John Elliott is setting up shop
The L.A.-based streetwear brand opens a physical store on Melrose, stepping beyond its e-tail footprint.
Los Angeles-based label John Elliott has picked a stylish stretch of Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood as the location of its first bricks-and-mortar retail store. It’s sandwiched between John Varvatos and a Bathing Ape and less than two blocks east of the recently opened Palace store.
The 3,500-square-foot space, formerly occupied by a Helmut Lang boutique, is a sparely appointed and utilitarian sea of white, from the facade that pairs tile and technical fabric to the interior concrete floors and steel fixtures that mimic the industrial vibe of the designer’s recent collections. Skylights flood the narrow space with natural sunlight, and a Japanese-influenced indoor bamboo garden in the back of the boutique (a nod to the designer’s Tokyo-based production partners) helps cultivate the indooroutdoor feel unique to Southern California living.
That leafy green space is home to the label’s footwear, while the seasonal men’s and women’s collections are displayed toward the front of the space (on the right and left, respectively), with the core nonseasonal offerings including denim, jersey and French terry pieces in the middle. That center space is also where you’ll find pieces from Elliott’s many collaborative efforts. At opening, that includes chunky chain-link jewelry (a partnership with M.A.R.S.), strappy sandals (Suicoke), biker jackets (with Blackmeans) and sneakers and apparel (with Nike).
The last of those has proved to be one of Elliott’s most high-profile collaborations to date (thanks in no small part to his tweaks of the Nike LeBron silhouette) and, according to the store-opening announcement, future fruit of the ongoing Nike partnership will be in the merchandise mix, as will pieces from a yet-to-launch partnership with the city of Los Angeles.
Since launching in 2013, Elliott’s wares have made their way onto the shelves of such bricks-andmortar retailers as Barneys New York, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue. However, the business has been predominantly direct-to-consumer through the johnelliott.com website, so the West Hollywood flagship marks an important milestone in the brand’s growth. To further underscore the space’s importance, the company’s corporate offices are being relocated there as well.