The beginning of this year saw Los Angeles saw into a new name as a major fashion destination (to me i always thought it was, however it has never been as diverse and a 'go to' till now)
Most of this new influx is from the impact of LA's relevance in terms of streetwear. Some brands that have made home in their streets are Kith, Bodega and BAPE.
2018 is still to see new openings of Y-3, Stussy, Champion and Stone Island. (My stepdad will rejoice at the addition of his favourite jacket maker)
Rodeo Drive is now not just the only place for luxury services and goods. Acne Studios and Balmain have both opened their West Coast flagships in WeHo (West Hollywood) In light of this retail giant Nordstrom (please come to the UK) is in hopes to have a place on Melrose avenue as it is the hub for high end service.
8920 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood, 90069.
Acne Studios' store features a custom design specific to it's location, it is home to a specially commissioned sculpture by Daniel Silver that splits through the middle of the store. All over the store is the new 'Gen-Z Yellow' (so you can tell who their target audience is already just by this)
The furniture and other displays had contributions from designer Max Lamb, the lighting was created by Benoit Lalloz. The store is a single storey building, that is formed to be of a pavillion-style. The previously named Gen-Z Yellow can be seen through the glass walls of the entire store.
8500 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, 90069
Kith is situated exactly 29 minutes from Acne Studios shows designer Ronnie Fieg's iconic concept, including a collaboration from Snarkitecture.
The entrance gives the shoppers the opportunity to witness the brands trademark installation of 200 Air Jordan 6 casts, hanging from the ceiling amongst green foliage. Kith's LA store not only features the fashion house, but also brands like Adidas, Fear of God, Yeezy and (my favourite streetwear brand) Off-White. This is their specially dedicated trainer area that is surrounded by walls of cut glass. The most extraordinary thing about the store is the Treats Bar. Consumers can take to a bowl of cereal, ice cream, milkshakes and other assorted snacks. Not what I expected to be in a store like this.
8425 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood, 90069
Now Outdoor Voices is a brand that I have never heard of, but after seeing images of their new store I am interested. This brand is seen to be "wellness-obsessed" therefore goes hand-in-hand with Los Angeles culture. Trust me I spent 5 days there and wanted to eat a salad everyday, if you know me you will certainly know that isn't my style. This brand is helped a lot by instagram influencers that hype the athleisure trend. Their first appearance in LA was situated as a pop up store in the Grove, they have now...
moved to a more airy and light space that gives more opportunity for the brand to customise around their location. This store will act as a community hub, like it's other stores in NYC and San Francisco, hosting events and supporting local causes and organisations. Man this brand is MADE for LA.
1320 East 7th Street, Downtown LA, 90021
Bodega, famous for it's "hidden in plain sight" store in Boston, sits behind a convenience store facade.
The store is a multi-use space, blending retail, food and drink (sounds like my idea of a good time) that even has an office space. It's entirety spans 8,000 sq ft that is filled with contemporary apparel, sneakers and accessories. It also has space for installations from evolving artists, and opportunity for a shop-in-shop from a different brand.
8401 Melrose Place, West Hollywood, 90069
This is not a traditional store from the Nordstrom brand, as it carries no inventory; instead is a 'service hub'.
The idea is that Nordstrom Local has personal stylists that can hunt for merhcandise across all of their chains, so that it can be shipped in for customers, and tried on in their eight large dressing rooms. It's the ultimate high end service.
3531 Sunset Blvd, Silver Lake, 90026
Honestly I didn't know that Depop had a store in LA. The store has come into existence because of their $20 million funding that has allowed them to have a unique business model. The shop sells top picks from local users, all the sales will not go to depop but will go to the sellers. No revenue will go to the app as it is a special touchpoint for its audience. They chose Los Angeles as their home as it is known for its hip connotations and connections to youth culture.
8500 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, 90069
Fred Segal's iconic store in LA moved to a new venue, allocated near the sunset strip. The design of the building is inspired by a bazaar, and I quote they want to make a 'treasure hunt' experience. Much like Bodega and Kith, it features shop-in-shops from the likes of Libertine, CAP Beauty and George Esquivel. This also includes Fred Segal Originals and Cafe by Tartine, to represent the brand.
3311 Washington Blvd, Mid City, 90018
Now this store has taken my interest a lot. An odd minimalism is so interesting to me. Also the clothes in the image are very up my style-street. The brand in question is Eckhaus Latta, yet another brand I have just come across, it has recently moved its bricks-and-mortar theme to its new LA location. Its predecessor was a upholstery shop that still now holds its vintage sign on the outside the door. Inside features artwork from Matthew Lutz-Kinoy and floral installations by Sophia Moreno-Bunge. I read that as per usual to the brand it houses their regular collections, along with one-of-a-kind knit pieces and jewellery; made by Zoe Latta's family.
112 South La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, 90036
Stussy's iconic La Brea store has had a renovation, call it an identity change, situated in the midsts of the streetwear scene. Designed by architecture firm Willo Perron and Associates the new style brings minimalism and industrial looks to the store. Ultimately creating what is considered a unique emvironment, but to be honest the MDF makes it look like any other Urban Outfitters store.
8810 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood, 90069
The West Coast flagship on Melrose Avenue has LA hypebeasts queuing out of the door for the iconic street brand BAPE. It's all about the drops.The interior features grey marble, chrome fittings and logo murals making the brand's Gorilla the centre of attention. If this wasn't extreme enough just from looking at the images, there is a gang of Mercedes G-Wagon's immersed in their iconic camo print.
101 North La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, 90036
A very popular choice of street apparel in the UK, as well as what I would say is the brand that has stuck with my stepdad since he was 17, Stone Island has opened up its first store in LA. It is also now their biggest flagship in the world and by far the coolest. Featuring its original collections, the inside can be seen through its huge glass windows that span the entire front of the store. This is also a tool for advertisement as it features a huge installation of their new campaign. The whole building features stone and metal, practically making it a Stone Island.
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