"Absolutely Fabulous" Is Exactly That

At the corner of Warner and Springdale in beautiful Huntington Beach sits ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS, a true gem of Orange County. It was launched in October of 2006 when owner Diane Silverstein had a vision on the way to her hair appointment. Now approaching its five- year anniversary, Ab Fab has doubled in size, received national recognition for its outstanding visual merchandising, and is a proud part of the O.C. community.

Born in Manchester, England, Diane moved to America in 1985 with two kids, only $400 in her pocket, and a lot of determination. She feels that the Absolutely Fabulous staff and customers have become an in- tegral part of her life;"they are my extended family and I enjoy going to work-I think this shows with the success of Ab Fab and I look forward to many more years!"

The Rage Monthly sat down with Diane for a Q&A session to get to know her better and to find out what she has planned for Absolutely Fabulous in the coming months.

How long have you been in Orange County?

Absolutely Fabulous Unique Gifts and Decor became a destination store in Huntington Beach in late 2006. Wow... almost 5 years already!

What are some of your personal interests during your free time?

I love collecting art, interior design, shopping and of course traveling.

Having the eclectic store that you do, what gets you going artistically?

I really enjoy the visual beauty of some pieces of art; Jon Hul, for example, paints the most desirable, spectacular women. We're having an exhibit of his"cinema legends"on October 22, at 6 p.m.

When did you decide to open Absolutely Fabulous, why Huntington Beach and what did you seek to accomplish by opening this "fabulous" store?

We opened our doors on October 6th, 2006, when I saw the"for lease" sign (yes, just six weeks before we opened!!). I chose Huntington Beach because I used to be a resident and it still feels like home. What I was seeking was a truly positive life by creating a beautiful, creative, sexy environment to share with other people, and to hopefully make a living at it. I had been disabled for eight years before I opened the store, and was quite isolated.

For people who have yet to experience Absolutely Fabulous, what three words would you use to describe the store and what they will experience?

Unique, exciting, and inviting-people are in for a bevy of beauties, enjoying life on "the patio," the world's cutest dog Riley, greeting you at the door and incredible window displays that have been described as "breathtaking, nostalgic and fabulous!"

Tell us more about Riley, your four legged "employee" who greets customers.

Riley is a 13-year old terrier mix that we think may have been crossed with a rug! The best soother of nerves, he greets with a furry blonde wag, sparkling green eyes, and a pink freckled nose. He is also the perfect non-diva, non-egotistical role model in the world.

Absolutely Fabulous has recently been nominated and awarded a few new titles. Please tell us about those, and are there any other nominations or awards that you are currently seeking?

We are currently nominated, for the second year in a row, as top three in the nation for visual merchandising by Gifts and Decorative Acces- sories Magazine. We are the only store in Southern California selected as one of Home Accents Today's,"50 Retail Stars of 2011." We are also proud of the fact that we were the only store in California selected as one of the top "25 Gifted Retailers" in 2010 by Gifts & Decorative Accessories Magazine.

Can you please provide some examples of your most popular items and the rare art available through Absolutely Fabulous?

Some of our most popular items are "booby and bootie" glasses, barware for every taste, design, price and style, enough bling to rival Vegas and mountains of decor to die for. Olivia's famous pinup art, Fabian Perez's romantic oils and gicl�es, Randy Cooper and his unique "shadow art,"the great modern surrealist Vladimir Kush, David Roy's in- credible wood "kinetic sculptures"-a true conversation piece on your wall, Jim Silke, Josh Kaplan (a young local artist who makes incredible gicl�es of famous musicians), along with rare and original Disney art including cels, backgrounds and rough/concept drawings, specifically some of Ellen Shaw's Disney gicl�es and so much more!

Absolutely Fabulous is in Warner-Dale Square, at the corner of Warner and Springdale, open 10 a.m.-7 p.m. daily. For events and more information call 714.842.1608, or visit them online at absolutelyfabulous1.com.