Armani Bows at South Coast Plaza

A crowd of nearly 300 Orange County philanthropists feted the grand opening of Giorgio Armani’s new flagship concept, Armani Collezioni,at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, Calif., on Nov. 2. This marks the company’s 10th store nationwide. Guests received 20 percent off purchases, and a portion of the proceeds raised Nov. 1–4 were donated to the Orange County Performing Arts Center.

“This is a very important store for us,” said Caroline Brown, vice president of marketing for the New York-based Giorgio Armani Corp. “It’s a great location, great clientele.”

Henry Segerstrom, owner and operator of South Coast Plaza, agreed that the arrival of the boutique is a triumph for the community.

“It’s fantastic,” he said. “Orange County likes things that are new and exciting. This is a fabulous addition to our center.”

Designed by architect Claudio Silvestrin, the 5,400-square-foot store resembles a monochromatic Italian villa with a curving entrance. Constructed in cream-colored St. Maximin stone, the store’s ebony and oxidized brass fixtures create a streamlined interior. Separated into three aisles, the center walkway boasts a wall-sized bank of ties displayed in a sunken console.

Mostly devoted to Armani’s Black Label collection for men and women, the store also sells accessories and portions of the Classico Collection. The store occupies the space formerly inhabited by Emporio Armani, which moved to another 6,300-square-foot location in the mall this past summer.

At the event, patrons enjoyed wine and champagne in between shopping for plush cashmere blazers, rabbit-fur trimmed coats and beaded eveningwear. Most attendees were drawn to the women’s chevron-print coat and pantsuits modeled on white platforms along with other ensembles.

According to Brown, the company has been “aggressively opening stores” in the United States, with a new Armani Collezioni location slated to open in December in Short Hills, N.J. The next local debut is Dec. 6, when Armani Casa bows in Los Angeles. —Nola Sarkisian-Miller