Madison Opens on Swarthmore in August

Madison Los Angeles, an upscale clothing store for women, will open at 1017 Swarthmore (between Solis Salon and Paliskates) in August. Owner Mark Goldstein had originally looked at other spaces in Pacific Palisades before leasing the long-empty space owned by the Bowinkel Trust. ‘The deal happened very quickly,’ said Goldstein, who owns six other Westside clothing stores. ‘We’ve scaled back a bit, but we’re happy with the new space. It’s smaller than we originally looked at, but cozy.’ Goldstein had originally planned to carry men’s clothing and designer fashions, but the size of the store dictated a focus on contemporary women’s clothing. ‘People want good fashion that’s affordable,’ he said. ‘They don’t want to spend money like they used to when the economy was better. ‘We’re not trying to be everything, but simply fill a niche that’s needed in the area,’ he added. ‘We’re looking forward to being in the Palisades. We’ve been trying to get here forever.’ Goldstein and his wife Emily live in Brentwood with their daughters, Jordan, 9, and Mia, 6, who both attend John Thomas Dye School. The Swarthmore space has been empty since Fernworks, an antiques store, closed in November 2005. An upscale food shop, Picnic, was projected to open in 2006, but never materialized. Maury Rubin, who owns City Bakery, then sought to open a satellite bakery in 2007, but had difficulty acquiring the necessary city permits. Madison’s long, narrow space, which is already under construction, will have an inviting interior with dark wood and white cabinetry. About the same time that Goldstein opens Madison Palisades, he will also be opening a Madison in Westlake Village, joining two stores on Robertson (Madison and Dia Volina), a store on Melrose, a store on San Vicente in Brentwood, and two in Malibu (Madison and Madison Gallery). Visit www.madisonlosangeles.com