Plus Jimmy Choo launches jewelry and Etro’s paisley-perfect It bag
Words by ELIZABETH VARNELL and ANUSH J. BENLIYAN
Etro’s new bag is pretty in paisley
Etro’s bohemian prints, a staple of West Coast summers from music festival lawns to beach bonfires, are now splashed across its playful new leather bag. Ideally sized for a phone and lipstick — and available in a roomier version that will fit a paperback — the Crown Me flap bags, in an aptly named Liquid Paisley pattern, add a jolt of energy to crisp summer whites, bright color blocks and clashing prints alike. Available in candy pink or emerald green, the bag’s gender-neutral, tattoo-inspired motif, driven by the Italian house’s all-in fluid approach to dressing, also appears on shirts, sweatshirts, pants and bucket hats this season. etro.com.
Ralph Lauren’s new tome celebrates 50 years of the polo shirt
The Polo shirt, Ralph Lauren’s masterfully simple design that debuted in 1972 and quickly achieved global ubiquity in its various incarnations — shrunken, supersized, patched, striped, printed, painted, weathered and tie-dyed — is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a new volume chronicling its rise from all-cotton sport shirt to all-purpose American staple. The new monograph, Ralph Lauren’s Polo Shirt (Rizzoli New York, $37), explores the cultural impact of the collared garment that evoked a lifestyle through an embroidered galloping horse and rider. A host of athletes, politicians, actors, singers, entrepreneurs and fans are pictured in their Polos and a timeline traces its storied evolution. ralphlauren.com.
Giorgio Armani on Rodeo gets a head-to-toe refresh
If the walls inside Giorgio Armani’s Rodeo Drive boutique could talk, there would be quite a style story to tell, starting with the Italian designer’s polished approach to modern premiere looks worn by an unparalleled roster of stars — from Richard Gere to Cate Blanchett. Now the over 9,000-square-foot Rodeo Drive institution, initially opened in 1988, has undergone a renovation, beginning with its storefront facade newly emblazoned with stylized palm silhouettes. Inside, walls clad in Armani/Casa silk, floors in marble and onyx, and furniture in eucalyptus tones house women’s accessories, beauty and fragrances and a new Made to Order room. Men’s seasonal collections are on a mezzanine, and the boutique’s second floor includes evening dresses and men’s formal and Made to Measure designs in addition to a VIP room. Not to be missed is an exclusive new evening collection in honor of the opening. 436 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, 310-271-5555; armani.com.
A lux new ready-to-wear line, loved by the A-listers
Silk shirts and pleated pants in watercolor prints and jewel tones are the backbone of Finney, the luxury ready-to-wear line with both women’s and men’s refined essentials that have already caught the eye of Kristen Stewart and Andrew Garfield. Founder Phillip Bodenham takes inspiration from London and Los Angeles, where he splits his time. “I love that louche, undone vibe that L.A. has,” he says, also noting that the addition of a tux jacket transforms the look for an evening in London. All of which is fitting for a company whose name, Bodenham says, is derived “probably from that insouciant, devil-may-care vibe of the Huckleberry Finn character.” The river-loving protagonist may also inform Finney’s reliance on natural fibers and small runs, eschewing plastics and ocean-harming microplastics for laid-back looks that are at once effortless and sophisticated. You can find it on the rails of Maxfield and Ron Herman in L.A. and A’maree’s in Newport Beach, as well as finney-co.com.
Forza Forte Forte! Italian seaside staples arrive on Melrose Place
Since its 2002 launch, Forte Forte has garnered a cult following for its anti-trend, ultra-feminine approach to fashion, dedication to craftsmanship and exquisite fabrics. The family-run Italian womenswear label, founded by siblings Giada and Paolo Forte, has a number of impeccably appointed international boutiques — including in Milan, Cannes, London, Madrid and Tokyo — and is sold through Farfetch, Elyse Walker and other multi-brand retailers, but had yet to make its U.S. brick-and-mortar debut. “California, with its sunny streets and delicate bohemian spirit was the perfect next step,” says art director Robert Vattilana. The highly anticipated Melrose Place flagship takes inspiration from the state’s desert landscapes and modernist architecture and stocks the new Spring/Summer 2022 collection of breezy seaside staples. “The Los Angeles boutique expresses a desire for simplification,” Vattilana says. Ultimately, it’s simply “a unique place to discover a special wardrobe.” 8424 Melrose Place, L.A., 323-272-3895; forte-forte.com.
