Eva Varro, Johnny Was Debut at Santa Monica Place
Most of the tenants for the new Santa Monica Place mall are well-known vertical brands, such as 7 For All Mankind, True Religion, Nike, Ed Hardy, Ted Baker and Tory Burch. But a couple of independent Los Angeles–based labels debuted flagship stores at the mall.
Eva Varro is one label on the move. The 7-year-old, Los Angeles–based womenswear label opened its 1,100-square-foot flagship boutique at the new Santa Monica Place on Aug. 6. In May, the company opened a boutique at the Promenade on The Peninsula shopping center in Rolling Hills Estates, Calif. At the end of 2010, it will open a boutique in Palm Desert, Calif., according to Erika Seifred, a brand representative.
Johnny Was has been wholesaling its fashions for more than 20 years but just entered the retail side of the business with its new 1,475-square-foot store at Santa Monica Place, said Catherine Nation, executive vice president of retail for the brand.
“Johnny Was is a strong manufacturer,” Nation said of the brand. “But if you are building your own stores, it’s a chance to create your own destiny.” For the first time, the brand will be able to show its entire collection in a boutique setting, she said. Nation intends to open more Johnny Was stores.—Andrew Asch
