Password Protected

Grit. Raw denim. Cold beer. Secret Service has always been a good fit for downtown. Now, the appointment-only downtown destination for a tailored take on SoCal menswear is set to open the doors of its new location on Santa Fe Avenue near 7th Street in mid-March. A password (in theory) used to be a required for entry, but on a recent visit, Chad Hilton, founder of Crate denim and Secret Service's creative director, gave us a sneak peek inside the new, infinitely more inviting space: a high-ceilinged, 1920s firehouse that provides a fitting historical stage for heritage pieces, covetable vintage knickknacks and – pause – motorcycles. Everything’s for sale, from the fedoras perched atop a vintage post to a floor lamp made from an old tire. Take one step into Hilton’s firehouse hideaway and it’s anyone’s guess as to when you’ll ever leave.  

FIVE-ALARM AESTHETIC: The exterior of the new Secret Service on Santa Fe Avenue, east of downtown.

The Story

For all the thought put into every corner of the store, it’s surprising that Secret Service was less the result of a dedicated pursuit than an organic extension of Hilton’s four-year-old denim brand. Operating out of a former air-raid shelter downtown that used to function as Mattel’s headquarters, Crate outgrew the square-footage in its infancy (Barneys New York was an early adopter of the brand, which certainly didn't inhibit its growth). Production shifted to a factory a few blocks down, leaving the newly freed-up space available for Hilton’s growing collection of vintage collectables and favorite homegrown brands.  

The Space

“It’s disgusting, but everything I do kind of looks like this,” Hilton says with a laugh while surveying his altar to rust-prone tchotchkes and workwear.   “It’s gross to say it, but to me it feels a little more authentic.” Beneath this high-beamed roof, the authentic indeed comes alive with battered trunks, stools and fixtures from eras past (read: the sort of space you see weekly on heritage-obsessed menswear blogs like A Continuous Lean). Surrounded by cheery blue and red walls, vintage wooden tables and exposed steel pipes show off Spring/Summer 2010 gems. The center of the store is anchored by Hilton’s custom Deus motorcycle, elevated to golden calf-like status atop a table. It’s fitting, since Aussie bike and clothing brand Deus Ex Machina has an exclusive partnership with Secret Service, even operating a full bike shop in back of the store. Stop in on a good day, and you might find Billy Joel, Orlando Bloom or Ryan Reynolds awaiting their custom orders.  

GEAR UP: Branded clothing from Deus Ex Machina motorcycles.