Space 15Twenty celebrated it’s opening on December 13 in Hollywood, CA featuring current tenants Alife, Gallery Space, Hennessey Ingalls, We the Free, What Comes Around Goes Around, TV Books, Samantha Pleet, Snack Bar, and of course, Urban Outfitters -the host of this new retail event space. Hit and Run was also on site doing live silk-screening, as well as Dublab Soundsystem DJs, a special performance by Chairlift, and hundreds of expectant hipsters ready to check-out the newly renovated 11,000 square foot area.
In the current landscape of retail, it’s always refreshing when brands come up with something new and entertaining and that’s what Space 15Twenty is all about. Urban Outfitters, which despite the economic downturn tends to do well among youth culture fashionistas thanks to an excellent mix of merchandise, and now, band merch, plus accessories, books, and decent music choices. To top it all, they have now created a new space, literally, intended not only for Urban Outfitters apparel and accessories, but to be used as an experiential event space for rotating designers and other creative brands. Somewhat like a permanent “pop-up” retail concept, it’s going to challenge the likes of other interesting concept retail spaces such as Colette in Paris, Opening Ceremony in New York, and others.
The building space itself is quite unique with large windows allowing viewers to see through the entire space into a back courtyard where there’s an excellent performance space and where Hit and Run and Dublab had their set-ups. The space will also feature film and art creatives from a rotating cast of local LA musicians and artists, plus select designers and vendors that are curated by experts in fashion and design. The revolving brands mean that it’s always new and fresh and an interesting place to find excellent new pieces from underground or up-and-coming designers such as Samantha Peet or books by TV Books.
Also, it should be noted, that Space 15Twenty is in an ideal location: on Sunday’s the area fills with vendors for the weekly Hollywood Farmer’s Market, which those of us at Label Networks have voted as the best in LA, and one block over on Sunset is the infamous Amoeba Records which everyone in music knows is the place to not only exchange old CDs and DVDs, but to score unbelievable finds thanks to an insanely knowledgeable staff.
Finally, we have to give a quick nod to the Space 15Twenty’s website which is done in a Courier New font delivering that old-school newspaper screenprinted feel, simple B&W colors, and an excellent event listing and blog, which like the Urban Outfitters blog, has become a must-read destination site for people in global fashion, music, and art. 
