Billy Reid Opens Pop-Up in Los Angeles
Billy Reid is popping up in L.A.
The Alabama-based designer is opening his first retail store in Los Angeles, a pop-up shop at Platform in Culver City. The shop is Reid’s 15th in the U.S., and marks the culmination of a longtime dream for the designer to have a retail store in the city where he started his fashion career.
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“L.A. holds a special place in my heart,” he said. “Traveling from Texas to Los Angeles in my 20s taught me the value of my perspectIve as a designer and that leaning into my differences was cool.”
He said when he first lived in L.A., he waited tables at Chin Chin on Sunset Boulevard. “The big benefit was that I could eat free and see celebrities.” A few weeks later, Reid found a job with Wrangler as a sales trainee at the downtown L.A apparel market, before being hired by Reebok as a sales rep and then moving into design to work on the Greg Norman and other golf collections for the company. “I hung out at places like Gladstones in Malibu on Sundays; The Gaslight in Venice; ChrisIe’s, a local bar near our apartment; Formosa Cafe in Hollywood; El Coyote Mexican, and Dukes for breakfast,” Reid reminisced.
The Billy Reid boutiques are known for their Southern-skewed decor that combine traditional and modern furnishings, antiques and art. The L.A. boutique displays artwork by Alabama artist Butch Anthony as well as a large gallery wall comprised of vintage European pieces. A seating area consists of midcentury vintage club chairs and coffee table, and a custom chandelier was made using driftwood from the Tennessee river.
The 900-square-foot shop will remain open through Jan. 31, 2023.