EXCLUSIVE: Wittmore Opens Two New Stores in L.A., Readies Private-label Menswear Line

Wittmore is fully in expansion mode. The Los Angeles-based multibrand boutique is growing in more ways than one. 

The independent retailer, which was started a decade ago by men’s marketing veteran Paul C. Witt, has two new locations — one of which marks its debut foray into womenswear — and a private label on the way. Wittmore has opened its fourth and fifth stores in California, following locations in the Arts District, Larchmont Village and Malibu. 

The elevated casualwear purveyor has touched down in Silver Lake, on Sunset Boulevard in the same complex as Parachute and Dr. Martens, and in Studio City, at the newly constructed The Shops at Sportsmen’s Lodge — a 95,000-square-foot retail center that also houses Reformation, The Great, Madewell, Vuori, Alo Yoga, Free People Movement and an Erewhon Market. Both locations feature the eclectic mix of indie brands from around the world that Wittmore has made its signature — and offer the same “education to the consumer,” as Witt puts it. 

“I think a lot of people like the discovery aspect, which is our angle,” Witt told WWD. “It’s always a mixture of a few different styles — an emphasis on where things are made and who the founders are behind them….I say our secret sauce is really educating the consumer about what they’re buying and what they like.” 

The 1,300-square-foot Silver Lake store will be growing Wittmore’s fan base with the addition of womenswear, which Witt notes came about organically. “We had so many requests to do a his and hers store,” Witt said. “I would say about 20 percent to 25 percent of our clientele are women shopping for themselves. [At Larchmont] we have Veja sneakers and a small mix of Birkenstock women’s and some Sunray sweatshirts from Japan — and they sell through every single time. So that gave us the confidence to launch Silver Lake.”

Womenswear offerings will include pieces from Alex Mill, Closed denim, Sabah shoes, Sunray T-shirts and sweatshirts that are all handmade in Japan; Il Bisonte bags from Florence; jewelry from Akute, Pyrrha, Miansai and vintage selections, and, come this spring, clothes by Donni and Asher, which Witt noted will be exclusive to the store. 

The 750-square-foot Studio City location, Witt refers to as the “2.0 store after being in business over 10 years now,” will also have a run of exclusives for menswear, including pieces by SKU Save Khaki. “This year we did an exclusive with Relwen — one of our top brands — and it was an overdyed black fleece that Studio City had,” Witt added. “We did an exclusive 50 units and it sold out.

“Sometimes consumers want to see the same thing everywhere,” Witt said, “but whether you’re corporate or independent, I think there should be a point of view per the neighborhood. As we’ve developed, the vibe of the consumer per each location also is slightly different. Malibu is more beachy: there’s a little bit of a tourist vibe, because people want things from Malibu or things from L.A. It’s just a different smidge of an edit in each location.” 

Each store’s neighborhood is also reflected in the design details. At the Silver Lake location, stairs showcasing exclusive pieces to the store — a residency from L.A. brand Free & Easy for the holiday season — lead up to a mural of mapped-out nearby highlights like the Griffith Observatory, by L.A.-based illustrator Dan Alexandru. In Studio City, a mural by Alexandru tailored to the area is on display above hanging clothes. Wittmore also recruited local artisans like Chris Prophet of Wulf Wood to construct custom white oak and Douglas Fir floating tables and benches that are merchandised with pants and shirts from Wax London and Veja sneakers.

While the Studio City location has only been open for a month, Witt shared that it is already the company’s number-two store, following Larchmont. “Malibu is number three,” he said, “then Arts District,” with online sales after. “By the end of next year, we’ll double our business because of the two new stores,” Witt added. “We’re [running] 8 to 10 percent up this year….The overall business is up year-over-year, which is fantastic in this climate.”

Witt credits Wittmore’s growth to a return to brick-and-mortar — and, perhaps, online shopping fatigue. “I think there’s a return to the tangibility of feeling and touching things and trying things on,” Witt said, adding, “I think people forget, like the socialization of shopping, like Sunday brunch and then walking around afterward to explore. Also, for the people that grew up with an online era, seeing something like this is exciting: You can teach them how you should get things tailored or how you should take care of your garments, whether spending $50 on a T-shirt or $700 on a jacket.” 

“I think there’s a need for multibrand stores,” Witt continued. “People want the point of view of going in [and having] an assortment. Everyone’s busy now and shopping on your phone is a lot to look at — everyone’s overwhelmed.”

As for future locations, “it would be a dream to do New York City,” Witt said. But, for now, he’s focused on launching a private label. “We’re in the beginning stages of working on our own in-house brand,” he shared, adding, “We’ll start with men’s first: shirting is our top category, so shirting will be the first. Hopefully we’ll get this going by summer or fall of next year. We’ll have the same ethos of quality and construction as the brands we always carry.”