Ebay's Brad Goreski-hosted pop-up hits Westside Pavilion* [Updated]

Ebay has enlisted celebrity stylist, reality TV star and man-about fashion-week Brad Goreski to help draw attention to the fact that the online auction site has rejiggered (the company uses the word "simplified") the way users list items for sale.

To that end, Goreski, stylist Danielle Nachmani and a handful of eBay fashion sellers (dubbed the Chic Squad) are hosting pop-up kiosk events across the country that explain the new process by helping individuals list an actual item they've brought in such as a handbag, pair of sunglasses, shoes or a dress.

The peripatetic pop-up, which started in New York City last month, has already rolled through Dallas and is slated to hit Los Angeles July 13 and 14 before heading to San Francisco. Goreski & Co. are scheduled to staff the Ebay Selling Style Studio at the Westside Pavilion, 10800 West Pico Blvd.* (directly in front of Nordstrom) from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (we're told his old Brad self will be on hand Friday, June 13 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., with the Chic Squad holding down the kiosk the rest of the time).

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-- Adam Tschorn

Photos: At left, Brad Goreski mans the Ebay Selling Style Studio, at right, the pop-up's first stop in New York City on June 8 and 9. Credit: Ebay

*[UPDATED 12:32 p.m. 7/12/2012: An earlier version of this post incorrectly listed the location of the Ebay pop-up. It will take place at the Westside Pavilion -- not Westfield Century City -- on July 13 and 14.

Alpha: Gear for Gents to pop up in Palm Springs

Even though West Hollywood men's boutique Alpha: Gear for Gents  hasn't officially closed its doors yet (the bricks-and-mortar side of the business was set to shutter April 1, a date that was later pushed until this weekend), owner Darren Gold has already found a new -- albeit temporary -- place to showcase his wares: Palm Springs.

Alpha will be among a handful of pop-up stores that will be part of new retail incubator space Raymond Lawrence opening at 830 North Palm Canyon Drive on April 19 -- just in time to catch the crowds headed to the area for the second weekend of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

"Think Fred Segal Center in the desert with Alpha as one of the store-in-stores," said Gold, who announced last month that he was closing his standalone store but at the same time vowed the Alpha brand would continue in some form.

Gold said his Palm Springs outpost would be just under 300 square feet (by comparison, his current Melrose Avenue space is roughly 1,000 square feet) and have a tight focus on men's shoes, clothes, grooming products and accessories like sunglasses and jewelry.

"I’m committed there for six months," Gold said. "But if it works, it could end up being more of a store-in-store  -- on an ongoing basis -- instead of a temporary pop-up."

Other businesses and brands in the retail mix, which will be clustered in a former Design Within Reach store in Palm Springs' Uptown Design District, include apparel labels Crate of California, LASC and Made 2 Measure Fashion, home furnishing outfitters Art Style Innovation, Soup Home and Slip, and a grab bag that includes everything from a newsstand (Fit to Print) to a real estate broker (the Paul Kaplan Modern Real Estate Group). (Raymond Lawrence is the brainchild of co-founders Larry Abel and Raymond McCallister.)

Raymond Lawrence will host a grand opening event, benefiting the AIDS Assistance Program, on April 19 from 6 to 9 p.m., just as the Trina Turk boutique across the street is throwing a bash to celebrate that brand's 10th anniversary -- and the crowds roll through town en route to Coachella's second weekend. 

"Coachella definitely put the whole desert more on the map with fashion people," says Gold. "It's like Sundance -- the word 'Sundance' now means so much more than just those few days. Everyone from L.A. and everywhere else will be out there to see what's happening."

"I talked to someone yesterday who said she's going out there and not even going to the festival at all. There are so many things going on around it now -– the houses and the parties -– that you can go there and do all that other branded stuff without even setting foot in the actual festival. ...The whole Coachella thing is insane." 

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-- Adam Tschorn

Photo: North Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs in 2003. A retail incubator called Raymond Lawrence is set to open at 830 N. Palm Canyon Drive on April 19. Credit: Kevin P. Casey / Los Angeles Times.

Aether's Airstream pops up on 3rd Street -- through Nov. 1 [Updated]

The lineup of fashion-focused retailers on Los Angeles' West Third Street temporarily welcomed a new member on Friday when Aether opened a pop-up shop on West 3rd Street.

Aether's concept shop on wheels -- dubbed the "Aetherstream" -- is housed in a 34-foot-long PanAmerica Airstream trailer that's been refurbished with reclaimed oak flooring, filled with custom-made furniture, decorated with Parisian flea-market finds and stocked with key pieces from the brand's fall 2011* collection.

