I. Magnin

I. Magnin & Company was a San Francisco, California-based, high fashion and specialty goods luxury department store. Over the course of its existence, it expanded across the West into Southern California and the adjoining states of Arizona, Oregon, and Washington. In the 1970s under Federated Department Stores ownership, the chain entered the Chicago, Illinois, and Washington, DC, metropolitan areas. Mary Ann Magnin founded the company in 1876 and named the chain after her husband, Isaac. The chain's flagship San Francisco store was located next to Macy’s California flagship on Union Square.

History

Beginnings

In the early 1870s, Netherlands born Mary Ann Magnin and her English husband Issac Magnin settled in San Francisco. Mary Ann opened a shop in 1876 selling high-end clothing for infants and lotions. Later, she expanded into bridal wear. As her business grew, her exclusive clientele relied on her for the newest fashions from Paris.

At the turn of the century, Mary Ann’s four sons entered the business. While John Magnin, Grover Magnin, and Sam Magnin became associated with the I. Magnin store, the fourth son, Joseph Magnin, became known for his own store ("Joseph Magnin Co.").

The 1906 earthquake & fire leveled the original store with the rest of the downtown area. After rebuilding, the store opened on new quarters at Stockton Street and Geary Street. During the 1910s, the chain opened shops in six high-end hotels around the state of California. The Los Angeles Wilshire Boulevard branch (which opened in 1939) and the new flagship Union Square store (opened in 1948) were considered among the most elegant in America. When famed designer Christian Dior paid a visit from Paris, he toured the Union Square store, which had already earned the nickname "White Marble Palace", and said "Magnifique!" The word would later be turned into a high compliment: "Magninique." Fact|date=February 2007

ale to Bullock's

In 1944, the chain was bought by the Los Angeles-based Bullock's department store chain. In the late 1950s the combined chain expanded in the Southern California suburbs by opening the Fashion Square concept in Santa Ana in 1958, the San Fernando Valley (Sherman Oaks) in 1962 and Del Amo (Torrance) in 1965.

After a major proxy battle in 1964, Bullocks-I. Magnin was merged into Federated Department Stores. Bullock's, I. Magnin, and eventually Bullocks Wilshire were run as separate divisions of Federated. I. Magnin expanded in Chicago and Washington D.C. areas in the 1970s.

ale to Macy's

R.H. Macy & Company had long yearned in the 1980s to enter the Southern California market. Along with trying to build their own stores, they attempted to purchase Federated, eventually losing a takeover war to the Campeau Corporation in 1988. As part of the settlement with Campeau, Macy's purchased Bullock's, Bullock's Wilshire and I. Magnin, subsequently beginning a reorganization of its divisions and consolidated the I. Magnin and Bullock's Wilshire stores into a semi-autonomous division under Macy's California. The seven Bullock's Wilshire stores were renamed I. Magnin in 1989.

In 1991 Macy's announced plans to re-align its divisional structure and created a new Macy's West/Bullock's division by February 1992. While in the process of doing so, it declared bankruptcy on January 27, 1992. During the next two years, the I. Magnin group shuttered 11 stores of an already-reduced franchise with the historic original Bullock's Wilshire flagship on Wilshire Boulevard closed in early 1993 after years of losses aggravated by the effects of the 1992 Rodney King riots.

Liquidation

In 1994 Federated Department Stores reached an agreement with R.H. Macy's creditors to buy the company out of bankruptcy, completing the acquisition on December 19 and making Macy's West/Bullock's a division of Federated. Even before the acquisition closed it pulled the plug on the remainder of the I. Magnin chain, eventually selling four stores (Carmel, Beverly Hills, San Diego, and Phoenix) to Saks Fifth Avenue and ultimately converting six former I. Magnin locations in Palo Alto, Walnut Creek, Woodland Hills, Palm Desert, Newport Beach, and Palos Verdes to specialty Macy's or Bullock's locations, replicating the success of the 1991 conversion of I. Magnin at South Coast Plaza into a separate Bullock's Men's location. The upper floors of the former I. Magnin store on Union Square were later converted to an expansion of Macy's West own adjoining flagship.

