Like the best of us, some fashion brands fret getting long in the tooth. But not to worry: Tote bags and trendy colors never show their age. To celebrate some of fashion’s biggest anniversaries, we’ve gathered up everything from a once new-kid-on-the-block to an old favorite that’s marking a century in the business.
The Grove
The Grove
Established: 2002, Los Angeles, California
Candles on the cake: 10
Known for celebrity sightings, personal appearances and setting the backdrop for countless television shows and feature films, The Grove has become L.A.’s go-to for fashion, food–as it was built around the iconic L.A. Farmer’s Market. The outdoor lifestyle shopping center sports a fun Vegas feel with Bellagio-style fountains, European-inspired architecture,
Coming soon: the West Coast’s first Topshop and Dylan’s Candy Bar locations.
Celebrity spotting: Ashley Greene, the cast of Modern Family, Lauren Conrad, Joe Manganiello, Katherine Heigl and the anchors of Extra film there every weekday.
Fendi Limited Edition Baguettes
Fendi Baguette
Established: 1997
Candles on the cake: 15
Back in ’97, there wasn’t the Balenciaga City Bag or the Céline Luggage Tote. Instead, The Little Purse That Could was the Fendi Baguette. It was the original It-bag, sending women into a frenzy, especially after it made so many appearances on Sex and the City that it should have been credited in the opening sequence. To celebrate the design’s 15th birthday, Fendi teamed with Rizzoli for a coffee table book chronicling the baguette’s shot to stardom and the over 1,000 variations it was offered in: denim, exotic leathers, paillettes and even a DIY-baguette that came with markers for you to create your own must-have bag.
Coming soon: The Baguette hasn’t gone anywhere. Just check your local Fendi boutique for the latest variations, but act fast if you want one of the six limited edition 15th-anniversary purses. We fully expect them to cause another round of Fendi frenzy.
Celebrity fans: Carrie Bradshaw, Catherine Zeta Jones, Freida Pinto, Jennifer Aniston, Julia Stegner and other icons of the late ’90s and early oughts
YSL Touché Eclat Radiant Touch Collector's Edition
Yves Saint Laurent Touché Eclat Radiant Touch
Established: 1992, Paris, France
Candles on the cake: 20
In the pre-Photoshop era, famed makeup artist Terry de Gunzburg used to concoct a “refresher” out of toner, moisturizer and foundation to touch up models on set, but it took five years of convincing the head honchos before the now ubiquitous click-pen highlighter went to market. The result? A must-have that’s so popular that a golden tube is sold every ten seconds somewhere in the world. Professional artists and Sephora shoppers alike can’t get enough of this highlighter-cum-concealer multitasking wonder.
Coming soon: To commemorate two decades of fatigue-busting and cheekbone chiseling, YSL has released a special edition version of the pen etched with a zebra design and three new shades. (It’s already expanded from the original lineup to have eight permanent shades.)
Celebrity fans: Victoria Beckham famously wrote in her book that she wore sunglasses around the clock because some mornings she had no time to swipe on her Touché Eclat. Makeup artists everywhere and even men such as Hugh Jackman have extolled their love of the magic marker.
Claudia Schiffer for Guess
Guess
Established: 1981, Los Angeles, California
Candles on the cake: 30
Known for their black-and-white bombshell ads and their rule of ’80s fashion, the brand started by the Marciano brothers continues to thrive — especially for young fashion fans eager to dip their toes into the sexy world of guess ads (which are overseen by Paul Marciano himself). Known for denim, party dresses and runway-inspired fashions, the brand continues to rise as it’s ’80s competition falls by the wayside.
Coming soon: With three lines, the upscale Marciano brand, the main Guess label and G by Guess, the brand is branching out even more with a Guess kids clothing line and fragrances.
Celebrity spokesmodels: Claudia Schiffer, who reprised her role as a Guess girl to celebrate the anniversary, Anna Nicole Smith, Laetitia Costa, Eva Herzigova, Paris Hilton, Alessandra Ambrosio, Adriana Lima, and Mark Vanderloo; Guess even made a cameo on Michael J. Fox in the film Back to the Future.
South Coast Plaza
South Coast Plaza
Established: 1967, Costa Mesa, California
Candles on the cake: 45
From a field of lima beans to a field of dreams, South Coast Plaza is Orange County’s answer to Rodeo Drive — and just about any retail row you could think of. Luxury brands clamor to get a space in the center, which boasts tenants such as Chanel, Oscar de la Renta, Christian Louboutin, Longchamp, Balenciega and many other glittering names. In addition to high-end retail, the center also snags exclusives such as the West Coast’s only Roger Vivier boutique.
Coming soon: Anthropologie, which opens a new flagship this summer, the West Coast’s first J. Crew men’s store, opening in the fall, and a bevy of high-end watch boutiques, including IWC.
Celebrity spotting: Nicole Richie, Giada de Laurentiis, Pamela Anderson, Kobe Bryant, Christopher Bailey and Real Housewives a’plenty.
Dior Beauty celebrates 50 years of Dior Vernis with artist Holton Rower
Dior Vernis
Established: 1962, Paris, France
Candles on the cake: 50
The very first designer nail polish, Dior Vernis paved the way for Chanel, YSL and other designer beauty lines to follow. Though the bottles, colors and names have gone through multiple changes, one thing stays the same: fashion forward colors that send beauty junkies clamoring. Often selling out, Dior’s seasonal collections (which draw straight from the house’s couture and ready-to-wear collections) sometimes never even make it onto the counter.
