Plus Balenciaga and Under Armour hit the gym
Words by MAX BERLINGER, DAVID NASH, REBECCA RUSSELL, and ELIZABETH VARNELL
Zimmermann Doubles Down on the West Coast
It’s a statewide expansion for ZIMMERMANN, with the Australian fashion brand’s fifth and sixth outposts opening doors in San Diego’s Fashion Valley and San Jose’s Westfield Valley Fair, respectively. In the new upstate Silicon Valley location, the 1,631-sq.-ft. boutique takes a pared-back approach with a full-length windowed facade that frames a two-toned Mazzega glass chandelier suspended on the other side. The lounge and fitting room have a barrel-vaulted ceiling, another monumental chandelier, a custom Kilim rug, iconic Warren Platner and Milo Baughman seating, rich patterned curtains, and artworks by Australian artists like Venn Miles and James Drinkwater. Down south, the aesthetic is more laid-back and reflects the region’s relaxed atmosphere. The narrow layout features a series of smaller rooms that lead to the lounge area that’s highlighted by exaggerated curved cornices, an elevated ceiling, furnishings by Yrgö Kukkapuro and Isamu Noguchi, and works of art by Delphine Perlstein and Jordy van den Nieuwendijk. Both boutiques are stocked with the brand’s full range of offerings, which have had a devoted following since sisters Nicky and Simone Zimmermann founded it more than three decades ago. 7007 Friars Rd., San Diego; 2855 Stevens Creek Blvd., Santa Clara; zimmermann.com. D.N.
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Wearable Art Returns With New Lady Dior Bags
The legendary LADY DIOR handbag, which was released almost 30 years ago and named for Diana, Princess of Wales, has had a lifetime of interpretations. This winter, the ninth edition of Dior Lady Art features 11 international artists — four of whom are based in the United States, including Vaughn Spann, Danielle McKinney, Jeffrey Gibson, and Faith Ringgold — who have reimagined the iconic silhouette of the handbag, in compelling twists, although still featuring the classic charms and silhouette. Each bag is a wearable object of art, with each artist honoring the canvas on which their identity and cultures are expressed. dior.com. R.R.
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Loro Piana Reimagines its Beverly Hills Boutique
Loro Piana sweaters are designed to softly envelop the body, and the Italian house, which dates back six generations, has reimagined its Beverly Hills boutique to evoke that feeling from the ground floor entrance to the rooftop terrace. Designed with natural wools and cashmeres, a warm palette amplifying the earthy tones of the house’s signature kummel red, along with oak and Carabottino wood, the three-level space nods to the founding family’s textile legacy, now celebrating its centennial year. The new space also charts the future ahead, as does a new volume from Assouline, Master of Fibres. Just as the boutique’s rounded corners evoke sleek nautical design and its silk wall coverings and carpets in spare, modern shapes reflect the line’s minimalist bent, the book charts the evolution of its elegant ready-to-wear, bespoke suits, and accessories to the present day.
Fleece harvested and spun in northern Piedmont in the house’s early days led to fabrics prized for innovative treatments sought out by French and Italian fashion houses for decades. The space’s ground floor houses women’s collections replete with the soft staples, while men’s coats, trousers, and jackets are upstairs. Private appointments take place on the top floor linked by a staircase with tactile three-dimensional sculptures covered in linen threads by textile artist Sheila Hicks. 337 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, 310-860-0765; loropiana.com. E.V.
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Lucchese Boots Get Golden State Vibes
Texas and California might be considered political opposites, but the partnership between Venice Beach designer NICK FOUQUET and El Paso boot maker LUCCHESE proves that diplomatic relations can yield creative harmony. The second collaborative collection, which mixes a bit of Lone Star State swagger with laid-back surfer vibes, includes four men’s and four women’s boots, three hats, a baseball cap, and socks. It’s as stylish as it is covetable, and it shows there’s plenty of common ground to be mined. Some highlights include the Calico boot, made of patchwork leather joined by a distinctive overlock stitch; the Mahogany Moon, with its stacked heel and python detailing across the boot’s upper; and the cherry red Little Reata boot, crafted with intricate floral inlays. As for the headgear, there’s the Palomino Holy Paw, a wide-brimmed Beaver topper with a woven horsehair band and golden hardware, and the Highway 89, a cowboy-esque beauty made from Japanese straw and featuring a sheepskin sweatband with hammered and sand-casted buckles. All in all, it could be considered the sartorial equivalent of replying “Howdy” the next time a skater dude greets you with “Hey, bro!” lucchese.com. M.B.
