Insight will open its first retail venture in the US market this month with the debut of a combined store and showroom in California's Venice Beach.
The debut 'concept space' has been designed by Insight creative director Steve Gorrow and represents a new pursuit for the brand, which has concentrated up until now on building wholesale operations. Currently Insight wholesales to over 50 markets.
“It's a natural progression for us to open our own store in the US as we have experienced strong growth over there,” Gorrow said.
The 140 square metre Venice Beach store will house seasonal collections, limited edition capsule collections, books, magazines, music and art. Included in the store is a custom-built gallery to showcase monthly installations and live performances, while an upstairs loft will be used as a PR and sales showroom.
The first collection available in store will be spring/summer 2011 and materials used in the design of the space include polished concrete and exposed beams and bricks.
The Venice Beach retail investment adds to a temporary retail space erected by Insight in Sydney's Bondi over summer 2010/11. The Sydney beach store performed “extremely well”, Gorrow said, and Insight is currently working to extend the Bondi lease.
“The Bondi pop-up store is our only other stand-alone store and is similar to the Venice Beach store in that we showcase the brand in its entirety through fashion, art, noise and oddities that make the brand what it is,” Gorrow explained.
Also planned for Insight in 2011 is a foray into e-commerce, with the company scheduled to launch a global e-tail store in August. Wholesale is also holding its own, Gorrow said.
“A key growth market for us has been Asia, which is really encouraging,” he said.
Insight was founded in Sydney and is now available in markets including the UK, China and Indonesia. The brand is owned by Bleach, also the parent company of Ksubi and Something Else.
Erin O'Loughlin