Art from Parisian grafitti artist Horfee - displayed at the G-Star boutique on Los Angeles' Melrose Avenue.
A Decade of G-Star on Melrose
It survived the Great Recession, plunging and rebounding interest in denim, and fierce competition from other brands. On Sept. 25, the first West Coast boutique for Dutch premium denim brand G-Star, celebrated its 10th anniversary.
Located at 7966 Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, the decade-old G-Star invited a few friends over to a party where the brand’s newest collection, Raw For The Oceans, was front and center. The Raw For The Oceans collection features denim manufactured from plastics dumped in the ocean, and the line is curated by music star and founder of brand Billionaire Boys Club, Pharrell Williams. Also exhibited, the murals of Parisian graffiti artist Horfee – it apparently is the first exhibit of Horfee’s work in the U.S., said Jeremy Steenblik, partner in the group, Swimming Horses, which licensed the first West Coast G-Star a decade ago. Swimming Horses runs seven G-Star boutiques on the West Coast.
At the anniversary party, Steenblik worked at cash register and kibitzed with friends. When asked about his boutique’s longevity, he gave credit to G-Star making a popular product, a capable and loyal staff, some of his employees have stuck around for 10 years, and location, location, location. “L.A. is a great town,” he said.
