James Perse's Rockin' Party
Fistful of Mercy's top dudes from left; Dhani Harrison, Joseph Arthur and Ben Harper
Every store opening party should have some music. When the James Perse label held a debut Oct. 28 for its Hollywood store at 1128 N. Highland Ave., buzz band Fistful of Mercy played, powered by the voices and guitar work of rock star Ben Harper, Joseph Arthur and Dhani Harrison, son of Beatle George Harrison.
During a night of perfect weather, the party crowd played at ping-pong tables at the 5,000-square-foot store and browsed through the emporium's $50 T-shirts and $105 plain white hoodies. At first sight, the street’s location on the tough corner of Highland Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard may not be the obvious choice to sell the label’s high-end basics. It’s a thought that label founder James Perse would agree with.
“When I was a kid, I lived in (nearby) Hancock Park, and Highland was nasty,” he said.
But young professionals are moving into a gentrifying Hollywood, and Perse wanted to do something different with the store. It will be a place to experiment, he said. Art and music events will be held there. An adjacent building to the store will have some restaurant uses.
He plans to open another one of these retail/event compounds devoted to the free form expression of his label, probably in New York City.
His store fleet is expanding. In October, a James Perse boutique on San Francisco’s Fillmore Street debuted. By the end of 2010, there will be 23 James Perse stores, and the label anticipates opening 7 stores annually in the future.
James Perse
