New High (M)art Takes Pop-Up Store Online
The owners of the New High (M)art pop-up boutique have created a more permanent space with their new online venture (www.newhighmart.com/shop).
The online store offers collections from both the past and current rosters of designers carried at the bricks-and-mortar boutique, based in Los Angeles’ Chinatown district. The offline New High (M)art showcases designers in an art gallery–style setting through various installments lasting six to nine weeks.
The online store sells offerings from an eclectic mix of designers such as Grey Ant, Brian Lichtenberg, Alex & Chloe, Rojas and Costume Dept.
“The two stores complement each other,” said Richard James Brewer, who goes by the name T-Rik and co-owns the store with Miho Ikeda. “What we do in the offline store is temporary, and the online store gives people a chance to be there in the moment and in the past and connect with people in a myriad of ways.”
According to T-Rik, the online shop has always been in the works. “We certainly carry things that didn’t make it to the offline store,” he said. “It opens a lot of doors, and shoppers get a chance to browse and see what we’re about and the best example of what we stock.”
The online store’s distribution and product photography are done at a fulfillment center in the nearby Los Feliz neighborhood, according to T-Rik.
The online store has increased the New High (M)art’s exposure—taking it from local boutique to global marketplace. T-Rik said the online store has attracted the attention of international shoppers as well as prompted an uptick in new shoppers visiting the bricks-and-mortar location to check out the wares in person.
Standouts in the e-tail store include statement pieces and accessories from Powerhaus, which retail for $65 to $150; fringe earrings from Mexican label Teamo, which retail for $78; and pieces from Mexican designer T.E.M.O.R.E.S., including a pleated vest and jacket that retail for $400 each. —Connie Cho
