Palmer West and Jonah Smith of design-centric outdoor brand Aether have finally found a sprawling location in the heart of Los Angeles fit for the collection of snow clothes, moto gear, and the ever-present fleet of custom motorcycles found inside their first flagship store on La Brea Avenue. West and Smith tapped Paris-based designer Thierry Gaugain for the 4,000-square-foot industrial space that includes a wooden crate-like structure that houses a walk-in freezer for gear testing as well as dressing rooms for men and women. Aetherla is Gaugain’s fourth project with West and Smith. He also designed the brand’s San Francisco and New York locations as well as the Aetherstream mobile shop. “Areas in the midst of realizing their potential interest us. Our other existing store locations sit in Hayes Valley in San Francisco and on Crosby Street in New York City,” say West and Smith who stock everything from Ruby motorcycle helmets to Scout Seattle knives to Oru kayaks to Loyal Dean skateboards to Salt sunglasses to Gransfors Bruks axes and Mountain Approach backcountry ski gear in the Los Angeles shop. With an eye on the outdoors, West and Smith identified a few gifts for very gearhead and tomboy on your holiday list.

What would you get for the guy who has everything and keeps everything? A highly technical jacket that you can wear to dinner. The Nimbus is a perfect example.

What would you get for the minimalist who has nothing and keeps nothing? A custom motorcycle, an Eclipse jacket, and a Ruby helmet. That’s all he needs. If he gets rid of these three things, he does not deserve them in the first place.

By Elizabeth Varnell

 

Pictured: Aether in La Brea
Photo by: Ben Grimes

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