I remember first touring unit #102 back in 2016. It was supposed to be the office of a café that was opening up next door, but that deal fell through so it had been sitting vacant for a while. It was a cozy space with big windows facing the street and red brick throughout. The bathroom took up nearly a quarter of the entire unit. It didn’t have a streetside door. There was a weird little alcove underneath the stairs that led up to our warehouse and another strange cubby space towards the front door. It was perfect.

I envisioned a small, welcoming environment that wasn’t easily accessible from the street, harkening back to our experiences of discovery while shopping in Tokyo or downtown New York. We liked that it was a bit tucked away, that it was a bit difficult to get into, and that an oasis awaited you once you figured out how to get in.

In the months following, we set out to build this oasis. With the help of very talented designers and fabricators, we turned this tiny red brick office into the flagship store of our dreams: a place where we could tell the story of 3sixteen exactly how we envisioned, a respite for weary international travelers, a hub to meet new friends, a gallery to share art that we loved, a clubhouse to share a drink and a conversation.

As the brand has grown in recent years, we have started to feel the constraints of this space. It’s been 8 splendid years at 941 East 2nd St, but it is time for a new chapter for 3sixteen in LA. We will cherish all the memories that we’ve made here, all the relationships we’ve built, and all the pants that we’ve sold. We cannot thank you enough for braving the traffic and parking in the Arts District to come to visit us here, whether it was once or dozens of times. We feel like we've milked every last drop out of this space and cannot wait to host you in our new location this fall.

-Johan Lam