Geren Ford Annex
A new multi-use space in Los Angeles invites customers to experience the lifestyle that informs the brand
After a successful decade designing womenswear under her eponymous label, Geren Ford, Geren Lockhart has opened a multi-use space housing all aspects of her brand, including her first retail outpost, called the Annex. The funky building also includes Geren’s studio, showroom, a gallery and event space and a photo studio, all showcasing the many influences of the brand’s eclectic aesthetic. Drawing from likeminded designers, antique finds and local artists, Lockhart explains that Annex is like “glimpsing through a window into the life that created the brand.”
Geren Ford fills the needs of the global traveler, someone who requires a single outfit to function in a number of situations with grace and ease. Sensitive to the demands of modern life, the Geren Ford woman is “someone that sets her own style,” says Lockhart. “We fit into her world organically.” The flowing silhouettes allow for day-to-evening wear, uniting vintage style with elegant comfort, a style that translates just as well in galleries and meeting rooms.
The Annex is a mash-up of items from the Geren Ford line and objects that inspire Lockhart. Items there when I stopped by included mint-condition vintage clothing, an X-Ray viewer, Playboy bar accessories from the 1970s, a lucite cowboy hat and a wooden lion’s head sculpture that I couldn’t resist. “The idea is that these are the objects that surround the creation of the brand, the stuff we wouldn’t try to do better. We love the story that comes from vintage gaming supplies, or nuggets from our favorite american potters that are no longer around, that’s the texture of a real lifestyle.”
The space also acts as an exhibition space for local artists. Los Angeles artist Sage Vaughn was in the process of creating a wall mural, and dozens of other pieces (including a collection of 1970s string paintings) were hung throughout. Commenting on the joys of having her own space, Lockhart explains,”I love the idea of art and fashion living closely together, and that friends get to do cool stuff together because we’re here in this building now.” In fact, the large event space was being set up for a sit-down dinner for 20 for a friend and well-known actress, a truly private room for good times with friends.
For fans of Lockhart’s work, this is a great opportunity to experience the inspirations that inform the designer. It also represents a shopping experience that is true to the concept of a lifestyle, with objects and clothing that represent a point of view rather than a daily necessity. Check out more images of Annex in our gallery. And visit the Geren Ford site to see what’s in the annex.
Geren Ford Annex
1034 Seward Street
Los Angeles, CA 90038