Colorful collaborations: To celebrate the 50-year anniversary of Dior Vernis, the brand enlisted artist Holton Rower, famous for his poured paintings, to use iconic shades in one of his pieces. Prior collaborations have included a collection with Anselm Reyle for Miami’s Art Basel festival and a limited edition collection inspired by Mitzah Bricard.
Chloé Spring 2012 Campaign
Chloé
Established: 1952
Candles on the cake: 60
Started by Gaby Aghion, Chloé was originally created as a counterpoint to high fashion. At the time, haute couture houses didn’t have anything to offer the masses, so Aghion created a label that would be all about luxury ready-to-wear. Fast forward to today (through designers Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, Phoebe Philo, Paulo Melim Andersson, Hanna MacGibbon and now Claire Waight Keller) and you’ll find that Chloé’s all about easy French dressing–at a price, of course. Karl and Stella took the brand into equestrian territory, but cocktail dresses, bags and shoes take precedent today. The Paddington’s It-bag status and the chunky wooden wedges that built the brand under McCartney and Philo’s watch are still sold in stores today. It’s anything but affordable luxury, however, with prices rivaling fashion houses such as Gucci and Prada.
Coming soon: With their revolving door policy with designers, nobody has quite created a clear vision with the brand, although we have loved what we’ve been seeing for spring/summer, from diaphanous coral blouses to pleated dresses. Chloé has been working on gaining its footing since Philo’s departure and we’re excited to see the luxe label in the spotlight again.
Celebrity spotting: Chloé is young Hollywood’s go-to label. Rachel Bilson and Emma Stone are always snapped in the latest looks from the runway, but even Charlize Theron, Rachel Weisz and Brooke Shields have been spotted wearing Chloé on the red carpet.
Ray-Ban Ambermatic Collection
Ray-Ban
Established: 1937, Rochester, New York; currently Milan, Italy
Candles on the cake: 75
Originally produced by Bausch & Lomb, Ray-Bans were designed for the U.S. Military, which is why the lenses were all about protecting eyes from ultraviolet light and infrared rays. It wasn’t until the 1950s that the brand gained a more fashion-forward sensibility from celebs wearing their now-ubiquitous Wayfarer style.
Coming soon: To celebrate their 75th anniversary, the brand is releasing a new Ambermatic collection, taking reissued 1937 frames and adding lenses that shift color in sunlight. They’ve also re-released their famous Never Hide campaign with updated historical references such as marriage equality.
Celebrity spotting: Too many to list! But the brand’s most iconic framed faces include Tom Cruise, Michael Jackson, Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Amelia Earhart and James Dean.
L.L. Bean Boat Totes 100th Anniversary Edition
L.L. Bean
Established: 1912, Greenwood, Maine; currently Freeport, Maine
Candles on the cake: 100
Starting with the L.L. Bean duck boot and then moving to encompass everything an outdoorsman needed for hunting, fishing and camping, Leon Leonwood Bean (L.L. himself) is more known for the preppy staples than outdoor goods these days. The Boat Totes, which come in an array of colors, are a staple for any Hamptons-bound gal (complete with monogram, of course) or anyone looking to add a dash of Ivy League style to their summer staples.
Coming soon: L.L. Bean is staying true to its roots, but since fashion (mens’ especially) has been on a heritage kick, they enlisted the help of Alex Carleton, who shot to stardom with his line Rogues Gallery. He’s now the head of L.L. Bean signature, a more fashion-leaning branch of the Bean brand.
Bergdorf Goodman
Bergdorf Goodman
Established: 1902, New York, New York
Candles on the cake: 111
The centennial of Bergdorf Goodman fell on September 11th, 2002, which was hardly a day to celebrate. So in lieu of any sort of festivities, Bergdorf quietly continued, business as usual for the last decade. This year, however, the venerable department store will be honoring their 111th year with a new campaign: “one store, one city, one experience,” which coincides with their 1-1-1 milestone. They’ve enlisted the likes of Alexander McQueen, Prada and Manolo Blahnik to commemorate their birthday with limited edition products, and they’ll be releasing a documentary (during September’s New York Fashion Week) and a book to illustrate their impact on the fashion world for the last eleven decades. Contributors to the tome include Blahnik himself, Rachel Zoe and more.
Coming soon: Bergdorf’s limited-edition items will be on sale starting on Fashion’s Night Out 2012, which means that the crowds that come out to fête fashion will have two reasons to celebrate.
Hermès Leather Forever Exhibition
Hermès
Established: 1837, Paris, France
Candles on the cake: 175
One of the most venerated houses in all of fashion, Hermès started as a leather goods company catering to the equestrian set looking for saddles and other riding gear, but quickly expanded into a luggage company when the golden age of travel meant their well-heeled clients needed trunks and travel bags. Iconic handbags such as the Birkin and Kelly have gained a cult-like following, especially since they’re released in limited quantities and have wait lists that can stretch to several years. While they’re anything but trendy, Hermès is adding additional exotic skins and of-the-moment hardware choices, including matte black and rose gold.
Celebrity fans: Victoria Beckham, who owns over 100 Birkin bags, might be the brand’s unofficial ambassador, but celebs like Jane Birkin (naturally) and Kate Moss have also been seen with the bag. The Kelly bag was renamed after Grace Kelly used it to obscure her baby bump.
Coming soon: Waiting lists continue to be on trend at Hermès, and we don’t expect that to change any time soon.
