BVLGARI DEBUTS FLAGSHIP BOUTIQUE AND LAUNCHES TWO-AND-A-HALF WEEK FRAGRANCE POP-UP AT SOUTH COAST PLAZA

BY MICHELLE DALTON TYREE

The new location and pop-up offer many news-making ‘firsts’ for the beloved Italian high jeweler

May 6, 2024

Exquisite craftsmanship. Visionary design. And audacious color combinations. Unmistakably, all the hallmarks of Roman high jeweler Bvlgari which debuted a dramatic new, 5,000-square-foot boutique at South Coast Plaza — just in time for Mother’s Day.

Like Bvlgari’s beloved Serpenti design, the new boutique is a seductive and sinuous weaving of both classic and boldly modern motifs and design, complete with a Serpenti chandelier crafted by celebrated Murano glass maker Venini.

The opulent boutique marries luxurious materials taken from Rome’s rich design heritage along with inspiration from the sun-soaked lifestyle of Southern California. The entrance is flanked by white Travertino Navona marble and mimics the same shape of the entrance from the historic flagship store on Via dei Condotti, Rome’s famous luxury shopping thoroughfare. Bvlgari’s iconic eight-point star, which has been featured in every boutique since the brand’s inception in 1884, is rendered in red porphyry for a grand statement and focal point on the marble flooring in the middle of the boutique.

Tapping into California roots, Bvlgari commissioned Fleeting Moments, a vibrant contemporary painting from California artist Gena Milanesi, a painter with Italian heritage who drew inspiration from watching a California sunset.

The House further harkened to its bright West Coast inspiration with the debut of one-of-a kind gems from Bvlgari’s exclusive Californian Journeys high jewelry capsule collection.

“I am thrilled to celebrate the reopening of our South Coast Plaza boutique in a new location in Costa Mesa,” said Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO Bvlgari Group. “I look forward to welcoming our clients back to South Coast Plaza to share Bvlgari’s rich heritage and dazzling creations with this vibrant community.”

Indeed, it’s a community that has welcomed Bvlgari with open arms as was the case at Bvlgari’s private dinner to fête the store opening, which included a special performance by singer Jordin Sparks.

Those elements of surprise and delight are deeply ingrained in the DNA of the brand, which has debuted many firsts and exclusives with this opening.

In addition to introducing high jewelry for the first time, Bvlgari introduced a Fuji Crocodile Serpenti Forever handbag with pave diamond Serpenti clasp to join its regal “Crystal Sparkle” leather goods collection. Several other styles in the collection are exclusive to South Coast Plaza.

Bvlgari also unveiled a new dedicated watch salon which includes high watches, complicated men’s watches and the Serpenti Misteriosi, which can boast that it is the smallest round mechanical movement on the market.

The South Coast Plaza boutique is also home to the first Bvlgari lounge in North America. It features a bar inspired by the iconic Bvlgari Tubogas tube design and will serve light refreshments to customers as they shop for everything from the iconic B.Zero1 collection and Bvlgari Bvlgari to Divas’ Dream and one-of-a-kind high jewelry.

Adding to the many news-making moments of the South Coast Plaza flagship launch, this is the first Bvlgari boutique worldwide to showcase the brand’s new fragrance experience along with the debut of Chill & Sole, a new fragrance from master perfumer Jacques Cavallier. The scent is a vibrant, bright eau de parfum created to evoke a Mediterranean sea atmosphere that would be perfectly at home on the Amalfi Coast.

And to celebrate. Bvlgari is serving up legendary hospitality and joy in the form of a vibrant, scent-filled pop-up experience at South Coast Plaza’s Jewel Court, from May 4 through May 22. The pop-up will transport visitors to the sun-filled climes of the Amalfi Coast (via South Coast Plaza, of course) with everything from the hopping Sole Beach Club, featuring a DJ, passed Italian sodas and popsicle carts to more bespoke experiences such as perfume bottle painting, Italian landscape painting and private appointments with a Bvlgari fragrance expert.

In short, everything one would need to channel La Dolce Vita at South Coast Plaza!