Nahmias’ First Brick-and-mortar Is a Celebration of Skate Culture and Community
Every detail is intentional in L.A. fashion designer Doni Nahmias’ debut brick-and-mortar store, now open in Venice, Calif. From the handrail-inspired clothing racks to the concrete-ramp-mimicking floor, the store is a love letter to Los Angeles, skate parks and skate culture, dreamed up to expand the brand’s following, and serve as a community hub for it.
“We wanted to make a destination that felt like more than just a store,” Nahmias tells WWD of the 5,000-plus-square-foot space on Washington Way, situated across the street from Nick Fouquet and Stahl + Band. “It’s got some life beyond retail. I wanted people to have a backyard experience. As a kid growing up, I always wanted a halfpipe in my yard and a little skate area — we had the space to do it so we went for it.”
More from WWD
With an indoor-outdoor feel quintessential to its neighborhood, the Nahmias store does indeed have a halfpipe and a basketball court, where the brand hosted its opening party attended by Kylie Jenner and Anastasia ‘Stas’ Karanikolaou and plans to host future events such as an upcoming grill-out with Ice Cube. “Now that we have this store and we have a basketball court here, we figured we would do an activation with Ice Cube and continue to build the community out,” Nahmias says.
Indoors, the design elements all function as “a nod to the skate DNA of Venice,” as Nahmias puts it, referring the neighborhood’s Dogtown and Z-Boys history. “Between the clothing racks and the use of concrete, it feels very on-theme,” the designer says. There are also porthole windows that give the feel of being “in a boat,” and a square-circle-square window sequencing that Nahmias describes as “a play on the 101.”
The store’s visual identity is equally shaped by its offerings. The curved “concrete wave wall” used to display products and as bench seating isn’t just a tribute to surf — it’s inspired by the sneakers and hats that sit on top of it. “I tried to think what’s a special way we could display accessories and headwear — that’s a solid part of our business,” Nahmias says, adding, “Our Ollie sneakers have a soul which kind of resembles an ocean wave or mountains, so we took inspiration from that with a concrete wave wall. The whole store has this very modern feel to it — it has a very California, laid-back feel, but it feels modern.”
“I’m happy to have a space where someone can see a full merchandising of our collection and really understand the brand, because we’ve always been in multibrand stores and just online,” Nahmias says, adding that the brand’s website, Selfridges, and Saks Fifth Avenue — along with Patron of the New — account for the company’s biggest sales channels. “I’m excited to have a space that people can come to and really understand what we’re doing, what we offer, and be a part of the community.”
In addition to housing Nahmias’ ready-to-wear collections, the store will also offer a variety of Venice graphic Ts, special denim and leather jackets that will be exclusive to the brick-and-mortar location. “We wanted to create some pieces that people will have to come here to get,” Nahmias says, adding that “they won’t be online either — just in store.”
This year has been a busy one for the designer: In February Nahmias took over Los Angeles’ Maxfield with a special capsule collection showcased in the gallery with work from renowned digital artist and designer Andrés Reisinger. And in June Nahmias showed his spring 2025 collection in a basketball gym at Pan Pacific Park, which brought out Jalen Green, Ice Cube, Travis Barker, and Machine Gun Kelly, who treated attendees to a mini-concert.
Nahmias is gearing up to return to Paris to show his fall 2025 collection which will take inspiration from ‘90s motocross, Pismo Beach and sand dunes. He says that Venice Beach was an easy choice for his first retail store. “We decided not to do Beverly Hills or Rodeo Drive,” he explains, adding, “We just felt like creating this destination place that is our own environment… We have a lot of cool neighbors that I’m friends with and it’s a good neighborhood of friendly artists and designers.”
As for the future, Nahmias — who shares the brand has seen 35 percent sales growth over the past year — is already thinking about additional locations. “We’re using this as a platform to learn and grow and understand what works and what doesn’t work. And we definitely hope to use this, our first store, as a stepping stool in that direction.”
Best of WWD
Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Solve the daily Crossword
