LOS ANGELES — BCBG Max Azria’s newfound money tree — a $53 million bond offering last December — is yielding fruit in the form of a store expansion.
Fresh off the openings of stores in Moscow and Amman, Jordan, the Los Angeles-based contemporary apparel company is set to unveil a flagship prototype today on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.
The design, a hybrid of cool-warm decor in a muted color palette with clean, angular fixtures, will influence six stores scheduled to open in the next year, including the 6,800-square-foot Fifth Avenue location making its New York debut in spring 2006.
“Since Rodeo Drive is the West Coast’s epicenter of retail and glamour, it was natural that we should want to launch our new concept here first,” said Max Azria, chief executive officer and designer of BCBG Max Azria Group.
Azria said he is aiming for first-year store sales of $6 million.
A launch party is planned for mid-August. Actress Sarah Michelle Gellar is to be the host.
The 5,600-square-foot Rodeo store has a deep, rectangular space, akin to the shape of a mobile home, making it impossible to showcase the interior in the best light, said Daniel Moizel, BCBG’s senior vice president of real estate.
In its place, BCBG erected a two-story, glass-encased entrance, which doubles as a company gallery, featuring merchandise on mannequins and in displays. A 10-foot-by-10-foot video screen on the entry wall will feature a rotation of images from Azria’s fashion shows and ads.
Shoppers then climb two stairways of three steps each, with Italian porcelain lining the floors and walls, and enter the store merchandised with BCBG Max Azria collection in the front. Three separate rooms off the main floor feature accessories, including shoes, eyewear, belts, sportswear, outerwear and swimwear.
Accents of square and rectangular backlighted alcoves, mirrored, stacked tables and polished chrome fixtures give the store a contemporary edge. Underlit resin risers set off a shelf of accessories and a center display of mannequins. Furnishings blend custom-made ebony-wood, cushioned chairs with Ludwig Mies van der Rohe tufted stools.
Retail prices typically don’t budge north of $1,000. Gold paillette-covered bags sell for $98, beaded gypsy skirts, $218, cashmere sweaters with fur trim, $442, multicolored stilettoes, $495, and suede studded bags, $550.
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BCBG’s prices are often a zero or two shy of neighboring competitors. Retail analysts say that’s a reason the line succeeds on the street. Another like-minded company, Bebe Stores, plans to open a 7,600-square-foot Rodeo location by November.