The Inspiration Behind Reservoir

 

Fashion Editor Karla Martinez de Salas of Piamita Interviews Co-Founders Alissa Jacob & Aliza Neidich

 

I am dying to see the new space, what inspired you to open Reservoir?

After we moved to Los Angeles and had an opportunity to spend some time here, we noticed the city really lacked a retail destination that felt like a welcoming place where you could relax and buy everything you want in one place. Additionally, since moving to LA, Aliza has lived on the east side and noticed that women in the neighborhood were wearing easily-styled clothing from brands like Rag& Bone, Vince and Iro but had to travel at least 30 minutes to buy them. Since Reservoir means the source and supply of something (and the fact that there’s a reservoir located near the store) we thought it would be the perfect name for our concept.

 

Why did you decide to open Reservoir in Silver Lake? What makes this area special to you?

Aliza lives in Los Feliz, the neighborhood right next to Silver Lake, and we both really fell in love with the east side. The community feels a lot more low key than the rest of LA, but the energy somehow feels more creative. We also love to hike in Griffith Park (which is a quieter alternative to Runyon) and take our dogs to the Silver Lake dog park at the reservoir. It has a vibrant neighborhood feeling, which is unique and special within the Los Angeles sprawl.

 

Who designed the space and how did you go about choosing them?

We interviewed a few design firms until we met Tatum Kendrick at Studio Hus. We went to see her studio space, which is in an amazing industrial building adjacent to Bestia in the Arts District, and knew immediately that she was a perfect match. Her aesthetic was completely on point with our vision and she very much understood what we wanted to accomplish with Reservoir. Tatum introduced us to her friend Jason Koharik who is designing beautiful custom furniture and Calder-esque lighting for the store, in addition to our vitrines, display tables, shelving, and hanging racks. Mid-century architects like Gio Ponti and Carlo Mollino were big inspirations for the space.

 

How long have you known each other and where did you meet?

I imagine you were friends previously – how did you decide to go into business together. We met when we were two years old, right before we started nursery school. We lived in the same apartment building in New York City and when our mothers found out we would both be attending the Horace Mann School they introduced us to each other (as well as you can introduce toddlers to fellow toddlers.) We then went to school together until college and have been best friends always.

We like to say our relationship is cosmic: our names are Alissa and Aliza, our mothers’ names are both Linda, our dads’ names are Gary and Barry- it was just meant to be. A little over a year ago, we took a road trip to Amaree’s in Newport and were blown away. We thought it would be really amazing to bring a beautiful, one-of-a-kind retail experience in the same vein to Los Angeles. We were both in the right place in our lives for a change, and decided to just do it. 

 

Who moved to LA first? And how does it differ from living in other cities (NYC)?

Aliza moved to LA first as her boyfriend (now husband) was enrolling at CalArts for his MFA. Alissa moved two years later to escape the weather in New York (actually). We would say we both love living here. When we moved out here, we thought “Why did everyone lie to us our whole lives? Why did they not tell us it could be like this? Palm trees! Good weather! No humidity!” There’s a much better balance >of work and life in LA than there is in NYC. We both worked pretty intense jobs in New York and live much healthier lives in LA. There’s definitely something to be said for going for a hike with friends after a long day of work instead of sitting in a bar or restaurant.

 

What is your working relationship like? Does one of your oversee something specific or do you make mutual decisions as far as designers to carry in store, general store aesthetics, fun financial questions?

To be honest, we actually work better together than either of us ever has with anyone else, which was a surprise. We think it’s in part because we have completely opposite skill sets. Alissa is great at budgeting and organizing and Aliza is talented at writing and managing our creative aesthetic. We share a lot of the responsibilities, but we each definitely have our own areas of expertise. Because we’re like sisters, we can be brutally honest with each other without walking on eggshells. Alissa is great at knowing when Aliza is getting overwhelmed and Aliza is super intuitive about when Alissa is getting frustrated. We feel a sense of loyalty and commitment to one another that a lot of business partners don’t have. We were friends first and are both conscious of remembering that.

 

What have been the biggest challenges in opening a store – not just in LA but overall? Are there any hurdles that you didn’t expect to go through

Finding the right space was the hardest part of all. Silver Lake is an extremely tight market with very little availability to begin with. That, combined with the fact that we wanted more to our space than a standard 1,500 square foot box could provide, made it even more difficult. Additionally, we found the process to be sort of chicken-and-egg complex in terms of trying to balance timing to make sure everything coincided properly. We had to order inventory six months in advance, but we didn’t want to have inventory arrive without a space, so that was a gamble.

 

If there is one thing that you have learned through the process that you didn’t imagine what would it be?

How hard you want to work once you own your own business; it becomes your baby. We’ve both had demanding jobs in the past, but starting a business is like doing 20 years of work in one year. You’re thrown into learning the legal, HR, financial, marketing, PR, and sales-side all at once. We can both confidently say we know the in-and-outs of starting a business now.

 

There are so many brands out there these days – how did you decide which brands to work with? Were you careful with price points? Do you know if Silver Lake is more sensitive to price points than other areas of LA?

We started with an actual list of 300 brands we liked (curated by personal experience, magazines,Instagram, etc.) and carefully narrowed it down to 75 brands that we thought the market would respond to. We were advised that it could be difficult to secure brands at an unknown store, but we worked with a great company – Black & Black Creative - to design a beautiful marketing deck that we used to pitch ourselves and ended up receiving an overwhelmingly positive response. We wanted to avoid excluding anyone from shopping at Reservoir, so we have merchandise in various price points. We have seen so much confidence in Silver Lake in the last 12 months with the opening of APC, Shinola, Mollusk, Retrosuperfuture, Juice Served Here, Alfred Coffee and the new Jon & Vinny’s restaurant concept (to name a few).

