Kathy Gohari is the president of the Rodeo Drive Committee, which represents the interests of retailers, hoteliers, and landowners housed on the luxury thoroughfare. A respected luxury expert, Gohari has held positions at Valentino, Christian Lacroix, Giorgio Armani and Dolce & Gabbana. She now serves as president of KG Relations, a luxury advisory firm. Gohari is a board member of The Beverly Hills Conference & Visitors Bureau and serves as liaison to the City of Beverly Hills. In 2019, she received the Beverly Hills Proclamation for Civic Duty. Gohari was born in London, England from Persian-descent and spent her early life in Canada and Italy before settling in Los Angeles.
The street is alive with local shoppers and international visitors returning to the experience of shopping in person again. Boutiques and businesses have not been holding back, activating the street with immersive installations, artist collaborations and pop-ups tailor-made for the City of Angels. One can sense a distinctly thoughtful approach to luxury and a new focus on how it fits one’s lifestyle. Seasonal edits on the street certainly reflect this shift. Here are some of the highlights:
1. Launched in grand Cartier fashion with a who’s who of edgy, creative types, the CLASH
unlimited capsule collection punctuates the unconventional, genderless spiked CLASH de
Cartier jewelry line with Tahitian pearls and onyx. Its elevated but unfussy armor is only conspicuous to those in the know.
Cartier Beverly Hills, 370 N. Rodeo Drive.
2. Zegna’s Artistic Director Alessandro Sartori transforms the very concept of luxury with a Fall/ Winter 2021 “What Makes a Man” collection. Heavy on hybrid “luxury leisurewear,” the pieces seem to be a direct response to how men live now. The house’s use of fabric and its evolution towards a new generation of knitting techniques is impressive, enabling tailored looks marked by exquisite softness.
Ermenegildo Zegna, 337 N. Rodeo Drive.
3. To commemorate its 45th anniversary, MCM, a fashion house known for its logo driven accessories and apparel, opened a limited pop-up cafe on Rodeo Drive offering complimentary hand-crafted coffees and refreshments. It’s a new way to shop luxury that speaks to the social creatures in all of us. Inside, the new Vintage Jacquard pieces are the draw. The reimagined Visetos monogram is available in three colorways and employs a weaving technique traditional of the Bauhaus Textile School. The backpack is a back-to-school favorite.
MCM Flagship, 414 N. Rodeo Drive (Pop up open now through Sept. 30.)
4. Just dropped at the Harry Winston flagship store on Rodeo Drive in September is the collection of colorful, mood-boosting gemstones in the new, handmade high jewelry collection, “Winston With Love.” Intended to chronicle the different emotional phases of love, L is for Light, O is for Obsession, V is for Vow, and E is for Eternity. Red rubellites, pink and blue sapphires, rubies and blue tanzanites are employed to create 39 unique ways to say, “I love you.”
Harry Winston Beverly Hills, 310 N. Rodeo Drive.
5. To inaugurate the company’s new two-story digs, Moncler, known for pushing the boundaries in luxury padded outerwear, is collaborating with L.A. artist Steven Harrington. Harrington created a limited-edition art toy Pupazzo in three colors and several large-scale in-store sculptures located in Moncler’s spectacular, newly designed flagship boutique on Rodeo Drive.
Moncler, 328 N. Rodeo Drive.
6. Frette’s sumptuous bedding suddenly seems essential for lazy mornings in bed. The new seasonal hues of aloe, amaryllis and dark azure evoke the calm of nature and these masterfully crafted linens even withstand the excited paws of four-legged family members. Matching, pure cashmere throws lend texture and still more coziness.
Frette, 445 N. Rodeo Drive.
7. Louis Vuitton’s Savoire Faire event has landed in L.A. after wowing in Singapore and Milan. A capsule collection of iconic hard-sided trunks and the house’s Objets Nomades lifestyle design will be shown at an exclusive private location and available for special order. In store now, however, is Virgil Abloh’s Men’s Fall-Winter 2021 collection-his sixth for the houses. Described as a scholarly exploration of unconscious biases, it lands with dramatic effect. The vivid injection of colored knitwear is just what the doctor ordered.
Louis Vuitton Beverly Hills, 295 N. Rodeo Drive.
8. Fashion insiders love the intimate inspiration behind the Christian Dior Caro bag, named after Monsieur Dior’s nickname for his sister Catherine. Crafted in calfskin with Cannage
stitching, the crowning touch is a clasp reminiscent of the seal on a Christian Dior perfume
bottle. It’s a true forever piece, available in scrumptiously deep fall colors.
Christian Dior, 309 N. Rodeo Drive.
10. A new arrival on the street is Italian fashion house Golden Goose, mostly known for its iconic sneakers. The 1,200 square foot store is inspired by the industrial origins and machinery- heavy town near Venice, where the brand was born. There are plans to periodically drop local exclusives as well as more radical designs conceived by the brand’s Italian design team. The store carries the full women’s, men’s and kid’s collections along with accessories and small leather goods that will only be available at the Rodeo Drive boutique.
Golden Goose, 238 N. Rodeo Drive.
