Paul Smith, 8221 Melrose Avenue, as in this from Fashion Windows -

Dec 21, 2005 - It has been a few weeks since British designer Sir Paul Smith opened his store at 8221 Melrose Avenue, and the pink rectangular building that look literally like a shoebox continues to be a curiosity to Los Angelenos simply because it is so L.A.!

The boutique, which is Paul Smith’s second freestanding store in the U.S. (the first one is in New York) measuring 5000 sq. ft (485 sq. meters) houses both men’s and women’s collection plus accessories.

The shop is unique, like all Paul Smith’s freestanding stores wherein not one is alike. Each one is different and adjusts to its environs.

Like the Paul Smith men’s shop in Kyoto that just opened last December 2. On the outside, it looks like a traditional Japanese house, yet inside, it is very modern and built on two floors.

The store is arranged around a traditional Japanese garden that the designer has placed an English garden shed.

So, here in Los Angeles, it is not surprising that Paul Smith inspired by the work of Mexican architect Luis Barragán chose a rectangular building that blends with the Los Angeles architecture, painted with pink, standing out among the rest to house his collections.

After all, his great eye for color is what revolutionized menswear during the 1970s in London, wherein he "challenged" Saville Row’s standards of what menswear should be!

It is pink.

Roofline - central Melrose Avenue

If you wish to use any of these photos for commercial purposes I assume you'll discuss that with me. And should you choose to download any of these images and use them invoking the 'fair use" provisions of the Copyright Act of 1976, please provide credit, and, on the web, a link back this site.

Technical Note:

Most of these photographs were shot with a Nikon D70 - using lens (1) AF-S Nikkor 18-70 mm 1:35-4.5G ED, or (2) AF Nikkor 70-300mm telephoto, or after 5 June 2006, (3) AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor, 55-200 mm f/4-5.6G ED. They were modified for web posting using Adobe Photoshop 7.0. Earlier photography was done with a Sony Mavica digital still camera (MVC-FD-88) with built-in digital zoom.

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All text and photos, unless otherwise noted, Copyright © 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 - Alan M. Pavlik