Jeweler Frey Wille hits Rodeo Drive on Friday

 

Austrian jewelry brand Frey Wille (pronounced fry-ville) is opening a boutique on Rodeo Drive on Friday, adding another location forits 87 stores worldwide. The 1,000-square-foot store will showcase the company’s art-based accessories like jewelry, pens, belts and bags all with a colorful, enamel inlaid design that has come to be the Frey Wille signature.

The Rodeo Drive location (Frey Wille also has a store in Santa Monica, its first in the U.S., which opened in 2005 but has since become too small to house the growing collection) will stock the full product line including jewelry, watches, accessories, a men’s collection and scarves all with the decorative art mosaics inspired by painters like Claude Monet and Gustav Klimt.

Though the Frey Wille merchandise is known for containing a kaleidoscope of colors, patterns and shapes, the boutique's décor is decidedly more subdued. The space, designed by architect Miyako Tsutsui and Simone Grünberger-Wille, Frey Wille chief designer and wife of chief executive Friedrich Wille, is clean, natural and modern, furnished with pieces shipped from Vienna. Architectural details that echo the well-known brand’s “winged Sphinx” logo are built in throughout the store.

 --Melissa Magsaysay

 

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 Photo: A Frey Wille bracelet with the company's signature colored patterns. Credit: Frey Wille

 

Swarovski Elements decks out Rodeo Drive with holiday bling

As if Rodeo Drive needed any more glitz, the retail mecca is about to get crystallized for the holiday season, thanks to Swarovski Elements.

The crystal company is known for providing glittery pieces to countless fashion and accessory companies. On Monday it plans to unveil a holiday installation that will remain through Jan. 3 on Rodeo Drive’s median, just north of Wilshire Boulevard.

This is the first time Swarovski Elements is taking over the street for the holiday season. It has similar installations at Harrod’s department store in London and Takashimaya stores in Tokyo and Singapore.

Nearly 55,000 crystals will festoon Beverly Hills’ famous shopping street, 41,775 of them used for the interactive sculpture on the median. The sculpture isn’t in the shape of an evergreen, twinkling star, angel or swan, as you might expect around the holidays. Instead the company went for a more modern and somewhat scientific approach, designing the sculpture to look like a DNA helix to convey the idea of communication and the various ways in which we transmit information.

The ribbon-like sculpture with intertwining strands  -- that's an artist's rendering, above --  will display messages sent from people all over the world. Participants can tweet a message with the hash tag #letitsparkle or, in the U.S. only, text the word “sparkle” followed by a greeting to 877877. The messages will appear on a ticker tape-like structure built into the sculpture. People’s sentiments will appear in the languages in which they are sent.

Tweets and texts aren’t the only interactive portion of the Swarovski Elements holiday event. Shopping is part of the equation too, since several retailers on the street have created items using Swarovski Elements crystals that are exclusive to their Rodeo Drive locations. Missoni, La Perla, Escada and Ferragamo are among the shops participating.

In addition, more than 1,700 crystals will embellish Rodeo’s palm trees and about 10,000 crystals will deck holiday banners.

Swarovski couldn’t comment on how much all the bling is worth, but given that single beads offered on the company’s website start at about $10.50 each, a display using more than 50,000 crystals is lavish indeed.

For anyone who loves bling (and we’re guessing that’s the majority of those who flock to Rodeo, whether to buy or drool), then the combo of crystals and high-end shopping should be festive indeed.

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Swarovski Elements and Jessica Alba kick off holiday season with sparkle

--Melissa Magsaysay

Image: Artist's rendering of Rodeo Drive holiday installation. Credit: Swarovski Elements

Swarovski Elements and Jessica Alba kick off the holiday season with some sparkle

The holidays are on the horizon and Swarovski Elements, the crystal company that supplies the shiny baubles to countless designers as well as their own line of jewelry and accessories, is ringing in the season right with tons of sparkle starting with an event at the Soho House on Wednesday night.

