Miami Gets Flashy Makeover for Art Basel

Shop: your personal canvas. Last year it was Alchemist that lured Art Basel fashionistas. This year it's Lounge that has Louboutin-stomping commuters paving their way to the 'burbs and Aventura Mall for a boutique department store that's taken the city by storm. All-new Lounge is derived from Paris's Collette, located along Saint Honore with a large-scale boutique offering collections from the likes of Lanvin and McQueen. Lounge brings a bit of sexy Miami to the 6,000-square-foot couture emporium concept, featuring high-end housewares, jewelry, music store and an in-house apothecary. While scouring the parking lot of a Miami mall may be anything but artsy chic, hit the curbside valet and scope out the outdoor cafe offering French sandwiches and all-day champagne bar.

Play: art of a party: They're the hottest party tickets you can score during Art Basel, namely the private soirées held in coordination with Miami's leading private collectors like the Rubell family and the Shack Collection. The top parties are often held in private homes or secluded art warehouses offering an invite-only guest list cracked by gallery owners or a savvy concierge. Corporate-sponsored events like the UBS and Vanity Fair party are a bit easier to get into, hosted at hotels like the Delano with its Lenny Kravitz-designed Florida Room. Nearby, the Sagamore Hotel will be hosting a Dec. 3 reception with sand sculpture created by Swiss artist Olaf Breuning on display throughout Art Basel hosted by hotel owners Cricket and Martin Taplin. For those who don't score an invite or entrance, the Sagamore is open to the public with one of the best private art collections found in the city.