I was skimming a 1977 issue of Orange County Illustrated magazine today when I stumbled across an ad supplement for Fashion Island shopping center in Newport Beach. It inspired today's post. (In a day or two, I'll actually post some of the images from the OCI ad itself.) .
Today's first image (top) shows the Fashion Island area in 1965, prior to development. Note the great view of Newport Harbor in the background. The second photo shows Fashion Island's grand opening on Sept. 9, 1967. Notice the Santa Ana High School Saints Marching Band waiting to play.
.
Fashion Island was built on part of the Irvine Ranch, and is still owned by the Irvine Company. In fact, the site (along with much of the surrounding land) was home to the national Boy Scout Jamboree in 1953.
Fashion Island was built on part of the Irvine Ranch, and is still owned by the Irvine Company. In fact, the site (along with much of the surrounding land) was home to the national Boy Scout Jamboree in 1953.
.
Originally, Fashion Island had 52 specialty shops, two restaurants, and four anchor stores: The Broadway, Robinson's, Buffum’s, and J.C. Penney's. The four buildings housing the big department stores were designed by William Pereira and Welton Becket.
.
Over the years, stores came and went and parts of the shopping center were expanded and redesigned. The largest makeover came in 1988/1989, when the Modern buildings (with a Spanish Revival twist) were morphed by architect Jon Jerde into a quasi-Italian/Mediterranean style. Suddenly, it seemed like a whole new place.
.
Lord knows why old shopping malls make me nostalgic, but seeing the original incarnation of Fashion Island definitely does.
.
Both of today's photos come from the Cye Featherly Collection at the Orange County Archives.