Jessica Alba hosted the intimate dinner to kick off the company's crystal installation on Rodeo Drive, which includes a sculpture and an array of crystals up and down the shopping mecca to be unveiled Monday, with Alba doing the honors.

Clad in a nude lace Dolce and Gabbana dress, the actress punctuated the neutral color with a statement-making Swarovski Crystallized Winter Garden necklace, which is available at Swarovski Crystallized boutiques and swarovski-crystallized.com. Proceeds from the sale of the Winter Garden necklace benefit the Baby 2 Baby charity, an organization that provides essentials such as diapers and formula to families in need. Alba is on the board of the charity.

Reinhard Mackinger, executive vice president of Swarovski Elements, also announced that the company would be making a monetary donation to Baby 2 Baby, to which Alba expressed her gratitude, saying it was a cause very near and dear to her heart.

Guests dined among an impressive centerpiece of large, almost cartoon-like white roses that snaked the distance of the long dinner table and were sprinkled with hundreds of loose crystals that sparkled against the mirrored base.

Someone who knows a lot about sparkle is the fuchsia-haired jewelry designer and dinner guest Tarina Tarantino, who shared her excitement over her beauty collection with Sephora. The Sparklicity shimmer dust is a best seller, and no wonder -- just thinking of her whimsical designs, bling and color are the first things that come to mind.

More sparkle and whimsy is to be had when Swarovski Elements unveils their Rodeo Drive takeover Monday. More than 40,000 crystals were used to bedazzle the street between an interactive sculpture, signage and decked-out palm trees. 

A fitting winter wonderland for Los Angeles.

-- Melissa Magsaysay

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Photos: Top: Baby 2 Baby co-presidents Norah Weinstein, left, and Kelly Sawyer Patricof, right, are joined by Jessica Alba. Right: Tarina Tarantino and Jamie King at party. Left: Reinhard Mackinger, executive vice president of Swarovski Elements, with Alba. Credit: Todd Williamson / WireImage

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

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.

Hilary Duff, Nikki Lund help launch Kendra Scott on Rodeo Drive

Texas jewelry designer Kendra Scott opened her Rodeo Drive boutique and invited all her Hollywood friends for the launch party Wednesday night at the Andaz Hotel Sundeck in West Hollywood.
 
Hilary Duff, one of Scott’s biggest fans and a fellow Texan, was ready to celebrate, dressed in a strapless Yigal Azrouel pencil dress, beige Louboutins and her custom-made Kendra Scott cuff.
 
Duff was also there in support of  Blessings In a Backpack, a charity that feeds schoolchildren on weekends when hot meals are not available to them. “I was shocked when I heard that some students don’t have food when they get home from school,”  Duff said.  “On Fridays, Blessings In a Backpack sends kids home with a backpack full of food for them and their families.  Right now they are feeding 235 schools nationwide, but there is still such a need.”
 
Scott said 20% of proceeds from sales at Wednesday night's event and from all sales made this weekend will be donated to Blessings In a Backpack. “Our goal is to adopt a new school and feed hundreds of children this year, and I think we can do it,” Scott said.
 
Known for pieces with large, colorful stones, Scott’s line is priced between $40 and $250 and is made for the “bold, sassy woman,” she said. “Our client is the kind of girl who likes to have fun and isn’t afraid to get attention.  You don’t wear Kendra Scott jewelry if you don’t want attention, because people will walk up to you and say 'I love that.'” 
 
Scott’s friend  Luke Wilson and Nikki Lund, the singer who is the muse for clothing line White Trash Beautiful, also attended.  “Bringing them [Kendra Scott] on as an accessory sponsor would be really cool for our shows,” Lund said, hinting that there might be some catwalk collaborations with the jewelry designer in the near future. “Her designs are big and bold and I am all about boldness for a woman.  Be confident and be sexy,” Lund said.
  
