Ron Dorff to Open L.A. Flagship on Sunset Strip
For Claus Lindorff, the thought of Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles is “mythical and legendary” with its renowned collection of boutiques, restaurants and nightclubs.
So when he was presented with the opportunity to open his second U.S. store on the street, Lindorff, the cofounder and chief executive officer of Ron Dorff, jumped at the chance. “It’s like a childhood dream,” he said.
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That dream will become a reality in early June when Ron Dorff opens the doors to the L.A. flagship at 8591 Sunset Boulevard. The 1,800-square-foot space will be located at Sunset Plaza, the first commercial development on the Sunset Strip that opened in 1924. The space is also home to H. Lorenzo Men, Badgley Mischka, Oliver Peoples and Zadig & Voltaire, among other fashion brands.
Ron Dorff’s first store opened on Broome Street in New York’s SoHo neighborhood in October of 2021. Lindorff said it’s “been doing really well — above expectations,” and is attracting both locals as well as tourists. “It’s really more like an international store,” he said. “And it’s ticking the boxes for our investors.”
Puma, through its private equity arm, invested 4 million euros into the brand in 2020.
The U.S. overall accounts for 35 percent of sales for the Swedish brand with New York representing its largest market, or 12 percent of the business. Los Angeles is the second largest market, accounting for 7 percent of sales, so opening its second store there was a logical move.
Because Sunset Plaza has an Art Deco vibe, which Lindorff described as “Hollywood-ish of the ‘30s,” the store will be designed in a way that complements that history while still staying true to the brand’s minimalistic Scandinavian roots. It will house the full spring/summer menswear collection of sportswear, loungewear, underwear and swimwear, “and we’ll see what flies,” he said. It will also launch with the new Capri Collection of elevated basics.
Ron Dorff’s largest wholesale client is the Equinox sports club, which operates a location directly across the street from the new store. But Lindorff said the management there encouraged him to take the space, saying it would only help business for both.
“We’re not a performance brand but we’re in an environment inspired by sport,” he said, adding that Ron Dorff and Equinox are partnering on a Pride collection that will launch next month.
Collaborations such as these will become even more important to the brand in the future, Lindorff said.
Although a third U.S. store is slated for Miami, the plan is not to aggressively roll out retail for Ron Dorff, the CEO said. “I was in a hot car for three days looking at spaces in Miami,” he said with a laugh. His top two choices are Brickell City Centre where many of the brand’s competitors already have stores, or in a hotel near the beach. He hopes to sign a lease in September and open by January.
Outside the U.S., Ron Dorff operates two stores in Paris, one in London and also has seven corners in Galleries Lafayette.
Although he’s a fan of having a brick-and-mortar presence, that doesn’t necessarily translate into company-owned stores. In fact, Lindorff is leaning more toward pop-ups and collaborations to build the business going forward.
He will be partnering with the JackieO store in Mykonos this summer to showcase the brand’s Mykonos Boy capsule, and will open a pop-up for the second year in a row on Fire Island in New York.
“We all see what’s happening online,” he said. “Six years ago, it was all about online and everyone thought I was crazy to want to open stores. Then COVID[-19] hit and it was all online, but as much as I hate the word ‘omnichannel,’ a business needs a mix of online, retail and wholesale. And there’s no better way to know a brand than to walk into a store and touch and feel it and try it on.”
Ron Dorff was cofounded by Lindorff in 2012 as a men’s swimwear brand and has expanded into a number of other categories with an aesthetic that blends Swedish functionality with classic French style. Its logo is a pair of black-lacquered eyelets, a nod to the two Os in its name.
With a range that runs from cashmere sweaters and polo shirts to shorts, track jackets, pajamas and underwear, Lindorff doesn’t expect to add many more categories to the mix — at least right now.
“We’ve gone over the top with [stock keeping units],” he said. “We always have an image piece every season, but our brand is all about contact with the skin. We’re not going to do heavy sweaters or jeans — that doesn’t fly. Our clients have decided where we should go. We’re not trying to be all over the place. We’re not Ralph Lauren.”
But one thing Lindorff does plan on expanding into is womenswear.
“We did a test two years ago and it worked,” he said. “But it takes a big investment to launch it properly.” Right now, women are buying the menswear, especially in urban areas, but he expects to finally give them their own distinct collection in the not-too-distant future.
“We definitely want to do it in the next two years,” he said.
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