Kitson LA Opening Soon on Sunset Boulevard

By LILY TINOCO | Reporter

Kitson Los Angeles is coming to Pacific Palisades, taking over the space that was previously occupied by Drybar, located at 15248 Sunset Blvd.

“I think it will be a great addition to the area,” commercial real estate agent Jay Luchs said to the Palisadian-Post. “Hope the community loves it as I think they will.”

Kitson LA is described as a go-to fashion and lifestyle boutique dedicated to pop culture. The shop is well known for its early 2000’s roots and being a celebrity hotspot, with clientele such as Paris Hilton, Angelina Jolie, Britney Spears and more.

Previously only a single shop on Robertson Boulevard, Kitson has since expanded to a number of locations across the city—the Palisades marks its fourth.

Kitson founder Fraser Ross said he had been looking to expand into the Palisades since Kitson’s 2019 pop-up shop at Paliskates on Swarthmore.

“We did well there and were just waiting for our own location,” Ross explained. “We have a lot of customers that come to Robertson from [the] Palisades and we have a lot of online business … so we knew we had a customer base there.”

Kitson offers styles for women, men and children from upcoming and coming designers, according to its website.

Ross said the Palisades location is a smaller space than other storefronts, but that it will offer the “best of the best” of its merchandise.

“We’ll try to embrace the local community and what we can do for them,” he said. “We always support the neighborhood we’re in.”

Kitson has recently made headlines for speaking out against retailer restrictions that were put in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ross reached out to Mayor Eric Garcetti directly at the start of the pandemic after small businesses were asked to close their doors and larger companies were not. Ross said Kitson locations were closed in 2020 from March 15 to May 15.

“There was a hard definition of what was essential and what was nonessential,” Ross said. “Target and Walmart and Costco got to sell nonessential goods: clothes, greeting cards and books, but the card shops were closed and the toy shops were closed. That’s really when I started speaking out about this whole thing … it was a restriction of trade.”

Kitson adorned its windows this past holiday season with a lineup of public figures, including California Governor Gavin Newsom, Mayor Garcetti, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Chrissy Teigen and Alyssa Milano—calling the public figures out for perceived hypocrisy.

“It wasn’t about Democratic or Republicans … it’s about small businesses and how small business is not being supported enough by Hollywood,” Ross said. “It’s hard … especially in LA, this type of business is really becoming nonexistent, small businesses can’t keep up.

“We try to reach out to what we think is happening in the news today … we’re a little business with a big voice.”

Ross said Kitson has really adapted to the market and has a strong online business, but is excited for the location to be on Sunset Boulevard.

“The location is great, we’re right on Sunset and visible to everything,” Ross shared. “Hopefully, if it works out, we can get a bigger location in the Palisades.”

Kitson’s grand opening is slated for Friday, January 29, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.