James Perse, Freecity Open Hollywood Stores
The next hot retail neighborhood could be Hollywood.
Nina Garduno, a veteran of Los Angeles’ specialty-store scene, confirmed she is opening a 3,000-square-foot store at 1139 N. Highland Ave., near the corner of Santa Monica Boulevard. Refined basics and ready-to-wear brand James Perse opens its new store, located at 1128 N. Highland Ave., the weekend of Aug. 14–15. The store sells some limited-edition furniture along with the Standard James Perse label and the brand’s other lines.
Retailers and developers have long scouted this area. With the January debut of the luxury W Hollywood Hotel and Residences, located at 6250 Hollywood Blvd., more well-to-do tourists and people have been passing through the neighborhood.
Garduno’s FREECITYsupershopSUPERMAT store debuts at the end of the month. She closed her Freecity boutique at the Malibu Village retail center in Malibu, Calif., in July after five years selling apparel from the Freecity brand in addition to imaginative art. Garduno said she left Malibu Village because she wanted to open a store in Hollywood, the neighborhood where she lives.
The store will sell Freecity sweats, hoodies and T-shirts, which have been prominently sold at Ron Herman boutiques. Herman held a license for a Freecity shop in Malibu. The former Malibu space for Freecity was turned into a Ron Herman men’s boutique. Garduno said her move to Hollywood was amicable.
Along with apparel, Freecity will offer items for the creative class in the neighborhood. It will sell bicycles, organic foods such as almond milk and baked goods. Garduno and her colleagues also will create art for the store.
“I want something that has sense of fun, energy and freedom,” Garduno said. “But it might be extremely challenging. It is not a normal retail neighborhood.” Until recently, the street, located in the Hollywood Media District Business Improvement District, had no fashion boutiques. It had been the address for lighting and camera businesses for the film industry, as well as post-production studios.—Andrew Asch
