Palm Springs reborn - Telegraph Palm Springs lies in the Coachella Valley in the foothills of the San Jacinto Mountains, about 100 miles east of Los Angeles - an important distance. "Back in the 1920s," says Hart, "studio contracts stipulated that the actors couldn't be more than 100 miles from Hollywood during filming. Palm Springs was close enough - but also a world away. Sinatra moved to the Movie Colony in 1947 (he commissioned the house after earning his first million) but the neighbourhood, two square miles of low-slung Spanish and Desert Modern homes just east of Palm Canyon Drive on the edge of downtown, had been created as a Hollywood playground a generation earlier. In 1927, entrepreneur Prescott Thresher Stevens built El Mirador, a luxury resort hotel on North Canyon Drive. It cost a fortune to stay: a room and three meals a day for $26, making it one of the most exclusive resorts in the US. By the 1930s, everyone from Greta Garbo and Clark Gable to Einstein and Salvador Dali was coming. Because of the scene at El Mirador, the stars began building their holiday homes around the resort. Cary Grant moved into a hacienda on Avenida Palmas (it was on the market for $3 million last year); Darryl Zanuck, owner of the 20th-Century Fox studios, the most powerful man in Hollywood at the time, was a block away. The Movie Colony was born. The 1940s brought a new development: Mid-Century Modern. So many stars were commissioning homes in the desert, architects such as Richard Neutra, Albert Frey (a Le Corbusier protégé) and E Stewart Williams began experimenting with new abstract forms and materials: winged roofs, sloped walls, banks of glass, stone and wood. "A landing pad for Martians," Bob Hope remarked of one house. They created free-flowing, pared-down spaces that filled with natural light, and merged inside and outside space, so the homes became one with the desert landscape - the first eco-properties, in a sense. Palm Springs became a Petri dish of Modernist sophistication - and a great place to host a party. Hart says there is a direct link between his clothes and Desert Modern architecture - the narrow lapel and sharp cut of a black jacket reflect the clean angles of the house exterior; his Aertex polo shirts resemble the patterned, aerated walls of many a Desert Modern home. He is not the only fashion designer to be inspired by such an aesthetic; the 2012 Spring Collection of Derek Lam is a tribute to a famous Slim Aarons photograph, "Poolside Gossip," of a 1950s cocktail party around the pool at Kaufmann House, designed by Richard Neutra. "For me, it's not so much about the clothes as about a world," says Hart, "the music, style and icons of an era." Oddly, given his infatuation, this is his first visit to the desert enclave. "Palm Springs existed for me as a state of mind," he adds, smiling, "but now I know it's real." That real Palm Springs is having something of a moment. The city lost much of its allure between the 1970s and 1990s (Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells and La Quinta down the valley became the new colonies of the stars) and tourists who did come did so in ironic tribute to the faded resorts and icons of the past. No longer. Since the millennium, Palm Springs has once again become a creative inspiration, cultural touchstone and glam playground. Architecture and design addicts flood in for Modernism Week each February, and not just for house tours: the new Uptown Design District, close to the old El Mirador (now a clinic), is a funky hub of boutiques, galleries and Modern furniture stores. Check out the Atomic Age-inspired paintings and illustrations by the local artist Josh "Shag" Agle, at his recently opened Shag: the Store. Elegant, low-lit supper clubs that do Sinatra proud are once again all the rage, and the Purple Palm, the swanky olive-and-maroon-hued restaurant of the recently revamped Colony Palms Hotel (which once belonged to a Purple Gang mob boss, and the owners of the racehorse Seabiscuit), has become the spot for gourmands. The chef, Brian Kiepler, makes black Angus tenderloin wrapped in pancetta, and butter-poached Maine lobster, which you eat with a view of a courtyard pool lit up at night. What has really reinvigorated the city, though, is a slate of chic resort hotels, each having risen like the phoenix from the ashes of a previous age. The most recent comeback is the Riviera Palm Springs, just north of the Movie Colony. The place to be seen in the 1960s (Elvis and the Rat Pack would rehearse here for their Vegas shows), it was boarded up only a decade ago. Now, after a $70-million renovation by the Noble House group in 2008, it's as glitzy as any hotel in Vegas. The 400 rooms and suites are in seven wings circled like a roulette wheel around a giant central swimming pool; after dinner in its plush, red-banquetted Circa 59, guests play games on the crystal-embossed billiards table set beneath a giant portrait of Sinatra, just off the imperious lobby. More discreet (and popular with the Hollywood A-list) is the Parker Palm Springs on the East Palm Canyon corridor, about five miles out of town, just past the new glam-packer hot spot, the Ace Hotel. The subject of a reality show, Welcome to the Parker, in the mid-2000s, the property was the former estate of the singing cowboy Gene Autry and, later, the game-show host Merv Griffin, who ran it as a European-style resort with gardens reminiscent of Versailles. Today the 13-acre grounds have been allowed to return to their desert roots, with mazes of palm-shaded lawns dotted with pétanque courts and swimming pools, around which cute staff in tennis whites dispense fresh lemonade from citron-coloured umbrella stands. My visit coincided with a stay by Charlize Theron, in town for the Palm Springs International Film Festival (founded by the former mayor, Sonny Bono, and now America's second biggest), and I felt we could have had fun together. Sadly I never saw her. For my money, though, the best new property is the Viceroy Palm Springs in the historic Tennis Club District, back in town, in the shadow of the San Jacinto Mountains. The historic 1930s motor court inn, in Spanish style, with intimate bungalows, is interspersed with three adjoining courtyards, each with lush topiary gardens dripping with lemon, orange and tangerine trees, and swimming pools. The Los Angeles designer Kelly Wearstler's iconic Hollywood Regency interiors are a vision of opulence: the entire hotel is decorated in bold yellow, black and white tones, and a giant crystal chandelier hangs over the lemon-scented restaurant-bar, Citron. I found myself drinking here one night, and met a glamorous Australian couple, Stephen and Patricia. They had driven across the desert from Colorado, en route to LA, and had only stopped in Palm Springs by chance; Stephen had recognised the name from his childhood: "My grandmother had a cushion with a palm tree, a sunset and the words Palm Springs on it." We drank and smoked, a desert moon hovering over us, the pool an electric blue. Through the gauze of the night, a glass of Johnnie Walker Blue in his hand, Stephen said: "You know, I thought Palm Springs was just a state of mind. Now I know it's real. The Sinatra Twin Palms Estate can be rented through Beau Monde Villas (001 877 318 2090, beaumondevillas.com) from $2,600 (about £1,630) per night. Virgin Atlantic (0844 2092 770, virgin-atlantic.com) flies daily from London Heathrow to Los Angeles from £644 in economy and £3,159 in Upper Class. Cars can be hired from about £15 per day (rhinocarhire.com). Information: Palm Springs Visitors Centre (001 800 347 7746, visitpalmsprings.com). Colony Palms Hotel (001 760 969 1800, colonypalmshotel.com). This Spanish Colonial hotel in the Movie Colony, built in 1936, once housed a speakeasy and a brothel. It has recently had an exotic Moorish makeover by celebrity designer Martyn Lawrence-Bullard , the centerpiece being the palm-shaded courtyard swimming pool with adjacent open-air cocktail bar and Purple Palm supper club, and the rooms, decorated with Moroccan-style bed throws and lanterns. The Winner's Circle Suite is a tribute to the previous proprietors, who owned the racehorse Seabiscuit. Doubles from £160. Movie Colony Hotel (001 760 320 6340, moviecolonyhotel.com). Built in 1935, this 16-room no-frills boutique hotel was one of the first projects in Palm Springs by Modern architect Albert Frey . It's also the place where Sinatra stayed when Twin Palms was being built. Simple rooms in white and citron tones face out on a secluded swimming pool or a private courtyard. There's a self-service "happy hour" bar offering wine and beer in the evenings, and free bikes for guests - but you won't get waiter service or a hip party scene as in the old days, when Jim Morrison jumped out of his second-floor window into the pool. Doubles from £63. Riviera Palm Springs (001 760 327 8311, psriviera.com). A favourite of the showbiz set in the 1960s and 