From Departamento to Toteme, new fashion boutiques compete with the finest design

Occupying large spaces, hidden away in the back of a coffee-shop or in unusual neighborhoods, the latest fashion boutiques compete with their fine concept designs. Among the dozens of stores that opened this summer, the new Departamento boutique is a must-see, with its futuristic metallic universe. Farm Rio reenchants Melrose Avenue. Toteme confirms Swedish dominance north of Melrose Avenue, with Acne Studios and Byredo reunited. Deus ex Machina brings rock n’ roll and good vibes to Silver Lake. Last but not least, Represent goes for a youthful and design concept, while Ozma chooses Los angeles’ most eco-friendly landscape to showcase its sustainable fashion.

Toteme 

 
Two years after its opening in New York, and a few months after a successful opening in Palisades Village, Swedish luxury brand Toteme opened its first Los Angeles store on Melrose Avenue a few weeks ago. A perfect location for the brand founded by style journalist Elin King and her partner Karl Lindman in 2014, next door to two other Swedish brands Acne Studio and Byredo. Swedish design studio Halleroed, already at work on the brand’s flagship store in London, designed the boutique. The store’s facade, with its large circular windows, reveals a timeless architecture tinged with Art Deco. An arched corridor opens onto a large lounge bathed in light. Brushed stainless steel furniture displays the handbag collections, black metal shelves display the shoes while wall-mounted racks showcase the latest collections. Another corridor, with ice-blue suede walls, features rectangular niches displaying graphic silhouettes in cream, khaki or black palettes, soft floral prints and comfortable outfits. The showcases also feature giant ceramics and bronze sculptures. The brand now has 13 boutiques worldwide and is due to open a second address in New York in early September.

8910 Melrose Avenue

Departamento

 
Departamento, the luxury men’s multibrand retailer founded by Andrew, Dryden and Andres Quinones has relocated to the Arts District’s inside the Signal shopping complex where it features the cutting-edge design of 22RE design studio. Revealed a few years ago as a speakeasy showroom and store hidden away at the back of Maru coffee shop, Departamento’s selection oscillates between limited editions from luxury houses, alternative and independent designers. Today, new Departamento concept still opens with a coffee-shop, now called Concierge Coffee, but the interior offers a complete fully new look. Influenced by deconstructivism, 22RE founder Dean Levin has created a 4000 square foot space followed by a grid floor plan – a reminiscence of a library or supermarket – that has been divided into distinct zones. “As clients explore each corner of the store, they are treated to glimpses of various vignettes and collections via strategically placed mirrors, adding an element of voyeuristic intrigue to their journey,” said Levin. “The design encourages a moment of discovery.” The mix of metal, black wood, stainless steel and leather padding on the displays creates a futuristic, disconnected look. The racks feature Departemento’s favorite brands, whose pieces fit perfectly with the decor. These include Taiga Takahashi, Marni, Loewe, Enfants Riches Déprimés, Our Legacy, The Row… The original location at 1019 S Santa Fe Avenue has now reopened as DPTO-ANNEX which showcases the past season collections. 

821 Traction Avenue
 

Deus Ex Machina

 
Located at Silver Lake Junction this venture is a transformative step for Deus Ex Machina, and a familiar full circle moment for Deus founder Dare Jennings who cut his entrepreneurial teeth as owner-operator of Sydney’s iconic independent record store Phantom Records over 40 years ago. Designed in partnership by Deus co-founder, Carby Tuckwell and Stefan Wigand of Casa Studio, and built by Tobias Hayduk, the store mélange classic apparel, records and customs ranges alongside locally produced ceramics, a curated selection of books and a wall of vinyl records to be enjoyed on a vintage Hifi setup. A sound desk takes up residency in the shopfront window – a spot for both local and visiting international DJs to spin records. “As if Kengo Kuma and Donald Judd had a love child, the design of Silver Lake utilizes the simplicity of long grain douglas fir and other natural materials – an ode to Judd that culminates in a contemporary retail space,” says Tuckwell. Together with traditional Japanese framing methods, the store represents form and function – the main shelving and grid structure inspired by traditional sound panels used in recording studios, sound reverberates evenly throughout the space.

 3815 Sunset Boulevard, Silver Lake

Ozma

 
Designer Heidi Baker’s boutique has found a unique location in Los Angeles in the Frogtown neighborhood. Alongside the LA River, Frogtown, which owes its name to the toads that invaded its lands in the 1930s, has seen unprecedented development in recent years with the opening of new restaurants, bars and cafés. Long occupied only by the Suay Sew Shop, a specialist in recycling, the arrival of this independent brand adds a new fashion facet non-existent in the area. A former senior designer at Levi Strauss & Co, Heid Baker called on interior designer Elizabeth Roberts to fit out her store. Beneath the building’s wood framework, a raw decor with grey concrete walls houses Baker’s sustainable collections on a single wall rack. Arranged by color, the pieces alternate between raw silk, hemp and washed linen. Large wooden cubes, a series of round sofas and white voile dressing rooms add a poetic touch to the ensemble. The final highlight is a patio with Adirondack chairs filled with plants, reminiscent of the former Sanso exotic plants boutique that occupied the premises.

2915 Knox Avenue

Farm Rio

 
On Melrose Avenue, the opening in June of the second Farm Rio boutique in Los Angeles has revived the entire neighborhood. After Venice and its chic shack concept, the brand founded by Kátia and Marcello Barros chose a 1700-square-foot space to showcase their world. Floral, embroidered and colorful dresses in cotton and linen are suspended from a rack covered with lianas. French artist Dominique Jardy captures the Brazilian soul with a hand-painted wallpaper featuring monkeys and toucans pecking at leaves and fruit. On the floor, long carpets echo the shapes of the giant leaves of the Amazon rainforest. A few golden shelves also display the Farm Rio shoe collection. The centerpiece of this boutique like no other, the fitting rooms form a series of huts, all made from Buriti straw, a palm tree also known as the “tree of life” that grows in central Brazil and the southern Amazon. “The ambiance and design of our stores are meticulously crafted to create an immersive and inviting environment ” says Katia Barros. “We want to invite our customers to dive into a Brazil-inspired journey in every Farm Rio store and pop-ups worldwide, sharing what we value most: the local art and culture”. 

8551 Melrose Avenue
 

Represent

 
Located in West Hollywood, the brand founded in 2014 by brothers George and Michael Heaton has found a unique location next door to famous stores H.Lorenzo, Maxfield, James Perse and Chrome Hearts. Represent’s first boutique opened last June with a star-studded party featuring stylist Maeve Reilly, Paris Brosnan and makeup artist Patrick Ta. Known for his collaborations with Puma Box 50, Sevenstore.com and Footasylym, British studio OneFineDay was responsible for the decor. A large space crossed by a graphic arch, with a waxed concrete floor, is organized around a central lounge area and a single, large rack revealing the entire collection of hoodies, T-shirts, jackets, shorts and tank tops all bearing the Represent logo. “We carefully chose every aspect of the store; from hangers to fitting mirrors, to rail finishings, and have really put these aspects together to create a cohesive story and brand experience,” explain Heaton brothers. “A concept that makes sure that once you enter the store, you immediately know it’s Represent.” At the back of the store, another rack is dedicated to the athetlicwear collection. In an oddity, no prices are displayed on the garments.