Rodeo Drive retail pioneer Herbert Fink dies at 93

Herbert Fink, one of the first retailers to help launch Rodeo Drive into a high-end retail destination, died on February 18 at his home in Bel Air. He was 93.

Fink, a Los Angeles native, opened his boutique Theodore on Rodeo Drive in 1969 when the area was home to hardware stores and gas stations, California Apparel News reported.

The boutique carried luxury labels including Missoni and Versace, labels unheard of to Angelenos at the time. It was groundbreaking, so much so that comedian Steve Martin even mentioned the shop in his novella “Shopgirl.”

Theodore was one of the last independent boutiques on the street until Fink moved its location to Camden Drive in 2008, citing high rents on Rodeo. He officially stopped working when the store permanently closed its doors in 2015, according to Apparel News.

Fink was also the co-founder of Rodeo Drive Committee in 1972, a merchant group that promoted the street and made it a favorite among celebrities.

He is survived by his wife, Norma, daughters Leslie, Tracy Fink and Lisa Davis; and four grandchildren. [CAN] — Subrina Hudson