The Well's Alex Weidner, left, and Jefferson Tangradi at the store's farewell party.
DTLA Boutique Pioneer The Well Says Goodbye
Downtown Los Angeles boutique pioneer, The Well, bid retail adieu on Feb. 24 with a splash. There was a friends and family sale for its final day in business. It was topped off by an all-night party, taking place at the warehouse-like events space of the boutique’s 7,500-square-foot compound.
The Well moved into 1006 S. Olive St., near the cross streets of Olive and Olympic Boulevard in 2012. It was a time when the possibility of a downtown Los Angeles renaissance seemed to be a fantasy. In a blighted neighborhood, The Well took a risk on selling emerging fashion brands, offering salon services and producing parties where DJs such as Grammy winner Skrillex played.
Well’s neighborhood started changing last year. The frisson of urban danger receded when a Starbucks and a Chipotle moved across the street. When rent for store's building increased, The Well's founders felt that it was time to move onto other ventures, said Jefferson Tangradi, a co-founder of The Well. Also in The Well's founders circle; Jeremy Yuge and Alex Weidner. Stephanie Harrison served as the place’s buyer.
The Well will be missed. It was a headquarters for people willing to do something different. It provided an events space in a neighborhood that for years was nothing but boarded up storefronts. The shop was a trailblazing project, in part, because its founders cared, said Cody Cameron, director of culture & programming for the Freehand hotel in downtown Los Angeles. “There’s never going to be another place like this. They were so dedicated to the community,” he said at the farewell party.
