The influence of the late Henry Segerstrom carried on last month as well-heeled guests rubbed shoulders at Chanel Inc.’s expanded and renovated boutique in the Nordstrom wing of South Coast Plaza.
There would have been no reason for the champagne to flow without Segerstrom’s personal response to a request from the luxury brand before he died in February at age 91.
“We went to Mr. Segerstrom and said, ‘We have a plan to grow the business in Orange County, and we think [it’s] such a sophisticated market. Can you find us more space? … Can you move someone else around?’ ” said Barbara Cirkva, division president of fashion for Chanel in the U.S.
Segerstrom founded South Coast Plaza and oversaw its growth into a globally renowned seat of retail luxury. His decades-long passion for retail put him in various roles over the decades—everything from running dog-sled races down Bristol Street to publicize the newly opened South Coast Plaza back in 1969 to stints managing luxury stores as the center’s reputation gained altitude.
Moves
Chanel’s request for more room led Segerstrom to his retail chess board. He found a new spot for Chanel’s former neighbor—Valentino—on the jewel court. The brand from Rome now is next to the Harry Winston boutique and across from Cartier.
The move enabled Chanel to absorb 2,000 square feet of vacated space and increase its boutique to 9,000 square feet. The brand added five to seven staffers at the Costa Mesa location and also reorganized the store’s interior to better showcase it offerings.
The boutique, which opened in 1990, now features two rooms with accessories such as handbags, sunglasses and costume jewelry.
A ready-to-wear spring-summer collection by Karl Lagerfeld—Chanel’s chief designer—is showcased in two “salons” with wave-like wall finishes symbolizing the California coastline. The sea-inspired decor, designed by architect Peter Marino, extends into a dedicated shoe area that now can accommodate “a very broad collection,” Cirkva said.
A new, separate section for watches and fine jewelry picks up on themes from brand founder Coco Chanel’s famous Paris apartment, including a Maison d’Art Goossens chandelier and a fireplace. Other adornments—rock crystal screens by artist Christophe Côme, and ivory lacquer and gold wall panels by abstract artist Nancy Lorenz—add to the luxury feel of the section.
“Having a separate space with the fireplace … and the beautiful crystal chandelier will give us the ability to highlight and showcase our high jewelry collection in Orange County, which we haven’t been able to do in the past, as well as focus on jewelry watches,” Cirvka said.
She seems to know her clientele—the brand picked the reopening of the South Coast Plaza boutique for the global launch of its diamond-encrusted Mademoiselle Privé Camélia watch, which drew plenty of attention to the jewelry section. Chanel also presented “some very, very special high-jewelry pieces,” Cirkva said, adding that they were “flown in from Paris and around the world.”
OC ‘Very Important’
“Orange County, between our South Coast Plaza store and our Neiman Marcus store in Fashion Island, is a very important market for us, both for the local clientele as well as the great international clientele that comes either as visitors or has second residences in that part of Southern California,” she said. “They are very fashion-forward and always looking for what is new, what is special, and what’s unique.”
Chanel also revamped the boutique’s exterior with its first window display paying homage to a pro-feminist protest that Lagerfeld’s models staged on the catwalk at Chanel’s ready-to-wear show finale during Paris Fashion Week last fall.
The boutique moved a few doors down to a temporary location during the renovation, which took nine months.
“Our Chanel remodel is one of the most hotly anticipated openings of the year,” Debra Gunn Downing, executive director of marketing for South Coast Plaza, said in a news release. “And the amazing cast of both established luxury brands and exciting, new ones that we are adding to the mix continues to make it a very compelling shopping experience for our customer.”
Céline
South Coast Plaza’s “haute” hallway is getting another luxury tenant next month—Céline. The French ready-to-wear and leather goods brand—which left the shopping center in 2009—will open a store across from Chanel in July.
Céline’s return required another deft move on the retail chess board by Segerstrom, who was long one of OC’s most influential people (see related Special Report pullout).
The space had been occupied by the Roberto Cavalli boutique, which the retail impresario directed to larger space at a site formerly occupied by Williams-Sonoma near the Saks Fifth Avenue department store. The designer expanded its offering at the new location to feature menswear, in addition to its women’s ready-to-wear and children’s collections.
Williams-Sonoma, meanwhile, has set up shop in the Crate and Barrel/Macy’s home store wing.
Some other final flourishes by Segerstrom: This month’s arrival of Milan fashion house Dolce & Gabbana.
