From Rodeo Drive to Coachella Valley, Saint Laurent, Gucci and Balenciaga bring their distinct brands of elegance to new California stores
Words by ANUSH J. BENLIYAN and MARIE LOOK
Parisian Spirit
The latest project from Saint Laurent creative director Anthony Vaccarello, Saint Laurent Rive Droite is a modern mecca for devotees of the French label. With two locations — one on Paris’ Rue Saint Honoré (in the former space of cult boutique Colette) and the second in Los Angeles, on Rodeo Drive — the new concept store proffers a broad array of fashion and lifestyle products from the Saint Laurent universe and beyond. Among the curated pieces are exclusive ready-to-wear designs and limited editions; homewares and lifestyle products, from Saint Laurent marble skateboards to Baccarat crystal cups to No Ka’Oi yoga mats; and a library of hand-picked books on art, culture and photography, both recently published and vintage editions. 469 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills.
Desert Discoveries
Florentine fashion house Gucci opens its relocated, 4,000-square-foot store at The Gardens on El Paseo at the end of this month. Taking cues from the local landscape, the space boasts a desert-chic vibe on par with the brand’s trademark sophistication and playful eclecticism. Fixtures in polished nickel and aged brass, herringbone oak wood flooring and wicker furniture nod to the rustic desert surrounds. Meanwhile aqua walls, paneled screens and brightly hued vintage oriental rugs lend color and personality to the revamped outpost, which will stock a wide array of Gucci’s offerings, including men’s and women’s shoes, handbags, luggage, small leather goods, jewelry, eyewear and a selection of men’s and women’s ready-to-wear. The Gardens on El Paseo, 73545 El Paseo, Level 1, Palm Desert.
Glass House
Balenciaga’s Beverly Hills location has reopened in a two-story space on Rodeo Drive. Situated across from its former home, the reimagined store reflects the boundary-pushing vision of artistic director Demna Gvasalia, who has introduced stark, futuristic layouts to the label’s most recent store openings worldwide. With an entirely glass facade, the interiors feature concrete slabs, conveyor rails and shades of gray; elsewhere, reflective metal tables, LED lighting and polished surfaces contribute to the industrial-meets-laboratory aesthetic. Guaranteed to draw the eye: carpeting in “green screen” green and “stop-error” blue, along with the hyper-realistic mannequins made from 3-D scans of runway models Kennah McMahon and Sacha Eusebe. Also worth checking out is the Fall 2019 Track.2 sneaker for men and women, a new take on its popular Track trainer; plus a phone holder bag — a mini-sized tote — that fans have been clamoring for ever since they saw it in Balenciaga’s Winter 2019 runway show. 338 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, 310-854-0557.
Feature image: The Pre-Fall 2019 campaign from GUCCI by ALESSANDRO MICHELE was shot by photographer GLEN LUCHFORD.
July 16, 2019