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Armani/Casa Arrives on Robertson Boulevard
Giorgio Armani’s interiors line, ARMANI/CASA, launched as part of the Italian designer’s quest to create havens that resemble the rest of his singular design world, has a new home in L.A. The relocated Robertson Boulevard boutique spans two floors and 4,000 square feet filled with innovative furniture, lamps, upholstered pieces, wallcoverings, rugs, textiles, and accessories, plus kitchen and bath systems. The new space, with its strikingly angular white frame, is freestanding following the company’s move toward independent retail spots and includes a terrace and courtyard filled with the line’s new outdoor collection. 125 N. Robertson Blvd., L.A., 310-358-0901; armani.com. E.V.
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Hollywood Authentic and N.Peal Collaborate on New Knits
Greg Williams’ Hollywood Authentic film magazine is teaming up with revered cashmere line N.Peal, whose most famous customer — among a roll call of silver screen greats — is Marilyn Monroe. The photographer’s quarterly publication is a haven for off-duty photojournalistic images of actors and the new line of sweaters is inspired by legendary N.Peal customers, artists, movies, and images. Monroe was known to wear the knits both at home and on the town, and the new designs takes inspiration from her favorite styles as well as those selected by other legendary fans of Nat Peal’s sweaters, including Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Cary Grant, Elizabeth Taylor, and Sophia Loren. The new capsule, created with N.Peal’s owner Adam Holdsworth and Williams’ wife Eliza Cummings, includes a number of silhouettes for all genders, introducing the heritage brand to a new generation while paying tribute to the style standouts who wore it first. us.npeal.com. E.V.
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NASA Innovation Fuels Vollebak’s Spacey New Launch
Vollebak, the British line of adventure-ready sportswear, is launching a sharp new design built with space-age materials. The Martian Aerogel jacket’s interior insulation is made with laser-drilled aerogel, the same material devised in Irvine to protect the Mars Rover’s heat shield while entering the red planet’s atmosphere. It’s also in the lining of NASA astronauts’ space suits. The outer shell is crafted from heatproof nylon parachute fabric used to land the Rover; the same technology that put a probe on Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. Currently available in three hues — Rover Orange, Stealth Black, and Mercury — the only components of the jacket not tested in space are the zips. Throw it on when the apocalypse nears, or if you just need an extra layer of protection from the elements. vollebak.com. E.V.
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Frame Creates an Off-Duty Collection for Carolina Herrera
Wes Gordon, the creative director of Carolina Herrera, and Frame’s Erik Torstensson — who share neighboring Madison Avenue boutiques — have put their heads together to create everyday denim designs that retain the polish and eye-catching glamour of a Herrera gown. The tailored looks naturally include a ball skirt in the house’s distinctive white. Tapered jeans, a corset mini skirt (and a similar midi style), and a tailored denim jacket in a palette that includes marigold, the house’s distinctive red, celeste, and currant round out the collection. Unveiled in Mexico City alongside the house’s resort collection, the vibrantly colored collaboration debuted at the Diego Rivera–designed Anahuacalli Museum mixing Mayan, Toltec, and Aztec influences. carolinaherrera.com, frame-store.com. E.V.
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Balenciaga and Under Armour Team Up
The much-anticipated Balenciaga capsule with Under Armour, first unveiled during the house’s Spring 25 show in Shanghai, has arrived. The looks, from men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, to sneakers, bags, and accessories blend the French house’s silhouettes, trompe-l’oeil, and washed, pierced, and distressed finishes with Under Armour’s technical expertise. Athletic base layers are here, as are reversible windbreakers (a nylon jacket doubles as a denim zip-up), quarter-zip pullovers, and track suits. Of course, there are also shoes, including co-branded special editions of the Balenciaga Runner, 3XL, and the new Hyper Sneaker. Hybrid pieces that fuse together include track pants, shorts, tops, and jerseys, while a zip-up leather-lined hoodie becomes a shoulder bag. Also in the mix is baggy denim and silver-plated chokers and hoops alongside single-mold wraparound sunglasses. Rounding out the joint effort are duffles, backpacks, and cross-body messengers in leather or recycled nylon put through its paces to produce the house’s signature patina. balenciaga.com. E.V.
Portions of this story originally appeared in the Winter 2024 issue of C Magazine.
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