Theater of Shopping tells the story of retail visionary Stanley Whitman and the creation of Bal Harbour Shops, the most successful luxury fashion shopping center in the world, and one of the last family-owned shopping centers in America.
Written by critically acclaimed author Alastair Gordon, Theater of Shopping is a cultural history of both a place and a personal legacy. The open-air luxury shopping destination opened in 1965 as a pedestrian-friendly environment that turned shopping into a kind of theatrical event, while featuring the work of young design talents like Valentino, Versace, Mugler, Oscar de La Renta, and other foreign designers who were unknown in America before first showcasing their collections at Bal Harbour Shops.
The text weaves together fashion, luxury commerce, architecture, landscape design, urban development, and family history, to create a highly readable narrative illustrated with more than 300 images including never-before-published drawings, and photographs by renowned photographers including Richard Avedon and Ezra Stoller.
In celebration of Bal Harbour Shops’ 60th Anniversary, a limited number of books will include a new, special artist- edition cover by Tug Rice.
Inside Look: The new Lululemon boutique is now open on Level 3, East Shops. Explore the iconic leisure house’s collection of athletic-inspired pieces for men and women, along with shoes and accessories, and don’t miss the custom art pieces by Alex Proba and special merch only available here. Plus, keep following us for alerts for special activations with the brand to come.
Last call to participate in our 7th annual Creative Challenge. Reminder: all entries must be received by October 16th 11:59pm EST, and don’t forget to share on Instagram with the tag #BHSCreativeDream. We can’t wait to look through the submissions and share the winning illustrations. Check back on November 6 for when we announce the winner and runners-up. For full details click the link in bio.
Shown here, the work of Nadia Desjardins, participant of the 2025 Creative Challenge.
Consider it beauty with benefits. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, proceeds from each sale will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Click the link in bio for even more beauty products whose benefits are beyond skin deep.
