BEVERLY HILLS — The crystal-clear facade of the new De Beers LV door on Rodeo Drive — resembling a two-story ice cube — stands out at an intersection where Harry Winston and Cartier are vying for shoppers with sparkling contents.
It’s a competitive crossroads, no doubt, but a coup for De Beers LV as it establishes its U.S. retail presence.
“It looks like a jewel box,” Alyce Alston, chief executive officer of De Beers LV, North America, said last week of the 2,500-square-foot space at 401 North Rodeo Drive, which opened during her visit with a trifecta of parties.
Hosted by Alston, brand ambassador Neil Lane and De Beers LV ceo Guy Leymarie, the events began on World AIDS Day, Dec. 1, with an event supporting the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, and continued on Dec. 5 and Dec. 6, benefiting AMFAR and Project Angel Food.
The trio of private parties launched De Beers LV’s “Gift to Give” program, with 10 percent of all sales through this month earmarked for the three AIDS charities.
“We actually racked up considerable sales at the parties, which was amazing for the charities,” Alston said.
Each night guests tried on sizable pieces from the new Wildflowers or Talisman collections, or from the Neil Lane Hollywood Collection for De Beers LV that is sold exclusively at this door.
“Luxury today is so much about the experience, and I wanted to create an atmosphere with the parties where people could touch and try on the jewelry,” Alston said. “That meant no red carpet, no step-and-repeat. This was about creating a special opportunity for customers.”
The company declined to provide sales figures.
With the invitations to the first evening, guests received a letter from Mandela commending De Beers LV as “a leader in the field of active corporate philanthropy” and “the long-term commitment shown by their programs.”
The letter and focus on taking the spotlight off celebrities were symbolic gestures on the part of the diamond retailer after the opening of the New York flagship in late June. Protesters led by Gloria Steinem denounced De Beers SA for allegedly forcing the relocation of native Bushmen from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve in Botswana to clear the way for mining. De Beers SA is a shareholder in De Beers LV, along with LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, but has no direct control of the retail venture.
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On the three chilly opening nights, nary a protester was in sight.
Despite Alston’s and Leymarie’s insistence that the events not be about celebrity, several of them — particularly friends of Lane’s — appeared on any given night and posed for the cameras, including Kerry Washington, Molly Sims, Debi Mazar, Jennifer Tilly, Sarah Wynter, Carmen Electra and Bridget Moynahan. Other guests included Arianna Huffington, Kathy Hilton and Barbara Davis.
They all walked an aubergine carpet, reflecting a key color of the retail interior. The etched glass walls, heavy use of clear surfaces and rich wood-grain furnishings parallel the contemporary finishes in the Fifth Avenue flagship. But unique to this location is the diamond reflecting pool on the first level and, upstairs, a partially roofed-off terrace and larger VIP salon.
The opening of the store came not a day too soon. Nominations for the Golden Globe Awards, kicking off the awards season, are to be announced Tuesday. The ceremony will be held Jan. 16.