Fashion Island Guide

Fashion Island is Orange County’s premier open-air shopping, dining and entertainment destination. This luxury outdoor mall offers up some of the best department and designer stores, restaurants and cafes, boutiques, specialty shops and interactive outdoor areas for friends, couples and families with kids.

Some might argue that you can’t really call Fashion Island a mall (although we do), and it certainly isn’t a real island. Fashion Island is a miniature city whose whole purpose is shopping, entertainment, relaxing, and enjoying yourself amid excellent company… a luxury retail oasis in the middle of posh Newport Beach.

Address: 401 Newport Center Dr, Newport Beach, CA 92660
Phone: (949) 721-2000
Website: https://www.fashionisland.com/
Pet Friendly: Yes
Opened: 1967
Square Feet: 2.8 million

Pet Friendly Fashion Island

As an open-air shopping center Fashion Island is pet friendly and some shoppers go as far to refer to it as “Orange County’s Dog Mall.” Dogs must be leashed and don’t forget to clean up anything they might leave behind.

Dogs are allowed in all outdoor public areas except the large patch of grass by Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdales. However, there are many other grassy areas. This means the dogs can enjoy the fountain and Koi pond, dine on outdoor patios and even take an insta-worthy picture with Santa or the Easter Bunny.

Dog Friendly Outdoor Restaurants: 59^th & Lex Café, Back Bay Tavern (Whole Foods), Blaze Pizza, Clue C Sushi, Café Beau Soleil, Cucina Enoteca, Nordstrom Café Bistro, Lemonade, Nordstrom e-bar, Pain du Monde, Yard House

Always call ahead to confirm, rules may change.

Outdoor Patios & Sitting Areas:

The Koi Pond area upstairs from the food court has seating areas. Outside the other side of the Food Court towards Dick’s Sporting Goods there is a hard to spot outside patio with umbrellas and tables for outdoor dining.

Dogs are never allowed inside California restaurants. Some stores allow dogs inside and offer water bowls and treats.

Fashion Island Stores

Fashion Island shopping has a world-class line-up of prestigious department stores, specialty boutiques, personal care services, jewelry stores and fitness studios.

Fashion Island Newport Beach is also home to Orange County’s only Neiman Marcus, as well as Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Bloomingdale’s Home Store, Elie Tahari, Zadig & Voltaire, St. John, and Rebecca Taylor, just to name a few.

Restoration Hardware, formerly called The Gallery at Fashion Island, will be a 4-story luxury indoor and outdoor space that is scheduled to open in spring 2024. Ocean Prime is rumored to be replacing the former Fig & Olive location.

Fashion Island’s 2.8 million square feet is taken up by some of the most luxe brand stores in the world. Fashion Island’s store listing reads like a Who’s Who of upscale luxury brands, like Armani, Brandy Melville, Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Rolex… and that’s not even a fraction of the 180 stores Fashion Island currently holds.

If you’re worrying that some of these stores are a little out of your price range, don’t worry… there are plenty of stores that play well with a smaller budget, like accessories giant Claire’s, Barnes and Noble, skin and spa treatment purveyor Bath and Body Works, and clothing giant Forever 21. There are also many kiosks placed throughout the outdoor area.

The mall is also unique for having the only mall-based car showrooms in Orange County. Luxury automakers Tesla and Lincoln maintain a presence there. Tesla’s space is an interactive showroom that makes a trip there almost as much an event as going to Disneyland, while Lincoln offers browsing patrons the chance to relax in their Connectivity lounge, enjoy a complimentary beverage, and scope out the technology that makes Lincoln such a reliable luxury car.

Tesla isn’t the only store unique to Fashion Island. There’s a short but swanky list of retailers whose only Orange County presence is right here in Newport Beach:

• Timelessly classic Neiman Marcus
• Fresh, fashionable clothes from Alice + Olivia
• Luxury California-inspired apparel from Vince
• Luxury knits from St. John
• Quintessentially SoCal fashion from Joie
• Luxury swimwear inspired by the world’s best beaches at ViX by Paula Hermanny

As a full service retail experience, Fashion Island also has a robust personal shopping service, with highly-trained personal shoppers ready to guide you through whatever buying experience you desire.

One of the things that makes Fashion Island so special is its location within a stone’s-throw of the ocean. Soft Pacific breezes roll off the water to wind through the walkways of the mall, and you can see the ocean from most spots. The enviable location and Mediterranean-inspired architecture give Fashion Island a distinctly continental flair that you just don’t find anywhere else.

