Ron Robinson with The Sugarplums carolers.
Ron Robinson Kicks Off Holiday With Happy Ending Party & Bids Farewell to Bricks-and-Mortar
On Dec. 5, pioneering boutique retailer Ron Robinson threw a holiday party at his self-named store on Los Angeles' Melrose Avenue store. It was called the Happy Ending Party, because it marked the last holiday season that his company will run a bricks-and-mortar store.
In an October interview with California Apparel News, Robinson said that he would continue running his digital channels ronrobinson.com and apothia.com. He also said that his physical shops on Melrose Avenue and in Santa Monica, Calif. were doing well. But after 41-years of running physical boutiques, he wanted to phase the channel out on a high note. The Santa Monica flagship closed in October.
At the Dec. 5 party on Melrose Avenue, Robinson and the Ron Robinson family of staff and merchants at his store welcomed longtime friends while carolers sang. Among the brands exhibiting at the party, milliner Gladys Tamez showed her bespoke hats and an artisan embroidered Cotton Citizen styles sold at Ron Robinson.
There also was a bittersweet note to the Happy Ending Party. Some of the longtime Ron Robinson staff would be leaving after the Melrose location closed in mid-January. Karen Meena, vice president of buying, said that she would work in retail consulting after a 23-year career working for Robinson. While her job title may be different, Meena said that change has always been part of her job. ”It’s good to change. That’s fashion,” she said.
