FORMERLY YES

When Brad and Jenna Holdgrafer were deciding on a location for the brick and mortar expansion of their online store, Formerly Yes, they made a conscious decision to avoid the cookie-cutter ‘cool’ neighborhoods of Downtown LA. Instead, they set up shop in an area where they could be a part of establishing their block in this ever-quickly changing part of Los Angeles. The minimal space embodies their dedication to the notion of quality vs quantity. Carefully curated items, including sugar spoons and porcelain cups, are placed neatly on table tops and stand alone on shelves. Yet there is also an immediate warmth and welcoming feeling when you walk inside the store. Brad, Jenna (and their dog Ernest) are the only employees— it’s their intentional home away from home, and they can’t wait for you to visit.

“We really didn’t want to open just another ‘cool shop’ on the same block as all the other cool shops. We wanted to be in a new area of Downtown LA that we could have a bit of influence over. When we found this spot, it was in shambles and needed a lot of love and intention, which is exactly what we were looking to give.”

“The products that we carry are more than just a pretty thing. They have a story, you can tell someone put their lives into making it something they would be proud of and not just a quick sell. We like to carry brands with those same values.”

“We try to put as much of ourselves into the store as we can. We want the experience to feel like people can come in and get to know us and for us to get to know them. Formerly Yes isn’t just our business, it’s our life together.”

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Formerly Yes is located at 954 S Broadway St. Los Angeles, CA 90015

Brad is wearing Richmond in Macchiato and Jenna is wearing custom Baldwin sunglasses in Horizon

For more features, check out David Kind on Instagram.