Fashion Island Restaurants & Dining

Fashion Island has a diverse mix of inside and outside casual and fine dining restaurants for brunch, lunch, happy hour, and dinner.

Outdoor Restaurants & Seating Areas: 59^th & Lex Café, Back Bay Tavern (Whole Foods), Blaze Pizza, Canaletto’s, Clue C Sushi, Café Beau Soleil, Cucina Enoteca, Fig & Olive , Great Maple, Nordstrom Café Bistro, Lemonade, Nordstrom e-bar, Pain du Monde, R + D,  Red-O, True Food Kitchen, Yard House

Fine Dining: CUCINA enoteca, Fig & Olive (permanently closed), Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse, Great Maple, R+D Kitchen, Red O, True Food Kitchen

Full Service Dining: Bloomingdale’s 58th & Lex, The Cheesecake Factory, Hopdoddy Burger Bar, THE LOT, Nordstrom Bazille, P.F. Chang’s, Sushi Roku

Casual Dining: Back Bay Tavern (Whole Foods), Blaze Pizza, Hudsons Cookies, Lemonade, Mariposa Restaurant (Neiman Marcus), Sessions West Coast Deli, Whole Foods Market

Food Court: Auntie Anne’s Pretzels, Chick-fil-A, Five Buys Burgers, Gelato Paradiso, Hana Grill, Happy Lemon, IT’SUGAR, Panda Express, Stone Oven, Wahoo’s Fish Taco

Sweet Shops: Atomic Creamery, Bacio di Latte, Gelato Paradiso, Hudsons Cookies, Scratch Bakery Café, See’s Candies, Sugarfina (Nordstrom)

Coffee, Tea, Juice, Boba Shops: Happy Lemon, Mochinut, Nordstrom e-Bar, Pressed, Scratch Bakery Café, Starbucks Coffee

Fashion Island Entertainment & Events

Fashion Island has many events and promos throughout the year including in-store demos, sales, classes, workshops, fitness session, seasonal and holiday events and much more.

Fashion Island Events Include:

• Holiday Events
  • Pictures with the Easter Bunny in his Spring Garden
  • Easter Egg Hunt and Brunch at THE LOT
  • Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony
  • Visit with Santa Claus
  • Menorah Lighting Celebration
  • Halloween Boo-Bash Party at THE LOT
• StyleweekOC
• Lincoln and Tesla Car Showroom Experiences
• Fitness Classes at COREPower Yoga and SoulCycle
• Make-up & Hair Pampering
• Author Events and Weekly Kids Storytime at Barnes & Noble
• Orange County Race for the Cure
• THE LOT
  • Sports Viewing Parties at the Bar and Restaurant
  • Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Easter Brunch
  • Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Valentine’s Day Dinners
  • Live music nights like Jazz and Salsa
  • Rent Out the Bar, Restaurant or Cinema for private event
• Walking the Grounds
  • Dog & People Watching
  • Celebrity Spotting
  • Window Shopping
  • Koi Ponds & Fountains
  • Viewing the Mediterranean architecture and property grounds

Find a full list of events and entertainment places here.

Getting There

Fashion Island is an easy drive down the 73, but if you don’t want to drive, the center is served by OCTA transportation. Just hop on route 1, 55, 57, or 79 to skip all the hassle of navigating traffic on your own.

If you are driving, please note that parking is free in both the lots and the parking garages. The parking garage has a handy electronic readout that will tell you what spaces are available and where, eliminating the frustrating drive around the parking structure ritual that sometimes comes with using a parking garage.

For those who wish to take extra care of their car, valet service is available, and the first two hours are free.

Fashion Island Hotels

Fashion Island is more than shopping… it’s an experience of luxury, relaxation among its curated grounds and many fountains, and fine dining and entertainment within eyeshot of the beach. With all that at your fingertips, why wouldn’t you want to stay?

VEA Newport Beach – With VEA located across the street from Fashion Island you’re steps away from the posh shopping and buzzy restaurants.

The Resort at Pelican Hill – Set by the Pacific Ocean this five-star resort offers inspiring architecture and ambiance, a magnificent natural setting, exquisite accommodations, spectacular facilities including 36 holes of championship golf and a world-class spa, unsurpassed pampering, comforts and service. It is a twelve minute drive to Fashion Island for upscale shopping.