1970s, the Riviera is now the haunt of frat boys, business groups and weekending hipsters from LA who gather round the main pool sipping cocktails from the Bikini Bar and checking out the scene from the cabanas. There's a spa, supper-club restaurant and piano lounger; the walls are lined with portraits of the Golden Age stars who partied here; and at night, the grounds are lit with fire pits. Glitz to make Vegas blush. Doubles from £144. Parker Palm Springs (001 760 770 5000, theparkerpalmsprings.com). Merv Griffin's jaded former resort got the Hollywood Regency treatment from designer Jonathan Adler , and is now a sumptuous hideout for Hollywood players. The modernist brick façade at the entrance remains from the original, but Adler's bold, brash colours and vintage furnishings give the interiors a decadent 1930s look. Norma's , the al fresco café overlooking the gardens, is a great place to while away a day. Lounge lizards are drawn to the supper club, Mister Parker's , a moody, low-lit carpeted cavern inspired by Studio 54 and filled with oil paintings, Warhol prints, and a stunning white piano - the perfect accompaniment to foie gras and steak au poivre. Doubles from £237. Viceroy Palm Springs (001 760 320 4117, viceroypalmsprings.com). Celebrities (Cameron Diaz, Kanye West) and creatives get away from it all at this chic, boutique property in the San Jacinto foothills. Guests can drink cocktails and read books on sunloungers set around one of three swimming pools in separate garden courtyards, and dine in style at night at the intimate restaurant, Citron . The next-door property is the retro-classic Ingleside Inn , popular for a late-night drink when the Viceroy bar closes. Doubles from £127. Melvyn's Restaurant (001 760 325 2323, inglesideinn.com). In 1975, the amateur restaurateur and innkeeper Mel Haber turned away Steve McQueen and Ali McGraw from the opening-night party of his new restaurant Melvyn's. "They arrived on a motorbike in jeans and leather jackets," he explained, "and I had no idea who they were!" After he found out, he wanted to call them back. Too late. The result? Everyone thought his was the most exclusive place in Palm Springs. Six months later, Sinatra asked him to host his pre-wedding dinner. The rest is history. Today, Mel and his restaurant are still around, the latter serving 1970s-style cobb salads and veal Ingleside in a kitschy-cool carpeted dining room. What was old is new: LA hipsters flood in for late-night martinis and piano music in the adjoining lounge bar. Not to be missed. Johnny Costa's Ristorante (001 760 325 4556, johnnycostaspalmsprings.com). At first, this nondescript Italian restaurant on the main strip seems like any other; then you learn that Johnny was Frank Sinatra's personal chef for many years and that now, in his seventies, he still holds court here some evenings. You pay attention. The décor is not much to write home about, but the linguini with clams and the steak Sinatra (New York strip sautéed with garlic and mushrooms in wine sauce), were both favourites of Frank. Birba (001 760 327 5678, birbaps.com). It's not all supper clubs and retro martini lounges in Palm Springs. This new gourmet pizza and cocktail lounge in the Uptown Design District is a favourite with the arty set, featuring drinks such as the Heated Snake - tequila, fresh lemon and lime, and spicy habanero oil. Where to shop Trina Turk (001 760 416 2856, trinaturk.com), 891 North Palm Canyon Drive. The celebrated local designer sells her colorful clean-lined "California chic" clothes from this 1960s Albert Frey building, with plush vintage-modern interiors by Kelly Wearstler - a triple expression of the desert lifestyle aesthetic. Shag: The Store (001 760 322 3400, shagthestore.com). Retail space showcasing the work of local "desert atomic" artist Josh Agle, aka Shag. The Palm Springs International Film Festival (psfilmfest.org) takes place in 2013 from January 10 to 21 . Palm Springs Modernism Week (modernismweek.com), a celebration of Mid-Century Modern design, takes place from February 14 to 24. Examples include Albert Frey's Palm Springs Visitor Centre. The Edwards Harris Center for Architecture and Design (psmuseum.org/edwards-harris.php) is scheduled to open later in 2013, in the former Santa Fe Federal Savings & Loan building designed by E Stewart Williams. Restored to its original 1960s spec, it will house a collection of architectural models, drawings, photographs and other design-related pieces.