Platform: The Anti-Mall

Word to the wise: Platform is not The Grove. It’s more of an artistic
hub that happens to host coveted brands, restaurants with serious
status and office spaces for creatives. The spot comes to Hayden
Tract in Culver City at a perfect time, not only because we are bored
of massive corporate shopping malls with Frank Sinatra playing over
the loudspeakers, but because we also need another reason besides
Santa Monica to hop on the new Expo Line. Platform also tailors a
unique way for specialty retailers such as Aesop (which will have a
spa coming soon) and Linda Farrow (it’s their first US location) to
present themselves while also providing a concrete location for cult
favorites such as Janessa Leone and Freda Salvador. It only takes one
glance at the #HelloPlatform billboard at the entrance and Jen Stark’s
fluorescent wall painting by the parking structures to realize that this
your next favorite place to shop, dine (hi there, Cannibal!) and hang.
We chatted with founders Joseph Miller and David Fishbein,
both principals at Runyon, the real estate group who created
special experiences for the Platform merchants like Le Labo and
Blue Bottle Coffee.
Why did you select Culver City as the location for Platform?
Joseph Miller: It has been an evolving neighborhood for the past 15
years and it’s very central. Whether you’re in Silver Lake or Venice,
it’s an easy spot to meet up, and so from a geographic perspective, it
was terrific. [There were also] things in the neighborhood that were
exciting. There are thirty art galleries within walking distance of the
site, which we love. What was really missing was a piece that [would bring] it all together, which was retail [stores] and restaurants in a
central hub.
David Fishbein: On a larger scale, Joey and I are just influenced
by looking at some incredible neighborhoods internationally,
whether it’s Paris, East London or New York City. We just looked at
Los Angeles and what a huge city it is and it really kind of felt like…
there was a missing neighborhood that was latched on to the hated
traffic in the area. When we were selecting the merchants and tenants
[for Platform], it was super important for us to find that balance of
brands that were not only good for everybody who already lives in the
neighborhood but also people who would want to come spend time
even if they lived in Venice, Silver Lake, Downtown or Beverly Hills.
Tell us a little about how you curated the brands that will be at
Platform. How has social media impacted your choices as far as
curating these stores?
JM: Social media is not just, like, this add-on thing… It’s a part
of everyday life. If you have a brand you are expected to live online
and offline.
DF: We wanted a few different categories. One was either exclusive
to the US or opening a first US store. Linda Farrow and Tom Dixon
are a good example of that, opening their first US location with us.
Another category was less broadened out and it was [stores opening
their] first West Coast or LA locations. The third was brands who have
a larger presence or recognition like Soulcycle, Aesop or Blue Bottle,
but having them do something unique and specific to the Platform site that differentiates themselves from other LA locations.
Aesop is a good example of a brand that is still indie and special
but also has many international locations. You can’t call it a small
company. They have stores in Venice, Silver Lake and Downtown. [We
wanted to] create a special halo [for this location] so they asked if
being one of their two spa locations out of their 50 stores would be of
interest. That was exciting for us. It’s the first one they have here,
and you know it’s small, but there are two treatment rooms where
you can get an Aesop facial. It’s an extension of their brand.
What was the store that most excited you when they confirmed
the lease?
DF: I don’t know if there is just one, but I know that Curve,
which had been in Los Angeles for the past 17 years on Robertson
[starting the transformation there] was big. The owner of the store,
Nevena Borissova, has always been in the know about these upand-coming
neighborhoods. She kinda fell in love with the Hayden
Tract neighborhood and believes that this could be a high fashion
destination where she could carry a lot of her incredible luxury
brands. Most of her stores are 1,500 square feet, and here she signed
a 7,000-square foot lease, her largest store in the world. It was a huge
testament to have this local LA talent who’s seen the city evolve bet
on us. What do you have planned for the art curation in Platform?
JM: Art is a big piece of the neighborhood, and it’s something that
we care deeply about. What we did is we commissioned a piece by
Jen Stark over by the parking garage. Besides that, we are going to be
doing a rotating art display with Jen, kind of a celebration of the big
piece that she did that will be rotating every quarter starting at the
beginning of next year. In addition to that we have Tappan Collective,
who curates a roster of shows in their gallery space. Also, hanging on
all our public spaces are works by local artists. We want all of this
public space to be activated and thought-provoking.
What is Platform Selects, and what’s in the works for it?
JM: We are putting together a community. Stores and restaurants
are open now, but will continue to open through the fall. Another
part of what was on the curating list was to give special experiences
to people who were coming [to Platform] often. We have all of these
great restaurants and would like to organize a group to do special
tastings. We are also going to run some sort of fitness program just for
Platform Selects members up on our private rooftop garden, focusing
on those in the Platform office or the fans of the merchants. We want
to curate a community around that. We’re about creating unique
experiences within the walls of Platform.

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