Soffer Ari USA Debut: Bring on the Bling
Bling never dies. In designer Ari Soffer’s case, it just finds a better place to hang. On June 4, he opened a flagship store at 850 S. Robertson in Los Angeles. Named after his jewelry and lifestyle collection line, Soffer Ari USA, the store offers $140 blingey T-shirts to $15,000 leather jackets bearing diamonds.
Along with luggage, handbags, custom belt buckles and his silver jewelry, which has been worn by Arnold Schwarzenegger, rocker Tommy Lee and the burlesque musical group the Pussycat Dolls, the store features items that can only be called one-of-a-kind.
There’s the “Dead Man Walking Cane.” It’s a walking stick constructed with Hawaiian driftwood, sterling silver and topped off with a silver skull bearing 28-carat diamonds and 10-carat sapphires. There’s the comfy “Gitkin Couch,” a $55,000 piece of furniture featuring pave diamonds and sapphires. Oh, don’t forget the daggers that Soffer styles.
The store debut was a gala event where partiers watched the Los Angeles Lakers play the Orlando Magic on a flat-screen TV and danced to a DJ set from rock star Joel Madden. Soffer said he might open a store in New York City in 2010. The Los Angeles store is located on the ground floor of a 6,000-square-foot, two-story building owned by Soffer. His offices and design studio are located upstairs.
BLING PARTY: Guests danced and socialized around the bling of the Soffer Ari USA flagship store
BRIGHT CABINET: Custom-belt-buckle display at Soffer Ari USA flagship
