Exterior of the new Whimsy + Row. All images courtesy of Whimsy + Row
Whimsy + Row Scouts L.A.’s Mar Vista District
Los Angeles’ Venice neighborhood has been increasingly known as a spot for independent boutique retail. Rachel Temko is scouting the neighboring Mar Vista section as a burgeoning retail enclave.
She recently opened a boutique and e-commerce headquarters for her Whimsy + Row fashion line in Mar Vista. It’s located at 12801 Venice Blvd. in Mar Vista, which is nestled between Venice and Culver City, Calif. Whimsy + Row’s new neighbors include restaurants and fitness studios. However the closest boutique is Tortoise, which is a one block away.
For the past few years, Whimsy + Row ran a shop in shop at gallery and events space Mar Vista Art Department. An opportunity for a larger space came up. It’s a 3,500-square-foot space, which formerly housed a former party rental business. Temko held a soft opening for Whimsy + Row on Sept. 20. There will be a grand opening party – with ice cream, a photo booth and a 20 percent discount on clothes –from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Oct. 20.
Half of Whimsy + Row’s 3,500-square-foot space is devoted to the bricks-and-mortar boutique. The other half is devoted to offices for the brand’s direct-to-consumer shop and warehouse. The majority of the brand’s business will remain online, Temko said. But there’s no reason to cut out offline shopping.“Bricks-and-mortar retail will always be a part of our strategy,” she said. “People need to touch and to feel clothes.”
The shop also will sell third party beauty and homewares brands such as Nisolo, WKNDLA, Baggu, Norden, and Rootfoot. A focus of the Whimsy + Rose label is sustainable fashion. Temko plans to host panels and events on sustainability at the store. Stay tuned.
