Luxury streetwear brand 424 has a new home on Melrose Ave in Los Angeles and the space is just as exciting and immersive as the clothing and community it already contains.
Opened in early February with an exclusive party that brought together a plethora of 424's VIP admirers, the brand's new Melrose storefront builds upon the history of the original hub on Fairfax Ave. Its literally cavernous, bare-bones aesthetic is in line with the provocative aesthetics of 424 itself.
Located at 8441 Melrose Place, the new storefront marks the long-awaited return of 424’s physical retail space. The original storefront on Fairfax closed in 2022 after 7 years of functioning as the launching pad of 424 founder Guillermo Andrade’s streetwear legacy.
The new 424 home, designed in collaboration with innovative design studio Zoo as Zoo, is intended to “go beyond the superficial to evoke emotions of curiosity and discovery in customers,” per a statement, and tangibly reflects Andrade’s original vision for the brand.
“We wanted the Melrose Place Storefront to be a reflection of 424's design approach — a harmonious convergence of disparate elements," said Andrade, who also oversees creative direction at young New York boutique ESSX.
"Collaborating with Zoo as Zoo allowed us to translate our brand philosophy into a physical space that not only showcases our products but also immerses customers in an intriguing and harmonious environment."
Thus, the end result is a textural lair that you actually want to explore and maybe be inspired by along the way. And ya know, actually buy something.
The new 424 store feels like an alien headquarters straight out of The Mandalorian, albeit with luxury staples lining the walls.
Like 424 itself, the store is edgy without being ostentatious and painfully cool, reflective of a new form of punkishly brutalist fashion that's been brought into being by designers like Betsy Johnson and Berlin-based 032C.
It's a manifestation of the 424 revival that's been in the air for some time, as Andrade rediscovers his footing at the forefront of clothes epitomizing youth culture.
