Terminal 27’s Beverly Boulevard digs PHOTO: BY JORGE GRAU
Co-founder Ericka del Rosario PHOTO: COURTESY OF TERMINAL 27
Fashion is heating up in L.A. with exciting new brand outposts, from the reimagined Rodeo Drive Giorgio Armani boutique to Gen Z cult favorite Terminal 27.
The store’s private patio. PHOTO: BY JORGE GRAU
TERMINAL 27
In the midst of the pandemic and a changing retail landscape, 26-year-old clothing designer Ericka del Rosario teamed up with 27-year-old NFT artist Mason Rothschild to launch Terminal 27. “Our aim was to create a retail platform to support emerging and young design talent,” says del Rosario. “My goals were to make Terminal 27 a destination for undiscovered fashion, accessories, art and home decor from across the world.” Del Rosario felt an empty space had been created following the closure of Opening Ceremony and other multibrand stores. “There is kind of a boring sameness to most of the fashion shopping experience in Los Angeles with very little variations among the brands you see,” she says. “Our customer is looking for not only innovative and experimental but also supporting brands they identify with.” Both online and at Terminal 27’s Beverly Boulevard gallery are items from a small roster of well-known brands—Rick Owens, Marni, Ottolinger, Yohji and Y/ Project—however, the focus is on unknown brands. Popular items include Mowalola miniskirts, vests from Mainline:RUS/Fr.CA/DE, RUI sets and knits from Andersson Bell. Due to its constantly evolving designer collections and buzzy events at the store—created with movable fixtures to transform easily into an art gallery or party atmosphere—Terminal 27 doubled sales monthly and built a cult following among the Gen Z underground fashion elite. The 1-year-old company will soon be adding crypto and Web3 shopping components. Says del Rosario, “We are bringing in new brands, championing ideas, collaborators and bigger experiences.” Beverly Grove, terminal27.com
An eveningwear collection is exclusive to the revamped Rodeo Drive Giorgio Armani boutique PHOTO COURTESY OF BRANDS
The shop consists of a sequence of themed rooms PHOTO COURTESY OF BRANDS
GIORGIO ARMANI
Following nine months of extensive renovations, the Los Angeles Giorgio Armani store on Rodeo Drive reopened this spring boasting a complete makeover. First established in August 1988, the historic 9,200-square-foot retail space—still one of the brand’s largest—reflects Giorgio Armani’s strong ties to the film and music worlds. The Beverly Hills storefront now displays emblematic palm trees on its glass facade, and flagship boutiques in Milan, Tokyo and around the world inspired the interior design. Now, the shop consists of a sequence of themed rooms, leading guests through a fluid experience marked by marble and onyx floors, platinum metal fixtures and marmorino ceilings, as well as silk wallcoverings, furnishings and accessories from the Armani/Casa collection. Step into a double-height entrance to the ground level, displaying women’s accessories and eyewear collections, Armani Beauty and Armani Privé fragrances. Upstairs houses the VIP room; the women’s jewelry collection, evening dresses and accessories; men’s accessories and eyewear; and an area for the formal and made-to-measure collections—including, in an Armani first, a room dedicated entirely to made-to-order for women. Between the two main floors, a mezzanine showcases men’s seasonal collections. To celebrate the iconic store’s reopening, Armani— the first designer given the Rodeo Drive Walk of Style Award, in 2003—designed an exclusive eveningwear collection for men and women. The men’s pieces are navy and black velvet and Jacquard, with touches of embroidery, and paillettes and crystals bring glamour to the women’s items—designed in the brand’s signature “Armani gold.” Beverly Hills, armani.com
Brittany and Ian Bentley founded the leather brand to employ women in Ethiopia. PHOTO COURTESY OF BRANDS
Parker Clay’s Merkatosignature tote PHOTO COURTESY OF BRANDS
PARKER CLAY
“Shopping for sustainable leather hits differently,” note Ian and Brittany Bentley of Parker Clay, the Addis Ababa-based leather goods brand they founded to employ and uplift at-risk women in Ethiopia. Following the success of California retail locations in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, and an outpost in Denver, the brand launched a fourth brick-and-mortar store in the Runway Playa Vista Free Market. “Our L.A. community cares about sustainability and the impact behind every purchase,” note the founders on their new shop, which features locally curated items like the canine collection of collars and leashes, the Mari diaper backpack, and other travel and work products for growing families. Alongside favorites like a Miramar Beach-inspired backpack and Merkato signature tote is the new Woven Collection, a zero-waste initiative made from leather scraps and leftover cuttings. Note the Bentleys, “We believe that when you empower a woman, you empower a village.” Playa Vista, parkerclay.com
Photography by:
