On Wednesday night, Battistoni, the Rome-based bespoke luxury brand, celebrated the arrival of its first American store in Beverly Hills.
Guided by the melody of a harpist and violinist duo, guests—who included stylists, VIP customers and friends of the brand—gathered at the new, 6,500 square foot U.S. flagship to check out the store, nibble on traditional Italian cuisine and drink Franciacorta, Saint Valentine Pinot Grigio, Le Berne Montepulciano and martinis.
Big names present at the launch included Francis Ford Coppola, Roman Coppola, Nat Weller, Eric Rutherford, Neil Rodgers, Micah Schiffman and David Thomas.
The L.A flagship store encapsulates the essence of the Italian brand through its style and sophisticated elements such as marble floors, wood-paneled walls and leather accoutrements; its aesthetics are a juxtaposition of styles such as the 1960s paneling and the 17th century ceiling frescos. It’s a great location for men to pick out silk and cashmere ties, made-to-measure suits and silk shirts here; the boutique also sells Italian-made English-style leather shoes, cashmere knits and belts made of crocodile skin.
The store’s design was devised by architects Emiliano Vitolo and Giulio Baiocco, and features luxurious materials such as walnut, leather, bronze and travertine stone wisely layered by Philip Vergeylen and Evelyn Saenz Guijarro of Paolo Moschino for Nicholas Haslam Ltd. in order to bring Italy and its unique savoir-faire to L.A.
Founded in 1946, by the shirt maker Guglielmo Battistoni, the store was known only to an exclusive audience, hidden in a private courtyard of a Roman palace in the ultra-celebrated via Condotti.
Opening its first store in Los Angeles was a natural fit considering the brand has close ties to Hollywood: Battistoni was a favored fashion brand of Hollywood icons such as Marlon Brando, Gary Cooper, Douglas Fairbanks and Humphrey Bogart.
In addition to its first American boutique, Battistoni is available at Barney’s locations nationwide.
