![]() Lanning died in late 2018 soon after, the estate was listed for $15 million. But some relics of a bygone era still remain - the Japanese lake and bridge are intact, as is the ivy-covered stone grotto. The coral-colored home has teal shutters, a living room and sunroom, each equipped with fireplaces, and a brick-terraced central courtyard.Įl Mirador’s epic, palm tree-lined driveway still lies on the estate, though the famed Italian gardens and zoo have been overtaken by natural grasses and shrubs. ft., Mediterranean-style gatehouse with two bedrooms, a holdover from the original development. The only residential structure on the property is a 1,900 sq. The last remaining piece of the compound, the 13.75-acre plot of land just purchased by Abrams, was long occupied by Lolita “Tita” Lanning, Mitchell and Armour’s adopted daughter. ![]() But the property stayed in Armour’s family, though her children eventually subdivided and sold off parts of the giant estate. The couple soon divorced and El Mirador’s grounds fell into a state of disrepair, with many of the original amenities lost to the unforgiving sands of time. There was also a private zoo stocked with exotic animals - a wallaby, macaw and even two bears.īy the early 1940s, WWII had levied financial constraints on the family, and Armour and Mitchell’s sweet romance soured. According to digital marketing materials, the couple installed a “Japanese lake” with a wooden bridge and floating teahouse, vegetable gardens, avocado and citrus orchards, a massive outdoor amphitheater and a 500-foot Italian formal garden with a tiered mini-river cascading down the hill. As it turns out, the two separate properties were both once part of a bygone, 70-acre residential compound developed a century ago by ultra-wealthy Chicago meatpacking heiress Lolita Armour and her husband, United Airlines co-founder Jack Mitchell.Īrmour’s mother bought her the Montecito land that would eventually become El Mirador, and she and Mitchell subsequently spent an almost unfathomable sum of money landscaping and maintaining every inch of the 70-acre property. and continental Europe.Ībout a year ago, Abrams paid exactly $10 million for Montecito’s 4.5-acre Palmyra estate, which happens to sit right next door to the much larger lot he just purchased. ![]() Today, Abrams’ casually luxe designs are sold in major American department stores such as Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdale’s, as well as in the U.K. The unconventional estate also sports a notably majestic driveway, and its towering gates date to the 1910s.Ībrams is founder and CEO of Rails, the clothing company that bills itself as “a contemporary global lifestyle brand.” Though originally devoted exclusively to women’s shirts - its signature $148 plaid long sleeves are a favorite of Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Kendall Jenner and Kate Moss - Rails has grown exponentially, into a full-range apparel brand for women, men and kids. Records reveal the L.A.-based fashion designer has purchased one of the most unique properties in Santa Barbara County: El Mirador, a 13.75-acre private compound that’s filled with century-old exotic plants, Japanese gardens, hidden lagoons and a stone grotto. Our luxe fabrication became the cornerstone of the brand and we quickly gained a cult following and loyal customer base–it felt like Rails was filling a gap in the market.Flannel shirt tycoon Jeff Abrams is expanding his elegant Montecito real estate holdings. The fabric has a cashmere-like feel and created a new identity in the shirting category. A real turning point for the brand was when I developed a unique Tencel-rayon fabric blend that would maintain the classic shirting heritage, but felt luxurious and created a feminine yet effortless silhouette. On the "aha" moment of your career: "When I first started making shirts, almost all of the button-downs in the market were in some form of a stiff cotton fabrication. I was never able to reship the goods, so that could have put me out of business, but I found a way to survive, and here we are!" I got a call the next morning from the trucking company that the vehicle was robbed and the shirts were nowhere to be found. A truck came, packed up the boxes, and I thought that was it. ![]() I hand-packed all 3,000 units, affixing stickers on boxes. There was a time in the early days when Anthropologie put in a 3,000-unit order. You always have to be creative, even in a business context. On the most surprising thing that has happened since you started: "In the beginning, I would get really worked up about things, but then I realized that the new challenges we face every day and the problem-solving that goes into them is what makes this business fun and keeps things interesting. ![]()
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