Missoni closes Rodeo Drive store

Less than a year after the Missoni family received the Rodeo Drive Walk of Style Award during a star-studded event, the Rodeo Drive boutique has closed.

The doors were shut and the merchandise removed on Thursday. The news also comes less than a year after the Missoni for Target collection sparked lines and crashed the website of the big box retailer on Sept. 13. At the time, experts estimated that the collaboration with Target could have been worth as much as $100 million in advertising for the Italian luxury brand known for its zigzag knitwear.

The person who answered the phone at the Rodeo Drive boutique said the closure happened "for a variety of reasons," and that the Malibu store would remain open.

When the Missonis were in town from Italy last October to accept the Rodeo Drive Walk of Style Award, they were upbeat about the brand's future in the U.S. in the wake of the success at Target.

"We can't waste too much time," Margherita Missoni told me at the time. "We have a lot of options because everyone is interested, but it has to be something that touches different categories.... The fact that you can put a zigzag on anything was part of the success at Target. People who wouldn't wear a top would have a glass or a blanket."

The 7,500-square-foot Missoni boutique at the corner of Rodeo and Little Santa Monica Boulevard, designed by Kinmouth-Monfreda in collaboration with Enrico Como and SPaCe Architects, with its distinctive aluminum ribbon exterior, opened in February 2010. The brand's remaining U.S. stores are on Cross Creek Road in Malibu and on Madison Avenue in New York.

-- Booth Moore

UPDATED 06/11/2012 at 10:49 a.m. An earlier version of this post stated that the MIssoni store on Rodeo drive was designed by architect David Chippenfield. It was designed by Kinmouth-Monfreda in collaboration with Enrico Como and SPaCe Architects.

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Photo: Missoni designer Angela Missoni worked with the architect to sheath the Beverly Hills store in a knit-like facade. Credit: Gary Friedman/L.A. Times.

For Rossano Ferretti, it's all about hair -- and world domination

Italian hair stylist Rossano Ferretti has a patented hair cutting method, salons in the toniest neighborhoods in the world and reportedly commands $1,000 a haircut.

Writer Alene Dawson recently visited his new salon in Beverly Hills. Ferretti would neither confirm nor deny the price for a cut from his own hands, but he did talk about his ambitions, his idol (Vidal Sassoon) and what goes into a really great haircut, as reported in the Image section on Sunday.

I wonder if I could afford a bangs trim?

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-- Susan Denley

Photo: Newly styled Angie Rittenberry smiles as master stylist and trainer Christian Serafini looks on at Metodo Rossano Ferretti hair salon in Beverly Hills. Credit: Christina House / Los Angeles Times.

Missoni family, Iman receive Rodeo Drive Walk of Style Awards

The stage was barely big enough to hold all of the members of the Missoni family who traveled from Italy to Beverly Hills to receive the Rodeo Drive Walk of Style Award on Sunday night. It was the first time the honor has been bestowed on an entire family.

Photo Gallery: Rodeo Drive Walk of Style Awards

On hand to celebrate were Ottavio and Rosita Missoni, the family patriarch and matriarch, who founded the knitwear empire nearly 60 years ago; their daughter Angela Missoni, who designs the collection; and Angela's two brothers Vittorio and Luca, who run the business.

The third generation was well represented too. It included Margherita Missoni, star of the recent Missoni for Target commercial, who is now designing for the company in Milan; Ottavio Jr., who is learning the ropes of production; and actress Jennifer Missoni, who is carrying on the family name in Hollywood.

The colors and patterns of their designs "are like the notes of a beautiful love song," said family friend and self-described "Missoni junkie" Quincy Jones, who presented the award to what he dubbed the

Costume design by Italian masters on display in Beverly Hills

The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills isn't slated to open for another year. But already it is bringing fashion fans a treat.

The center booked a nearby temporary space to host the first U.S. showing of  "Il Teatro alla Moda," an exhibition of more than 50 exquisite costumes made by 11 Italian couturiers, including Gianni Versace, Giorgio Armani, Valentino and Roberto Capucci. 

Fashion critic Booth Moore previewed the exhibit, which opened Friday and runs through Nov. 13.

After reading her report, I am definitely penciling this one into my calendar.

-- Susan Denley

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Photo: Roberto Capucci for "Norma," 1986. Credit: Philipp Scholz Rittermann

Rodeo Drive Walk of Style to honor Missoni, Iman

Italian fashion house Missoni and international supermodel/entrepreneur Iman will be honored as the next two recipients of the Rodeo Drive Walk of Style Award at a ceremony next month.

They will be the 16th and 17th fashion influencers to be immortalized with sidewalk plaques, and past recipients of the award include Giorgio Armani (who became the first honoree in 2003), Salvatore Ferragamo, Edith Head, Tom Ford, Manolo Blahnik, Princess Grace, Cartier and Fred Hayman (who became the most recent inductee in a May 2011 ceremony).

Scheduled for Oct. 23, the induction ceremony will include a silent auction to benefit the charity organization Save the Children in its efforts to help families affected by the east African food crisis (Not coincidentally, the Somali-born Iman serves as an ambassador for the group.)

