Call it serendipity.
The same year that French designer Hubert de Givenchy launched his chic brand in Paris in 1952, Frank Lloyd Wright was designing the Anderton Court Shops for a local textile heiress who wanted a stylish commercial building on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.
Those shops opened in 1954. Seventy years later, Givenchy is occupying the entire complex for its first permanent West Coast flagship.
Givenchy is no stranger to the tony shopping street filled with luxury retailers. Last year, the brand, owned since 1988 by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, opened a temporary store a block away while the finishing touches were added to the stand-out white structure identifiable by a tall obelisk-shaped spire now flying the Givenchy flag at 332 North Rodeo Drive.
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“For Givenchy’s first permanent store in Los Angeles, it was important to select a space that would resonate with our brand,” said Valerie Leon, Givenchy president of the Americas. “Given Hubert de Givenchy’s love of art and architecture, the Frank Lloyd Wright building felt like the right choice, and the opportunity to bring Givenchy to life there was inspiring.”
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Originally, the Anderton Court Shops, commissioned by Nina Anderton, were designed to hold different stores. With Givenchy’s arrival, this will be the first time one business has occupied the entire 8,000-square-foot structure whose three stories are connected by an outside angular ramp like the one in New York’s Guggenheim Museum, also designed by Wright.
To preserve the multistore concept of the historic edifice, Givenchy made a point of keeping the space as individual shops. The store is divided into “Shop 1,” on the right-hand side for menswear, and “Shop 2,” on the left-hand side, with women’s accessories and shoes, leading to a full selection of women’s ready-to-wear another level up.
Next year, additional spaces, including a VIP salon and an area dedicated to Givenchy experiences, will be unveiled.
For the store’s opening, Givenchy’s fall 2024 pre-collection will be on view, accompanied by men’s and women’s summer merchandise from the Givenchy Plage collection.
An array of extensive men’s items includes suiting, shirting and accessories. For women, there is modern eveningwear, tailored pieces and standout denim. Statement accessories include the complete line of handbags with multiple variations of the Voyou, a hobo style.
Exclusive pieces available at the new store include the Rodeo Drive limited-edition shark lock cowboy boot in white leather with turquoise stitching and the Rodeo Drive limited-edition mini Antigona lock bag in white leather with turquoise strass stitching.
To maintain the store’s historic integrity, Givenchy partnered with Victor Fuentes, principal architect at Lochte Architecture Group, and Flora Chou, associate principal and cultural resources planner at Page & Turnbull, to oversee the renovation.
During the interior’s refurbishing, the original diamond-scored concrete ceilings and floors came to light and were restored. The floors were kept Wright’s signature red. Two original fireplaces were also uncovered. To add pops of color to upholstery and stairwells, an archival tiger print fabric used by Givenchy was employed.
Givenchy now has nine stores in the U.S., including a location at South Coast Plaza, the luxury shopping center nearly 50 miles south of Los Angeles in Costa Mesa. In September, a 10th location will debut at NorthPark Center in Dallas.
The new flagship’s opening coincides with the label recently appointing Alessandro Valenti as its new chief executive officer. Valenti, previously an executive with Louis Vuitton, took over for Renaud de Lesquen, who had been on board since April 2020. The house is still in search of its next creative director following Matthew Williams’ departure in December but has still been dressing celebrities at fast clip, with Daisy Edgar-Jones, Olivia Cooke and Zendaya all wearing Givenchy in recent months.