California Apparel News

COVID-19 pandemic, and the May 1 closure of a boutique by downtown Los Angeles’ Pershing Square contributed to the concept of Headquarters, a new private appointment store produced by Please Do Not Enter. The boutique retailer also runs other Please Do Not Enter stores at NoMad Hotel in downtown Los Angeles and in South Coast Plaza retail center in Costa Mesa, Calif.

Headquarters will offer private shopping experiences, said Nicolas Libert, a co-founder of Please Do Not Enter, which focuses on fine art, jewelry, accessories and emerging designers from Europe, Asia and Los Angeles. Libert said that he and co-founder Emmanuel Renoird, were planning to open a boutique devoted to private appointments before the pandemic. Interest in private shopping increased since the pandemic started earlier this year. To guarantee a safe shopping experience, Headquarters boutique is sanitized after each appointment. However, private shopping also may hold a key to the future of bricks-and-mortar shopping, Libert said.

“Please Do Not Enter has always proposed storytelling based experiences. We carry more than 100 designers and artists, each one having his own story,” Libert said. “We promote more than ever a ‘slow shopping’ experience, the one you’ll never have online. Interaction with pieces, material and sensation is key for us. An appointment will allow us to reach the level of customized service and intimacy the client is looking for. We also build custom displays and presentations for customers with special needs. Imagine a store built just for you, focusing on what you love and what you are looking for. This is what we do for our regular customers.”

Headquarters is located on the 9th floor of the James Oviatt building, an Art Deco high-rise listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Headquarters curates fashion, contemporary art, design, jewelry, books and accessories in a large showroom and two satellite rooms. Headquarters is open Tuesday through Saturday by appointment only.