WrapStyle: Saks Fifth Avenue Unveils West Coast Flagship Store

Saks Fifth Avenue unveils its West Coast flagship store, Christie’s announces a special Andy Warhol exhibition and “Last Days” opera makes a one-night-only debut at Walt Disney Concert Hall

Saks Fifth Avenue unveils its new West Coast flagship 

Saks Fifth Avenue opened its new women’s store last Thursday in the former Barneys location on Wilshire Boulevard.

The 130,000-square-foot, six-level shopping destination offers a curated luxury assortment of women’s designer ready-to-wear, shoes, handbags, jewelry, beauty and accessories from both iconic luxury brands and emerging designer labels, including more than 25 brands that are new to Saks Fifth Avenue Beverly Hills. 

The location also boasts boutique spaces for Chanel, Dior, Gucci and Louis Vuitton and an expanded Fifth Avenue Club with 15 private styling suites, beauty treatment rooms and an exclusive outdoor terrace.

“Saks Fifth Avenue is resetting the gold standard of luxury shopping in Beverly Hills with the opening of our new women’s store on Wilshire Boulevard,” company president Larry Bruce said. “With this new location, we are transforming our West Coast flagship into a lifestyle-centric shopping destination with the highest possible focus on personalized service and first-class experiences.”

The department store celebrated the opening last Wednesday with a cocktail party hosted in partnership with Lucid. Guests including Kathy Hilton and Tina Craig, pictured above, Madelaine Petsch and Morgan Stewart McGraw received an exclusive first look at the space ahead of the store’s Feb. 8 opening, enjoying cocktails and hors d’oeuvres from a caviar bar, a martini cart and a hand roll sushi station.

South Coast Plaza celebrates Lunar New Year and the Year of the Dragon 

South Coast Plaza is ushering in Lunar New Year with a month of gifts and special menus, a spectacular Year of the Dragon display and more.

Now in its 12th year, the 19-day Lunar New Year festivities are the largest and most extensive of any retail center on the West Coast, drawing visitors from all over California. 

“South Coast Plaza continues to be at the forefront of Lunar New Year celebrations on the West Coast by providing the best in exclusive and culturally relevant experiences,” executive director of marketing Debra Gunn Downing said. “From limited-edition products from our boutiques and specially created menus by world-class chefs at select restaurants to our spectacular centerpiece, South Coast Plaza is the must-visit destination for the Year of the Dragon.” 

As has become the plaza’s annual tradition, a dramatic Lunar New Year centerpiece will be on display in Jewel Court for the month of February, while eight holographic dragons can be seen flying overhead.

Shoppers who spend a qualifying minimum of $3,500 in same-day purchases will be gifted a limited-edition Year of the Dragon vase from LIULI Crystal Art. They are also invited to purchase unique dragon-themed merchandise, enter to win prizes from luxury boutiques and enjoy special menus at participating restaurants. 

Christie’s Beverly Hills presents Andy Warhol Screen Tests

Christie’s is set to unveil a special exhibition presented in collaboration with The Andy Warhol Museum. Andy Warhol Screen Tests will open during the week of Frieze Los Angeles and consists of a curated selection of eight silent films that will be on view in Christie’s Los Angeles galleries. 

The works in this exhibition collectively offer a rare glimpse into the intersection of portraiture, celebrity and Hollywood that fascinated Warhol in the 1960s and famously came to define much of his artistic practice. Notable figures portrayed in the works on view include 20th-century icons Dennis Hopper, Bob Dylan and Edie Sedgwick, among others.

The exhibition will also highlight The Andy Warhol Museum’s film initiative, a project preserving the legacy of Warhol and his experimental films through the digital transfer of his moving image works, many of which currently exist only as camera originals—and as a result, remain unseen. 

“The Warhol Museum is delighted to showcase the moving image work of Andy Warhol premiering during Frieze week in L.A.,” museum director Patrick Moore said. “Hollywood was a source of endless fascination and inspiration for Warhol, so it’s fitting that his films would now serve to inspire new generations of artists and filmmakers.”

The exhibit will be on view from Feb. 27–March 14 at Christie’s, 336 N Camden Dr., Beverly Hills.

Natalia Bryant fronts the Victoria’s Secret Pink spring campaign

Victoria’s Secret Pink and Natalia Bryant hosted an intimate event at Merois in West Hollywood to celebrate the launch of the brand’s new spring campaign. Bryant, the 21-year-old model, aspiring filmmaker and daughter of Vanessa and the late Kobe Bryant, is also the face of the brand’s Going Places campaign. 

“It’s fun, versatile and collegiate,” Bryant, who is a film major at University of Southern California, said. “These are things that I would actually wear around campus and things that I would recommend to my friends.”

Guests including Lexi Underwood, Ellie Thumann, Halle and Hope Pitman, Azra Mian and Gabriela Moura got a sneak peek of the newest collection, which includes preppy Oxford button downs, fleece separates, striped knits and collegiate-inspired sweats. Each guest was gifted a custom embroidered Pink poplin button-down and baseball hat.

‘Last Days’ debuts at the Walt Disney Concert Hall

The worlds of art, fashion and music turned out for the U.S. premiere of Oliver Leith and Matt Copson’s opera “Last Days,” followed by an exclusive after party at Chateau Marmont.

The production had previously enjoyed a successful run at London’s Royal Opera House before making its one-night-only debut at the Walt Disney Concert Hall with the Los Angeles Philharmonic last Tuesday. The evening’s performance featured French actress Agathe Rouselle and was conducted by British composer and pianist Thomas Adés, with costumes by Balenciaga.

Following the performance, guests including Phoebe Bridgers, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Chris Rock, Chloë Sevigny, John Waters, Beck and James Norton headed over to the Chateau Marmont for a star-studded after party. 

Based on the film “Last Days,” written and directed by Gus Van Sant and produced by HBO Films, the opera fictionalizes the final days of rock icon Kurt Cobain’s life and plunges into the torment that created a modern myth. The opera’s first recording will also be released via Platoon on April 5. 

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