Cienega.

For the past eight years, thousands of design professionals, editors, and enthusiasts have celebrated the La Cienega Design Quarter as well as Los Angeles’ vibrant design community as part of LEGENDS—a three-day event filled with keynotes, discussions, book signings, and glitzy, often celebrity-studded social gatherings. While there is an abundance of must-see happenings at LEGENDS, the window displays are considered the cornerstone. Every year, top interior designers are asked to decorate the windows of the shops that pepper the La Cienega Design Quarter to fit with the annual theme. This year, sixty-plus designers, including Jay Jeffers, Nina Campbell, Robert Stilin, Elizabeth Dinkel, and Mark D. Sikes, have been asked to transform the windows on the theme of “One of a Kind.”

A window by interior designer Maxime Jacquet.

LEGENDS will also include eight fascinating keynote panels helmed by the likes of Elle Decor’s Editor-in-Chief Michael Boodro; interior designer Madeline Stuart; and designer/television personality Nate Berkus. New York Magazine’s Design Editor, Wendy Goodman, will also moderate a panel titled “Will You Be A Design Icon?,” featuring interior designers Alexa Hampton, Hutton Wilkinson, and India Hicks—all of whom have deeply personal ties to some of the industry's most influential figures. The panels will explore an array of trending design topics, including integrating antiques into contemporary interiors and maintaining your personal identity while working with an interior designer.

An interior by Jay Jeffers.

In addition to the keynote panels, a number of industry luminaries will take part in LEGENDS’ program of book signings and discussions. California-based designer Jay Jeffers will discuss his first book, Collected Cool, which explores his sophisticated yet playful style, and architects John Ike, Thomas A. Kligerman and Joel Barkley, will present The New Shingled House: Ike Kligerman Barkley. The tome explores the flexibility of the shingled house through fourteen projects by Ike Kligerman Barkley, one of the most celebrated firms practicing in a traditional style today.

Legends of La Cienega kicks off with an opening night gala on Tuesday, May 3, and runs through Thursday, May 5. Click HERE for more information.