Many cities celebrate their heritage with events like Pioneer Days, cowboy festivals or harvest fairs. Being one of the youngest cities in Southern California, West Hollywood takes a modern approach by celebrating current resources of design through it's annual Structures & Style Tour benefitting the West Hollywood Community Housing Corporation. After a successful first year event which focused on trendsetting hotels and a second year that produced taste treats from restaurants certain to be culinary leaders of tomorrow, the 2011 edition explored West Hollywood's unique retails sources which combine trendy fashion and unique architecture. As established in prior editions, attendees gather at a designated locale, this year at the soon-to-open West Hollywood Library, for refreshments and a welcome greeting by WeHo councilmember and former Mayor John Heilman. Following the reception, we were divided into smaller groups to climb aboard shuttle buses which will ferry us to this years featured businesses along Santa Monica Boulevard and the Avenues, WeHo's proclaimed art, fashion and design district.
 

Much like the hottest nightclubs in town, one can tell that a business is popular with the elite crowd by it's lack of business sign, no prominent address and a unique head turning exterior. The locations on this tour fit those parameters. The first stop displays a perfect marriage of the many dimensions to fashion and architecture, at the discreetly positioned store called Church. As an atheist, I was unsure if I'd be welcome in such an establishment yet a warm welcome was provided by owners Rodney Burns and David Malvaney and staff. To enter Church is to be swept into a museum in which fashion, jewelry and art are  perfectly displayed in a separate but cohesive world. Clothing by Sally LaPointe, Skincraft and others are a union of fashion and architecture with everything from razor sharp pleats and crisp upturned shoulders to floaty chiffon and seamless leathers. Purposely placed art pieces shine their beauty throughout, from an abstract painting of David Lynch, a hand grenade stool to a giant hand blown glass syringe.  Each one a timeless masterpiece of which some customers might consider themselves unworthy. 
 

Our next landmark destination is Roseark, a collection of inspired dresses, necklaces, rings and the stunning abstract art of Lana Gomez. All invitingly displayed in a 1920s bungalow with rows of windows that allow natural light to enhance their wares. Owners Rick & Kathy Rose design some jewelry which is sold along with the work of other artists. Rather than open up the house as one giant cavernous retail display, the owners are most successful in their goal to retain the heritage of the home, offering a unique and varied collection as you tour interconnected rooms. I was impressed by gowns of shear braided fabric and silk horticultural detail, jewelry of glowing gems, microscopic details and exquisite feathers that seemed dipped in gold. 
 

The third stop is business within a sculptured exterior known as 3.1Phillip Lim. It's curved cobblestone like exterior of brick pattern concrete is a contrast to the spiky pyramid pattern walls of the interior. Reminiscent of the sharp nail bed an Indian Fakir would lie upon, the walls echo a saw tooth pattern along every doorway edge carrying up to an internal illuminated ceiling. One of only five stores across the globe, this branch is one Lim wanted to convey a Jonah and the whale sense of the shopper being inside the clothing. Hence saw tooth edges represent zippers, patterned walls replicate fabric and textured surfaces represent other clothing hardware. Unheard of in most retails stores is Lim's amazing use of natural skylights in the dressing area. No more will shopper pick up an item that looks a completely different color when they try it on at home. Yet, among all these mouth dropping design features, I continue to be amazed by the use of original circular ottoman's with upholstered buttons that are arranged in signs of the constellations. This is truly the epitome of design genius.
 

Stop number four takes us out of the loop. H.L.N.R. (H. Lorenzo North Robertson) has the unique architectural element of oversized protruding panels along the front roof line and professes a Japanese modernism theme. Yet the large ceramic tile customer service counter that greets you at the door and series of natural driftwood tiles in square and triangle shapes evokes enough of a 70s feel that I expected Ashton Kutcher to appear. Sadly, that wasn't the case as we weren't greeted at all. Unlike other venues, not a single representative of the business has greeted or welcomed our group. So naturally we have been provided no information as to the history or the client focus of the company. Quite a disappointment considering how friendly and informative representatives from the other fashion houses have been thus far. 
 

Our final stop takes us to the glamorous Alberta Ferretti store where manager Audrey Kim is the perfect host. Donning an ear to ear smile, this professional covered everything we wanted to know -- how Alberta's mother was a seamstress, opened her first store in Italy when she was only 18 and the business model success of having multiple price point items. The group was most impressed by the variety of styles on hand. Classic lines and basic silhouettes to very feminine fabrics, blinding arrays of sequins and warm furs. The first Ferretti store in the USA, it's stainless steel wrapped exterior, crowns an interior of reflective glass, chrome and glossy white. In between over sized circular display racks are see-through panels lined with narrow chrome pieces. An amazing display feature are the varied display racks and garment hooks which attach to the walls magnetically. A process repeated in the dressing room so that a client is not limited by the number of gowns she tries on. When asked the question of the day "why WeHo," manager Audrey said 'when following trends, a business like ours would be on Rodeo. As a trendsetter, we prefer to be off the beaten path and stand out." 

For highlights of the Structures + Style Taste and Space Tour 2010, click here.
For further information on the West Hollywood Community Housing Corporation: http://www.whchc.org/