Since the Airstream is set up in a parking lot at the northwest corner of West 3rd and La Jolla, customers can pull right into the lot -- a bonus given the scarcity of parking in that part of the city.

The L.A.-based Aether label was launched for spring 2009 by film producers and outdoor sports enthusiasts Palmer West and Jonah Smith, who felt there was a gap in the market for stylish but functional outerwear for men, and has since expanded into women's wear and added several categories including swim, knits, T-shirts, shorts, accessories and gear.

After it closes its doors Nov. 1, the retail-retrofitted Airstream heads east and is expected to park in Manhattan for November and December.

To which we have to say, good luck on finding a parking spot.

Aetherstream pop-up shop, 8207 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily through Nov.1.

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-- Adam Tschorn

Photo: The exterior, left, and interior, right, of Aether's Airstream pop-up shop at the corner of West 3rd Street and La Jolla in Los Angeles. Credit: Aether

[*updated 10/11/11 12:37 p.m.: An earlier draft of this post described the season being sold at the pop-up store incorrectly. The pieces are from Aether's fall 2011 collection not the fall 2012 collection.]

Tommy Hilfiger's Prep World pop-up comes to the Grove Friday through Sunday

If you appreciate all things preppy, it's time to bust out your best pink and green, slip on your boat shoes, pile into the Jeep Wagoneer and head for the Grove shopping center.

That's because the Tommy Hilfiger Prep World capsule collection will be taking center stage -- showcased in a pop-up beach cottage/boutique -- Friday through Sunday.

It's part of a globe-trotting PR blitz/retail push for the limited-edition, 60-piece collection of ultra-prep clothes, shoes and accessories that's on offer in Hilfiger boutiques and website through mid-July.

And they're not kidding about the globe-trotting part -- the carnival of peripatetic prep has set up shop in Paris, New York City, London and Stockholm so far (a time-lapse video of the cottage being built on Gansevoort Plaza is embedded below) and plans to hit Milan, Italy; Madrid; Sylt, Germany; and Knokke, Belgium, before summer's end.

Accompanying Hilfiger on each stop is none other than the reigning pop culture princess of prepdom, author Lisa Birnbach (of "The Official Preppy Handbook" and "True Prep" fame) who has been offering her take on the various and assorted manifestations of the preppie aesthetic found in cities around the world.  

Although I haven't had a chance to check out the collection at close range yet (I'll be doing that this afternoon and expect to report back) from what I've seen online, the key pieces (chinos polos, blazers) look like Tommy Hilfiger's prep rootstock circa 1989 with some of the updated nouveau-prep influences that have made recent collections from designers like Michael Bastian (for Gant), Band of Outsiders and Thom Browne so appealing.       

And, if you think you're the best there is at channeling your inner Biff or Buffy, the social media campaign includes a Prep Style Challenge in which participants upload photos of themselves, in their preppie best, to the Web to be adjudged and voted on by others. The winner gets "the ultimate preppy getaway."

And, I'd like to think, a jaunty pink-and-green grosgrain sash with an allover embroidery of mallard ducks to wear to their next cocktail party.

Tommy Hilfiger Prep World Pop-Up House, 189 The Grove Drive, Los Angeles, open Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

-- Adam Tschorn

Photos: At top, the Tommy Hilfiger Prep World pop-up beach cottage on Gansevoort Plaza in New York City on May 5. On Friday, the traveling boutique opens its doors at the Grove shopping center in Los Angeles for a three-day run. Center and bottom, L.A.-inspired preppy looks from the collection. Credit: Wireimage. Video courtesy of Tommy Hilfiger.

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Palladium boots pop up at Satine

French company Palladium, which dates to the 1920s, has come a long way from its pre-footwear days when the brand was creating tires for planes. But Palladium boots have long had a rugged, sturdy feel, with two simple canvas and rubber styles that are kind of the hiking-boot equivalent of a Bensimon sneaker.

The shoe collection has moved into Satine on 3rd Street, where it will remain until May 9. They are launching a new model called the Lite for summer that weighs less than 8 ounces and seems like it would be a good option for anyone who wants a breathable alternative to a sandal or flip-flop during warm weather. The Lite shoe comes in their traditional Baggy style, with a flap that when folded down has that '90s athletic feel.

For a more streamlined silhouette but still with that adventurer feel, there is the Pampa style. Both add a rugged appeal to any look and bring a bit of tomboy ease to denim skirts and short shorts for summer.

The Palladium pop-up store will be at Satine through May 9. 8134 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles, CA 90048.

-- Melissa Magsaysay

Photos: The Palladium pop-up shop at Satine.

Katherine Wallach (Eli's daughter) launches a pop-up for her jewelry collection

When Melissa Leo accepted the supporting actress award for "The Fighter" at Sunday's Oscars, she was wearing a delicate gold spider necklace festooned with diamonds and rubies.

