New York–based accessories brand MZ Wallace, founded in 2000 by Monica Zwirner and Lucy Wallace Eustice, is marking a milestone in its retail growth with the opening of its first West Coast store in Los Angeles on Nov. 21.
It’s a 615-square-foot boutique located in Westfield Century City mall — at 10250 Santa Monica Boulevard. For Zwirner and Eustice, retail has always been integral to MZ Wallace’s DNA, sold at retail partners including Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdale’s.
“When we opened the company, we opened with our own store,” Eustice explained. The first location was on Crosby Street in New York. “We’ve always been retailers and have really worked toward creating an environment and a community around our stores.”
That direct connection to customers continues to inform the brand’s strategy, with Century City joining other recent openings in Boston and Washington, D.C. There are also shops in Chicago and Miami.
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The decision to open in L.A. was as much about timing as it was about place. The mall’s community-driven energy reflects MZ Wallace’s vision of retail as an experience.
“We’d been looking for quite a while,” Zwirner said. “This space came up that was not too big, not too small, and with great adjacencies for us. It’s a place where people meet, have lunch…It’s part of a bigger shopping experience.”
Inside, the store mirrors the brand’s New York flagship, featuring custom wallpaper and long, streamlined shelving.
“We wanted someone walking by in New York, L.A., or D.C. to recognize that MZ Wallace feeling,” said Zwirner.
The tactile nature of MZ Wallace’s bags and accessories remains central to its retail strategy.
“The retail experience allows them to explore the product in a much more intimate way,” Eustice said of shoppers, noting their core consumers are women between 18 and 55 years old.
The brand’s signature Metro Tote continues to lead sales, while its Waverly collection, a newer non-quilted line, is a result of customer feedback, she added.
Beyond product, the stores will serve as a hub for community engagement. The founders envision hosting events, from fitness classes to creative workshops.
“People want to go out, be together,” said Zwirner. “Retail gives us the space to do that.”
