Street Savvy

“We’ve always wanted more of a presence on the west coast,” said Mishka co-owner Greg Rivera, in between noshing on some seriously delicious Banh Mi from taco-truck-for-hire Mandoline Grill at the opening party for his company's new Echo Park store on Saturday night.

“We knew we had fans out here," he added, "But we weren’t getting the support from the stores. A lot of our stuff says 'Brooklyn' on it, and you know, there are issues with the whole East Coast vs.West Coast thing.”       

But if Mishka’s packed opening party proved anything, it was that geographic rivalries might as well be damned. Multitudes of bearded flannels crushed into the retail spot, eager to get their paws on the label’s stylish streetwear staples, such as in-your-face graphic tees, light-brite colored hoodies and selvage denim jeans. 

And it’s no wonder. While hipsters will always throw down shekels for style, Mishka’s new outpost is especially good news for East Side gents — who have few options east of Vermont for getting new gear. Luckily for us girls, the smalls are cut slim enough for feminine frames.       

“A lot of people asked us, 'Why don’t you open on Melrose?' Why don’t you open on Fairfax?' We’re not so pretentious to say that we don’t want a part of that,” Rivera explained on the label's choice of locale. “But we didn’t think ‘Oh, let’s find a place where there are no men’s stores and open there.’ If we wanted to make a shit-ton of money, we would have opened somewhere known for fashion and heavy foot traffic. But we’ve proven with our Brooklyn store [located on the south side of Williamsburg] that people will come to us.”

Case in point: As I left the opening, chicken curry in hand, I spied my best friend’s old man, skulking away from the soiree, a new pair of jeans in hand. “What can I say,” he said. “I’m not supposed to shop but these are sick. And I didn’t have to go to West Hollywood to get them.” Then, glancing furtively, he mumbled, “Don’t tell my girl I was here.” Busted. 

FRONT WINDOW WHIMSY: The fetching facade of Mishka's new store in Echo Park.

The Structure: Wedged in a row of famed storefronts on Echo Park Avenue (just north of Sunset Boulevard), Mishka’s environs sport an industrial-meets-Pee-Wee’s-Playhouse vibe. Whitewashed walls, black shelving units and concrete floors provide a warehouse feel — and are the perfect canvas to showcase Mishka’s graphic designs as well as graffiti, anime-inspired art and an oddball toy collection befitting any boy.       

Artist Adam Wallacavage designed the surreal glass-eye chandelier — worthy of a melting clock painting — that surveys the scene at Mishka’s west coast outfit. Skinner provided the mural-size wall painting that hangs over a rack of button-downs, hoodies and jackets. “Originally, I bought the Skinner piece for my apartment,” explained Rivera. “But when we were building out the store, we had this space and it just fit. Besides, I think it goes with the chandelier.” 

The Finds: Killer graphics emblazoned on super soft tees are the big strength of Mishka’s offerings. The visuals generally sport a mix of elements culled from the brand’s influences, which include punk and hardcore music, graffiti, anime and magic tricks. While the brand has a stable of artists they regularly tap, with visual stylings from Mike Jones, J.P. Elliot, and Dennis Chow in heavy rotation, the brand also likes collaborating with industry heavyweights on one-off designs, working with noted heavy-metal album designers Ed Repka (think Megadeth) and Derek Riggs — creator of Iron Maiden’s zombie silhouette/mascot, Eddie.       

The line sports an array of jackets in denim, nut twill and satin with graphic embroidery and DIY patches.  Hip-hop’s signature item — the plush sweatshirt — shows up in a variety of colors and styles. A standout is the “Keep Watch” pullover, a hoodie with a singular floating eye, complete with engorged blood vessels.       

Flannels also get their due in Mishka’s collection, crafted in a Crayola color palette. For dudes looking for a more subdued (tee hee) look, chambray shirts in black and blue as well striped button-downs will do the trick. Japanese raw selvage denim in grey, black, brown and dark blue is cut with straight, no-nonsense style (take that APC!). Rivera was quick to note that Mishka is looking to develop their denim line with more styles and cuts.Tees are $30, flannels are $80, denim is $110 to $170 and jackets range from $120 to $180.

Of course, the requisite extras: plaid backpacks and duffel bags, wallets, pins and stickers show up in full effect. My personal fave: Mishka logo key toppers, priced at a wallet friendly $9.99.