It’s been nearly 15 years since The Grove opened in Los Angeles. Back then, there was only your standard, run-of-the-mill mall. But this new prototype in century city changed the landscape forever.
Image courtesy of Westfield.
Now it’s happening again, on the other side of town with the $1 billion redux of Westfield Century City, which will create an open-air escape, perfectly designed to optimize the Southern California lifestyle. The official opening is slated for October 3rd, with a private party featuring performances by Fitz and the Tantrums and the Joe Jonas fronted band, DNCE.
“We are tremendously excited to set a new standard in the services offered to the entertainment industry,” said Heather Vandenberghe, Westfield’s Chief Marketing Officer in the United States. “Westfield continues to position itself as the definitive ‘go to’ for the city’s entertainment and fashion clientele, while also driving business for our retailers and creating broader opportunities for the brands that make their home at Century City.”
Image courtesy of Westfield.
Adjacent to CAA, and this being Hollywood, the mall conglomerate has brought out the big guns in order to service the celebrity community. Designer Kelly Wearstler is part of the design redux – who worked in collaboration with Westfield’s in-house team.
So what’s so different this time around? A carefully curated roster of retail, for one. then there’s special parking specifically for the luxury car set, and top of the line furniture and restrooms dotted throughout.
Image courtesy of Westfield.
Image courtesy of Westfield.
In a statement from Team Westfield, Destination Luxury was told: “The company is boldly re-imagining its shopping malls as centers at the intersection of community, culture, and commerce; defined by a careful curation of offerings far beyond the traditional – from world-class entertainment and retail experiences to food halls and Michelin chef-driven restaurants, from brand showrooms of today’s hottest traditional and digital retailers to amenity-filled environments catering to a customer’s every need. Westfield’s flagship centers are more than just places to shop; they are destinations to meet friends, spend an afternoon or to enjoy time with family in beautifully imagined architecturally interesting and verdantly landscaped settings.”
Secret A-list elevators, parking optimized for luxury cars, hotel-caliber furniture, and restrooms.
One of the most interesting accouterments geared to Hollywood is Westfield’s studio services offering which will provide a suite of services to the city’s film, television and music industries to fulfill their wardrobe, styling and shopping needs – in essence, a one-stop shop.
While many companies in the fashion and retail sectors focus just on celebrity styling, Westfield has established a broader offering for the film and television industry that will capitalize on the huge volume of fashion buying that exists across all facets of the industry in Los Angeles – from purchasing wardrobes for TV and film to photoshoots for consumer and trade advertising campaigns.
To meet this need, Westfield Century City will become a dedicated “home base” for stylists and costume designers, partnering with the property’s retailers and their shopping services to provide required merchandise. At the same time, Westfield will offer these clients a variety of services including assistance with space onsite to coordinate buying, VIP or green rooms for fittings, personal shopping services, tailoring, shipping and other logistics services. The team can even make dinner reservations if needed or coordinate cars for transport to and from the center.
Interesting backstory fact: Steeped in Hollywood history, Westfield Century City was once the home of the studio backlots for Fox Films and 20th Century-Fox, where iconic stars like Shirley Temple and Marilyn Monroe once worked and classics such as The Grapes of Wrath and a Miracle on 34th Street were filmed.
To bring these concierge-level services directly to industry costume designers and wardrobe departments, Westfield has also announced the formation of a new partnership with the CDGA (Costume Designers Guild Awards), which honors and supports the Costume Designers Guild (CDG).
Westfield will be working with the CDGA to promote Century City’s Studio Services to CDG members as well as offer a variety of special services, programs and events. CDG members will have access to the center’s special Studio Services phone line and staff dedicated to servicing their needs at the center.
Westfield will also partner with the costume design community to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the CDGA on February 20, 2018. More details on this milestone will be announced at a later date.