Designer Ari Soffer famous for putting diamonds on pants, motorcycles and leather couch pillows is celebrating the opening of his flagship store, Soffer Ari on Los Angeles's Robertson Blvd. with a launch event tonight that includes a DJ set by Joel Madden of Good Charlotte. Soffer defines his recession-defiant aesthetic by saying that "things you really love should be exactly the way you want them, or are not worth having at all."
One of Soffer's more extravagant creations is the Dead Man Walking Cane shown above. The cane of Hawaiian hardwood is topped with a silver skull that gleams with 3.9 carat sapphire eyes and a total of 28 karats of diamonds. It will be on display in the store which features customized vaults, a bulletproof shield for the front window and a fully stocked bar. The cane retails for $150,000. About his creations Soffer says, "There is never a shortage of ideas. There is only a shortage of money, to make every idea come true. I would cast everything in my line out of solid gold, if it wouldn't bankrupt me."
