Window Designer Is Shown the Door

It was 1988, the year that credulous Angelenos trembled for fear of earthquake predictions in the writings of a 16th-Century French astrologer, and the windows of the Camp Beverly Hills store had a message of their own: “Nostradamus Says Relax.”

A painted fault line split the store’s facade, and a mechanical hand waved back and forth, swinging a shopping bag and clutching an airline ticket.

The display was an eye-catcher, part of the insouciant appeal that makes Camp Beverly Hills one of the most distinctive clothing shops along Santa Monica Boulevard.

But Camp Beverly Hills is rethinking its image, and provocative window-dressing is out for now at the shop that once sold clothing with a display labeled “The Last Temptation of Elvis.”

That one was also striking, with the head of the late, chubby rock-and-roll star imposed on a copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s famous fresco, and the floor littered with fast-food wrappers.

Another window celebrated the Los Angeles victory over Detroit’s professional basketball team by displaying a urinal, labeled “Lakers 1,” and a toilet, “Pistons No. 2.”

But shoppers will be seeing more standard windows from now on. The creator of the message windows, Lisa Verlo, said she was let go last week after eight years on the job after a bit of controversy that might bring to mind Andy Warhol’s question: Is it soup or is it art?

“Obviously, designer names are going to attract some people,” Verlo said, “but you’re going to lose the people who go for the funky part of it. There’s plenty of artistic mediums I can get into, but I worry that all of Beverly Hills and L.A. is going to go conservative in the window department.”

“We’re not shifting focus permanently, but we’re constantly trying to do something fresh,” said Camp Beverly Hills co-owner Jeff Stein.

Stein said he hoped to work with Verlo, who he said is very talented, on a free-lance basis in the future, but for now, the message of the windows will concentrate on clothing.

“We want to do provocative statements that are fun and image-building, but at the same time show product,” he said. Of the previous displays, he said, “Sometimes they get a little obscure.”

The latest one declared, in huge letters, NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ART$LLERY, a visual pun about the controversy over censorship in federal funding for the arts versus military spending.

“I think the windows were creative and amusing, and they did catch the eye,” Beverly Hills City Councilwoman Vicki Reynolds said.

But it was not so much the message as the size of the letters that drew the attention of Beverly Hills building inspector Mike Basanti.

“The problem is that some people use excessive signage,” said Basanti, who has been discussing window displays with Camp Beverly Hills executives for several months.

Basanti said that competing merchants asked, “What about Camp Beverly Hills?” when he called them to task for the size of the “SALE SALE SALE” signs in neighboring windows.

“(Camp Beverly Hills) claim it is artistic work,” he said, “but I was thinking that it might be signs.”

He referred the question to the city attorney’s office, but Assistant City Atty. Larry Wiener said that no ruling was forthcoming because a more modest display--clothing and the names of two designers--had taken the place of “ART$LLERY” by the time he drove by to take a look.

Stein said the Basanti’s interest had nothing to do with the new look at Camp Beverly Hills.

“We decided that we have some new designers in the store, and we wanted to let people know about it. Change is the key,” he said.

Camp Beverly Hills on Little Santa Monica is one of two stores owned by the Stein and his partner, John Lasker. Ten outlets around the country are operated by franchise owners. Stein and Lasker also sell a line of clothing with the same name in department stores.