Piaget’s opens a glittering new store front in Beverly Hills
The storefront of Piaget’s new immersive boutique on Rodeo Drive is a glittering addition to the growing list of Insta-worthy backgrounds around town. Created to mimic the house’s Milanese Mesh — precious metals woven into bracelets and bands by its artisans — the facade catches and reflects sunlight and lamplight in equal measure. Inside, a digital mirror renders reflections into silhouettes comprised of gold particles to print or share. Altiplano timepieces with the brand’s signature ultrathin movements are on offer alongside Piaget’s other luxury watch collections, as is a unique high jewelry suite created especially for the new boutique. As an ode to Los Angeles’ blue skies, the exclusive Magic Hour set is showcased in glimmering sapphires, aquamarines and diamonds. 465 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, 424-332-4280; piaget.com.
At last! Jimmy Choo launches jewelry collection
Jimmy Choo stilettos — leg-elongating staples for over two decades — and the line’s Bon Bon handbag with its bracelet-like handle, are inspiring new spinoffs this season. The brand is expanding its footprint with a new line of jewelry to adorn ears, necks, wrists, fingers and ankles in baubles echoing its house codes. Swarovski crystals embellishing shoe designs since the company’s launch are now strewn about earrings shaped to resemble the company’s trademark star. Pearls, another elegant brand mainstay, accent cuffs, studs and earrings with lustrous spherical shapes. The interlocking JC monogram, visible across rings and enamel bangles, is another collection standout. In all, the striking new pieces make a case for a coordinated head-to-toe look this summer. jimmychoo.com.
Tiffany & Co.’s Botanica collection takes inspiration from fanciful flora
Timeless floral motifs from Tiffany & Co.’s heritage designs are reemerging as transformable jewels in the house’s new Botanica collection. Riffs on orchids, dandelions and thistles are abstracted and recreated with diamonds and colored gemstones, a genius evolution of the house’s savoir faire. Innovative mechanisms allow the dimensional garden-party-ready jewels to reconfigure diamond rings, necklaces, earrings and brooches into various styles. Jean Schlumberger’s fanciful floral designs are reimagined including his Fleurage bracelet, initially sketched as a candidate for the Tiffany diamond and now set with over 48 carats of cushion-cut aquamarine framed by diamond flower petals. Louis Comfort Tiffany’s dandelion hair ornaments inspired a new necklace with two interchangeable pendants that can be worn five ways. G. Paulding Farnham’s orchid brooches, created for the 1889 Paris Exposition Universelle, are even curvier and newly accentuated with round rose-cut, modified rose-cut and round brilliant diamonds. tiffany.com.
TAG Heuer connects the dots between fitness and timekeeping with its new Connected watch
TAG Heuer’s reworked Connected Calibre E4 smartwatch is ready to monitor an ever-growing ecosystem of activities, including guided workouts, running, precise altitude, cycling metrics, golf-shot distances, pool-lap totals and interval breakdowns, all without connecting to a phone. The next-generation, sporty 45 mm face and slimmed-down 42 mm model — inspired by elegant chronographs and worn by tennis champ Naomi Osaka and track gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin — have a longer battery life and high-contrast screens visible even in strong sunlight. But beyond the specs, they’re an elegant addition to the genre. Mechanical watch faces are based on classic TAG timepieces while more digital-leaning versions are inspired by the 160-year-old company’s sports timers. tagheuer.com.
Feature image: The FORTE FORTE boutique on Melrose Place.
This story originally appeared in the Summer 2022 issue of C Magazine.
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