The piece was designed by her friend Katherine Wallach, who happened to be in the audience cheering on her father, legendary actor Eli Wallach, as he accepted a lifetime achievement award from the academy.

The younger Wallach may not be a household name, but she's been crafting charming, unusual jewelry for decades. And Tuesday she's opening the first in a series of pop-up shops to showcase her distinctive designs — on Venice's main shopping drag, Abbot Kinney Boulevard.

The shop, which will be open through March 31, is part of Wallach's longstanding dream to display her jewelry in a gallery-like setting. "There is installation involved in the display of my jewelry," she explained. "I want to start doing these ... monthlong experiences where I sell jewelry." 

A pair of fly earrings, for example, will be displayed on a fly swatter. "The installations are kind of great for people who are not even interested in jewelry," she added.

Wallach's collections, boasting pieces ranging from $100 to $22,000, are so varied, her style is difficult to pin down. But the use of rosaries, vintage charms and found objects run throughout each capsule collection, which typically consists of numerous one-of-a-kind pieces.

The former actress, who appeared in "Goodfellas" and "Gang of New York," among other films, has pop-ups planned for New Orleans, Paris, East Hampton and Amsterdam later this year.

1625 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, (323) 683-8277. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

-- Emili Vesilind

Photo: Diamond and ruby spider necklace by Katherine Wallach. Credit: Katherine Wallach

Letter perfect pop-up: House Industries at Heath

If there's a typeface fanatic on your holiday shopping list, make sure to check out Heath Los Angeles on Beverly Boulevard, where Delaware-based type foundry House Industries has a pop-up presence through the end of the year.

Since I'm slightly obsessed with the world of fonts and typefaces, I knew I'd find some cool things would come out of a mash-up between the letter-shaping crowd and the tile-forming folks. But I was surprised not only at how cool the collaboration itself is, but at the wide range of non-ceramic offerings on hand.

When I stopped by the shop on Saturday (the first time), I caught up with House's owners Rich Roat and Andy Cruz as they busily helped stock shelves and arrange merchandise on tables behind a wall of curtains that cordoned off a third of the shop (until the 4 p.m. opening of the pop-up, anyway).

Roat showed us the heart of the House X Heath collaboration -- a new line of ceramic letter and number house tiles using House Industries' Eames and Neutra typefaces (a complete collection -- and official launch of Heath House Numbers -- will follow in the summer of 2011).

But there are plenty of non-ceramic items -- many of them exclusive or limited-edition -- to choose from, including flour sack towels, hand-printed plywood screens, laser-cut metal letter ornaments, Christmas cards, and enough brightly printed wooden koi to stock a pond.

But what brought me back to the store right at the stroke of 4 p.m. was the 13-piece, Alexander Girard nativity set . Traditionally I'm not much for the table-top version of the nativity scene at the holidays -- there are far too many small pieces for my taste (misplace the baby Jesus just once and no one will ever let you forget it ...). Not to mention our cats have an annual yuletide tradition of batting each occupant of the manger onto the floor one by one.

But these pieces were of a solid maple that could easily withstand a feline battering -- and the detailed designs were hand-printed (by David Dodde, who was on hand at Saturday's event) in a bright color palette that included my wife's favorite range of vibrant pinks -- so I grabbed one of the three sets on hand and made a beeline for the register.

Which means a little bit of House will be a part of my house for many holidays to come.

House Industries at Heath Los Angeles Studio & Store, 7525 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, through Dec. 31 (Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.,  Sunday noon to 6 p.m.).

-- Adam Tschorn

Photo: A limited-edition Alexander Girard nativity set is among the offerings at the House Industries pop-up at Heath Los Angeles through Dec. 31. Credit: Carlos Alejandro for House Industries

Fashion Los Angeles curated pop-up Nov. 5 to Nov. 14

Fashion Los Angeles, a group that plans to launch a Los Angeles Fashion Week event in February 2011, is making good on its oft-repeated mantra of "focusing on L.A. fashion 365 days a year," and exhibit A can be seen -- and shopped -- Friday through Nov. 14.

That's how long the curated fashion, jewelry, art and furniture pop-up space will be open for business on the ground floor of the Main Mercantile Lofts at 620 S. Main St. in downtown Los Angeles.

The only requirement for inclusion in the debut "Meet the Public" pop-up -- aside from being some of the organizers' personal favorite brands, retailers and designers -- was that the  participants be L.A.-based.

That's how established local fashion designer Yotam Solomon's rolling rack ended sharing a sales floor with Midcentury Modern furniture from Novecento Antiques, a table of T-shirts by barely launched label Seam Ripper, polka-dotted and bow-festooned dresses by Chelsea Rebelle and the styrofoam-painted artwork of Jaime Scholnick. (An exhaustive list of the more than two dozen participants is available at the group's website.)

