On Wednesday evening, a throng of precisely tailored grey-and-white suiting swarmed Melrose Place in West Hollywood to celebrate the iconic shopping street’s latest store opening. And thanks to the uniformly on-brand guests and employees filing in and out, it was immediately clear whose store it was: Thom Browne had finally brought his New York-bred label to Los Angeles with the opening of his first West Coast flagship.

The meticulously designed 2,000-square foot space at 8408 Melrose Place (where By Far recently ended a two-year run) has a mid-century modern feel, inspired by the brand’s New York City offices. It will also soon have a New York-bred next-door neighbor: Khaite, which is taking over a prime corner space long occupied by Marc Jacobs (and, briefly, Gucci).

As much as Browne feels like a quintessentially New York designer, he actually lived in Los Angeles for several years in the ’90s before launching his brand.

“I remember when Melrose Place started,” he told me at the opening party. “There’s something really special about this one block here in L.A. I thought was important for me to be here… And also, being in L.A. personally is nice because I had really formative years here in L.A. back in the ’90s.”

Divided into three rooms, the store houses Thom Browne menswear, womenswear and accessories, including an array of the brand’s beloved animal-shaped handbags. Browne is excited for Angelenos (and visiting tourists) to have the chance to see some of his signature techniques and fabrications up-close, showing me a trompe l’oeil suit dress and a special blazer featuring a custom fabric he developed for his his latest couture collection.

And while they aren’t for sale, two of the brand’s most remarkable recent red-carpet gowns are also on display: the pink gingham dress Ariana Grande wore to the L.A. “Wicked” premiere, and the sculptural tie-inspired piece Demi Moore wore to this month’s Met Gala. As Browne noted humbly, “It’s nice to be able to see these in person.” 

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