Shopping Worth Experiencing

Recently, Fred Hayman—who almost 50 years ago founded Giorgio Beverly Hills and, with the boutique’s creation, laid the groundwork for Beverly Hills’ Golden Triangle district of rarefied retail—was on hand for the dedication of a monument in his honor. Though Hayman’s shop closed in the late 1990s, its name has lived on in Giorgio the fragrance (now Avon’s) and in the memories of former clientele. Author Judith Krantz, according to a Los Angeles Times article by Martha Groves (May 2, 2009), recalled the store this way: “At Fred’s, you could go in tennis clothes and dirty sneakers and spend $4,000 if you wanted.” You could also play pool, have a drink, and kick back in the reading lounge.

That ambience, perhaps as much as the shop’s haute couture, drew people in and set the shop apart. Today that spirit lives on not only in the new monument to Hayman’s groundbreaking boutique—a reproduction of the Giorgio facade about a block north of the site of the original shop—but in other distinguished stores where clients carry away more than their purchases. Such standout experiences include jeweler Mauboussin’s Manhattan boutique, where shoppers can examine exceptional jewelry alongside works of fine art and, one night each month, enjoy the cuisine of a top Parisian chef in the store’s private dining room, and London’s Home of Alfred Dunhill store, where a barber shop, a spa, and a screening room complement bespoke tailoring. Vive la expérience!