3 months ago
33
After the successful opening of its New York City store in 2023, Korean-inspired fragrance brand Elorea set its sights on expansion. With its burgeoning growth and shared Korean heritage, Los Angeles’s Koreatown seemed like the perfect fit. “We could have easily gone to Beverly Hills and we could have easily gone to The Grove, but it just didn’t feel right,” said Wonny Lee, founder and CEO of Elorea. “We wanted to create a space that was special and part of us.”
Lee signed a Koreatown lease in January 2024 with plans to open in July, but faced delays while navigating California’s strict regulations and a malfunctioning elevator in the building. After repeated starts and stops, Elorea’s Los Angeles store officially opened to the public on January 6. On January 7, winds reaching 50 mph swept across L.A., breaking the store’s windows and forcing it to close again. Those same winds spurred the breakout of the deadly Palisades and Eaton fires, burning more than 37,000 acres, destroying or damaging more than 7,000 structures and taking a reported 24 lives.
Facing harmful air quality and a battered community, L.A. retailers that are still standing are figuring out their next steps.
Continue reading this article on glossy.co. Sign up for Glossy newsletters to get the latest on the business of beauty, fashion and pop culture.
English (US) ·