As fashion and lifestyle brands look West, Fashion Island is emerging as a gateway to the Southern California consumer and visitor.

The open-air shopping destination in Newport Beach, Calif., recently welcomed Cinq à Sept’s first West Coast boutique in early May — part of a wave of new arrivals in the last four months alone that includes ready-to-wear label L’Agence, jeweler Monica Vinader, New York’s Rubin Chapelle, high-end consignment boutique Fashionphile, and Switzerland’s athletic company On — which opened its largest store in the U.S.

Last year, Good American, Veronica Beard and Rag & Bone were among the brands and retailers making their Orange County debut at Fashion Island, joining Neiman Marcus, luxury men’s store Garys, Australia’s Joe Bananas, luxury watch and jeweler 1916 Company, Alo Yoga, American Vintage, Paige, Buck Mason, Ray-Ban, Zadig & Voltaire, Vince and Alice + Olivia, among others.

The rollout kicked off in December with the grand reveal of RH Newport Beach, The Gallery — its largest store yet at 97,000 square feet and four stories. At the top, RH Ocean Grill keeps the rooftop buzzing, a seafood-focused restaurant with sweeping coastal views beneath a glass-and-steel atrium and chandeliers.

RH’s opening (the company was formerly known as Restoration Hardware) “marked a pivotal moment in the center’s evolution,” said Ken Gillett, president of Irvine Company Retail Properties. It’s introduced a new chapter in immersive, experience-driven luxury, he added, with its retail, indoors and outdoors, home and hospitality offerings.

Louis Vuitton, St. John, Chanel Fragrance and Beauty, and fine jewelry company Lugano are among the other luxury retailers calling Fashion Island home. The latter also houses Lugano Privé, an exclusive 7,500-square-foot social club reserved for clients. Membership is by invitation only and seeks those playing a role in giving back to their communities.

Six more luxury and premium contemporary boutiques will open by the end of the year, according to Fashion Island, including New York’s Todd Snyder this spring, which is also making its OC debut.

According to Gillett, Fashion Island is home to Anthropologie and Travis Mathew’s current best-performing stores, Gorjana’s number-two, and Neiman Marcus’s top in California.

It was on Sept. 9, 1967, that Fashion Island was officially unveiled by owners and real estate developers the Irvine Company with a charity benefit that brought out 18,000 guests. Today it’s grown into a sprawling 1.5 million-square-foot complex with more than 150 restaurants and retailers. The architectural team is continually remodeling, raising storefronts for a more elevated look and expanding outdoor walkways to create a more open, spacious experience.

“For brands, Fashion Island offers the best attributes of a walkable city center location in a coastal resort-like setting,” said Gillett.

Minutes from the beach, it’s at the heart of Newport — attracting locals and tourists, located close to the Balboa Peninsula and Corona del Mar. It’s indeed walkable, with green spaces, fountain-facing outdoor restaurants, a koi pond, bringing out families and young teens and drawing crowds to its community-driven events including StyleWeekOC, a series of annual fashion parties and chats featuring talks with names like Vanessa Hudgens and Julianne Hough. The event returns from Oct. 15 to 19 for its 14th year, in partnership with Newport Beach Film Festival.

In the meantime, Fashion Island is hosting a Chandon Garden pop-up, offering complimentary sparkling wine tastings every weekend until May 25. And June 7 through Aug. 9, they’ll host jazz music sessions and vinyl DJ sets.

“Fashion Island will continue to grow thoughtfully and strategically,” added Gillett.