Exploring the art and architecture of shopping in West Hollywood

NOT TO BE OUTDONE by the Emmy Awards and its noteworthy, fashion-and-beauty driven pre-event sideshows, the city of West Hollywood rolled out its own red carpet. On September 8, West Hollywood threw West Hollywood Celebrates Fashion’s Night Out, an event that was part of the unprecedented global shopping phenomenon originally devised by Vogue, the Council of Fashion Designers of America, NYC & Company, and the City of New York.

While past outings of the event’s affiliated Structures & Style have been low-key affairs that showcased hotels and restaurants with arresting design, the fashion quotient for this year’s went up a notch. This change proved quite convenient if you were attending the Emmy Awards and preferred to hit the stores before the luxury lounge circus comes to town. The top-tier boutique roster this year included 3.1 Phillip Lim, Alberta Ferretti, HLNR, Church, and Roseark.

Two weeks before the release date, members of the press got a sneak preview at the design and architecture concepts that aimed to drive an exclusive cadre of consumers in, while encouraging clothing and accessories to come out, in a pretty shopping bag. Some of the highlights follow.

Alberta Ferretti. Imagined by the architect and design firm Sybarite, the West Hollywood flagship store artfully displays the Alberta Ferretti and Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti clothing and accessories in a manner that positively flows. All the walls in the 3,500 ft² space are magnetic, allowing for easy removal of fixtures and shelving from the walls, making the boutique a constantly evolving representation of the current collection.

3.1 Phillip Lim. 3.1 Phillip Lim’s boutique unfolds as a sexy maze of style with winding corridors complete with striking but classic outfits and separated by illuminated shelves displaying his bags and accessories. The flagship store, which also ingeniously converts to event space and storage, was designed by a collaboration of architecture firms Para-Project, LLC and Office/Giancarlo Valle and includes a project team consisting of Dominic Leong, Wayne Leong, Jonathan Lott, Brian Price, Andrew Sieger, and Giancarlo Valle.

HLNR. HLNR, or H. Lorenzo North Robertson, designed by Oliviero Daldini, is the most luxuriously “rock and roll” of the featured boutiques. It showcases edgy Japanese and European lines for both men and women and feels almost like a recording studio, a design consideration which makes the most creative types feel right at home.


Church

Church Boutique. Church Boutique, helmed by former Maxfield employees Rodney Burns and David Malvaney, who also designed the space back in 2009, is a funky, eclectic and appealing boutique gallery housed inside a former upholstery shop. The 5,000 ft² space, which was originally built in 1946, was gutted to prepare space for the boutique, the renovation revealing soaring, skylight strewn ceilings and exposed wood beams. A selection of clothing from over 50 cutting-edge designers hang from old pipes, rope and splintered wood, completing the ambiance of the shop turned design haven.

Roseark. It is fitting that the transformed house, built in 1918, that houses Roseark is by appointment only. Once you enter the iron gates, it feels like a country retreat inside, a welcome change from the hustle and bustle of city life. The space, remodelled by Kathy and Rick Rose, focuses on innovative jewellery pieces but also features cleverly positioned art, home furnishings, couture clothing, handbags and other one-of-a-kind luxuries.

While you’re in the neighbourhood of WeHo, J. Gerard Design Studio and Peace Gallery (jgerarddesignstudio.com) has designs that were featured in our Eva La Rue profile a few years back and are unique and stylish. The label continues to go strong with a celebrity fan base that includes Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart, Patti Smith, Cher, Prince, Miranda Lambert, Robin Thicke, Dave Matthews and Julie Delpy. The space can best be described as an arena rock stadium show or MTV Video Music Awards telecast but in intimate boutique form and is well worth checking out. •

Elyse Glickman is US west coast editor of Lucire.

Alberta Ferretti


3.1 Phillip Lim


HTC



Roseark

In living colour
Design Indaba, the hands-on, break-out fashion and lifestyle expo, keeps the youth, energy and optimism of the “new South Africa” relevant nearly two decades into the country’s new era, reports Elyse Glickman
photographed by Sydelle Willow Smith/the Imaginarium