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The End Of An Era: Kitson Retailer Closing All Of Its Stores
Thinking about Kitson sends us back to the aughts, when Paris Hilton and Nichole Ritchie were inseparable frenemies and Juicy Couture's bedazzled tracksuits reigned supreme. But now, friends, it's the end of an era, as the retailer is closing all of its stores.
Kitson announced today that they have begun shuttering all of their 17 brick-and-mortar stores in California, Nevada and Oregon, as well as their online store. In a release, James Wong, Kitson's Chief Restructuring Officer, said the company is in "discussions with interested parties to attempt to effectuate a transaction that preserves the iconic brand that loyal consumers have come to love and respect."
We'll miss most the memories of Von Dutch trucker caps, bedazzled Ed Hardy tees of a dragon riding a bulldog riding a skateboard, and that golden $1,000 Members Only jacket that Mariah Carey would sport that we once saw in the store. Another memory was that time Britney Spears decided to go on a 2 a.m. shopping spree at Kitson in 2008 as paparazzi stalked her.
Fraser Ross, who founded Kitson in 2000 with its first store on Robertson Boulevard, looked back at the store's bestsellers. He told Racked L.A. in an interview last year, "Over-priced, premium denim, embellished tees, Ed Hardy, trucker hats, and the more rhinestones the better."
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That business model didn't last, as the company struggled recently. The Wall Street Journal reported on Kitson's financial troubles in June, saying that Spencer Spirit, the owner of teen mall favorite Spencer's and Spirit Halloween costume shops, helped save the company from a bankruptcy filing by acquiring them.
If you couldn't afford Kitson before, well here's your chance to do some holiday shopping. Kitson is having a "Big-Ass In-Store Sale" right now where their stores are offering up to 50 percent off all fashion, gifts, and novelty items. You can also buy the stores' furniture, equipment and fixtures, you know, just in case you want to open your own quasi-Kitson store.
Related:
Kitson Store Break-In: Thief Tunnels Through Wall In Brazen Heist
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