Brand

In October 2006 Macy's resurrected the I. Magnin name and now uses it as a house brand label on ladies apparel. This using of the name may be due to keeping the trademark rights.

Former I. Magnin & Co. Locations

Arizona

*Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale MSA
**Biltmore Fashion Park, Phoenix "(opened 1968, replaced 1992, replacement closed/sold 1995 to Saks Fifth Avenue)"

Central California

*Fresno MSA
**Downtown Fresno (freestanding) "(opened 1955, closed 1975)"

Northern California

*San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MSA
**Third Street, San Francisco "(opened 1876, replaced 1876)"
**Fifth Street, San Francisco "(opened 1877, replaced 1888)"
**Market Street (three separate locations), San Francisco "(opened 1888, destroyed 1906)"
**Page Street and Masonic Avenue, San Francisco "(temporary 1906)"
**Van Ness Avenue (temporary), San Francisco "(opened 1906, closed 1909)"
**Franklin Street (temporary), San Francisco "(opened 1906, closed 1909?)"
**Grant Avenue and Geary Street, San Francisco "(opened 1909, remodeled 1928, replaced 1947)"
**Union Square (flagship), San Francisco "(opened 1948, closed 1995, upper floors now part of Macy's West flagship store)"
**Downtown San Mateo "(opened 1965, became clearance store 1989, closed 1993)"
*Salinas MSA
**Carmel Plaza, Carmel "(opened 1960, closed/sold 1995 to Saks Fifth Avenue, closed 2005, now mall space)"
**Hotel del Monte (resort shop), Pebble Beach "(opened 1914, closed 1942)"
*Oakland-Fremont-Hayward MSA
**San Pablo Avenue, Oakland, 1876
**20th Street and Broadway, Oakland (freestanding) "(opened 1928, became clearance store 1992, closed 1995)"
**Broadway Plaza, Walnut Creek "(opened 1967, remodeled 1979, became Macy's Men's & Juniors Store 1995)"
*San Jose- Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA
**Vallco Fashion Park, Cupertino "(opened 1976, closed 1990)"
**Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto "(opened 1956, became Macy’s Men's Store 1995)"
**Stevens Creek Plaza "(now part of Westfield Valley Fair)", Santa Clara "(opened 1964, closed 1992)"
*Sacramento--Arden-Acade--Roseville MSA
**Downtown Plaza "(now Westfield Downtown Plaza)", Sacramento "(opened 1984, closed 1992)"
**Senator Hotel (resort shop), Sacramento "(opened 1953, closed 1978)"

outhern California

*Los Angeles, California-Long Beach-Glendale MSA
**Beverly Hills (freestanding) "(opened 1943, replaced 1947)"
**Beverly Hills (freestanding) "(opened 1947, closed/sold 1995 to Saks Fifth Avenue)"
**Spring Street (freestanding), L.A. (Downtown), "(opened 1893, closed 1900)"
**Broadway (freestanding), L.A. (Downtown) "(opened 1900, closed 1906)"
**Biltmore Hotel (resort shop), L.A. (Downtown) "(opened 1927, replaced with Wilshire Boulevard store 1939)"
**Hollywood Boulevard (freestanding), L.A. (Hollywood) "(opened 1923, remodeled and enlarged 1928, 1930, 1934, closed 1939)"
**Ambassador Hotel (resort shop), L.A. (Mid-Wilshire) "(opened 1921, replaced by Wilshire Boulevard store 1939)"
**Sherman Oaks Fashion Square "(now Westfield Fashion Square)", Sherman Oaks "(opened 1962, remodeled and enlarged 1982, closed 1993, divided into mall shops)"
**Wilshire Boulevard (freestanding), Los Angeles (Wilshire Center) "(opened 1939, remodeled 1959, closed 1990 in favor of neighboring Bullocks Wilshire, now Wilshire Galleria)"
**Wilshire Boulevard (freestanding), Los Angeles (Wilshire Center) "(opened 1990 in former Bullocks Wilshire flagship store, closed 1993 after 1992 Los Angeles riots, now Southwestern University Law Library)"
**The Shops at Palos Verdes "(now The Avenue of the Peninsula)" Palos Verdes "(opened 1990 in former Bullocks Wilshire, closed 1995, demolished for mall reconstruction)"
**Maryland Hotel (resort shop), Pasadena "(opened 1913)"
**Huntington Hotel "(now The Ritz-Carlton, Huntington Hotel & Spa)" (resort shop), Pasadena
**Vista del Arroyo Hotel (resort shop), Pasadena
**Colorado Boulevard (freestanding), Pasadena "(opened 1932, replaced in 1947)"
**Lake Avenue (freestanding), Pasadena "(opened 1947, closed 1995, now a Borders)"
**Del Amo Fashion Square "(now part of Del Amo Fashion Center)", Torrance "(opened 1967, closed 1989)"
**The Promenade at Woodlands Hills Men's Store "(now Westfield Promenade)", L.A. (Woodland Hills) "(opened 1990 in former Bullocks Wilshire, became Macy's Men's/Home 1995)"

*Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA
**Palm Desert Town Center "(now Westfield Palm Desert)", Palm Desert "(opened 1990 in former Bullocks Wilshire/Bonwit Teller, became Bullock's/Macy's Men's Store 1995, replaced 2006, location of Nordstrom store opening 2009)"
**El Mirador Hotel (resort shop), Palm Springs "(opened 1932, closed 1942)"
**Palm Springs (freestanding) "(opened 1965, replaced 1985)"
**Desert Fashion Plaza "(now closed)", Palm Springs "(opened 1985, closed 1992)"
**Palm Springs (freestanding) "(opened 1990 in former Bullocks Wilshire, closed 1992)"
**Arrowhead Springs Hotel (resort shop), San Bernardino "(opened 1938, closed 1942)"
*San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos MSA
**Hotel del Coronado (resort shop), Coronado "(opened 1914, closed 1948)"
**La Jolla (freestanding) "(opened 1954, replaced 1964)"
**Girard Avenue, La Jolla (freestanding) "(opened 1954, closed 1993, currently an art gallery and a high-end clothing consignment store)"
**La Jolla Village Square, La Jolla "(opened 1990 in former Bullocks Wilshire, closed 1992)"
**Fashion Valley, San Diego "(opened 1992, closed/sold 1995 to Saks Fifth Avenue)"
*Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine MSA
**South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa "(opened 1977, became became Bullock's Men's Store 1991, Macy's Men's store 1996)"
**Fashion Island, Newport Beach "(opened 1990 in former Bullocks Wilshire, became Macy's Women's Store 1995, replaced 2006)"
**Santa Ana Fashion Square "(now Westfield MainPlace)", Santa Ana "(opened 1958, closed 1987)"
*Santa Barbara-Santa Maria MSA
**Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara "(Montecito Biltmore)" (resort shop), Montecito "(opened 1927, closed 1942)"
**Potter Hotel (resort shop), Santa Barbara "(opened 1912, closed 1918)"
**Santa Barbara (freestanding) "(opened 1923, replaced 1947)"
**Santa Barbara (freestanding) "(opened 1947, closed 1993, now United States Bankruptcy Court)"

Illinois

*Chicago-Naperville-Joliet MSA
**Michigan Avenue (freestanding), Chicago "(opened 1971 in former Bonwit Teller location, closed 1992, subdivided into Borders, Victoria's Secret, H&M and Filene's Basement)"
**Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook "(opened 1981, closed 1991, now Tiffany's and other mall shops)"
**Northbrook Court, Northbrook "(opened 1979, closed 1991, demolished for AMC Theaters)"

Maryland

*Bethesda-Gaithersburg-Frederick MSA
**White Flint Mall, Kensington "(opened 1977, closed 1992, currently Borders Books and Music)"

Oregon

*Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton MSA
**Downtown Portland (freestanding) "(opened 1962, closed 1988, currently Niketown)"

Washington

*Seattle-Bellevue-Everett MSA
**Fifth Avenue and Union Street, Seattle "(opened 1925, replaced 1954)"
**Pine Street and Sixth Avenue, Seattle"(opened 1954, closed 1993, currently Old Navy)"

References