Montecito’s Coast Village Road can be a pretty sleepy place on a Sunday. Tourists are heading home and, except for a few eateries catering to the Saturday night hangover crowd, you mostly see young couples out for strolls with their little ones.
I love Sunday shopping because I can find a place to park and can easily meander in and out of the local boutiques without any of the crowds.
First stop (and it turned out to be my last) was at Allora by Laura. Owner Laura Dinning opened her boutique at 1269 Coast Village Road three years ago, and it has been a magnet for fashionistas of all ages.
On my recent visit, I found Dinning hard at work arranging her latest inventory and preparing for a special event, Fashion and Photography, a collaboration with her friend, international photographer Bobbi Bennett.
My quest to find an outfit for my summer wedding was sidetracked when I settled in on a comfy white couch to have a cup of tea with Dinning and Bennett and find out what this exhibit was all about.
The two women met more than 20 years ago at one of Bennett’s openings, where not only did Dinning purchase her first photograph from her, entitled “Olympia,” but started a new friendship that is as strong as ever.
With a community of shared friends and interests, they’ve forged a relationship nurtured by their respect for each other’s work and inspired by their mutual love of the arts, the California aesthetic and a connection that just happens between good friends.
Although Bennett’s work is broadly themed, from landscapes to the physical forms, her unique ability to curate photographic function and technicality with beauty aligns itself poetically with fashion.
Bennett’s three-panel photograph, “Sycamore Root,” has been displayed behind Dinning’s marble counter since she opened the store.
“Not only does the image provide a great aesthetic to the store, it also provides a foundation that brings energy of prosperity and positivity to the space,” Dinning told Noozhawk.
Bennett has exhibited internationally, and her work is in several museum collections, including the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.
She recently was named a winner of the LensCulture International Exposure Award for her piece “Fallen Angels,” which is on exhibit in the Louvre in Paris. This year, her self-portrait will be part of the J. Paul Getty Museum permanent collection.
As of Wednesday, Allora by Laura will be displaying Bennett’s work along with Dinning’s latest fashions. They both say they like to remind people that fashion and photography have had a long and successful marriage.
Throughout history, images portrayed by the Renaissance artists to the contemporary work of Annie Leibovitz, Richard Avedon and Mario Testino not only capture the popular culture of the times by depicting their subjects in their sartorial representations, but their images tend to transcend tastes. The connections unify their audience while inspiring individuality —something both Bennett and Dinning strive to do every day.
Another bond the women share is their dedication to philanthropy, especially raising awareness and funding organizations that benefit kids. Through exhibits and special events, donations and collaborations with organizations like Youth Interactive, they’re helping to enrich the lives of Santa Barbara’s at-risk youth.
The current display will also introduce Bennett’s new company, Redd Starr Productions, which showcases other important artists with traveling exhibitions.
Another collaboration will take place with The Gallery, 1277 Coast Village Road, in September, featuring work by Bennett and other artists in her production company. A portion of the proceeds again will go toward Youth Interactive.
Photographs are on view at Allora by Laura through Sunday, May 22. A formal reception with Bennett is scheduled for 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, May 21, and is open to the public.
Click here for more information about Allora by Laura, or call 805.563.2425.
— Judy Foreman is a Noozhawk columnist and longtime local writer and lifestyles observer. She can be contacted at judyforeman@noozhawk.com. Click here for previous columns. The opinions expressed are her own.