 

If your style icons were to walk into Reservoir – who would they be?

Linda Rodin, Sofia Coppola, Jenna Lyons, Solange Knowles, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.

 

You can’t carry every designer in the store, when you are on an appointment who is the ideal customer you think of? Is there one designer you thought of in particular when you first had the idea to open?

Our ideal customer is someone who cares about how she looks, but does so in a very cool, pared-down way. We loved thinking of The Row and Celine as inspirations when we were dreaming up the concept. Because our first few seasons open will be an experiment as to what our customers will be drawn to, we tried to create an assortment of style options but definitely leaned heavier towards a minimalist aesthetic. 

 

Who is your ideal customer? Is she your age, a bit older, younger?

Our ideal customer is someone who appreciates what a special time it is right now to be living in Los Angeles; someone who is most likely aged 25-45; someone who wants to look great without trying too hard; someone who exudes a chic, timeless, and cool style.

 

How would you describe each of your styles? Favorite designers?

Aliza’s style has always been unique – for example, she’s been living in bodysuits since preschool and has amassed quite a collection. Of course now (most of the time) she can be found wearing more than just that: her current favorite designers include Organic by John Patrick, newcomer Ellery, The Row, and Alexander Wang. Alissa’s style reflects an effortless and timeless elegance; incorporating minimalist designs focused on chic colors such as black, white, navy, hunter green and oxblood. With an emphasis on comfort, Alissa gravitates towards flattering silhouettes with a relaxed aesthetic: her favorite brands include Rag & Bone, Dosa and Ryan Roche blended with statement accessories from iconic designers such as Edie Parker, Anita Ko and Wendy Nichol.

 

Flats or Heels?

In NYC, heels were just par for the course. It’s a dressier city in general. But moving to LA you just want to be outside and be active and flats are much easier. We love our Newbark sandals and Opening Ceremony slip on sneakers. Plus, driving isn’t really fun when you’re in 4-inch stacked heels. 

 

A great hike or a high intensity workout?

Alissa works out like crazy and favors high-intensity workouts and Aliza is basically allergic to exercise. Although we both enjoy hikes in Griffith Park with our dogs.

 

How do you start your mornings?

Getting out of bed in the morning has historically been challenging for Aliza, whereas Alissa will already be sending emails at 7 am. We do both meditate, after having learned through a Transcendental Meditation course, and try to fit that in before the day gets too crazy. Then it’s on-site meetings, speaking with vendors, reviewing collateral and marketing materials, making sure the website is on-point.

 

When the store first opens do you plan on being there all day initially?

Yes, we will be in the store every day when we open. This store is so much about us that we want to be there. We want to see what people will be drawn to, and what will work and what won’t work. We want to get to know our customers so that we can provide better experiences. We want to make the store the best source and supply to the neighborhood that it can be.

 

Do you feel your style has evolved since you moved to LA? Is there a quintessential LA style or has that evolved.

I don’t know if evolved would be the right word. We are New Yorkers, born and raised in Manhattan, so our style has always been reflective of that (think: loads of black and day-to-night attire). We like to say we dress as New Yorkers but now tailored for LA. For example, just because in LA it’s more acceptable to go about your day in workout attire, it doesn’t mean that we do. As far as a quintessential LA style – it really varies by neighborhood. You’ll find more boho looks in Venice while West Hollywood or Beverly Hills can read a bit more body-con. We believe women on the East Side dress more for themselves than anyone else in the city does.

 

What do you love about LA? Aside from the great weather?

LA is gritty. You would think we’d say that about New York, but the truth is New York has changed a great deal since we were growing up and has lost a lot of authenticity. LA truly feels like the wild west, in a way. Where everything is a possibility and it’s up to you to make your own course. There’s a great quote by Frank Lloyd Wright where he said, “Tip the world over on its side and everything loose will land in Los Angeles.” Really cool things are happening here because of who has landed here. But yes, it’s also beautiful. Simultaneous views of mountains and the ocean don’t hurt and neither does the ability to be outside in the warm sun every day of the year.

 

You guys have been very active on social media since February. Are your followers very eager for you to open? Have you received any feed back through this channel?

We decided to start an Instagram account way before we opened the doors to create hype and tell a story around the birth of Reservoir. Our followers have been amazing, letting us know what they love and how excited they are. We also receive submissions from brands via Instagram and have found some very interesting designers this way.

 

What were your favorite stores growing up that might or might not have influenced the Reservoir’s aesthetic?

Alissa worked at Mitchell’s of Westport, which had a significant impact on how she views sales and style. Concept stores like Colette and Merci in Paris were inspirations for us personally, as was Amaree’s.

 

Are there any favorite LA designers you will be carrying in the store?

Newbark, Dosa, Vince, Denis Colomb, Lizzie Mandler, Charlotte Stone, EF Collection, Anita Ko, Shay Jewelry, Carbon & Hyde, to name a few.

 

Who are some of your favorite American artists?

Reservoir will be featuring rotating art exhibitions since art is a passion of ours. Aliza’s husband, Stephen Neidich, is an artist who is building an artist collective in LA. Collectively, some of our favorite artists include Ed Ruscha, Wade Guyton, Jeppe Hein, Richard Serra, Donald Judd, Andy Warhol and Robert Longo. We’re extremely excited to be able to have the space to show art within the store, and look forward to showing local emerging LA artists, including the work of Devin Farrand whose work will be on view for the opening exhibition at Reservoir.