Contemporary Label Single Opens Melrose Boutique
Galina Sobolev opened a boutique to give a down-home feel to the exotic look of her label, Single.
When she started her label in 1997, she hoped that her ethnic and novelty prints would appeal to the qualities that make every woman a unique individual. Since then, actors such as Eva Longoria and Nicollette Sheridan have been spotted wearing Single. Sobolev said she opened her first Single boutique on Los Angeles’ Melrose Avenue on June 22 to make all women feel like they can be part of the brand.
“It’s amazing to have celebrities choose Single. But it’s pretty amazing when I meet a woman who flew in from New Jersey on vacation, bought a top at the boutique and later wore it on a date,” Sobolev said.
Sobolev—who runs her design business with her husband, Michael—estimated that Single will earn $10 million in sales from the 550 specialty shops she wholesales to, such as Horn in Los Angeles. Sobolev and her boutique partner, Simona Shamis, forecasted that the 1,000-square-foot store will earn more than $600,000 in sales in its first year of business.
The first-time retailers hope to run a chain of Single boutiques eventually. Interior designer Cat Wei crafted the look of the first store. The shop’s white walls, accented with a high ceiling and a large chandelier, offer a plain background to display Single’s colorful creations.
Looks include a tank top with a necklace of turquoise and citrine attached at the shoulders ($84) and a silk chiffon peasant dress that is embellished with glass beads ($265).
Despite the white space in the boutique, creating an exotic ambiance is important, according to Sobolev. To that end, vintage-painting frames displaying the designer’s creations line some of the walls. —Andrew Asch
