A bit of the Pacific Northwest just landed in Los Angeles.
Filson, the 127-year-old heritage brand founded in Seattle to supply prospectors with durable gear during the Alaska Gold Rush, is opening its first L.A. store at 3210 Sunset Boulevard in the hipster Silver Lake neighborhood.
The outdoor apparel label is seizing on the workwear trend that’s been driving sales of Carhartt and putting waxed canvas jackets on high fashion runways, as well as its own growing exposure on celebrities and on the hit “Yellowstone,” whose character Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) has worn the Tin Cloth Short Lined Cruiser jacket for the entire run of the show.
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This is Filson’s second California store, after unveiling a downtown San Francisco location eight years ago inside the 1850s-era Belli Building, named after the flamboyant attorney Melvin Belli, who would fly a Jolly Roger flag from his office roof when he won a case and was known as the “King of Torts.”
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The new L.A. outpost, at 1,400 square feet, isn’t quite as infamous, but does have a touch of character in its interior vintage design mixed with modern elements. There are exposed brick walls, knotty pine and dark steel infused with bare-bones utilitarian touches to add a contemporary feel.
“We will basically be bringing in the Pacific Northwest to the store. There will be some of that logger feeling, which Filson is known for. There will be vintage antique things with archival photos and props our chief creative officer, Alex Carleton, has collected over the years that are remnants of the early 1900s,” said Neil Morgan, Filson’s vice president of retail, collaboration and special projects. “But we are also going to have a more modern design. We are working on a new store concept that is more modular and flexible in a smaller space.”
Filson will fit right in with L.A.’s entertainment environment because the rugged brand has been in the television spotlight recently without even paying for product placement.
In “Sullivan’s Crossing,” the main character, Harry Sullivan, played by Scott Patterson, is seen sporting an olive plaid shirt by Filson. The Pacific Northwest label has also been seen on A-listers including Jake Gyllenhaal, Jon Hamm and Ryan Reynolds.
Last year, Filson did a collaboration with country music singer Chris Stapleton featuring the Traveller bags collection and a limited-edition Mackinaw wool cruiser jacket.
Southern California is number three on Filson’s top three markets. New York is number one followed by Seattle at number two.
This is Filson’s 12th store in the United States and the first store opened in the last five years. But the company is exploring more physical locations. Recently it was scouting for a retail spot in downtown Denver, which seems a natural, but hasn’t come up with anything yet. Calling L.A. a two-store market, Morgan is exploring the Abbot Kinney Boulevard retail area in Venice. Filson’s sister brand, Shinola, already has a spot there and has done well, he said.
“We believe brick-and-mortar is a viable option for Filson. We feel that when people come into our stores, they can touch and feel the product and experience our customer service,” the Filson executive said. “So, brick-and-mortar are part of our ongoing strategy.”
The new L.A. store will be carrying the new womenswear collection, which debuts Aug. 29. It is inspired by pioneering women and incorporates vintage, outdoorsy looks.
The push into womenswear is just one of the changes at Filson, which recently saw the executive suite shuffled at its parent company, Bedrock Manufacturing Company, which also owns Shinola.
In June, Steve Katzman took over as Bedrock’s chief executive from Awenate Cobbina, who moved over to focus on Bedrock’s hotel and hospitality initiatives. Also, Kevin Wertz was named chief marketing officer. Both appointments are meant to help Bedrock’s brands grow.