L.A.'s Kitson Draws Big Names
Famous Faces Flock to Store
There must be hundreds of photographs of celebrities clutching the infamous semi-opaque shopping bags from Kitson, the high-priced boutique on paparazzi favorite Robertson Boulevard. The question, however, is what they found to purchase in the store.
Of course, reading that someone “dropped $1,000 during a ten-minute trip” at Kitson is somewhat deceiving, as it doesn’t necessarily mean much merchandise was purchased. A few items quickly add to that amount.
That may be similar to other stores, especially boutiques and designer department stores. Nice clothing is usually expensive. But when the merchandise consists of a pair of ratty pants and a Cookie Monster t-shirt, something’s up.
It’s no secret that Kitson has benefited from the celebrity stamp of approval. Though it seems as though Paris Hilton is often the store’s Most Frequent Customer (up until this month, anyway), everyone from Jennifer Lopez to Kate Bosworth has been spotted entering or leaving the store's familiar doorway. What’s mind-boggling is why they flock to the store in the first place. The medium-sized store is crowded with tables (that need a good dusting, by the way) stacked with folded pants and shirts, resembling a garage sale. Their gift side is mildly better, but the assortment of books and products can easily be found elsewhere. There’s usually a guard near the door, keeping an eye out for shoplifters. Shoplifting at Kitson? Double the embarrassment.
When Desperate Housewives was at its peak popularity, Kitson had a Housewives-themed window in which mannequins donned an outfit representing each of the five female leads, and to promote their “I Heart Desperate Housewives” t-shirts (yes, they’re big on logo t-shirts.) The shirts looked somewhat cute in photographs, and the window display was somewhat ingenious. However, the actual much-hyped Desperate t-shirt resembled a DIY iron-on transfer. The black and red logo was already peeling and cracking, and the fabric was less than soft.
Occasionally the store will have a long line outside, sometimes for an event such as Victoria Beckham signing perfume. A few blocks away, two young women chatted anxiously, confused about the line.
“Do you have to be VIP to get in?’ one of them asked, disappointed that she would leave L.A. without seeing the store.
Though they were relieved to discover that anyone could wait in line, the glamorous aura disappeared as they were eager to get inside.
“This is crazy,” she said. “Can’t we just shop?”
Even the promise of a celebrity signing a bottle of perfume didn’t cheer them up.
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