This weekend saw the return of events in Los Angeles — following a quiet January with award shows pushed back due to the Omicron variant — and for good reason: the L.A. Rams made it to the Super Bowl, which the team won in front of a home crowd on Sunday.
Neiman Marcus hosted a five-course brunch the day prior at the Sheats-Goldstein estate, showcasing its “modernist jewelry” inside owner James Goldstein’s “club” space, an extension of his main residence.
The retailer has been upping its event programming lately, recently hosting an in-store event with Tyler, the Creator, whose Golf Le Fleur pop-up is found exclusively at the company’s Beverly Hills location. Neiman Marcus is the brand’s global exclusive partner, featuring a majority of the new collection from the fragrance to the Globe-Trotter suitcase collaboration. (In October, Neimans also hosted its 2021 “Fantasy Gifts” event.)
Related Galleries
On Saturday, bringing together sports stars and ladies who lunch — both known to love some bling — it was a shoppable VIP event for Neiman Marcus’ loyalty member program, InCircle. Super Bowl championship rings were displayed alongside collections by California-based brands Irene Neuwirth, Anita Ko, Jennifer Meyer, Hoorsenbuhs and Suzanne Kalan.
“This location is something else, beautiful,” said Kalan, who was particularly busy, attracting many clients.
What is the L.A. jewelry market bringing?
“A lot, actually,” she continued. “Yeah, a lot. L.A. is doing amazing. Women were into handbags and shoes and denim — in L.A. — or a cool jacket or top. But it’s changed a lot. Jewelry really has a big, big part. Years ago, the handbag was the item that women spent the money on. That’s not the case anymore. They’re really buying jewelry and investing in it and wearing it.”
She was showcasing her favorite pieces while wearing one of her own, a diamond necklace as part of her “tennis” collection, priced between $19,000 and $26,000.
“I always try to design everything so it’s timeless, so it’s always wearable, so you can pass it down, so it doesn’t sit in the safe,” she went on. “It doesn’t matter how expensive it is, you want to be able to use it. And why not wear it and enjoy it.”
The Armenian designer, born in Lebanon, founded her namesake line in 1988.
“In my country, jewelry is purchased since you were born, and it’s always valuable, and it’s always collected,” she explained, asked about notable shifts she’s seen in the marketplace. “The big difference that I’ve seen is, especially in the U.S. and Europe, is everyone buying jewelry, women buying jewelry for themselves, not waiting for their husbands to buy it. And it used to be maybe 10, 15 years ago there was a limit on how much a woman would spend on herself for jewelry. It’s no longer the case.”
Guests enjoyed cocktails as they shopped, while Este Haim spun behind the DJ booth. Lunch, catered by Craig’s, followed outside by the infinity pool overlooking a spectacular 180-degree view of the city.
Attendees included Mariel Haenn, stylist to Jennifer Lopez; actors Bryan Greenberg and Jamie Chung; Carli Lloyd, the former soccer pro and two-time Olympic gold medalist; Elijah Moore and Braxton Berrios of the New York Jets, and former Rams player Eric Dickerson.
The week leading up to Sunday was full of events blending fashion, sports and entertainment. Gucci held an event on Wednesday at its eatery Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura in Beverly Hills alongside GQ and DeAndre Hopkins, wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals, to celebrate the Big Game (as well as its new “pineapple” collection). The night brought out Usher, Natasha Lyonne, John Legend with Chrissy Teigen, along with Isaiah Simmons of the Arizona Cardinals, CeeDee Lamb of the Dallas Cowboys and Emmanuel Sanders of the Buffalo Bills.
On Friday, agencies Klutch Sports Group and UTA joined forces to host a dinner, uniting entertainers Demi Lovato, YG and Migos’ Quavo with NFL stars Obo Okoronkwo, Jordan Evans and Darren Waller. The following day Gunna was host at a cocktail at shop RtA Melrose, while h.wood and Revolve threw Day Two of their Super Bowl bash, with Justin Bieber and Drake performing, and a slew of celebrities in attendance (including Jeff Bezos with Lauren Sanchez).
The weekend also saw events from Levi Strauss & Co., which hosted a party at its studio, Haus of Strauss; Sports Illustrated and Palm Tree Crew, with Jack Harlow and Kygo taking the stage (and surprise performances from Joe Jonas and DNCE), as well as Rolling Stone and MCM Worldwide.