Givenchy was perhaps the last major French fashion house to lack a boutique in Los Angeles, but that ended with the opening of their new space in the spot formerly occupied by G-Star Raw, among many others. The location, on the north end of The Rodeo Collection, has hosted many stores that have flamed out and failed (La Perla, Penhaligon's, Eres) ― and Givenchy's days there are supposedly numbered, too. But that's because a permanent, custom-built boutique on Rodeo Drive should be opening in about a year. The interior has a stark industrial look: stainless steel shelving, concrete floors, and a large central sofa that looks rather too worn for such a new store.
Givenchy's days as the ne plus ultra of Parisian chic are long gone: Ricardo Tisci's dark night of the soul forever changed the brand, and the House that Audrey Hepburn built now looks to being going in much the same direction under Matthew Williams that Balenciaga has gone under Demna Gvasalia, but without the satire. But if you need a see-through chainmail dress to wear to The Source Awards, this is the place the go.
Actual products aside (and I did find a pair of sunglasses there I quite liked), the staff at the new Givenchy boutique are some of the best on Rodeo Drive and in L.A. as a whole. They are personable, enthusiastic, and excited to welcome customers into their store. It's a really wonderful experience to meet such pleasant sales associates on a street where many staff can be jaded and worn down by the tourists, celebrities, and big spenders who treat them poorly. I can only hope they maintain that inviting atmosphere into the future. So while Givenchy may not win the prize for the boutique with best fashion on Rodeo Drive, as of right now, it's pretty much a dead lock to be crowned the friendliest. read more