Retail Happenings: Saint Laurent doubles down in Costa Mesa; Raquel Allegra gets a stand-alone store in L.A.
Saint Laurent expands and relocates its Costa Mesa boutique
The Saint Laurent boutique at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa has relocated – and doubled in size. The minimalist black-and-white space reflects a store concept designed by former creative director Hedi Slimane when he took the creative reins in 2012 and brings it aesthetically in line with other recently renovated Saint Laurent boutiques across the globe, including the Greene Street location in New York City (revamped in late 2015) and the women’s store on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills (which got its makeover in October 2014).
A modernist take on Art Deco, most of the floors and walls are covered in slabs of gray-streaked white marble and sleek fixtures – including shelves that run the entire length of the wall and freestanding vitrines – are rendered in nickel-plated brass, glass and mirrors. The approximately 5,500-square-foot store, which officially opened its doors June 2, carries the French luxury label’s men’s and women’s ready-to-wear collections and accessories and is located on the shopping center’s second level next door to Gucci and across from the Chloé boutique.
Saint Laurent Costa Mesa, 3333 S. Bristol St. Suite 2224, Costa Mesa. www.ysl.com/us
Raquel Allegra’s first stand-alone store bows on West Third Street
Los Angeles-based designer Raquel Allegra has opened a brick-and-mortar boutique on Third Street to showcase her laid-back line of gauzy, tie-dyed linen, silk and jersey dresses, jumpsuits, tops and bottoms. The narrow 1,300-square-foot, natural-light-filled space (located next door to Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo’s Son of a Gun restaurant), which opened earlier this month, has a warm, Midcentury Modern feel thanks to a combination of cement walls, exposed wooden ceiling beams and teak and antique brass fixtures throughout. Eye-catching design elements include a brass-dipped tree branch Allegra found near her Topanga Canyon cabin that has been repurposed into the handle on the front door and a life-size brass-and-copper peacock perched near the store’s entrance to greet customers.
This marks the first stand-alone store to showcase the wares Allegra started making a decade ago that are currently carried by more than 200 retailers worldwide including Ron Herman at the Fred Segal Center on Melrose Avenue, Elyse Walker in the Pacific Palisades and Barneys New York in Beverly Hills. In addition to Allegra’s namesake collection, the store is serving up a selection of vintage jewelry, home goods and collectibles curated by the designer herself.
Raquel Allegra, 8372 W. Third St., Los Angeles, www.raquelallegra.com
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