Tadashi Set for South Coast Plaza

Designing elegant eveningwear for the Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants took a backseat for Tadashi Shoji early this week. Instead, the designer concentrated on dressing windows for his new store, his first attempt at retail in his 21-year career designing elegant eveningwear for women.

Tadashi opened on March 11 in the South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, Calif. It is the first of five boutiques Shoji plans to open in the next five to 10 years. Possible locations for the other new stores include Las Vegas, Florida, New Jersey and either West Hollywood’s Sunset Strip or Los Angeles’ Robertson Boulevard, said Shoji in an interview at his Vernon, Calif., headquarters.

“I wanted to show my whole collection,” Shoji said of his decision to open a chain of boutiques. “The major department stores never bought my entire collection, just 20 new styles. But we’re making 100 new styles, and I wanted to show them all. That was my dream.”

The 1,617-square-foot boutique, located on level two of the Robinsons-May wing of South Coast Plaza, is divided into three parts.

The front section, 60 percent of the floor space, is dedicated to Shoji’s collection of separates, sportswear and accessories. Price points range from $110 to $200 for sportswear, from $170 to $270 for cashmere knits, and from $190 to $260 for pants, tops and skirts for evening.

The store’s middle section, 10 percent of the boutique’s floor space, comprises four dressing rooms.

A grand chandelier illuminates the back of the store, which Shoji calls “the salon,” a space reserved for the designer’s couture. Price points for regular gowns range from $300 to $500. The designer will also custommake gowns at the store.

Shoji signed a 10-year lease for the store, which was last occupied by Westin Camera. The space had been vacant for 18 months.

The designer’s quest to build a store started in July 2003, when he requested his lawyer informally look into available space. In a few months, three malls, including the South Coast Plaza and the Beverly Center in Los Angeles, made formal offers to win Shoji as a tenant.

Shoji decided to move to the South Coast Plaza in September because he admired the management team and liked their proposed location for the flagship store—near boutiques such as DKNY and Max&Co., which he felt shared the youthful energy of his collection. He designed the store and began construction on Jan. 4. Construction finished before the scheduled deadline of March 15.

Rick Barrera, a San Diego–based marketing consultant and author, said Shoji’s splash into retail was a smart move that will increase the visibility of his brand.

“It will give him a better feel for the marketplace,” Barrera said. “If he’s willing to make the investment on an outlet and he’s in touch with the customers, it will increase his visibility and create a greater buzz around his brand if he does it right.”

The boutique is the latest angle for Tadashi Shoji & Associates Inc. A decade ago, Shoji branched off from his original forte, designing gowns for clients such as the Miss Universe pageant, to design eveningwear separates. The separates make up 65 percent of his business; dresses make up the rest.

Last year, the company grossed $20 million in wholesale sales. This year, Shoji forecasts the company, which employs more than 100 people, will earn more than $24 million, including $1 million from retail sales.

Whether or not he will continue dressing windows remains to be seen.

“My background is fine art, and this is my new hobby,” Shoji joked. “I don’t know if it will last.” —Andrew Asch