James Goldstein has plenty of Los Angeles history & mystery under his designer belt. Silverlakeblog caught up with the eccentric icon yesterday, before he set off on his next two 1/2 week European excursion.
Last week Mr. Goldstein, who now I can address as “Jim” because he told I could, announced his plan of gifting his Los Angeles John Launter designed home to the LA County Museum of Art (LACMA) after he’s done with it. Read all about it here.
May I call you Jim? You refer to yourself as Jim in our email correspondence.
Yes. Call me Jim.
Okay. Lets jump in heads first. Have you met with journalists since the announcement of your gift to the city?
Yes, many. The gift was to LACMA not the city.
Is there any doubtfulness that LACMA will keep up the integrity of your home?
I feel very good about LACMA. I’ve been working with them for a long time, and there aren’t any disagreements, which is good.
Was there any hesitancy, relating to a media storm over the previous weeks announcement?
No not at all. It was anticipated. The deal was made a month before the announcement.
Many hundreds of hyped-up architectural enthusiasts will be flocking to your house when it’s open for public viewing. Has the announcement of The Shein-Goldstein House generated any animosity from your neighbors?
Haven’t heard from any neighbors.
There seems to be a kind of popular stereotypical narrative when your name is mentioned. How does that make you feel?
All positive that I’m aware of. Except too many stories center around the Big Lebowski. This isn’t the Big Lebowski house.
My friends at Treats! Magazine did a photo shoot at your house. They had a blast and the images are stunning. Lets talk about fashion. With your fashion collection, what inspires your designs and fabric choices, and will you branch off into a full lifestyle brand?
That’s what we’re doing now.
How do you feel you’re inspiring the next generation of fashion designers?
I’d like that to be true. I’m hoping to inspire architects with my house. I hadn’t thought about clothing.
Every move you make seems to fly around the world’s media, and you’re generally portrayed vaguely. Finding articles or interviews of you weighing with substance other than speculation isn’t an easy feat either. This perception is certainly fed by your extensive and fairly unguarded public image, which I think is rad by the way.
And your quotes that may have been a clear-headed reflection on the practicalities of your life are always vague too. Tell us about a typical day in the life of James Goldstein.
6 months at home 6 months traveling. home – wake up, emails, playing tennis, reading, meeting with architects, and constructions workers. Afternoons are spent reading, personal business, than basketball life. I watch basketball on television followed by staples center, then dinner and maybe a club. When traveling it’s usually to Europe. Milan fashion week. More crazy day-to-day experiences
Some people coin you “The Developer of Century City,” is that true?
False. The Wall Street journal neglected to correct that.
What would your advice be for a practical real estate investment for todays Los Angeles residential market?
I don’t have any.
Tell me about a memorable experience from your college days.
(Laugh) Nothing popping in my mind. You’re the first person to ask me that. It’s been a long time.
You come across at owning an idealistic charisma. Where did that come from?
I get along with people, a lot of younger people, and young people love me. I get satisfaction out of that. (Pause) I’m still doing a lot of the same things I was doing when I was 20.
You’re perceived as theatrical and larger than life. I suggest, you can’t be completely indifferent to how people think of you; however, when the phrase “James Goldstein’s legacy” comes up, what do you envision people will remember most vividly?
My donation to LACMA. They will keep the house alive, and I dare to be different. I do what I enjoy. I take my passions to the ultimate length. Architecture to extreme length, and interesting fashion to the extreme.
It appears to me you’re good at inventing solutions to problems and getting smart people together. Is that fair to say?
More problem solving on my own part.
Many people have asked for you to explain your presumable self-made success, and occasionally you give breadcrumbs. Would you humor me, what were the details of the deal earning you your first million?
Nay. Id rather not. Money making is less interesting then the other parts of my life.
International Man of Mystery (James Goldstein)
John Lautner Architecture, Los Angeles, Sheats Goldstein Residence
Photographed at the Goldstein Residence
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