Better Late Than Never for Arden B.'s Party
True to fashionably late form, Arden B. held a grand opening party on Sept. 10—two months after its arrival at the Grove shopping center in Los Angeles. With the help of fellow sponsor Vogue magazine and hostess KTTV FOX 11 news anchor Jillian Barberie, nearly 400 customers, starlets and shoppers streamed in and out of the 1,500- square-foot store, and each looked every inch the part of a hipster with the help of denim, long suede coats and spikyheeled boots.
For Arden B. officials, it was a night to celebrate the store and its early success, even though parent company Foothill Ranch, Calif.-based Wet Seal had announced earlier that day a 7.8 percent decline in same-store sales. “We’re really happy with the store,” said Greg Scott, president of Arden B., who wouldn’t comment about the day’s sales news.
The store, among the division’s 15 new units planned for the year, has gotten off to a strong start thanks to heavy traffic at the relatively new Grove and the store’s appeal to local stylists, according to Susan Peterson, vice president of design and product development for Arden B. And, the other Arden B., located just a mile west at the Beverly Center mall, hasn’t dampened sales. “It’s a different customer,” Peterson explained. “We’re seeing more tourists and stylists here.”
So far, crisp looks are trending well, according to Peterson. “We’re getting more suited up with pin stripes, gabardine pants—it’s looking cleaner and more sophisticated,” she said.
One denim supplier, Fever Jeans, was on hand to tout the company’s virtues. “They’re really fresh and recognize style and their numbers are great,” said Fever designer Kelly Delkeskamp, wearing Arden B.’s brown suede embroidered coat inspired by Dolce & Gabbana. Another Arden B. loyalist is Barberie. “I do four TV shows and I don’t have a stylist, so I can come here and count on reasonably priced, sexy, classic clothes,” said the news anchor, draped in a cleavage-revealing, halter-styled dress. —Nola Sarkisian-Miller
