Boutiques Gamble on Olive Street in Downtown LA
Downtown Los Angeles’ boutique scene has been growing, but on Aug. 30, it took a great leap forward when designer co-op IX II II opened at a gritty corner a few blocks away from the California Market Center.
(The establishment’s Roman-numeral name represents the street’s address—922 S. Olive St.)
High-fashion and street designers Javier Laval of Android Homme and brother-and-sister act Sarah and Brandon Scott of Scott X Scott Inc. teamed up to open IX II II, a 3,500-square-foot space for gallery-style retail with a showroom and design offices located in the transitioning neighborhood of Olive Street. The area around the street is home to “hostess” dancing bars and single-room-occupancy hotels, as well as glitzy nightclubs and restaurants, which attract foodies with fine palates.
The designers were attracted to this neighborhood because the place is burgeoning with great expectations. Just behind IX II II, an Ace Hotel is scheduled to open next summer at 933 S. Broadway, which is a grand 85-year-old building that housed a former United Artists theater.
Yet people still doubt the neighborhood’s possibilities for retail, Laval said. “The building’s owner must have asked us 50 times if we were sure if we wanted to open a luxury store here,” he said. But Laval and the Scotts thought they would take a gamble. Sarah Scott said, “We live in downtown, and downtown has been rapidly changing.” She expects artists, musicians and fashion-business people to shop at IX II II. Eventually, she forecasts, stylish tourists and fashionable people from all over Los Angeles will shop at the boutique.
It is open by appointment only and will sell brands Android Homme, B:Scott, Sarah Scott, The:Odds and One:One. Core retail price points range from $60 to $450 for the brands, which have been exhibited at the Project trade show.
Others will follow the example of IX II II. Patrick Dylan Riley and a group of entrepreneurs plan to open fashion boutique and events space The Well at 1006 S. Olive St. later this year. Fashion designer Maria Janossy has maintained offices at 920 S. Olive St. and is considering opening a boutique at her space.
And the debut party for IX II II was a big scene. More than 800 people traipsed through the space, and for the party soundtrack, Anthony Gonzalez of electronic-music duo M83 stopped by to DJ a set. It was a coup for IX II II. M83 headlined the giant indie music concert FYF Fest on Sept. 1 in downtown Los Angeles.—Andrew Asch
