Peace, Love & Diamonds
Inside the Art and Heart of John A. Mirisch and Yamani Caliwara’s Beverly Hills Story
Written by Lorenzo Dela Rama
Rodeo Drive glints with morning light—the kind that bounces off glass façades and whispers through polished storefronts. Inside Peter Marco Extraordinary Jewels, the hum of quiet conversation fills the air. Here, surrounded by hand-set stones and a legacy of craftsmanship, Councilmember John A. Mirisch and fashion stylist Yamani Caliwara share their intertwined story of art, service, and a love that found its rhythm in Beverly Hills.
The Continuum of Art in Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills has always been a city that values beauty—on the walls of its galleries, in the symmetry of its streets, and in the public art that greets its visitors. “The arts have always been strong here,” Mirisch said. “Our goal isn’t to reinvent that—it’s to keep it alive, to make sure it’s accessible to everyone.”
The city’s Arts and Culture Commission, which he helped evolve from the former Fine Arts Commission, now champions every creative discipline—music, theatre, film, and design. “Beverly Hills has always been full of artists and dreamers,” he said. “We just keep giving them places to shine.”
From Concerts on Cañon to the Greystone Theatre’s 70-seat productions, the arts pulse through the city’s everyday life. “You see it in the murals, the sculptures, the architecture—it’s all part of who we are,” Mirisch added.
Ringo Starr’s Hand of Peace
That philosophy is best embodied in one of the city’s most recognizable works: Ringo Starr’s “Peace & Love.”
In 2019, the Beatles drummer—a longtime Beverly Hills resident—donated an eight-foot-tall stainless-steel sculpture of his hand frozen in his signature peace-sign gesture. The work, weighing over 800 pounds, stands at the corner of Beverly Gardens Park along Santa Monica Boulevard, facing the flow of traffic like a glinting beacon.
“Ringo’s people came to us wanting to donate it,” Mirisch recalled. “Some residents objected to placing it at City Hall—they thought it wasn’t ‘fine art’ or that City Hall grounds were sacred— but I believed it belonged somewhere the public could actually see it.”
He pushed for the location across from the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, where sunlight hits the mirrored steel just right. “Now it’s one of the most photographed spots in town,” he said. “It sends a message everyone can understand: peace, love, community. It’s simple, but it’s everything.”
For a city often associated with luxury, Peace & Love offers something human—a Beatles’ universal call turned into a civic landmark. During its dedication, Mirisch described it as “another reminder of what we stand for, and what we aspire to be.” That message has endured, etched into the cityscape like a promise.
A Stylist’s Vision, A Global Eye
Across from him, Yamani Caliwara listened with the grace of someone who sees art in every angle. Before styling shoots in Beverly Hills, she was designing uniforms for casinos across Asia.
“In Manila, I worked on corporate uniforms for Solaire and Resorts World,” she said. “Then Thailand, Cambodia, even London. I’d match everything—makeup, hairstyle, shoes. You study the face before you even pick a color.”
Her ongoing creative partnership with Maya Ito, owner of ACCA, reflects her growing role in Beverly Hills’ art scene. Together, they are currently co-producing a magazine edition that highlights both Councilmember John A. Mirisch and Ringo Starr, merging civic leadership with artistic expression. “Working with Maya has been exciting because ACCA is all about art and community,” Yamani said. “It’s a collaboration that brings together fashion, public service, and creativity—all the things I care about.”
The collaboration merged two of the city’s defining forces—public service and creative enterprise—mirroring the sculpture’s ethos of connection. “It’s all related,” Yamani said. “Politics, art, fashion—it’s storytelling. It’s expression.”
Two Paths, One Story
Their love story unfolded gradually. “According to John, he met me at an event years ago,” she smiled. “I remember meeting him on stage during his installation as mayor in 2019. We both have our versions, but it led to the same place.”
John’s version adds warmth: “We became friends first. It grew naturally. I’m very lucky.”
He grinned when the subject turned to fashion. “I have no sense of style,” he admitted. “She’s the expert. I’d wear a baseball jersey every day if she let me.” She laughed, “He says that, but he has his own classic look—honest and grounded.”
The Art of Connection
Inside Peter Marco’s, the couple examined pieces that caught the light just so—a metaphor for their shared world. “We’ve been on this street for 25 years,” jeweler Peter Marco said nearby. “We’re the people’s jeweler. Relationships come before diamonds.”
For Mirisch and Caliwara, those words resonate. Their bond reflects what Beverly Hills represents at its best—a city that values connection, beauty, and the enduring power of creation.
As they step out toward the boulevard, Ringo Starr’s silver hand glints a few blocks away—a reminder that peace and love are more than slogans. They’re gestures, moments, choices.
In Beverly Hills, they’re also the foundation of a life shared between a councilmember and a stylist—two artists, in their own right, building something luminous together.
