Housed within Howard Hughes’s former art deco headquarters in Los Angeles is a store which converges the worlds of art, culture and fashion together into a spectacular retail space providing a platform from which dream fashion collaborations can be cultivated.

Just One Eye is a highly curated store which not only houses a mix of well-known brands like Valentino, Kris Van Assche,and Yohji Yamamoto but also a plethora of rare collectables and art, such as a life-sized Nurse KO sculpture by Takashi Murakami, Pop-Art rhinos by sculptor Victor Douieb, and prints from the likes of photographic legend Daido Moriyama.

Visitors tend not to visit Just One Eye for a plain white tshirt or some socks but to ponder purchases more along the lines of a Carlo Bugatti throne chair, a Damien Hirst x The Row Nile crocodile backpack or the $25,000 pair of limited-edition Nate Lowman Converse sneakers you never knew existed.

The definition of luxury is shifting in the luxury  fashion market more than ever before with countless diffusion lines and secondary designer products filtering down and diluting appeal for some customers – there are many items which nobody else would be able to get their grubby mits on once you’ve purchased them, on sale here so you can see the appeal Just One Eye has to an international clientele.

We spoke with Just One Eye owner Paola Russo below on the concept of her store and her thoughts on LA’s redeveloping fashion scene.

Thomas Davis: What makes Just One Eye different from other stores in LA, or other international stores?
Paola Russo: The concept and location. Just One Eye in not a regular retail store, it’s in a historical building filled with art, but it has a very intimate, homely, feel.

TD: Why set up shop in LA? How did you manage to bag Howard Hughes’ former art deco headquarters for your location?
PR: I have been in LA most of my life. We were looking for locations and for the time being, this building is the perfect fit.

TD: What are some of your bestselling pieces, particularly for men?
PR:  That’s a part of the discovery.

TD: The ideology of collaboration seems to be important to the store. What have been some of your favorite collaborations so far?
PR: I’m passionate about all of our collaborations. I love the process of working on them.

TD: You have a rare collection of furniture and art adorning the space; like the life-sized Nurse KO sculpture by Takashi Murakami. What is the criteria used to decide which items are best suited for the store?
PR: We chose everything we like and what we feel is appropriate for the environment.

TD: What has been the most extraordinary project or feat you’ve attempted since launching?
PR: Working with dancers, artist and designers to create the perfect environment for our MOCA presentation, as well as our launch of Nate Lowman x Converse for Just One Eye in Paris with Joe Pyka and Alex de Betak.

TD: Do you have any specifically exciting projects which you could tell us about, coming up for 2014?
PR: You have to wait and see….

TD: How would you describe the new LA fashion movement? Do you feel like it is cementing itself as an important fashion destination in its own right?
PR: LA is about space and freedom, and so is the fashion. Just look at what Hedi Slimane is doing for Saint Laurent. There is a great vibe here. It’s the only place you can wear fur and flip-flops.

Just One Eye
7000 Romaine St Los Angeles, CA, 90038, United States