Seeing Stars: Where the Stars Shop

8100 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood
(323) 655-3734

  and  

500 Broadway, Santa Monica, CA
(310) 458-8100

It's hard to imagine any one shop attracting more Big Name celebrities than Fred Segal. After 40 years on west Melrose, this collection of ultra-hip boutiques is a common destination for the likes of

Winona Ryder, Jennifer Aniston, Megan Fox, Leonardo DiCaprio, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Affleck, Salma Hayek, Meg Ryan, Alicia Silverstone, George Clooney, Denise  Richards, Bette Midler, Samuel L. Jackson, Farah Fawcett, Alanis Morrissette, Rod Stewart, Chris Rock, Rachel Hunter, Nicole Kidman, Clare Danes, Jerry O'Connell, Madonna & Seal.

Reportedly, Matt Damon, Sandra Bullock, David Schwimmer and Lara Flynn Boyle were all spotted here on the same day. (But not together.)

According to recent gossip reports:

  • Julia Roberts dashed in for the last hour of a big sale.

  • Nicole Kidman was at Fred Segal buying her daughter, Isabella, her first pair of high heels, for the 2003 Academy Awards (where Nicole won an Oscar), and in 2006 she was spotted shopping at the Santa Monica branch of F.S.

  • Sarah Michelle Gellar & Freddie Prinze Jr. were seen kissing in their car outside the store.

  • Sandra Bullock was arousing curiosity while looking at maternity outfits.

  • Cameron Diaz was sitting cross-legged on the floor, sorting through items during the day-after-Christmas rush.

  • David Duchovney met his longtime girlfriend Perrey Reeves there (he asked her to help him pick out a suit).

  • Robin Williams loves their colorful Hawaiian shirts.

  • Sara Gilbert says it's her favorite place to shop. So do twins Mary-Kate & Ashley.
    		•


    This casual yet sophisticated store has been attracting the right crowd since it opened in 1960.

    It's quite possible to wander around the ever-fashionable Fred Segal without even realizing that this isn't a single store; actually it's a virtual mini-mall, a maze of different, eclectic boutiques, with names such as "Fred Segal Couture," "Fred Segal Feeling," "Fred Segal Fun," "Fred Segal Sparkle," etc., and with an emphasis is on stylish designers and edgy fashion.

    Whether it's high fashion by Armani or some funky retro duds, if it's hip, you'll probably find it here. But in general, be prepared for high prices. (It's no surprise their semiannual sales are always packed.)

    Beyond clothes, they sell everything from sunglasses to luggage to cookies (yes, they even have a café.) You can shop for a $15 cosmetic or a $3,500 dress, all under the same roof.

    Near the cener of the Fred Segal complex, you'll find a small cafe named Mauro's, serving Italian cuisine, At lunch time, it's of the best places to spot stars (such as Lindsay Lohan) on Melrose (although it can be hard to get a table when its crowded).

    Ever wonder where the producers buy many of the stars' outfits for shows like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Beverly Hills 90210"? You guessed it. Fred Segal.

    Jennifer Garner, Kate Hudson, Reese Witherspoon, Heather Locklear, Katie Holmes, Daryl Hannah, Kelly Osbourne, Edward Furlong, Rose McGowan, Sally Kellerman and the X-Men's 'Jean Grey', Famke Janssen... are just a few of the others spotted there.

    And if that's not enough, there's another branch.

    There's a second Fred Segal complex in Santa Monica, just a block east of the Third Street Promenade, at Broadway and 5th. And while it's not quite as hip as the Melrose outlet, according to insiders, stars who have been spotted there include Jennifer Aniston, Jamie Lee Curtis and Angelica Huston (all on one day), as well as Brad Pitt, Meg Ryan, Jodie Foster, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kirsten Dunst, Gabrielle Reese, Julia Roberts, Paris Hilton, Pamela Anderson & Tommy Lee... especially in the early afternoon

    Fred Segal is open Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.

    Getting there: You'll find the original branch of Fred Segal on Melrose Avenue, at the southwest corner of Melrose and Crescent Heights Blvd., four blocks west of Fairfax. From the Beverly Center mall, go three blocks north on La Cienega to Melrose, turn right (east) on Melrose, and go about nine blocks east to Crescent Heights. Fred Segal will be on your right (south) side.

     The Santa Monica branch of Fred Segal is located just northeast of the Santa Monica Place mall and the Third Street Promenade, at the corner of Fifth and Broadway. From the mall, just go one block northeast on Broadway, and Fred Segal will be on your right (southeast) side.



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