Guez Opens Glitzy Store, Web Show at Live! On Sunset

Denim pioneer Gerard Guez plans to make fashion sing at his new Live! On Sunset store, located on the site of the historic Tower Records store in West Hollywood, Calif.

Live! On Sunset had a soft opening at noon on Aug. 15. The 8,500-square-foot store, located on West Hollywood’s Sunset Strip, will feature fashion brands produced by Guez’s company, Seven Licensing Co. LLC. The store, located at 8801 W. Sunset Blvd., will be divided into separate sections devoted to other brands, including United Kingdom–based Superdry and AG By Adriano Goldschmied.

The back of the fashion and pop-culture emporium is taken up by the Buddha Bar lounge. Dominated by a large, gold-colored Buddha statue, non-alcoholic drinks will be available in the lounge, as well as CDs of the club-style music from the Buddha Bar’s entertainment company, George V Records. The store also will offer a rarity on the Sunset Strip—a parking lot with more than 40 spaces. Customers will also be able to take advantage of a valet parking service.

Like many other businesses on the Sunset Strip, entertainment will be a key part of this fashion store’s business. Live shows will be Webcast from the store at www.liveonsunset.com, said Blair Late, the head of visuals and head of recruiting for Live! On Sunset.

The Web shows will prominently feature fashions sold at the store. Late, a former singer with musical group B3, will host the program in Live!’s Web lineup talk show, “Live! On Sunset With Blair.” The talk show, which will feature different female co-hosts, is scheduled to debut Sept. 8.

Store management plans to bring a lot of excitement to the Sunset Strip. Doors may stay open to midnight on Saturdays, according to store manager Laura Crogan, who said final store hours have not been set. “We want to bring Sunset back,” Crogan said. The only other retailer to sell clothing in the neighborhood is the Hustler Hollywood store. Located at 8920 W. Sunset, the Hustler store offers lingerie and apparel bearing the logo of Hustler magazine.

Much of the Sunset Strip is home to independent retailers such as Book Soup, a popular bookstore, and rock clubs such as The Rainbow, The Whiskey and The Key Club, where many of Los Angeles’ legendary bands, from The Doors to Guns & Roses, performed. The old Tower Records store was central to that heritage. Many of pop music’s stars—such as Elton John, Michael Jackson, Robert Plant and Brian Wilson—would famously drop by Tower Records to shop for music.

The location’s new stars will be the fashions. Brands available at the store will be Kitson LA, Seven7 Jeans, ReRock, William Rast, BCBGeneration, Joie, Dylan George, Joe’s Jeans, WornFree, Lacoste and Sydney. Also offered will be sneaker brands Adidas, PF Flyers and Onitsuka Tiger By Asics.

Price points will range from $15 for soap to more than $300 for jeans and leather jackets. Other features include a store section devoted to Dylan’s Candy Bar, a New York–based sweets, apparel and gifts brand run by Dylan Lauren, daughter of fashion mogul Ralph Lauren.

Live! also features a mini-boutique for The Way We Wore, the upscale vintage store on Los Angeles’ LaBrea Avenue, owned by Doris Raymond. The retailer and vintage expert said she decided to open the in-store shop at Live! after visiting the site before it opened. “I went to the store to get a sense of the overall concept and I was really impressed,” she said. “After seeing the layout, I knew it was going to be a smashing success. To be able to go to a place that has great merchandise, fun ambiance and kick-ass music—with a parking lot—those ingredients made my decision to be part of this venture.”

The debut of the Live! On Sunset store marks another step in a busy year for Guez. Earlier this year, he debuted an 8,000-square-foot corporate showroom for Seven Licensing Company Co. LLC and Tarrant Apparel Group in downtown Los Angeles. Located at 200 E. Ninth St., the showroom handles sales for Kitson LA, Seven7 Jeans and ReRock, among other brands.