It wasn't Agave's original plan to open a retail outlet at its new Ridgefield headquarters, but one wouldn't know that standing in the store.
The 1,000-square-foot gallery space has better-than-natural light and it's nestled comfortably with stylish displays of the apparel company's men's and women's fashion.
Owner Jeff Shafer said the store is the brand's first opportunity, other than its online presence, to establish relationships directly with customers.
The brand's relationships up until this point have been with resellers. Now it has room to do visual merchandising and watch what people respond to.
"We've never had that before," Shafer said. "Now, I can hear people talking and go down and introduce myself."
It's also an opportunity for the designers to look at the "whole rather the parts," Shafer said. "Up here (in the design studio), we see the parts, not the whole."
Plus, resellers may carry plenty of Agave clothing, but none of them have 1,000 feet dedicated solely to the brand, he said. And it is a way to turn the 22,000-square-foot headquarters into a profit center – an important consideration.
The headquarters building was designed to maximize energy efficiency, creativity and communication among workers – and to fit with and reflect the brand.
"It somehow combines the brand's aesthetic – a combination of industrial and functional and luxury but always with a focus on aesthetics," Shafer said.
The design incorporates high ceilings, skylights, expansive windows, hardwood floors with energy-efficient features.
Overlooking a wildlife preserve, the building includes a 16,000-square-foot warehouse and shipping center, 4,000 square feet for offices and the retail outlet and 2,200 square feet for the design studio and Shafer's serene office.
For now, the store will be open Monday through Friday, but hours may expand with demand.
Agave supports 15 staff in Ridgefield and others in Los Angeles, where the company was headquartered before Shafer moved to Southwest Washington in 2006.
"My goal every day is to have fun," he said. "We have a profit focus like everybody else, but our goal is to have fun every day."
Megan Patrick-Vaughn can be reached at mpatrick@vbjusa.com.
