Luxury Christmas shopping on LA's Rodeo Drive

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• published: 03 Aug 2015
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LEADIN: Los Angeles' most exclusive shopping district is adding that extra sparkle this Christmas. High-end designer brands line the streets of Rodeo Drive and many of the stores will turn over millions of dollars over the holidays. STORYLINE: The two mile long Rodeo Drive is as an internationally renowned shopping area, known for its luxury goods stores. The sun may shine most of the time on Rodeo Drive, but that doesn't stop one of the world's most famous shopping streets pulling out a cracker for Christmas - complete with sparkling palm trees and crystal chandeliers. Filled with quarter of a million red and white twinkling lights - the strip is transformed as soon as the sun sets. On Rodeo Drive appearances count for everything, so every store tries to outdo the other. Christmas is the second biggest season for retailers on this street after the summer sales boom. Alex Stettinski is from Beverly Hills' Chamber of Commerce, he says business is booming on Rodeo Drive at this time of year. "Rodeo Drive has a little over 100 stores that stretch over three long blocks. We predict sales up to one million dollars on average for some of the stores just in the month of December," says Stettinski. And it's not just the gifts in the shops that are going bling. Millions of dollars worth of chandeliers hang high along the street. The Italian luxury jewellery brand, Bulgari is known for its glamorous gemstones, luxury watches and leather goods. This season's must have piece is Bulgari's Serpenti High jewellery necklace in white gold with two pear shaped brilliant cut and pave diamonds. The piece can also be double as a diamond belt and has been worn by Hollywood actresses. It costs: $1,219,000 USD. Another highlight in the store is Bulgari's Four Season High jewellery necklace "Spring" in pink gold with 55 coloured semi-precious stones including peridots, amethysts, tourmalines, nine round brilliant cut and pave diamonds. This costs: $497,000 USD The matching Diva earrings come in pink gold with 10 shaped amethysts with two round brilliant cut and pave diamonds. The cost: $54,000 USD. Jill Chosen of Belair, Califorma loves walking along Rodeo Drive at Christmas. She says there is nothing like the holidays in Los Angeles when it's 74 degrees (23 Celsius), the sun is shining and you are surrounded by luxury. "The holidays season here on Rodeo is Los Angeles' version of Christmas and holidays which means glorious weather, palm trees, relaxing strolling up and down the street and keep in mind on this street, to me, part of the allure is, you can walk up and down and have the most beautiful stores in the world with the finest merchandise," says Chosen. Matthew Smith is a CEO and businessman who always does his Christmas shopping on Rodeo Drive. "Christmas is very, very special. I'm not a gift giver of many items. I like to find something special so coming to one of the most special places in the world to shop, really, there is no way and impossible not to find something special," he says. At the Rolex luxury watch store on Rodeo Drive, some of its most expensive watches fill the showcases such as the Oyster Perpetual Day and Date 11 "President" with diamond face and worth $89,900 USD. Further up the drive there is a cluster of stores called Two Rodeo Drive, an outdoor shopping area built in 1990 as a faux-European shopping alley featuring a cobblestone street. Bill Wiley, CBRE, Two Rodeo, Director says there is nothing like this part of Rodeo known as Via Rodeo. On Via Rodeo is the luxury brand Porsche Design with its ultra-modern store. If you know a special somebody looking for a pair of 18-Karat solid gold sunglasses then this might be the shopping street for you. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/f9c781a2ec7ac494975ea9b2d675fb82 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork