John has also been an active volunteer for non-profit organizations for most of his adult life. His leadership role as Regional Director for the Board of Directors of the Fashion Group International of Los Angeles prompted the Apparel News to name him as one of the 20 most influential persons in the Los Angeles Fashion Industry in 2008. In 2010, upon his 2-year term completion, he became Co-Chair for the FGI LA Foundation. He became the organization's recipient of the annual FGI "President’s Award". It represents the acknowledgment of the excellence of a single individual, among more than 5,000 members, in 55 international regions, whose achievements as a volunteer leader are considered outstanding. John was thrilled to find out the he was the first male in the groups 85-year history to be given that recognition.
John loves to create and his artistic interests prompted him to earn a B.A. in Studio Art while attending Loyola Marymount University. He graduated in 1982, with an additional degree achieving a B.A through the Social Studies College, with a self-crafted major in Public Relations. He completed University in 3 years time while taking a year to study abroad in Austria. There he continued his studies at the University of Salzburg and travelled extensively when not in class. He chose Austria as his second campus for no other reason than he wanted to see if the hills were really alive with the sound of music.
By the early 90's, the AIDS epidemic reached a crisis and critical funding became an emergency of "epidemic proportions" to support the programs providing essentials for those who were living and many who were dying from the disease. The fashion, beauty, and entertainment industries rose to the occasion and special events were organized across the city to raise emergency funds. AIDS became the "cause du jour" and sponsorship support swelled as the numbers of fatalities and new infections tragically and exponentially climbed the charts. As he became involved with many of these fundraising events as a volunteer for various committees, he discovered a sense of satisfaction as he leveraged his talent to make a difference in the efforts to fundraise. His ability to help efficiently produce, organize and recruit sponsors and talent was effectual and brought him a new level of personal satisfaction. Eventually, he was offered an a full-time position as the Senior Development Department Manager with AIDS Project Los Angeles affording him the opportunity to focus on non-profit work full time and stop doing that work as a moonlighter. Leaving the corporate side of the business meant enduring a sizeable income loss. But, he reasoned that the benefits of empowerment he received by becoming a front-line member of the an impressive group of professionals was worth the pay cut. John understood that there were many issues that were of great importance to the community outside of HIV/AIDS issues. Two years later, another opportunity arose in which he could use his talent at event organizing. He accepted an offer to beceome the Senior Development Director with the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF). The organization is widely recognized for producing sophisticated fundraising programs an for the last century it has been the main organized charitable giving organization representing the rank and file as well as executive leadership of the Film and Television Studios, Unions and Guilds that largely represent the Entertainment business as a collective industry. The programs on his slate as Director of Special Events brought welcomed challenges and offered new opportunites to facilitate large scale events in which enriched his professional acumen.
John Arguelles, alternate image by photographer Mike Allen
John Arguelles, Executive Director of Lloyd Klein
John Arguelles, photo by Russell Rutherford Productions
John Arguelles, alternate image by photographer Mike Allen
John Arguelles, Executive Director, Lloyd Klein, photo by Mike Allen
John Arguelles sitting in portrait by Mike Allen
self portrait of John Arguelles, Executive Director
John Arguelles, Executive Director, Lloyd Klein, photo by Mike Allen
His second career chapter sparked in 1998 in Paris, France. John was on his return home from the Cannes Film Festival and made a planned several day pit stop in Paris. He had been in Cannes as one of the producers for a fundraising event called "Cure By The Shore" organized by his new employer, EIF. The event surrounded a QVC initiative to raise funds for women's cancer issues by selling designer sunglasses in a live sales event taking place during the Festival. It was during his return from the event that he took a week-long Paris detour for a much-needed vacation that he took a meeting with a young fashion designer named Lloyd Klein. The two were at a crossroads in their professional lives. Klein had long been interested in exploring the potential of moving his operations to the United States which in his view was where all designer brands were given international position in the press as a result of celebrity connection. John, on the other hand, was just about to finish pre-production with an important bi-annual fundraising gala, known as,"A Tribute to Style". It was a mega-Millennium themed black tie gala which drew a 50/50 mix of the key players of both the fashion and the entertainment industries. It was the ultimate block party and was held the length of 3 blocks of Rodeo Drive. Among it's most memorable features was the guest seating which traded in the traditionalo banquest tables and replced tehm with white living rooms each appointed with white leather furnishings and decor. 20 30 foot round white chinese bamboo paper lanterns custom made for the e3vent ran down the center of the most famous street in the world giving it a complete trasnforation for one night only.The evening was capped off by a performance by Andrea Bocelli and an 80 piece Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra under a mock Hollywood Bowl shell backdrop and event hosts: Charlotte Church, Sharon Stone, and Dame Elizabeth Taylor. It was an event that would be hard to top and became a swan song event for John. It also became Lloyd Klein's first official appearance on the red carpet.
John Arguelles was born in Los Angeles on October 3, 1960. According to the characteristics associated with those born under the astrological sign of Libra, John is the epitome. He is known to be the ideal Libran and has the attributes of the same equality driven, procrastinator prone, romantic and logic laden traits of that Zodiac category. For exanple, he is: prone to leadership; loyal to the finish; infatuated by beauty; and loves and delights in having close friends. He enjoys companionship but is content to be by-himself, and finds solitude to be very comforting and fulfilling when it is his choice to have the alone time. He is rarely, if ever, bored. As a result, he is seduced by the truth and follows his heart more than reason at times. He is apt to take his time in making a final decision in his endless war to view both sides or more sides of any one issue. In fact he will narrow down all the alternatives and give as much weight to the pros as to the cons before finally making a decision. (That's a scale for you!) However, once his mind is made up, he will argue his point ad-infinitum, sometimes to his own detriment.
BEHIND EVERY GREAT YING IS A REMARKABLE YANG
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John Arguelles at the Sixty Hotel poolside
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He has always had a love of travel which has drawn him to such faraway places as Shanghai, Sydney, Cairo and nearly every country in Western Europe; throughout Mexico to the far south and the entire west coast of Canada. Although he has visited most metropolitan cities throughout the United States, he has yet to visit Chicago? Yet, he still lives and loves Los Angeles and he would be the first to tell you that LA is his favorite place on earth.
JOHN'S PERSONAL SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS
This is a portrait of John Arguelles captured at the Lloyd Klein Couture Laboratory
John Arguelles standing portrait by Mike Allen Photographer
John Arguelles self graphic
This is a portrait of John Arguelles captured at the Lloyd Klein Couture Laboratory
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Post Graduation he began a 17-year long career as a Special Event Masterplanner. His speciality was in orchestrating large-scale, high-profile, fundraising programs connected to the entertainment and fashion industries. As an undergraduate while at Loyola Marymount University he became a private yacht steward working with a fleet of the most prestigious vessels docked in the "Southern California Riviera". He quickly became a specialist at organizing white glove, caviar and champagne experiences aboard the yachts catering to the extravagant needs of his clientele who were those that not only lived "the Lifestyle of the Rich and Famous", but were often profiled on the show with the same name or on the cover of Vanity Fair. Often they were "Saudi Royals", "Wall Street Wolves", "Takeover Tycoons" and a long list of Hollywood's "Who's Who". Those clients began to rely on John's expertise and ease at executing spectacular events on the water and it was not surprising that the business was extended to the production of special high profile events across the city and grew in scope in time. In time, John could easily count the numbers of events he produced for corporate as well as private clients at well over 1,500 that operated under his purview over a decade. It was rewarding and challenging, however, he felt he'd reached a plateau and wanted to change his career direction.
YINGS
Yves St. Laurent
Valentino Garavani
Donatella Versace
Gianni Versace
Ralph Lauren
Christian Lacroix
Marc Jacobs
Tom Ford
Calvin Klein
Zac Posen
Nicole Miller
Michael Kors
Miuccia Prada
Issaac Mizrahi
Roberto Cavalli
Olivier Theyskens
Giorgio Armani
Lloyd Klein
Pierre Berge
Giancarlo Giametti
Francesca Versace
Donatella & Santo Versace
Peter Straum
Bernard Arnault
Robert Duffy
Domenico De Sole
Barry Schwartz
Susan Posen
Bud Konheim
Judy Kors
Patrizio Bertelli
Nina Santisi
Eva Cavalli
Andrew Rosen
Sergio Galeotti
John Arguelles
YANGS
Many of the most famous and successful designers in fashion history credit an individual that was instrumental in building their career. Most often they are the gatekeeper and spokesperson, keeping the designer from distraction, helping to reign in the creatives toward realism in the budget without destroying an artist’s vision. Rarely are they "yes men" and are often one of the few that the designer can trust on every level and in particular because the honesty, is key to mutual trust. The list above this text shows many of fashion's most regarded Ying’s representing the fashion designer side of the duo and the Yang’s shown in the opposite column represent the business partner. It is the unique complexity of the Ying Yang duality that while not unique to fashion is certainly one that is evident and important. They are Symbiotic relationships that are often united on message but have a differing point of view on execution. Neither is usually predominant but both depend on the other's opinion to come to a final conclusion. The relationship between a designer and the business partner is as strong as are familial blood ties, as devoted and steadfast as is marriage, and is the strongest and closest of friendships in business typically crossing the boundary between the professional and their personal lives. It is as strong as the tie between parent and child. Most would say that all of those relationship dynamics exist at some level in various degrees. In fact, many of them are married, are family and are all devoted and true BFFs and epitomize the definition of confidante.
YING | YANG - FASHION'S STRONGEST BOND | THE ULTIMATE COLLABORATION
Meet John Arguelles, Executive Director | since 1998
GOODBYE MID 80'S CONSPICOUS CONSUMPTION |HELLO MID 90'S ALTRUISM
TIMING IS EVERYTHING WHEN OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
LUXURY PRODUCTS AND SERVICES | FINDING HIS NICHE
When Lloyd asked John if he'd be interested in working with him, the decision to start something new was easy and welcomed. John found the French style and personality of the designer charming as did Lloyd connect with the apparent American charm that he ascribed to John. However, what John found to be most interesting and appealing was the designer's talent and his infectious passion for his craft. In 2000, when the fashion house finally relocated headquarters to Los Angeles, he was appointed Executive Director and eventually became a vested equity partner in the brand.
Since embarking on a daily side-by-side journey in building the brand with Lloyd Klein, he claims it continues to be the kind of challenge that he loves. Despite the manic nature of the industry, and the relentless fast pace, he loves it! What he appreciates most of all is the opportunity to support a truly inspiring fashion designer who's become a lifelong friend and brother.
He's has had brilliant success in aligning celebrity relationships, corporate alliances and connecting influential clients with the brand. It would be redundant to review John's achievements as Executive Director for the Lloyd Klein brand. Instead, John's presence and invaluable impact can be understood by reviewing the brand's milestones. Because without a doubt, if it happened at Lloyd Klein, John was most certainly part of what made it happen!
“The budgets for designer labels are nearly completed by the end of the Paris shows,” says John Arguelles, president of the Los Angeles-based design house of Lloyd Klein. “L.A. is known for driving trends all over the globe, but the sales happen in New York.”
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The FASHIONATOR LA| aka John Arguelles
The art projects that once satisfied him literally for hours into days at a time as a child have been replaced by his love of the world wide web. It's something that he never takes for granted and enjoys the opportunity that comes with the web. Building websites like this one, or learning how to animate still imagery and video editing are all things he is learning on an ongoing basis. He's constantly scoping the digital space for exciting new ideas and skills becaause it's what he credits as giving him his mojo. One of the challenges of overseeing the companies myriad of social media platforms has been to have his own voice in the conversation in the various portals. Personal email and business email are nearly impossible to seperate when work and play are often one and the same and confusing when business associates are also personal friends. Having to ask himself whether he is speaking as the company, or as John, (the other guy who is not answering on behalf of the brand), continues to be difficult. So in early 2016, he created his semi-alter-ego, the Fashionator LA. Having a superhero identity, who is supposed to be perform feats of superhuman qualities, has not fully solved his identity crisis. While it's true that he has given himself more license to stray from the party lines, he still finds the seperation of work and play to be an ongoing battle when it comes to this matter.
You must be wondering to yourself, as you read this text, "Is that John, writing as himself? Or is that someone other than John who is speaking as the webmaster interviewing and quoting John, If so are these the musings of the Fashionator LA? No one knows for sure, even John is confused. He is insistent on cautioning the readers of this text that if anyone dicovers any grammatical errors or misspelled words or just the most ridiculous run-on sentences anyone has ever tried to comprehend... he definitiely didnt write that part! He is very open to having these things brought to his attention, so that he can have them corrected. So don't hesitate to let him know what you find that may be amiss within these missives.
John invites you to follow the blog he writes as the Fashionator LA. It's called Fashion Eponyms. Each post is a homage of sorts to those great eponymous fashion colleagues and predecessors who have impacted Lloyd Klein, John or fashion as an industry in such a positive way that it's worth an affectionate nod of appreciation from the Lloyd Klein Fashion House. It's part memoir, part heaping helping of personal opinion, and a large portion of creative expression, with stories recalled from behind the scenes while enjoying the drive with Lloyd Klein in the fast lane of fashion.
Enjoy!
AFTER HOURS
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
LEADER OF THE PACK