No word yet where in the storied sidewalk said plaques will be embedded, but it would make sense if Missoni's plaque made its home out front of the flagship store that opened at 469 N. Rodeo Drive in February 2010.  

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-- Adam Tschorn

Photo: Iman (left, credit: Andy Kropa/Getty Images) and Italian fashion house Missoni (its Rodeo Drive store at right, credit; Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times) will be the 16th and 17th recipients of the Rodeo Drive Walk of Style Award at a ceremony scheduled for Oct. 23.

HMX Group debuts new men's retail concept in Beverly Hills

HMX Group, the New York City-based apparel manufacturer that owns a stable of American brands including Hickey Freeman, Bobby Jones and its Hart Schaffner Marx flagship label (and the one President Obama chose to wear to his inauguration), has opened a 2,000-square-foot men’s store in Beverly Hills, marking the first time all of its menswear brands (which also include Coppley and Palm Beach) will be under one retail roof .

“We really want to use the store as a laboratory more than anything,” said HMX’s chief creative officer and president, Joseph Abboud, ”a place where we can test new products -- and showcase the full breadth of our brands.”

Fred Hayman honored with Rodeo Drive Walk of Style Award

 
Friends and family gathered at the corner of Rodeo Drive and Dayton Way in Beverly Hills on Tuesday morning to honor retail pioneer Fred Hayman, across the street from the spot where his legendary store Giorgio of Beverly Hills once stood.

The pool table that helped make Hayman's store a social scene as much as a shopping destination was the stage piece for the morning event. "This is emotional," said Hayman, dressed in his signature sports jacket, custom shirt and yellow silk tie. "I have to ask, why me?'"

"Rodeo Drive would just be another district if not for Fred's marketing vision," said Beverly Hills Mayor Barry Brucker, referring to Hayman's creation of the Rodeo Drive Committee in 1977 that helped beautify the street and elevate its retail tenants. "He is one of the city's grandest boosters," he added, noting Hayman's support of the firefighter and police officer funds and the Beverly Hills International Documentary Film Festival, among other things.

Hayman is the 15th recipient of the Rodeo Drive Walk of Style Award, created to honor legends at the intersection of fashion and entertainment.

Wanda McDaniel, now executive vice president of entertainment industry communications at Giorgio Armani, admitted that her first love was for that other Giorgio, Giorgio Beverly Hills, where she bought the Chloe gown she wore to wed Hollywood producer Albert Ruddy in 1981. "Fred, you were one of the reasons I came out to L.A. and dreamed my dream," said McDaniel, a student at the University of Missouri School of Journalism who moved here at age 20 after winning a prize in a contest tied to Fashion Creators Press Week. "You are my original maestro."

L.A.-based fashion journalist and retailer Rose Apodaca, who penned the new book about Hayman's life,  "Fred Hayman: The Extraordinary Difference," called him a "retail revolutionary" who taught her that "even in casual L.A., there is always room for elegance."

Producer-director Gil Cates praised Hayman's former role as Academy Awards fashion coordinator, who hosted annual pre-Oscars fashion shows. "You brought dignity to the Oscars show, which is not easy to do," Cates said, adding that Hayman was always on call for celebrities, even bringing dresses by the theater on Oscars rehearsal day.

Hayman, it seems, may also have been the original celebrity stylist. And so it was appropriate that when the speeches had ended and the plaque was unveiled, it was inscribed with the words "Clothes don't make a star, but they sure do help."

-- Booth Moore

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Photo: Fred Hayman, known as "the father of Rodeo Drive,"  was honored with a plaque unveiling and induction ceremony by the Rodeo Drive Walk Of Style on Tuesday in Beverly Hills. Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images.

Fred Hayman to receive Rodeo Drive Walk of Style Award

 
Fred Hayman, who helped transform Rodeo Drive from a sleepy mainstreet into a global shopping destination, will be this year's recipient of the Rodeo Drive Walk of Style Award. The ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. May 31 at the corner of Rodeo Drive and Dayton Way, near where the famous yellow-and-white awnings of Hayman's legendary Giorgio Beverly Hills boutique once flew.

"Fred Hayman’s vision helped develop and create this beautiful street into the legendary worldwide brand known as Rodeo Drive,” Peri Ellen Berne, chairman of the Rodeo Drive Walk of Style, said in a statement. "Through the Rodeo Drive Committee, his efforts to promote the street extended to the Hollywood crowd and world travelers alike, helping draw brands such as Gucci, Hermes and Tiffany & Co. to the street in the 1970s, along with the arrival of his signature store, Giorgio Beverly Hills.  The ensuing cluster of luxury retail shaped Rodeo Drive in a way that rivaled Bond Street, Madison Avenue and Via Condotti.”

Hayman will be honored with a permanent plaque embedded in the sidewalk on the street. The award, created in 2003, honors individuals for their contributions to fashion and entertainment. Previous winners have included Tom Ford, Valentino, James Galanos and Giorgio Armani.

