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Joseph Magnin

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Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Joseph Magnin, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 9 August 20252 sources
Joseph Magnin Company
Company typePrivate
IndustryRetail (department store)
Founded1913 in San Francisco, California, United States
FounderJoseph Magnin
Defunct1984
FateFiled for bankruptcy and ceased operations
Headquarters
San Francisco
,
United States
Area served
California, Nevada, Colorado, Utah, Hawaii
Key people
Cyril Magnin (Chairman)
ProductsApparel, millinery, luxury goods
ParentAmfac, Inc. (1969–1977)


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Final logo of Joseph Magnin
Historical image of the Joseph Magnin department store at La Habra Fashion Square

The Joseph Magnin Company was a luxury specialty department store established in San Francisco, California, by Joseph Magnin, the fourth son of Isaac Magnin, who founded the I. Magnin department store. Joseph Magnin Co. and I. Magnin Co. maintained a competitive rivalry.

History

Newman-Magnin store in 1918

In 1913, Joseph Magnin departed from I. Magnin & Co. and acquired a stake in the Newman-Levinson store partnership, which was subsequently renamed Newman-Magnin[1]. By 1919, it adopted the name Joseph Magnin Co.

Situated at the intersection of Stockton and O'Farrell Streets, the store operated near I. Magnin Co., which was located at Grant and Geary Streets. When I. Magnin opened its new flagship at Stockton and Geary streets in 1948, both flagship stores stood less than a block apart. Initially, Joseph Magnin offered mid-tier apparel and millinery, often regarded as a lesser counterpart to I. Magnin. Within the garment sector, Joseph Magnin Co. earned the moniker "the other Magnin." For many years, it functioned under the shadow of I. Magnin, which had exclusive agreements with premier fashion suppliers and prevented vendors from supplying Joseph Magnin if they wished to maintain ties with I. Magnin. To partially circumvent this limitation, Joseph Magnin leased the vacant fourth floor of its Stockton/O'Farrell location for several years to emerging local designer and manufacturer Eleanor Green,[2] who used it as her design studio and manufacturing space.

Joseph Magnin occasionally leveraged consumer confusion regarding the "Magnin" name by branding itself as J. Magnin in signage, advertising materials, and shopping bags. The company also identified with the initials JM.

Post-war era

Following World War II, under the direction of Joseph's son Cyril Magnin, Joseph Magnin Co. shifted towards a more upscale market focus, targeting younger female customers. JM's marketing campaigns became known for their glamorous, sophisticated, fashionable, and youthful appeal. In one instance, an advertisement was published without mentioning the Magnin name; Cyril was initially upset until informed that the promotion had sold out because customers recognized it as a JM campaign. The suit worn by Marilyn Monroe during her marriage to Joe DiMaggio in 1954 was purchased at JM. By 1960, the store was among San Francisco’s first retailers to hire Asian-Americans in customer service roles.Template:Fix/category[citation needed]

In 1967, JM acquired the wedding trousseau for Lynda Bird Johnson.

Additionally, the store featured a men's-only section called the "Wolves' Den," where male patrons could relax in a lounge-like environment while enjoying martinis and cigars, with merchandise presented by some of JM’s most attractive saleswomen.

Sale and Closure

In 1969, Cyril Magnin facilitated the acquisition of Joseph Magnin Co. by Amfac, Inc., a company based in Hawaii. Amfac was the proprietor of several retail outlets, including Liberty House, across the West Coast and Hawaii. Cyril continued to serve as chairman of Joseph Magnin’s board. Under Amfac’s ownership, the Joseph Magnin chain expanded to encompass 32 locations. By 1977, Amfac divested Joseph Magnin Co., selling it to a group of investors led by the Hillman Company and Gibbons, Green & Rice. Subsequently, Hillman sold the chain in 1982. Two years later, in 1984, Joseph Magnin Co. filed for bankruptcy and ceased operations, closing all remaining stores.

South Coast Plaza Store

The Joseph Magnin store located in South Coast Plaza, Orange County, California, was the mall’s branch number 30 and opened its doors on March 14, 1968, within the Carousel Court area. This two-level store gained recognition for its original design by architect Frank Gehry. The 1979 refurbishment involved prominent architects and designers such as Massimo and Lella Vignelli, along with Gere Kavanaugh. Their work included redesigning interiors and creating the in-store dining venue, Le Soupçon, distinguished by numerous market umbrellas. This renovation exemplified then-CEO Edward Gorman’s initiative at the close of the 1970s to revitalize the company’s retail spaces. According to the Los Angeles Times, "The Costa Mesa location—remodeled and reopened last month—serves as a model. Its 27,000 square feet (2,500 m2) were crafted to emphasize JM's dedication to uniqueness and modernity, featuring movable shelving units, counters, and dressing rooms to allow flexible merchandising arrangements, lighting mounted on adjustable ceiling tracks, and a 'meandering' layout through departments instead of a conventional grid pattern."

Branches

At its peak, Joseph Magnin operated up to 49 locations, which had decreased to 24 by the time the company declared bankruptcy and ceased operations.

The following list details some of the store sites:

San Francisco

Other Areas in the San Francisco Bay Area

Sacramento metropolitan area

  • Downtown Plaza
  • Florin Center
  • Country Club Centre
  • Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights

Other Northern California Locations

  • Carmel Plaza
  • In the city of Modesto

Southern California

  • At the Airport Marina Hotel (also known as Amfac Hotel), positioned on Lincoln Boulevard near Manchester Avenue in Westchester, close to LAX
  • Broadway Plaza (currently known as "The Bloc") located in Downtown Los Angeles
  • Topanga Plaza in the neighborhood of Canoga Park
  • Century City Shopping Center
  • Glendale Fashion Center in Glendale, opened in 1966. Subsequently, Joseph Magnin relocated to the Glendale Galleria; by 1979, local retailer Webb's expanded into its former premises.
  • Glendale Galleria
  • Marina del Rey
  • Santa Barbara
  • Sherman Oaks Fashion Square
  • Del Amo Fashion Square in Torrance
  • South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa (Orange County), which opened on March 14, 1968 (see earlier section for further information)
  • La Habra Fashion Square, inaugurated on August 10, 1968, with approximately 19,500 square feet of retail space
  • Desert Fashion Plaza in Palm Springs, opened in 1969 with roughly 26,000 square feet of space (refer also to History of retail in Palm Springs)
  • Fashion Valley mall located in San Diego, opened in 1969
  • Buenaventura Center in Ventura

Nevada

Denver

Other Locations

References

  1. ↑ "Jos. Magnin Leaves Firm". San Francisco Examiner. June 8, 1913.
  2. ↑ Dr. Benjamin Deitch and Eleanor Green (June 19, 2017). "Eleanor Green's design studio and factory in the 4th floor of the then sole and original Joseph Magnin store @ Stockton and O'Farrel [sic], The City circa 1948 ..." – via Facebook.

Sources

Related profiles

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