Tyler Okonma (Tyler, the Creator) started out as a rapper in 2011 and since then his talent and fanbase has grown tremendously, as has his brand.
On Oct. 26 at 10 a.m. Tyler, the Creator presented the grand opening of the Golf Wang flagship store in downtown Los Angeles. The store is the first Golf Wang retail location since Tyler, the Creator first launched his brand.
The night before the opening, Tyler threw a launch party at the store. The party was hosted by Tyler and the guest list featured big-name artists including Solange, A$AP Rocky, Frank Ocean, Kali Uchis and other celebrities as well as some of Tyler’s closest friends.
The store itself has a very simple design. However, Tyler’s style and vision are present in every detail, from the clothing line to how the store looks inside and out.
Marshall Seablom, store manager and director of retail sales, said Tyler was particular when designing the store.
“It’s impossible to get inside an artist like Tyler’s head. But this is his vision, from how it sounds, how it smells, how it looks. Every piece of that was him and you can see it. You walk in and you can feel the brand,” Seablom said.
Seablom explained what it has been like working bringing Tyler’s vision to life.
“It feels like it’s Tyler’s world and we’re living in it but it’s really cool to have an opportunity to work for him, represent him, and help him grow his brand,” Seablom said.
The store sells a variety of clothing all from the Golf Wang brand and includes a large amount of graphic-heavy shirts as well as jackets, socks, snapbacks and his new signature Converse sneakers.
Carlos Avails, longtime Golf Wang customer, was the first customer to enter the store on opening day. He said Tyler, the Creator was there in person and even gave a small speech before launching the store officially.
“The line was all the way down the block. By the time it opened, there was probably 350 people in line,” Avails said. “It was the longest line Fairfax has seen, by far.”
Tyler teased some new merchandise from his clothing line at the music festival Camp Flog Gnaw the weekend after the store’s launch.
Brina Russell, junior sociology major, attended the festival and visited the merchandise table while there.
“The T-shirts were a lot better this year. They had bright colors and he switched over from a darker theme to a lighter theme. The merch was better and included sweaters and letterman jackets, which was really cool. All the stuff was different this year,” Russell said.
Since the opening of the store, there is still a line outside the door with people waiting to get in and buy the newest available merchandise provided by Tyler’s brand.
