Transport yourself to Miracle Mile Shops, the ideal holiday retail destination
By Susan Stapleton
Photography by brian brown
Styling by Nicole Chandler
Hair and makeup by Sarah Barker
Model: Shana Watts
Turner trapper hat ($68), available at French Connection UK; faux fur boot topper ($29), gold knit and leather long glove ($59), oversized chain necklace ($56), all available at Bebe; tweed studded jacket ($68), tweed studded shorts ($38), metallic wild sweater ($50), all available at S.Y.L.K.; Pulp Fiction suede boot ($180), available at Chinese Laundry; all available at Miracle Mile Shops. Photographed at Wyland Galleries.
Recently some stellar standouts have made their debut at Miracle Mile Shops, adding to the continual flourish of fashion and fun of 170 specialty shops, restaurants and entertainment. And they have arrived just in time for the holiday shopping spree that consumers set out on every year. Gift ideas have never been easier than browsing through Miracle Mile Shops’ 1.1 miles of retailers, and with new shops thrown in the mix, it truly is a buyer’s ultimate destination.
First up, Scamp & Scoundrel, a spin-off concept from Ultra Diamonds, opens this month. Here, shoppers can find accessories decked out in Swarovski crystals in the $25 to $500 range. Russ Joyner, general manager of Miracle Mile Shops, says this is the first Scamp & Scoundrel to come to Las Vegas. And in October, Garrett Popcorn Shops brought its 60-year-old Chicago tradition to Las Vegas. Here, hungry shoppers can find five separate versions of air-popped popcorn—CaramelCrisp, CheeseCorn, Buttery, Plain and the Chicago Mix—all using the secret Garrett family recipe, which has been passed down through three generations.
The shopping center also adds another fun stop in its restaurant/bar lineup with DB’s Pong & Pool. Here, guests can play beer pong, pool, darts, shuffleboard, foosball and more. The owners of Blondies Sports Bar & Grill created the joint, which Joyner says could very well be a long-term tenant.
With the holidays coming to their apex, Joyner says Miracle Mile Shops has been helping out tired shoppers with a complimentary holiday shopping survival bag. Each goodie bag contains a Miracle Mile Shops’ Shop.Dine.Save coupon book featuring $2,000 in savings, a coupon for a complimentary treat-size bag of the Chicago Mix from Garrett Popcorn Shops, mints, a bottle of water and a snack bar from ABC Stores. A limited number of randomly selected bags also hold a surprise, a $50 Miracle Mile Shops gift card. Bags are available through Dec. 24.
The shopping center has also turned its fountain red in December in honor of AIDS Awareness Month. Coins thrown in the fountain, which periodically erupts into a rainstorm replete with thunder and lighting, are donated to local HIV/AIDS nonprofit organization Golden Rainbow.
Trench ($89), available at Bebe; cut-out dress ($198), available at GUESS by Marciano; drop earrings ($36), hinged bangle ($48), both available at Cache; black glove ($58), available at Guess; stone belt ($88), hematite crystal tassel chain necklace ($58), all available at White House | Black Market; Olympic leather shoes ($169.95), available at Chinese Laundry; all available at Miracle Mile Shops. Photographed at Oyster Bay Seafood & Wine Bar.
Never fear. If last-minute holiday shopping is on your agenda, Miracle Mile Shops remains open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on both days.
Once through the holidays, New Year’s Eve quickly approaches and Joyner says shoppers can find the perfect outfit to celebrate. He suggests stores such as BCBGMAXAZRIA, Bebe, GUESS by Marciano, S.Y.L.K., Chinese Laundry, Swarovski and more as places to find outfits and accessories in a range of prices.
In the mood for some entertainment in between charging? Joyner recommends guests check out Vegas! The Show at Saxe Theater, which tells the story of Vegas through song and dance. “They’ve done a fabulous job with that,” Joyner says. “The show is as reliable today as it was on day one. This is not something you typically see at a shopping center. You can buy your black dress, your shoes, your outfit and see a show.”
By the end of January, shoppers will find it easier to access the mall. A new $2 million escalator facing northbound on Las Vegas Boulevard will help alleviate bottlenecks in pedestrian traffic.
