When our first hotel, The Standard, Hollywood, opened on the Sunset Strip in 1999, Los Angeles was a very different town from the one we know today. Back then, the Strip was just emerging from decades of neglect. Downtown LA wasn’t really a thing. The movie industry was in the midst of a renaissance, and an atmosphere of excess and experimentation prevailed. In other words, it was a great place to take some risks, bend some rules, and see what stuck, which is exactly what we set out to do.
Over the past 18 years, we’ve watched LA experience a cultural explosion. Hollywood’s hold has loosened, and new industries and scenes have taken root. Today, there’s great art everywhere. The culinary scene sets global trends. Weed is legal. Huge fashion labels have left NY for LA. The city’s even leading the way forward on social issues and activism. LA is richer, more varied, and more immersive than ever before.
As The Standard prepares to unveil its first international hotel in London, we’re taking a moment to go back to where it all started. It’s no overstatement to say that Los Angeles made The Standard what it is, and its mark will always be seen in our world—in its warmth, its color, its vibrancy, and its rule-breaking, anything-goes ethos. No matter where The Standard goes, it’s reassuring to know that The Standard, Hollywood and The Standard, Downtown LA will be there—twin classics, icons of hospitality and culture, Standard-bearers, AstroTurf pool decks and all.
Enjoy this latest issue of Standard Culture dedicated to LA, the city that continues to inspire us and draw us back for more.
—The Editors
Over the past 18 years, we’ve watched LA experience a cultural explosion. Hollywood’s hold has loosened, and new industries and scenes have taken root. Today, there’s great art everywhere. The culinary scene sets global trends. Weed is legal. Huge fashion labels have left NY for LA. The city’s even leading the way forward on social issues and activism. LA is richer, more varied, and more immersive than ever before.
As The Standard prepares to unveil its first international hotel in London, we’re taking a moment to go back to where it all started. It’s no overstatement to say that Los Angeles made The Standard what it is, and its mark will always be seen in our world—in its warmth, its color, its vibrancy, and its rule-breaking, anything-goes ethos. No matter where The Standard goes, it’s reassuring to know that The Standard, Hollywood and The Standard, Downtown LA will be there—twin classics, icons of hospitality and culture, Standard-bearers, AstroTurf pool decks and all.
Enjoy this latest issue of Standard Culture dedicated to LA, the city that continues to inspire us and draw us back for more.
—The Editors
FEATURED IN THIS ISSUE:
Steve Lacy
DJ Harvey
Carrie Dragshaw
LA Style Profiles
Jonathan Gold
Ron Finley
Leilah Weinraub
7 LA Artists to Watch
Our Guide to LA Galleries
The Restaurants That Define LA
Hollywood Tales
If you can’t get your buns to The Standard for some reason, here are some outlets where you can find it in your city:
NEW YORK
Book Culture
Creatures of Comfort
Foragers Market
International Playground
Primary Essentials
Printed Matter
Rizzoli
Sincerely, Tommy
Tokyobike
LOS ANGELES
American Rag Cie
Alchemy Works
Blends
Clae
Family Bookstore
Jason Markk
Mohawk General Store
Milkmade
Ooga Booga
Please Do Not Enter
Skylight Books
Tokyobike
MORE U.S.
Armitage & McMillan- Denver
ByeGeorge- Austin
Cover Books- Atlanta
Mrkt Deux- Miami
Gym Standard- San Diego
Jinxed- Philadelphia
Idun- St. Paul
Independence- Chicago
Likelihood- Seattle
Maketto- Washington, DC
Maven- San Diego
Need Supply Co. - Richmond
Notre- Chicago
Oak Common- Oakland
Pigment Shop- San Diego
Portland Trading Co.- Portland, ME
Print Text- Indianapolis
Quimbys- Chicago
Rare Device- San Francisco
The Stacks Books- New Orleans
Ubiq Life- Philadelphia/Washington, DC
U.K.
Camden Arts Center- London
Colours May Vary- Leeds
Design Museum- London
Donlon Books- London
Goodhood- London
Ikon- Birmingham
KK Outlet- London
Olive Clothing- Cheltenham
Other Shop- London
Papersmiths- Bristol
Photographer’s Gallery- London
Saatchi Gallery- London
South London Gallery- London
Tate Modern- London
Ti Pi Tin- London
Email theeditors@standardhotels.com for the full list of outlets.
