Fashioning for Fendi: The Many Faces of 323 N. Rodeo Dr.

323 N. Rodeo Dr needed a transformation. Despite the pedigree of its street address, it was an unassuming storefront. The former location of luxury Jeweler Piaget, it now sat vacant, the after image of the previous lettering still silhouetted into the façade. The entrance itself was a bland recessed rectangular atrium with a single double door. Featureless except for two slim display windows. Despite neighboring the elegant glass block storefront of Coach and the attractively lit Dior, this slim, plain boutique was easy to bypass. But within its stark blankness lay opportunity. It was the optimal venue for a pop-up boutique—a locale that would generate anticipation because it was impermanent. It was the ideal locale for a capsule collection and capitalizing on the occupancy was dynamic Italian fashion house Fendi.

Fendi envisioned an entirely revitalized façade that would change the shape of the building. A clean, uninterrupted frontage like a slab of raw marble. It would be a transformative storefront, agile and as alterable as their exclusive and contemporary-focused collections. Beyond a revitalized interior for each capsule release, it would be a metamorphosis of the entire structure to match the mood of each highly-coveted merchandise release.

The solution was a building façade system created by Britten Inc. Utilizing custom sculpted Foam3D™, the new store front would be bumped out approximately a half-foot from the existing structure, and then shaped to create the desired monolithic form. The additional frontage also created the recessed entryway, which was capped by a Foam3D™ lunette, finishing out a seamless curved archway. Pulled across this foam framework was 785 square feet of custom printed display knit material and the final result was a stunning façade befitting the luxury retail brand.

Fendi x Skims

The first iteration of the newly installed façade was installed in November 2021to coincide with the collaborative capsule collection from Fendi and Skims. Adorned in a warm beige tone with tasteful backlit signage, the boutique was outfitted to match the harmonious and highly sought-after collection of these two fashion brands. Combining the dynastic influence of Fendi with the flourishing popularity of relative newcomer Skims, the design was a delve into Skims undergarments and shapewear with a focus on neutral tones and bold purple highlights. A worldwide launch, 323 N. Rodeo Dr was one of only 13 global locations providing a physical location to explore the collection in-person and amassed crowds reflective of the exclusivity.

At the conclusion of this collaboration, Fendi altered the façade graphic in December 2021. Featuring a much bolder meld of vibrant reds, yellows, with swaths of violet and sky blue, the effect was a metamorphic blend of Fendi Roma frontage for their Fall/Winter 2021 collection. Highlighting the use of cozy knits in striking prints, the Britten Inc printed façade mirrored the “psychedelic marble prints” characteristic of Kim Jones’ couture collection.

Fendi Cloud

Heading up the next collection in January 2022 was a more ethereal hued palette than the bold swirl print of December. A mix of hazy blues and muted reds, the result for the façade was a natural abstract akin to a gaseous nebula or the globe glimpsed from a long way off. Once again accented by a bold, backlit Fendi logo. the Britten Inc. printed façade matched the airy tone of the collection in vibrant detail.

Fendi Spring/Summer Collection

Looking back in order to progress the summer collection forward, the façade for the Spring/Summer line (installed in March 2022) paid homage to iconic fashion illustrator, and inspiration for the collection, Antonio López. Centered on the artists influential depiction and shaping of authentic, impactful, and free femininity, the updated frontage was embossed with two prominent female figures. An adaptation on his style, palette, and form, the pair take prominence over the archway and pay tribute to the original and illustrative style of the late López.

Fendace

In May 2022, 323 N. Rodeo Drive was altered once more, this time for another highly-anticipated collaboration. Bespeckled in rich gold Versace baroque overtop a muted Fendi “Karligraphy” logo pattern, this latest update to the façade commemorated the Fendi x Versace collaboration, branded under the regal combined moniker Fendace.

Five curated collections. Five distinct façades. A feat akin to a full building remodel to match altered inventory— A new store with each subsequent release. Making it possible was the quality products and agile expertise of Britten Inc. Working with Inner City on behalf of their client Fendi, Britten Inc. helped to transform 323 N. Rodeo Drive into each iteration of the select boutique, tailored to the highly discerning eye of the Italian fashion brand. From the static frontage of vacant 323 N. Rodeo Drive, emerged a dynamic flurry of invigorating, alluring, exciting alteration—a structure wardrobe change that only Fendi could imagine and a logistical accomplishment only Britten Inc. could produce.

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