Retail Happenings: Brandblack pops up on Third Street; Shinola will throw a block party at its new place in Venice
Brandblack pops up on West Third Street
El Segundo-based men’s sneaker and apparel label Brandblack has opened its first — albeit temporary — brick-and-mortar stand-alone store on West Third Street in L.A. The 1,100-square-foot Temporary Transitions pop-up opened Wednesday, the same day the brand dropped its spring 2016 collection and a new shoe (the “No Name”). The retail space, which will also serve as a showroom for the next two months, provides a template for how the brand will be showcased at retail moving forward.
“As we are getting bigger and expanding our [retail] presence, we felt it was important to control how our brand is imaged,” founder David Raysse said, adding that Brandblack is working with a partner to open stores in the booming Asian market. “This gives the group we’re working with a kind of blueprint to work with.”
That blueprint currently involves spare white walls, a polished cement floor and an assortment of industrial chic black metal scaffolding that doubles as hanging racks for the label’s collection of fashion-forward athleisure pieces. Interior touches include ragged free-standing columns of white concrete, a makeshift changing room crafted from military tarps and nylon cords and a trio of ghostly basketball hoops ringed in white neon against the back wall.
Brandblack’s Temporary Transitions, 8327 W. Third St.; through June 7, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday with appointments Monday through Wednesday.
Shinola takes a shine to Venice
Watch and leather-goods maker Shinola has added to its SoCal footprint with the mid-April opening of an 1,800-square-foot retail space on Abbot Kinney Boulevard formerly occupied by Stronghold denim, which is now next door in down-sized digs. Like the Detroit-based brand’s other stores (including a Silver Lake location that opened in November 2014), the new boutique will serve up a full range of product that includes timepieces and leather goods for men and women, bicycles, leather-bound journals, paper goods and pet accessories. Unlike the other stores, it will be the only place skateboarding fans of the brand will be able to buy one of the 100 limited-edition, made-in-the-U.S.A. skate decks featuring the artwork of famed skateboarder Natas Kaupas. The exclusive decks are set to launch at the label’s open-to-the-public grand opening block party, scheduled for 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. April 30.
Shinola, 1625 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice.
