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Seeing Stars: Where the Stars Shop
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8100
Melrose Ave., West Hollywood
(323) 655-3734
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UPDATE:
From the L.A. Times : (July 30, 2024)
“Fred
Segal, once a centerpiece to the Los Angeles fashion scene, closed its
two remaining stores Tuesday, bringing a quiet end — at least for now —
to a name that endured for decades as a shopping destination.
The brand, which once had nine stores in California and locations in
Switzerland and Taipei, succumbed to a challenging retail landscape,
never recovering from the impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on sales
despite being a fixture of Los Angeles fashion since the 1960s, said
owner Jeff Lotman.
The two stores closing are in West Hollywood and Malibu.”
I will leave
this page up for anyone who wants to read about the store in its prime,
but bear in mind that it was written back when Fred Segel was open and
thriving.
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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, Emma Roberts, Halle Berry, Alicia Silverstone, George Clooney,
Rihanna, Ryan Phillippe & Amanda Seyfried, Jennifer Lopez, Denise Richards, Bette Midler, Tom Hardy, Samuel L. Jackson, Michelle Rodriguez, Alanis Morrissette, Rod Stewart,
Chris Rock, Denise Richards, Rachel Hunter, Nicole Kidman,
Clare Danes, Jerry O'Connell, Madonna & Seal. |
  
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Reportedly, Matt
Damon, Sandra
Bullock, David
Schwimmer and Lara
Flynn Boyle were all spotted here on the
same day. (But not together.)
According to gossip
reports, over the years, there have been some interesting moments here:
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
loved their colorful Hawaiian shirts.
Sara Gilbert said
it's her favorite place to shop. So did twins
Mary-Kate
& Ashley.
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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 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.
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Near the center of the Fred
Segal complex, you'll find a small cafe named Mauro's,
serving Italian cuisine, At lunch time, it's one 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 trendy TV shows? 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.
Looking
for something in particular? Search the Seeing-Stars website!
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