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The Vault 11th Annual Trunk Show Featuring Mark Nason with tequila from Casa Noble in Laguna Beach.
 PREMIER PEOPLE: Premier Men co-owners Gila Leibovitch and Johnny Alper Men's fashion retailers are typically conservative when it comes to fashion.
Yet Michael Dovan has been taking risks with men's fashion for more than 25 years-through good times and bad-and he has found that risks can pay off.
Dovan owns Traffic, one of a handful of independent fashion stores at the Beverly Center, a leading Los Angeles luxury retail center owned by The Taubman Co., based in Bloomfield, Mich.
Like other retailers, it is crucial for Traffic and the Beverly Center's other independent stores-such as Premier Men, Planet Funk and Politix-to show themselves to be both unique and on trend. It is one of the best ways to stand out in a 160-store mall dominated by boutiques of some of the world's most celebrated fashion brands, including Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana, Hugo Boss and Dior.
When the public embraces fashion-forward styles, this strategy works. But when the public does not get a certain look or designer, Dovan recommends retailers be steadfast. "It's hard to be unique. But if you stay on course, the [public] will come back," he said.
One of the best-selling items at Traffic is the "Fahrenheit" leather overcoat by Los Angeles-based designer Michel Berandi. Retailing for $2,300, the coat's details feature a hood and a treated Italian leather fabric.
Another top brand at Traffic is British designer Paul Smith. Price points for the tailored collection range from $950 for suits in the diffusion line PS Paul Smith to $2,200 for a Paul Smith tuxedo.
Swedish denim brand Nudie also sells well. Retail price points range from
$175 to $450. Another popular look at the men's store is an English schoolboy blazer by Vivienne Westwood. The navy wool blazer with gold lapels retails for $1,525.
Kennedy-era fashions are still in at Traffic, as well. A popular style is a
$1,495 gray suit with skinny, notched lapels by Costume National. Dovan also runs a Traffic women's store, located a couple of storefronts away from the men's store. According to manager Carl Dias, black is the new black at Traffic for women.
A top-selling dress at Traffic is a black dress by New York-based label Alexander Wang. The dress features a fitted bodice and asymmetric ruffles that run from the bust to the knee. It retails for $672. Also selling well is a 3.1 Phillip Lim skirt, constructed out of wool crepe and featuring a cascading drape ruffle. It retails for $425.
French designer Isabel Marant has been a hit at Traffic. Offerings from the Paris-based designer include a $375 white top with a vintage, ethnic look.
Two floors up from Traffic, Premier Men offers a more casual look that stresses a nightclub savvy. Co-owner Gila Leibovitch described the store as being devoted to up-and-coming designers and embellished looks. Popular brands have included Ed Hardy and One More Round Clothing, a Los Angeles-based boxing-inspired line. T-shirts typically retail for $59.
Hoodies retail for $129.
Jeans with a certain amount of bling command attention at Premier Men.
Laguna Beach Denim Co. makes jeans with black crystals emblazoned on the back pockets. Price points range from $200 to $250. Also popular is Mek Denim's "Oaxaca" jean. The dark denim features ornate back-pocket stitching and retails for $139.
Leibovitch said even in tough times, being unique pays off at the Beverly Center. "We're finding out that there is a heavy percentage of tourists among the Beverly Center customer. They're looking for something that they can't find back home," Leibovitch said.
FROM CORPORATE BANK TO
COUTURE BOUTIQUE
NOW MEN ENJOY
COUTURE BY THE COAST
By Sarah McClure
January 29, 2007 
Photography by Jeffery Van Fox
The
idea behind naming Vault - the new, atypical, upscale men's boutique
in Downtown Laguna Beach - was inspired by its previous occupant, a
bank. The retired building has kept most of its vault-like
structures, only now the preserved jagged walls have collided with
music-inspired fashion. Old wires that haphazardly protrude from the
inside walls in a dozen directions have been spray painted to a
copper hue and hold up denims and fedoras. An electric guitar hangs
as centerpiece from the ceiling, cradled by more wires. According to
co-owner Johnny Alper, all this drives the idea of putting an edge
to the store. In 1993, Alper and Gila Leibovitch opened the
first of their clothing boutiques in Los Angeles, and kept the
attention of Angelenos by offering an edgy assortment of couture and
international designer labels. Their growing popularity has led them
to launch their latest - and fifth - boutique. Opened in October
2006 and occupying a mere 700 square feet, this modern boutique for
menswear is attracting an array of Orange County locals. And with
some of the most ultra-hip, chic clothing and accessories available
only for the masculine, The Vault is a nice addition among the array
of women's stores in Laguna Beach's downtown shopping
scene. Leibovitch and Alper fly out twice a year to fashion
hubs such as Paris, Italy and Turkey to attend fashion shows and
work with European manufacturers to find the hottest trends to fill
their boutiques. "We want to take the sophisticated and successful
businessman from the boardroom and [dress him] for the club, party
or social event," Leibovitch says. "We want to get those men out of
their Tommy Bahama's." Indeed. Some labels at The Vault
include Antik Denim, 575, Italian brand Mondo di Marco, ABS, Jo
Ghost, 9Lives, Lion Head, denim legend Parasuco and Vannucci Couture
(a favorite of Sting). These and other hard-to-find designers are
just one way this boutique by the beach is inspiring men's fashion
to avant garde levels. "Our pieces tend to make people feel younger
and hip," Leibovitch says, adding that her favorite designers are
Robert Graham, Ted Baker, Mark Nason and Just Cavalli. They
have patchwork pageboy hats, leather jackets embellished with
rhinestone fleur de lis, cashmere and argyle sweaters by A&G,
and Donald J. Pliner boots - the tag reading "made in the mountains
of Italy." Just as magnificent is a leather belt by Ivy, its buckle
shaped as a crown, jewels embedded and set in pony hair. Pendants,
rings, cufflinks, even jeweled beanies from Leather & Treasures
and Chrome Hearts are displayed in glass using the actual vault
doorframe. Both Leibovitch and Alper are passionate about
their business of "making fashion dreams come true." People return
to the store just to tell them about the compliments they get from
wearing items from The Vault. "People are so happy about what they
find here to the point that we've probably saved a few marriages,"
Alper says.
Fashion Lockdown.
WHAT The Vault
WHERE 381 Forest Avenue, Laguna Beach
INFO Call 949.376.4000 or visit http://www.premiermen.com/WHEN 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Click here to view more
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