California Apparel News

Renee Bardot is hanging her hat in Beverly Hills. The German fashion designer, who opened her La Brea Avenue store 4 years ago, will open a second location at 9411 Brighton Way later this month. “People are looking for better things in Beverly Hills,” Bardot said. “I want to wake them up with younger- looking fashions.” At half the size of the original location, the new 850-square-foot store will feature a design theme that is “a little 1970s, a little Austin Powers” and will carry Bardot’s designs as well as fashions by two Los Angelesbased designers: Louis Verdad, who crafts clothes evoking girly glamour, and Deanna Brooks, known for her vintage creations. Bardot uses silk chiffon, matte jerseys and wool for her artfully styled pants, blouses, dresses and skirts geared to the busy professional woman “who doesn’t always want to look like a busy professional.” Her clothes grace the frames of celebrities Teri Nunn, Gwen Stefani, Farrah Fawcett and Yasmine Bleeth. Bardot said the move will better serve her Westside customers, including those from the communities of Bel Air and Brentwood, as well as broaden her Hollywood clientele base who shop at nearby Rodeo Drive. She said the move has nothing to do with a burglary at her store in October that netted the culprit about $7,000 worth of jewelry designed by Erickson Beaumon. “He broke into the window upstairs,” Bardot said. “Now I have bars everywhere. Make sure you write that so everyone knows.” She plans to generate $500,000 in first-year sales at her Beverly Hills location. —Nola Sarkisian-Miller