Fruitmilk combines art and fashion in Los Angeles

Fruitmilk, concept art studio, hosted a pop-up store in collaboration with retailer Urban Outfitters. The pop-up marks the start of Fruitmilk’s residency “Par~” that will run from June 5 to July 5 in Los Angeles.

The idea of “Par~” is to help explore the symbiotic relationship between objects and individuals. The multidisciplinary installation includes local and international designers. The opening pop-up at Urban Outfitters was located at their Space 15 Twenty location in Los Angeles. The event iterates the idea of visionaries Kelynn Smith and Pauline Shaw, developer and artist respectively. The experiment gallery was a new take on the retail shopping experience. “We try to make our spaces encourage the viewer's movement as well as enticing an interaction between themselves and the objects,” said Smith and Shaw of Fruitmilk. “Its about creating a more layered environment for the [shopper] to exist in,” the duo stated.

Fruitmilk host concept studio pop-up at Urban Outfitters

The artists showcased in the gallery include clothing from Roberto Sanchez, Kelya Marquez, That’s Totally Fine, Laura Schoorl, Desiree Klein, and in-house brand SP-KS. Prices at the temporary exhibit range from 20 to 300 dollars. Smith and Shaw of Fruitmilk created the pop-up do the their ongoing relationship with the Urban Outfitters team. Due to their large following in Los Angeles, the location space was ideal for the studio. “Our biggest following is definitely local, and that’s probably because we keep much of our work within the community of artists and designers in our city,” the pair stated.

Fruitmilk, was established by both Smith and Shawn in May of last year. The migrating gallery and shop platform hosts events to showcase local artists. The small company currently has two sole employees: its founders. The two were inspired to create the company based on their passion for combining art and retail. “The two of us really just wanted to create a world where we could combine our backgrounds in art and fashion in a way that speaks to the state of art, fashion, [and objects],” said Smith and Shaw. Based in Los Angeles, the company has teamed with various local designers and artists in the past. For the future, Fruitmilk is planning a performance based on a new collaboration with a designer this summer.