Pendry Newport Beach (Debuting in 2023), this stylish urban resort is situated directly across the street from Fashion Island and a very short walking distance. This is the former Fashion Island Hotel which is now closed.

Fashion Island Tips & Secrets

Tips

• When shopping at Fashion Island, or even going for a mall walk, wear really good shoes. 2.8 million square feet will definitely get your daily steps in, but if you want to be able to walk without wincing tomorrow, wear your most comfortable sneakers
• All that retail goodness is loosely organized in the three-story mall, and the sheer size of the place can occasionally make navigation tricky. The mall maps can be difficult to decipher, because it isn’t always clear whether the store you’re interested in is outside or inside. Keep the website map open and click the elevation button in the upper right corner to help you navigate. The zoom buttons will help you look for your target store with pinpoint accuracy
• If you’re still confused, don’t be afraid to ask the concierge desk for help. Fashion Island’s goal is to provide retail therapy, not retail frustration
• The online map has a lot of handy features, but you’ll want to pay special attention to the symbol buttons on the upper left of the screen. Clicking the icons for charging stations, valet, escalators, elevators, bathrooms, etc., will bring that icon up on the map in all available locations. This is especially important for things like escalators, which will affect your navigation through the mall.
• If you’re a visitor to Orange County, you’re eligible for an OC Stylish Savings book, with thousands of dollars in exclusive offers and gifts from participating shops and eateries in both Fashion Island and the Irvine Spectrum.
• There really is an app for that. Fashion Island has its own app, called Retail Therapy (available on Apple  or on Google Play) that will give users instant and easy access to deals and promotions throughout Fashion Island.
• If you fall in love and buy a Nespresso while tasting their free coffee samples be sure to get a free recycling bag. Once filled with used capsules, you can return the bag at no charge by dropping it off at any UPS drop off location.
• You can rent your own private cinema at THE LOT. The restaurant and bar is available for rent as well.

Secrets

• In 1978, the only Neiman Marcus store in Orange County was located in Fashion Island.
• A time capsule was buried in Fashion Island during the official groundbreaking, but currently, no one seems to know where it’s buried or what was in the capsule!
• What does Fashion Island have in common with Starbucks? Mermaids. The original sign for Fashion Island had a multi-striped mermaid on it.

Fashion Island on a Budget

While Fashion Island is built as a retail experience par excellence, you don’t need to spend a fortune to have fun. For a great time on a budget, grab some free parking, score a coffee at Starbucks, and settle down for some prime people watching.

Want someplace new to take the kids? Fashion Islands many fountains and famous walk-through koi pond make wonderful interactive exhibits for your little ones. Visit during the Christmas season to see thousands of lights and ornaments and the 90-foot Fashion Island tree decked out for the holidays.

And yes, Fashion Island is pet-friendly. Dogs must be leashed, though, and don’t forget to clean up anything they might leave behind.

And don’t forget to stop by See’s for their signature free sample chocolate.

There really isn’t anywhere in Orange County like Fashion Island for shopping, eating, exercising or people-watching. Whether it’s your first time there or you’re a longtime aficionado, there’s always something wonderful to see, do or dream at this retail experience by the sea.

Where It Started – Fashion Island History

In 1967, Fashion Island began its life as an upscale outdoor mall. Originally called Newport Town Center and aimed at attracting the wealthy Angelenos who summered in Newport Beach and surrounding areas, the high-end shopping extravaganza officially opened on September 9, 1967. At the time, the facility contained fifty-two specialty stores in elegant surroundings for shoppers’ pleasure. The original anchor stores were the Broadway, Buffum’s Department Store, Robinson’s (later Macy’s), and JC Penney.

Only one of those anchors still exists, but over fifty years into its reign as a premier destination for Orange County shoppers, Fashion Island still draws crowds for its broad range of shopping choices, unique offerings, and fantastic location.

Fashion Island Secret #1: In 1978, the only Neiman Marcus store in Orange County was located in Fashion Island.

Of course, like anything that’s been around for a while, Fashion Island has a lot of history, some public and some forgotten. It’s gone through facelifts, additions, expansions, and remodels in its decades of serving Orange County’s shopping needs, but it has never lost sight of its mission to bring class and charm to your retail experience.

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Kelly Smith is a freelance writer living in Southern California with one dog, two cats, two guinea pigs… and the rest of her family. She writes about Orange County, faith, family, special needs and tea, and world-builds science fiction universes on the side. Find her at www.bluerosecopywriting.com.