It's good timing for Hayman. Rose Apodaca's new book chronicling the famous retailer's life and times is out in June, titled "Fred Hayman: The Extraordinary Difference."

-- Booth Moore

Fred Hayman, the man behind Giorgio Beverly Hills, stands near a re-creation of the original storefront just blocks from where the doors first opened. Credit: Kirk McKoy/ Los Angeles Times.

Jennifer Hudson, Angela Bassett, Viola Davis, Loretta Devine honored

On ascending the podium at Thursday’s Essence Black Women In Hollywood luncheon at the Beverly Hills Hotel, Jennifer Hudson gazed out at the audience, a sea of famous faces, and thanked everyone in the room for the award she was about to receive.

“I’ve sat back and watched all of you, and you are what inspired me,” said Hudson, an honoree, along with Angela Bassett, Viola Davis and Loretta Devine. “This is a first for me,” she added, “that I’ve walked into an event and I actually know who everybody is.”

Indeed, it was quite the star-studded crowd. Forest Whitaker, Amy Adams, Sharon Leal, Anika Noni Rose and Michael Patrick King, director of the “Sex in the City” films, came to introduce the award recipients. Kerry Washington, Kimora Lee Simmons, Serena Williams, Gabrielle Union, Garcelle Beauvais and Brandy were among the 340 invited guests.

Jesse Williams of “Grey’s Anatomy” said he came to show his support to all those who have been supportive of him, calling them "a touchstone of advice and wisdom.”

“I’m super-excited to be here,” Hudson said before ceremonies began, her 18-month old toddler, David, in tow. And for Amy Adams, “It was a no-brainer” to agree to introduce Davis, one of her costars in the film “Doubt.”  

Said Michelle Ebanks, president of Essence Communications, “We choose to honor the biggest stars of the moment, women who can make the connection with millions of black women -- women who can inspire our readers to say, ‘Yes, if they can do that, I can follow my dreams.’”

During her acceptance speech, Davis’ eyes filled with tears, and she said, “My husband told me not to cry.”

“I’m motivated by the joy that’s in this room,” said Bassett. “I’m inspired by the rich wealth of talent that’s here today, and I’m captivated by the vision that we have of ourselves.”  

-- Ellen Olivier

Photo: Jennifer Hudson and her son, David. Credit: Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images

 

A constellation of stars turn out for Tom Ford's boutique-opening bash

Tom Ford threw a cocktail party Thursday night to celebrate the opening of his long-awaited Beverly Hills flagship store at 346 N. Rodeo Drive, and with the Academy Awards just 2 1/2 days away, the gray carpet leading into the store was crammed with a constellation of red carpet star power.

Milla Jovovich, wearing a Tom Ford black-and-white plaid suit and a black shirt unbuttoned to the navel, could be seen air-kissing photographer Terry Richardson in the white marble entry vestibule. Upstairs, Valentino could be seen chatting in one corner of the room; across from him, Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson mugged for cellphone self-portraits with Ginnifer Goodwin. Colin Firth conversed with Harvey Weinstein near a rack of dresses, while Bradley Cooper and Eva Longoria chuckled over a flubbed cheek kiss. 

Through it all, the man of the hour, Tom Ford, stood like a groom in a receiving line, hugging and shaking hands with a parade of well-wishers that included some of the folks you'd expect -- Lisa Eisner, Karen Elson, Gina Gershon, Rosario Dawson and Adrien Brody -- and a few you might not, like Catherine O'Hara, Suzanne Somers and Norman Lear.

But the evening's breakout star was the space itself -- a 9,200-square-foot, two-floor temple of luxe, the first of his stores (other U.S. locations include New York City and Las Vegas) designed specifically to offer dedicated space to the new women's collection.

So it should be no surprise that the store feels a lot less masculine -- most of the Macassar ebony wood accents having given way to light grays and silvers -- including a staircase lined in highly polished mirror-finish stainless steel that made a trek up two flights of stairs feel like a disorienting trip past funhouse mirrors (which, unfortunately, didn't include a mirrored surface that could make me look thin.)

The first floor houses the menswear clothing and accessories collection -- which includes horn-handled shaving brushes the size of a toddler's forearm, and curling, ram-horn lighters three times that length -- as well as the perfumery, with the second floor housing women's clothing and accessories, including a handbag wall and separate areas designed to display the eveningwear, daywear, and footwear collections.

In addition to being able to check out the new digs, party-goers were also afforded the first-ever, up-close sneak peek at the new women's collection -- which will be available to the rest of the world today when the store opens to the public (the spring and summer 2011 collection can also be seen online at Ford's website by clicking here).

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 -- Adam Tschorn

Top photo: Photographers shoot the arrival of celebrity guests Thursday in front of the 23-foot-tall facade of the new Tom Ford flagship at 346 N. Rodeo Drove in Beverly Hills. Credit: Adam Tschorn / Los Angeles Times

Center: Tom Ford and Milla Jovovich on the gray carpet. Credit: Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

Bottom: From left, Elizabeth Banks, Colin Firth and Ginnifer Goodwin were among the celebrities in attendance. Credit: Frazer Harrison / Getty Images