By Kirsti Bloom
She grew up on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota and lived all over the world including Asia and Europe, but now entrepreneur Twila True calls Newport Beach home—and she’s committed to making the region all her own. The co-founder and CEO of Irvine-based True Investments is at the helm of a new chain of Polished Perfect nail salons popping up in bordering Costa Mesa. “Our flagship [on 17th Street] will be done at the end of February,” True says. “It will have all services—nails, makeup, blowouts—it’s a one-stop shop.”
True adds that more salons are in the works for the future, and she’s also expanding into jewelry with the recent purchase of Jewelry by Mardo. The boutique is currently being remodeled and will debut this spring as Twila True by Mardo. “Mardo was looking into retirement [but this] allows him to still design and interact with customers [without having to] work as hard as he has for the past 35-plus years,” she explains.
True appreciates that Newport is ripe for elevating these kinds of concepts. “What I love about the city is that it is sort of the new and refreshed Beverly Hills,” she explains. “… I see PCH as becoming the new Rodeo Drive. You have the best of everything—a beautiful clean city, as is Beverly Hills, but it’s getting tired and old where here is new and refreshed. And you definitely don’t have the traffic that LA has.
“Although you can do the finest of things, it’s still for family, too,” she continues. “I can pick up jewelry at Mardo’s then go to the park with my [kids].” Here, the mother of four shares her and her family’s favorite pursuits across town.
First Stop
“Anyone who comes to Newport has to have breakfast at The Galley Cafe.”
Fresh Air
“I do a lot of walking; there are so many walking paths here. The Back Bay is so big and so expansive. That’s my favorite.”
Shopping Break
“If you’re looking for brand names or big stores, we always make a stop at Fashion Island. It’s beautiful and people are impressed.”
Supper Time
“For dinner, sometimes I go to 21 Oceanfront on the peninsula. It has that old feel with stuffy chairs and jazz music.”
An Air of Romance
“My ideal date night would be the little French place [Basilic] on Balboa Island. My husband hasn’t figured that out yet. I love it. Followed by Island Cinema at Fashion Island. It’s such a nice experience. All within minutes of each other.”
