Chip & Pepper Closes O.C. Store
April 30 was the last day for denim maker Chip & Pepper’s store at the Fashion Island shopping center in Newport Beach, Calif. The 900-square-foot space, which opened in May 2007, sold denim and T-shirts for men, women and kids. The brand’s flagship store in New York’s Nolita district is its only remaining company store. At one time, the brand also operated a retail space in Dallas.
The brand’s charismatic founders, Chip Foster and Pepper Foster, have built their brand on vintage-inspired jeans and have recently embraced the idea of pop-up shops. Earlier this year, the brand operated a pop-up shop on tony Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles.
The Fashion Island store closure is strategic, according to the company, which saw its best performance on its e-tail site last year. More resources will be dedicated to the site, and the brand has plans to open a pop-up shop in Malibu and in Canada this summer.
“It’s time for something new,” said co-owner Pepper Foster. “In the current economy, it is all about guerrilla-style business and changing up the traditional model. We’ve had a great run in Orange County, but we feel it is important to offer people a more unique shopping experience. Whether through short-run pop-up shops or e-commerce, by closing the Fashion Island location we now have a greater ability to bring a distinctive Chip & Pepper shopping experience to our customers.” —Erin Barajas
