About Us

Belle Azur was born from the travels and vision of Jennifer Pelaez and Hillary Latos. Though both hailed from different areas of the fashion world, they both shared a singular vision- to have a one stop destination to find glamorous resort wear that embodied the extravagant spirit of their unforgettable jaunts around the world from the Cannes film festival to the Monte Carlo Grand Prix, St Tropez, St Barths, Goa, Dubai, Maldives, Costa Smeralda, Dubrovnik, and La Romana. Loving the effortless yet glam style of these jetsetters, they found that outside of these luxurious resorts, it was difficult to find these embellished cover ups, resort jewelry and bejeweled flats. Based on their travels and experiences, these two longtime friends were inspired to create a brand and vision for a resort wear company that captured the spirit of their globetrotting adventures around the world.

Upon graduating from Dartmouth College with a degree in International Relations and Art History, Jennifer Pelaez was recruited as a buyer for the Designer Collections at Henri Bendel. While working directly with the fashion director they discovered emerging labels including Peter Som, Zac Posen, Alice Roi, Esteban Cortazar, Carlos Miele, Michael Soheil, and Andrew GN, and collaborated closely with them through trunk shows and store events while always seeking new upcoming talent from around the world. She also was responsible for buying additional established designer labels such as Missoni, Michael Kors, Matthew Williamson, Derek Lam, and Blumarine among others. Her desire to work in the world of luxury goods led her to a position at the prestigious Geneva based jewelry company, de Grisogono, where she was integral to the growth of their newly created New York flagship office and store, working with accounts including Bergdorf Goodman, Kenjo and London Jewelers and producing special events. With an expertise in event production and luxury goods she was poached by the Gruss family office where she organized fashion, philanthropic and private events in New York, Southampton, Palm Beach, and London. 

Hillary Latos has been a fashion, beauty and travel writer for over 12 years and has contributed to Fashion Week Daily, Saks POV, Soma Magazine, Resident Magazine, Us Weekly, Cathay Pacific, Asiance Magazine, among others. She covers fashion, travel, pop culture, celebrities, art, design, and New York nightlife, discovering the latest trends and must visit destinations. Always on the go, she understands the busy life of a modern woman and the need for chic, comfortable and innovative shoes. Seeing that a high end designer travel shoe didn’t exist, she founded a footwear company, Jour & Nuit, French for day & night, and designed shoes in varying heel heights with interchangeable straps and ornaments. The line has been sold worldwide since Spring 2007. Prior to that, she worked for Trade NZ and worked with burgeoning New Zealand fashion designers helping them expand into the US market, and in sales and marketing at Giorgio Armani. She holds an MBA from the University of Southern California in Marketing and a BS in Marketing from the Stern School of Business at New York University. Born and raised in San Francisco, she currently resides in New York City.