WEST HOLLYWOOD – Luxury fragrance, jewellery and leather goods brand Byredo has opened its first store on the West Coast – and its largest to date. Inhabiting a full block on Los Angeles’ Melrose Avenue, the 282-sq-m interior has been executed by Swedish designer Christian Halleröd, whose long-standing collaboration for the brand includes its existing stores in London, New York, Stockholm and Seoul.
Working with the brand’s in-house design team, a spokesperson explains that Halleröd ‘explored the axis’ between Scandinavian and Californian design, creating an environment of ‘warm modernism’ that highlights the balance of raw and refined materials. Woods such as hard oak, elder and American walnut are contrasted against the industrial aesthetic of galvanized, polished and anodized aluminium. White walls and beige terrazzo flooring provide a neutral backdrop for chunky furniture pieces, accented with pops of colour.
When considering the way that the space would be used, Ben Gorham – creative director and founder at Byredo – says he wanted a space that could ‘change and morph over time, as well as express the collaborative nature of the brand’. With this in mind, the interior was deigned to feel more like an informal gallery than a retail, offering ever-changing flexible space to encourage customers to utilize the store in a more communal and social way. Additionally, the shop will host a rolling programme of shows and exhibitions by artist collaborators.
Reflecting the city’s ties to the art world – and encapsulating the strong cultural identity of LA – Byredo engages with the spirit of cohabitation by offering dual-ownership of the space to the artists or designers exhibiting. The first project will be with artist Martine Syms, who is working on an art installation, as well as exclusive products, to be incorporated throughout the store.