The L.A. bagmaker has been known for some of the best leather handcrafted bags and luggage. Well, to add on to their extensive portfolio, Sandast has just officially opened a new flagship store on South Hill Street, directly across from its workshop.
Downtown L.A. has never looked better with the scent and feel of one of the most sensual materials, we call leather. So, Founder and creative director of Sandast, Milan Franeta decided to open a showroom for friends to enjoy his vintage inspired fashion. “Since the factory is so big, we needed a showroom,” said Franeta.
And this is exactly what the leather bagmaker accomplished with 4,000-square-feet of space, inside of a former automotive garage. The showroom includes several other brands which compliment Franeta’s bags like AG Jeans from L.A., Tables of Johnson Motors Tees, Gilded Age jeans from New York, H by Hudson shoes and Dita sunglasses.
Here’s what the founder thought about the collaboration of brands: “This is a lifestyle store. We’re not just going to sell shoes and bags and clothing. We’re going to have music, books, some organic food, olive oil, honey, coffee. A little bit of everything.”
Like many designers, Franeta was inspired from childhood, after watching American westerns. He just loved the western style, especially after coming to the United States in 1987. He was anxious to collect many vintage items and antiques.
In 2006, Sandast was launched with private labeled handmade belts for Gilded Age, but later expanded the brand to Europe, Mexico, along with a few specialty stores in the U.S. with help of Chris Pak in 2010. Franeta is a genius designer of handbags and has since designed more than 100 bags, some being his very best work ever.
Franeta is very modest, “I’m not a designer designer that puts everything on paper. I’m more of a creator. Mine is a style I create in my head and I go in the factory and make it.”
And with that being said, L.A. looks forward to seeing more creations from Sandast.
Source: LA Times
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