Acne Studios to open on Melrose

Swedish brand Acne Studios is opening a second location to follow up on its 5,000-square-foot downtown LA flagship. The new location will be a smaller space on Melrose slated to open this spring.

Acne's new location will fill a 1,650-square-foot space on Melrose Ave. in West Hollywood. The space formerly housed the first west coast location of 101/Exhibit, a Miami-based art gallery.

Acne first opened an LA flagship in the fashion district in 2013. The flagship features an installation by contemporary artist Carsten Höller who has exhibited at MOCA in LA and Milan's Fondazione Prada, a museum that is co-chaired by Miuccia Prada.

While there is a natural connection between the downtown flagship's art installation and moving into a space on Melrose that was a former art gallery, it is likely that the Melrose space will take a different design direction, aiming for a distinct overall retail brand experience.

Co-founder and executive chairman Mikael Schiller has previously been quoted as saying that the brand does not "subscribe to the idea of every store looking the same."

Indeed, Acne's stores vary by city, and Schiller's comment suggests the West Hollywood boutique will focus on the neighborhood's unique identity which differs from that expressed through the DTLA flagship location.

Along with Acne, Japanese brand A Bathing Ape is reportedly moving into a Melrose location on the same block, between Robertson and North Almont Drive. Nearby neighbors in West Hollywood include Maxfield, James Perse and Helmut Lang.

The new Acne Studios in West Hollywood is expected to open in Spring 2018 at 8920 Melrose Ave.

Acne Studios to open on Melrose

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