Although I took an admittedly quick spin through the space (I needed to jet across town to catch a theremin performance in Max Azria's living room -- true story), it was the inclusion of things such as the furniture from Novocento and the artwork by Scholnick that I appreciated -- things you could spend your entire life traipsing across the city and never stumble across, on display a few feet away from the things that brought you in the door. 

Scholnick, represented by the CB1 Gallery, left a particularly lasting impression. The artist has been using acrylic paint to transform the odd-shaped pieces of Styrofoam used to pack and protect the printers, televisions, mirrors and whatnot of modern life into lasting art that looks surprisingly heavy.

She's been turning discarded Styrofoam into art for about a year -- ever since she unpacked a heater she'd bought at Costco and ended up with a pile of odd-shaped pieces.

"I approach them like fossils," Scholnick said. "They used to hold something, and I transform them."

Which is actually a pretty good analogy for what the curated pop-up -- and Fashion Los Angeles at large -- is trying to do: transform a fossilized notion of presenting Los Angeles fashion to the world not by thinking outside of the box, but by by looking at what the box already contains and doing something different with it.

Meet the Public, 620 S. Main St., Nov. 5-14, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday (subject to change).

-- Adam Tschorn

Photo: "Fossil Tower," 2009, by Jaime Scholnick (Styrofoam, gesso and acrylic paint). Credit: CB1 Gallery.

 

 

 

A deluxe 'Tron' pop-up store to debut at Royal/T later this month

Royal/T — the hybrid retail store, art gallery and Japanese-themed cafe in Culver City — will be home to a pop-up store based on "Tron," the classic Jeff Bridges movie that's been remade by Disney as "Tron: Legacy" (out Dec. 17).

Though there will be an array of affordable merchandise, the highlight of the pop-up is bound to be the high-end "Tron"-themed accessories Disney Consumer Products commissioned from some choice accessory designers.

As we reported a few weeks back, the "Tron: Legacy" couture collection features a spacey, ruffled silver heel created by local shoe guru Jerome C. Rousseau; slick black bags and other accessories from Hayden-Harnett; silver jewelry by New York's Rotenier; and cool, angular baubles from local jewelry label TomTom. Prices for the couture collection range from $90 to $2,600.

The pop-up also has a schedule of special items that will be released over its six-week lifespan.

The week of Nov. 30 is designed for athletes and action-film fanatics, with  an Adidas compression top ($45), Tron board shorts from Hurley ($65) and special edition "Tron: Legacy" 3-D glasses from Oakley ($150) going on sale. Three different sets of limited-edition collectible artwork selected directly from the film ($28.99 to $76.99) — in addition to actual film frames of different scenes from "Tron: Legacy" — will debut in the shop Dec. 3. And the soundtrack for the new film will debut in the shop Dec. 7.

A special "Tron"-themed menu will also be rolled out in Royal/T's cafe, which will feature cleverly named entrees including the Reco Burger, a Lightcycle salad, an Identity Disk cake and a shareable "Tron: Legacy" high tea set.

Because if you're going there, you might as well go all the way.

 The "Tron" pop-up shop will be open through Dec 23 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, with extended hours on Wednesdays to 10 p.m.

--Emili Vesilind

Photos, from top: Jerome Rousseau's "Tron" heel; a rendering of the Tron store. Credit: Disney Consumer Products; Royal/T.

Puma launches a pop-up social club in Hollywood

Global sports and lifestyle brand Puma is launching a pop-up shop Thursday in Hollywood that borrows from the concept of old-school men's social clubs. 

The 6,500-square-foot Puma Social Club, which will be open through Oct. 28 on the first floor of the Sunset Towers (8730 Sunset Blvd.), was created as a spot for "the social games we play off the field with friends," said a spokesman for the company.

The ephemeral space pays homage to the after-hours athlete — with a beer-worthy set-up of darts, foosball, table tennis and bowling.

And of course the outpost carries a full range of Puma gear, from the classic track jacket and reissued sneakers to exclusive, limited-edition graphic tees. Regular shop hours are from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The social club is popping up now to coincide with the company's just-launched "Puma Social" print-and-online ad campaign, which features groups of kitted-out friends bowling, playing ping-pong, singing karaoke and throwing darts. 

With a fully-operational cash bar and nighttime snacks menu, the club will be open to age 21-plus night owls for late-night events during its two-week tenure.

For a full listing of happenings, see www.puma.com/social.

-- Emili Vesilind

Photo: Fooseball at Puma's San Francisco pop-up. Credit: Puma