The independent eyewear brand from Los Angeles, which focuses on creating handmade limited edition eyewear, has opened its very first New York City flagship.
New York’s Lower East Side region is home to the debut store, a location that Akila has chosen due to the neighbourhood’s “rich and diverse history with the local art and music scenes.” More than just a storefront, Akila states that the flagship will provide a community platform for exclusive launches, collaborations, and special projects.
The store’s interior reflects the brand’s design ethos by drawing inspiration from industrial aesthetics and international travel. The store’s layout features a vaulted luminous grid ceiling that curves into a display wall with the brand’s sunglasses on show. This curve and grid structure is repeated in the perforated stainless steel record wall and tiled countertops which are offset by organic planted areas.
According to Akila Founder and Creative Director, Chris Mart, the brand’s flagship store is just the beginning and he is looking to expand the brand’s retail footprint across international markets. He also stated that the brand is looking at Tokyo for its next location.
