THVM Atelier Launches Retail Space in Downtown L.A.
Los Angeles has a new downtown retail destination after THVM Atelier celebrated the March 16 grand opening of its retail space at 1317 Palmetto St. And the L.A. fashion and art scene was out in full force to fecirc;te the event. Adriano Goldschmied, Mick Rock, Raquel Allegra, Stacey Clark, Flavie and Clayton Webster, Shannon Nataf, Luciana Brancorsini, Michael Mente, Vanessa Chiu, William Anzevino, and Michalyn Andrews were just a few of the attendees.
Serenaded by a harpist, hipsters sipped champagne and sampled sushi while they shopped in the artsy, industrial space. The century-old former paint factory decorated with a graphic black-and-white mural and artistic drapery was the perfect setting for the artisanal lines featured in the boutique. In addition to the brand’s eponymous collection, designers include Raquel Allegra, Cerre, Moonspoon Saloon, Assembly New York, Endovanera, Annie Costello Brown, Arielle De Pinto, Ladyboy and Cast of Vices.
Thvm Atelier co-founder Brian Kim said the store was a natural progression from the brand’s biannual magazine, Thvm Rag. “We feature a lot of other designers and artists, so we wanted to have a place where we could showcase what we do in the magazine,” he explained. “That was the original motivation for it.”Designers share a similar aesthetic to the brand’s denim and T-shirt line, which Kim creates along with his wife, Olga Nazarova.
“We’re really drawn toward process-orientated things, handmade things, things that aren’t mass-manufactured,” he said. Designer personalities play a large role in their selection process. “They all make their [designs] in their own spaces. It’s really about their personality,” he said. “It’s really interesting because when you know these people, it’s so evident in their clothing,” he said. The highly curated look has made an imprint on the publishing world. Recently, Thvm Rag, which is set to release its third issue, was picked up by Export Press, which distributes magazines worldwide. “Every time we ship our line, we want to ship the magazine because to us, it’s a way to build culture around the brand,” Kim said. —N. Jayne Seward
