JOHN ELLIOTT OPENS FIRST RETAIL LOCATION
John Elliott opens his first retail location at 8808 Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. The 3,500-square-foot space is located in West Hollywood and serves as the first physical extension of the brand. The location is an exploration in curating the brand’s history and ethos into a physical space, utilizing modular and utilitarian construction for an elevated presentation of seasonal and core collections.
Elliott says, “For us, opening a store has been an introspective experience and awareness activity. We are excited to bring people in to the physical world of John Elliott for the first time, and help them understand our full ecosystem. The consumer has always been so important to the brand, and we look forward to having direct access to feedback, and discussions that will help shape our brand and design decisions.”
Similar to Elliott’s approach when designing a collection, the design of the store utilizes a limited set of materials that are industrial, with a modern edge. Tile, glass, acrylic, and steel are used with an intentional focus on layering and finishes. Steel is coated to reveal an iridescence, while slick surfaces and textures are reminiscent of various textiles seen in past collections.
Paying homage to the brand’s roots in California and Japan, the store fuses references from both Tokyo and the Pacific Coast. Japanense matte white tile – long and narrow in form – cover the façade of the building and are juxtaposed with a white, technical fabric covering the upper, while a Japanese style lightbox extends off the exterior. The underlying goal is to replicate the order and customer experience that Japanese retail excels at.
Custom solid concrete pillars are used to display product, which reference brutalist architecture seen up and down the California coastline – more specifically at the UC San Diego Geisel Library and the Salk Institute. The lighting mimics natural daylight temperatures – an intentional design feature that aims to bring the California sun into the store to further enhance the shopping experience.
The retail location will house the seasonal men’s and women’s collections following the weekly drop cadence of the e-commerce site, with evergreen ‘Mainline’ collections sitting alongside collaboration product – Nike, Suicoke, M.A.R.S, and Blackmeans upon opening. At the center of the store, the core of the brand will be displayed – French terry, jersey and denim – the baseline for the John Elliott wardrobe and the foundation of the brand. This core is highlighted on each side with the men’s and women’s seasonal assortments. Plans also include bringing consumers into the world of John Elliott through carefully curated products outside of the brand’s own – art installations, Japanese books and magazines – further developing the lifestyle of the brand.
The back of the store will showcase footwear and house a Japanese garden with a specially sourced bamboo hybrid that can grow in the California climate. Glass benches serve as multipurpose installations showcasing swatches of raw materials, allowing customers to examine textiles used in seasonal collections.
Future product offerings include new Nike collaboration product, in-store exclusives, giftable items, an expanded collaboration offering, and the launch of a partnership with the City of Los Angeles.
To coincide with opening its first brick-and-mortar store, the brand will also move its corporate offices to above the store. “We are intentionally prioritizing the connection to our first store space. Our business is still largely direct-to-consumer, and for us that has been only online thus far. We look forward to really being able to get to know our customers.”
The John Elliott store will open on Wednesday, May 8th, and will be open daily from 11:00am to 7:00pm Monday through Saturday, and 12:00pm to 5:00pm on Sunday.
