Bal Harbour Shops, the groundbreaking retail destination in Miami Beach that went on to become one of the most lucrative in retail history, has earned its place in the history books — and has now inspired a book of its own.
Theater of Shopping: The Story of Stanley Whitman’s Bal Harbour Shops, tells of how Whitman tenaciously clung to his vision for an open-air luxury destination, persuading — or, initially, failing to persuade, in some cases — luxury department stores and chic boutiques to come and open stores there.
Bal Harbour Shops opened in the 1960s and offered an environment as rich as its clientele, with its riotous beds of tropical plants and flowers, towering palm trees, elegant walkways, and chic boutiques and restaurants. By order of Whitman himself — who would walk the property each day, even into his 90s — doors were always to be left open to the cool ocean breezes; nary a leaf was out of place. Whitman died in May 2017, at 98.
Stanley Whitman walked and inspected the property daily, even well into his 90s
The book, written by Alastair Gordon, chronicles the development of what is today one of the few remaining family-owned malls and detailing how such then-unknown designers as de La Renta, Mugler, Valentino and Versace showcased their early collections there.
The 272-page hardcover, published by Rizzoli, retails for $65.
By Edmund Mander
Director, Editor-In-Chief/SCT
