Is Rodeo Drive’s Light Touch a Bit Heavy-Handed?

To some people, there’s no such thing as too much glitter on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.

With Christmastime here, the city has taken the art of holiday decoration to a new level. It has lined the median of the famously posh street with $1 million worth of formal chandeliers.

To passersby, it’s very Beverly Hills. But is it also over the top?

Erin Doyle, 35, an office worker at a nearby hair products firm, squinted thoughtfully overhead and offered the opinion that fancy chandeliers look oddly out of place on a public street.

“Well,” she said, “it’s all about ‘the look’ of Beverly Hills. Personally, I think they look kind of pretentious.”

To others, however, the display just goes with the territory.

“The $50,000 watches were what we expected. But we didn’t expect this. It’s sort of like icing on the cake,” said awestruck Bob Bechta, 56, a first-time visitor from Stafford Springs, Conn.

His wife, Kathy, added: “They’re just beautiful. But if they were in our small town, they’d be totally out of place.”

From Thanksgiving through New Year’s, it’s a tradition in many towns to drape business districts with twinkling skeins of snowflake lights on street trees and storefronts.

But on Rodeo Drive’s three-block stretch of swank emporiums, such decor might seem a little declasse.

So when Baccarat, the renowned French crystal maker, offered to dress up Rodeo, gratis, with 20 handcrafted chandeliers valued at close to $50,000 apiece, city officials and the Chamber of Commerce enthusiastically accepted.

The shimmering crystal lamps are suspended from sleek standards temporarily installed by Baccarat at an additional cost of $500,000. The bases of the displays include the Baccarat logo. The chandeliers are encased in clear plastic boxes to protect them from the elements.

Yanique Barnes, assistant manager of Cole Haan shoes and accessories, is among the many shopkeepers who applaud the overhead eye candy.

“I think it’s very elegant,” she said. “It goes well with the street. Anything that draws people and helps them enjoy the shopping experience is good.”

But a courtly 82-year-old man waiting for his wife to finish shopping was unmoved.

“I think they’re gilding the lily,” said the Westwood resident, who gave his name only as Ken. “They may make a statement to some people. I don’t know if it’s money well spent on [Baccarat’s] part.”

Gregg Donovan, the city’s official greeter who stands on Rodeo Drive attired in silk top hat, red topcoat and white gloves, dismissed such criticism. With a little imagination, he suggested, the enclosures resemble gift boxes.

And, “it reminds me of old-fashioned lanterns, so it’s kind of nostalgic,” he said, flashing a diplomatic grin.

Mayor Mark Egerman has heard nothing but praise for the bold flourish.

“This is the sort of thing everyone can enjoy,” he said. “It’s sort of like the old [public relations] joke -- ‘I don’t care what people say as long as they’re talking about me.’ ”

Each multitiered creation -- there are six styles -- sparkles with 750 to 1,000 multifaceted beads that were either hand-blown or hand-poured before being cut, polished and assembled by craftsmen in Baccarat, France.

“Nothing like this has been done anywhere in the world that we’re aware of,” said Brent McDaneld, a top executive with the 240-year-old company.

Even without the display on Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills has long been known for its holiday trappings.

For years, two Santa-and-reindeer displays flying over Wilshire Boulevard have been favorite Christmas icons. Area residents from miles around come annually to view the “tree of lights” atop the luxurious Regent Beverly Wilshire hotel.

With controversy in recent years over the often-religious overtones of seasonal displays, officials said, part of the beauty of the chandeliers is that they’re nondenominational.

“A lot of thought went into that,” said McDaneld, Baccarat’s U.S. vice president of merchandising. The display, which ends Jan. 2, has an unmistakable commercial appeal, as well. Though the stores usually close by early evening, shop owners will stay open extra hours from Monday to Dec. 23 while the street basks in the pricey glow from above.

The chandeliers will be taken down and sold at Geary’s and other retail outlets for Baccarat crystal and jewelry.

There are already signs that they will be hot sellers.

Hours before the Dec. 1 lighting ceremony, “some Saudi Arabians came by and were asking about them,” Donovan said. “They wanted to buy them.”