Fred Segal closes its remaining stores, ending a Los Angeles fashion era
LA TimesFred Segal, once a centerpiece to the Los Angeles fashion scene, closed its two remaining stores Tuesday, bringing a quiet end — at least for now — to a name that endured for decades as a shopping destination. The brand, which once had nine stores in California and locations in Switzerland and Taipei, Taiwan, succumbed to a challenging retail landscape, never recovering from the impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on sales despite being a fixture of Los Angeles fashion since the 1960s, said owner Jeff Lotman. “I knew nothing about retail.” Instead, Lotman, who owns the brand licensing company Global Icons, had aspired to oversee a dramatic expansion of the Fred Segal brand that was supposed to include around 20 new shops in major cities across the country and a move into home decor and accessories. “Boring retail is dying.” The marquee name first appeared in 1961, when Fred Segal opened a small shop in West Hollywood, which grew into a cultural touchstone interwoven into the identity of Los Angeles.
History of this topic
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