Malin + Goetz opens on Larchmont Boulevard
Malin + Goetz, the New York-based skin- and hair-care line with a cult following of men and women who covet the simple, straightforward nature of the formulas and packaging, has opened its first Los Angeles store, on Larchmont Boulevard.
Owners and creators Matthew Malin and Andrew Goetz started the line in 2004 and have since opened up two apothecary-style shops in New York, the first in Chelsea, the second on the Upper West Side.
L.A. has long been a dream destination for the two, who said they sought out a spot on Larchmont for the walkability factor and unique architecture and design of the surrounding shops. "As New Yorkers, we don't get the driving thing," said Malin, who with Goetz is spending the month here for the store launch. "Plus, we like that all the stores on Larchmont are independent."
The two are renting a Laurel Canyon abode to "really experience L.A.," Goetz said.
The 750-square-foot store houses the complete Malin + Goetz line, complete with its popular skin-care products, such as grapefruit face cleanser and detox face mask.
Like the Malin + Goetz packaging, the store's interior is minimal and streamlined, but a couple of things add to a cozy, neighborhood feel. First is a long antique wood table running down the center of the entire store; the other is Junior, a 15-year-old French bulldog that sits in the window the same way he has at the New York stores since the company started.
"L.A. was always first after New York," said Goetz about the West Coast outpost. "There's so many people who shuttle back and forth from New York to L.A," he said of customers who may have discovered the line on the East Coast and now have a local source.
But whether people learned about the Malin + Goetz line here or there, they seem compelled to stop by and shop. In just the hour spent with the owners in the store on a recent Thursday afternoon, several chic customers popped in to buy their go-to items.
Malin + Goetz, 238 N. Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles
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-- Melissa Magsaysay
Photo: The interior of the new Malin + Goetz store on Larchmont Boulevard. Credit: Malin + Goetz
