L.A. Status Too

KAREN JUBERT Personal trainer, age 26 “Having a private trainer is definitely a status symbol, especially if they go to your home and set up a program for you. It’s also a status symbol to have the best body. It’s that more than material possessions. And quitting smoking is a major status symbol.” BRAD ELTERMAN Photojournalist and real estate broker, author of “Shoot the Stars,” age 29 “Everybody seems to be getting a portable cellular phone. It’s great for paparazzi work; you can let people know right away who’s eating where. I see girls having lunch at La Scala Boutique who have them. And you know they’re not closing major deals; they’re probably trying to find out if there’s a sale down the street at Versace.” PATRICK BOUCHET Executive sous-chef at the Biltmore Hotel, age 31 “For me, it’s a house. I think everybody wants to own a house. If you can afford to get one, it means you’ve made it over the hump. I’m trying to buy one right now. And in my profession, a real status symbol is getting your kitchen at home as close to an industrial kitchen as possible, with a Wolf range and a walk-in refrigerator.” SAMMY LEE Officer, Beverly Hills Police Department, age 27 “In my line of work it would be considered a status symbol to have a promotion to a specialized detail. I’m a motorcycle officer, which is a very sought-after detail. Also, a status symbol would have to be my car, an ’84 Ferrari 308. And I have most of the toys in it, like a car phone. It beats my Toyota truck. Status is something different from what’s average.” SMOOT HULL Director of guest services at Stock Exchange, age 25 “Status clothes are the California designers. What makes them unique is that the designers are people you’re around. It’s not just somebody’s name you wear. For gadgets, the new status symbols are those digital audiotapes. They’re the king cats of electronic paraphernalia. The cars of the season are the old ones, the classics, the ’59 Caddy with fins. People who drive Ferraris all act the same; they’re boring. Another status symbol is owning anything by Ronco.” BO TROOP Interior designer, age 38 “Having a piece of furniture by a well-known architect is considered a status symbol. Instead of buying art, you can have a piece of furniture that really is a work of art, like the Richard Meier chair I have in my house. Also, clothes by Clackton & Frinton. They’re cut very ‘40s. It’s a very distinctive look.” DANNY VILLANUEVA General manager, KMEX-TV, age 50 “My friends and I collect golf club memberships. We don’t play because we don’t have that much time, but we do talk about it a lot. I joined four courses next to my four homes. And I have eight Arabian horses and I don’t know how to ride. I’ve never been on them. I just go out to see them, watch the trainer work with them, clap and go home.”