For nearly 15 years, Amour Vert has concentrated most of its business around the San Francisco Bay area, where it was founded by two entrepreneurs who believed that clothing needed to be more environmentally friendly.
“It is a strategic shift toward maximizing our opportunities,” said Dominique Mikolajczak, named the company’s chief executive last year after spending more than three years on the board. “Southern California is a fashion hub, and Northern California is a tech hub.” Soon to join this expanding retail lineup are locations at the Irvine Spectrum, a massive outdoor-oriented shopping location in Orange County, and in San Diego at the Westfield UTC shopping center. This summer, Amour Vert will unveil a store at Manhattan Village in the affluent community of Manhattan Beach, where homes sell for at least $2 million.
This southward shift is part of a company revamp and rebranding effort. It started by creating a cleaner logo and redesigning stores with a sleeker look and neutral colors instead of wood-heavy elements. Also, fashion styles will have finer details and better-quality craftsmanship to improve looks made of recycled cashmere, linen, repurposed cotton waste, sustainable silk and upcycled fabrics.