Other guests included Haylie Duff, Taylor Armstrong, David Meister, Mike Judge, Gretta Monahan and Ellen Marlow.

The new boutique is at 9511 S. Santa Monica Blvd., on the corner of Rodeo Drive.

-- Raha Lewis

Photo: Hilary Duff, left, with jewelry designer Kendra Scott at Wednesday's party. Credit: Chris Keiper

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Fred Hayman gets his due in new book

Fred Hayman is a local treasure. I had so much fun writing this Sunday's Image cover story about Rose Apodaca's impressive new book about the retailer, "Fred Hayman The Extraordinary Difference: The Story of Rodeo Drive, Hollywood Glamour and the Showman Who Sold It All." 

As proprietor of the Giorgio Beverly Hills boutique. Hayman was an architect of luxury in Los Angeles, bringing high fashion, a social shopping atmosphere and white-glove service to what was still a sleepy main street when he went into retail in 1967 at the age of 38.

During the 31 years he ruled the retail roost from his perch under Giorgio's signature yellow and gold awnings, he saw it all -- Ali MacGraw shopping with husband Robert Evans, then with husband Steve McQueen; Lucille Ball and her pet chimpanzee drinking Coke out of a crystal goblet; and Zsa Zsa Gabor wearing one of his branded Giorgio Beverly Hills sweatshirts during the media mayhem that ensued, after she slapped the police officer who arrested her for a traffic violation.

You propably remember all the kitschy branded Giorgio Beverly Hills merchandise, a mainstay on EBay, and the perfume, which made Hayman millions. But there is so much more. A consummate host, he set the bar for entertaining in "Dynasty" and "Scruples" era Southern California. And Rodeo Drive will never be the same. In a second story, I took a look at how the famous street is now versus then.

-- Booth Moore

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Photo: Fred Hayman with Ali MacGraw, courtesy of the Fred Hayman archives.

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.

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

Your morning fashion and beauty report: From reality star to business mogul, Snooki is branching out, a la the Kardashians

"Jersey Shore's" Snooki is branching out. The reality-show instant celeb has plans for a merchandise empire that includes makeup, clothing, personal care products, sunglasses and lingerie. What can I say? Make it stop! [BellaSugar]

In August, Gucci launched Gucci Guilty fragrance for women. Now men can get guilty too as the design house's licensee, Proctor & Gamble, prepares to roll out Gucci Guilty Pour Homme. [WWD] (Subscription required.)

Meanwhile, Cartier's new women's scent, Cartier de Lune, is set to hit Saks' Fifth Avenue counters this month [WWD] while Rihanna's first fragrance, Reb'l Fleur, will soon be introduced by Parlux Fragrances Inc. The name? It's the singer's nickname from her grandmother. [People] 

The iconic beehive hairdo didn't exist until 50 years ago or so, when stylist Margaret Vinci Heldt created it. Heldt, now 92, is getting her due with a new scholarship named in her honor by Cosmetologists Chicago. [TribLocal]

CoverGirl gathered cover girls past and present for a 50th-anniversary bash at L.A.'s Boa steakhouse. Famous faces Taylor Swift, Ellen DeGeneres, Drew Barrymore, Cheryl Tiegs, and Queen Latifah were among 'em. [WWD]

Crystal Renn, she of the sobriquet "plus-size model," is popping up everywhere. After turns in 2010 on runways for John Paul Gaultier, Chanel and Zac Posen, she's now the face of Jimmy Choo. [The Cut] 

Badgley Mischka has opened a new flagship on L.A.'s Rodeo Drive. [WWD] (Subscription required.) 

And coolest for last: Adidas Originals plans to come out with its first line of denim Jan. 20. And the jeans will be designed with sneaker protectors in the cuffs to save your Adidas lace-ups from indigo dye stains. [WWD]

-- Susan Denley

Photo: Snooki, who is branching out a la the Kardashians. Credit: Chris Pizzello / Associated Press