Gabriela Hearst collaborated with architect Foster + Partners led by Norman Foster to design the store, the second one designed for the brand by the practice following the London flagship. The brand commissioned designer-makers Benji Gavron and Antoine Dumas of Gavron Dumas Studio to design a collection of bespoke furniture. This furniture collection, called Nomad, is a culmination of a year’s-long work, which is featured in Gabriela Hearst’s retail spaces in SouthKorea as well as in past retail installations in Paris, Chicago and New York.

Gavron Dumas Studio’s Nomad furniture collection was born from three design principles:the timber must be sourced sustainably, the timber must be sourced locally, and the furniture must be hand made by local artisans. The furniture and fixtures were sustainably made from Western Sycamore that grew within the city of Los Angeles and were previously destined to be turned into wood chips. Working with local sawyers, Gavron Dumas Studio had these trees milled into the special timber. The pieces were then built by the talented and thoughtful artisans at DUSK, a furniture studio based in Los Angeles known for working with extraordinary timber.

With an emphasis on natural materials and quality undertaken with a utilitarian perspective, the store takes inspiration from Hearst’s family ranch in Uruguay, where she grew up. The soaring vaults also speak to the city’s vernacular architecture and the work of Paul R.Williams, the architect who designed many of L.A.’s most iconic buildings – including theBeverly Wilshire – and was part of the team that conceptualized the Theme Building at LosAngeles International Airport.
Moving away from the current standard pre-fabrication technologies, and echoing its own ethos of craftsmanship, the brand chose to build the vaulted ceiling that envelops the space with traditional materials and manual technics including time-consuming hand-application of finishings in Roman Clay, an eco-friendly plaster.

The collection of wall-hung shelving, seating, and freestanding furniture by Gavron Dumas Studio was conceived in close collaboration with Foster + Partners. The fine and freckled grain of the timber acts as a foil to the minimal white walls. Every detail of the store has been thoughtfully considered – from the rose gold aluminum door handles, which are a modern take on Gabriela’s family ranch’s logo – to the bespoke rugs and wall hangings, which have been created based on drawings of the Brooklyn-based artist, Eli Tamarkin.

The flagship will sell the entire range of Gabriela Hearst men’s and women’s ready-to-wear collections, fine merino wool and cashmere knitwear, footwear, accessories and handbags.The location will be the exclusive retailer for Gabriela Hearst handbag collection on theWest Coast, including the Nina, the Demi, the Diana, and the Baez among others.