Iconic Brand, Impacted by the Pandemic, Has an LA Legacy Dating Back to 1961
Fred Segal, a beloved and fashionable clothing store, closed its two remaining stores on Tuesday, marking a quiet end—at least for now—to a brand that has been a staple for decades. The only exception is the Culver City furniture store in the Helms district, which will remain open. The brand’s online store has also shut down.
Despite its storied history, dating back to 1961, when Fred Segal opened his first small shop in West Hollywood, the brand could not sustain its operations after many tough years after the pandemic began in 2020.
Jeff Lotman, the current owner, said, as quoted by The Los Angeles Times, “Fred Segal was more than just a store; it was a cultural touchstone that became part of the identity of Los Angeles.”
Fred Segal’s family and heirs still own the brand’s trademark and licensed it to Lotman in the store’s current incarnation. They have the choice to revive the brand with another owner should they choose to do so in the future.
Larry Russ, the Segal family attorney said, “This is not the end of the road for the brand.”
