Today we’d like to introduce you to Toby Hemingway.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
It all started with another store, actually: Hemingway and Pickett, which I opened in 2011. That was on Sunset Blvd, just around the corner, and our focus was on art and design products. I’m not really sure how I came up with that idea. For a decade or so before that I had been a musician and sometime copywriter. I guess I didn’t want to tour anymore, or take odd jobs writing, so I came up with this idea to showcase great design and art that I’d encountered over the years through being in parallel creative fields.
The names refer to the Hemingway side of my family’s business that stretch back to 1888, when my Great Great Grandfather opened a barber shop in Melbourne, Australia. I grew up in Melbourne and wanted to revive that family history in some way (it went on to be a wholesale sales and distribution business, before my grandfather sold it in the 1980s), as well as connect to some of my creative friends back in Australia.
That was going well and I had the idea to open a menswear store around the corner. I’d been in Silver Lake since 2007 and felt I had some idea of what the neighborhood was missing. So we opened in 2015 and for a while I had both stores running, but last year I decided to focus on Hemingway and Sons. It’s been good to concentrate on the one space and get a bit of my life back. Running between the two stores was of less and less interest to me. I like to concentrate on one thing at a time.
Has it been a smooth road?
Of course not! I came to this with absolutely no retail experience, so I’ve been learning and getting my ass handed to me since day one. There are all the usual struggles you hear of (that are very real) like managing costs and cashflow, finding good staff, dealing with a bad landlord, etc. But I think the consistent struggle is trying to stay passionate about the business and in turn, maintain that passion and interest in your customer base. To keep growing the concept and getting that across to more new people. Customers have a hell of a lot of choice these days, so making your argument (for lack of a better term) only gets harder.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We specialize in stylish, well-made menswear. Plus, other little home and personal accessories that will make your life easier and more fun.
We are known as a place where you can find reasonably affordable menswear that is well-made
and well-considered.
I think what sets us apart is the creative vision of the entire store, not just what we sell. I want people to enjoy their time here, whether they purchase or not. So, we have a jukebox that plays old 45 rpm records which you can pick a song on anytime for free, an old tv set which runs classic movies, interesting artwork and clothing that feels both familiar and yet original. Items from all over the world that we hope will pique your creativity too.
Our staff are a big part of the experience also. We’re a small crew and I hire people based as much on the person, as on their experience. I came to this a novice and so have many of my best staff members. I want someone that I think will be as interesting to the customer as the rest of the store.
I’m proud of our ability to express our creativity through everything we do and work hard to add to our community as a whole, through events, local charities and just looking out for each other. I think our sense of non-fashion-obsessed style and personal approach to clients set us apart from others.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I love this city. I’ve lived all around the world and always came back to LA. I particularly love this part of the city too. So I felt comfortable enough in this city to start a new business, with no experience, with barely any backing. I’m not sure any other city in the world would have given me that confidence. The creative spirit runs deep in these parts and I’ve always fed off that. There’s much more to it than Hollywood!
I don’t love the way the actual City of LA goes about their business. They can be very, very obtrusive and overly aggressive in the way they manage taxes and permits, etc. I don’t like that. From what I understand, other cities are more accommodating. But hey, it’s the big leagues, I guess.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1615 Silver Lake Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026
- Website: hemingwayandsons.com
- Phone: 323 669 7388
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: instagram.com/shophemingway
- Facebook: facebook.com/hemingwayandsons
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/hemingway-and-sons-los-angeles
Image Credit:
Toby Hemingway
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