The wait is over. While some of us have been scouring Barney New York locations, specialty boutiques and more for Illesteva’s covetable frames, the brand has finally opened up its very first West Coast flagship on trendy shopping stretch Abbot Kinney, in Venice Beach. The shop, which marks the brand’s first entry into West Coast retail, spans 650-square-feet and is right next door to popular coffee spot Intelligentsia, giving you just one more reason to head to the beach.
The frames, which have earned the line a CFDA Award nom and are crafted in France and Italy, are just part of the draw. While the sunnies and specs do take center stage (they ring in starting at $165 and can climb from there), with plenty of on-trend options that include mirrored lenses, colored frames and retro-modern shapes such as circles and teardrop aviators, the store also stocks the line’s new leather goods offerings. In addition to the full range of specs, there is a build-your-own frame station that brings the line’s online customization program right into brick and mortar (you still build online, but you can check out materials in the flesh). Co-founder Daniel Silberman explains that the interior decor was crafted from upcycled wood right here in L.A. and the art on the walls feature rocker Lou Reed. Up next? Silberman says there are more stores in the works and Venice exclusives are set to arrive at the Abbot Kinney location any day now.
Illesteva is located at 1329 Abbot Kinney Boulevard, in Venice. For more information, visit www.illesteva.com.
Images courtesy Illesteva