It's been with eager anticipation that trendsetters have looked forward to the inevitable expansion of Moss, Murray Moss and Franklin Getchell's New York-based design store and gallery. And appeared it certainly has, in the shape of a minimalist, open-plan 3,500 square foot gallery on LA's Melrose Avenue. The venue was designed by Murray Moss himself to be the ultimate exhibition space, though Moss is keen to stress that the new venue is a development, not simply a replica: 'We're very excited about the ability to create a new environment, not a duplicate one, expanding our presentation in ways unique to Los Angeles. We want Moss to grow, to reach further and at the same time, we want it to be local.'MossAugust 2007: the first Moss store outside of New York's Soho district opens its big glass door, on Melrose Avenue near the mouth of Melrose Place. 3500 square feet of cool optic white space bifurcated by a ten ton steel beam running straight from the door to the sales station. Paul Smith Big Pink to right of us, the Pacific Design Center Blue Whale to the left, and Marc Jacobs across the street. We got Maharam down the street and APC so close we can bang on the wall.The opening exhibition, 'Glitter and Smoke' is the first of several installations featuring chandeliers from the Swarovski Crystal Palace collection. Up first is Georg Baldele's Vertical Glitterbox, comprising 18 eight-foot crystal pillars, together giving a hanging garden effect. The chandelier surrounds a unique 1938 Steinway Baby Grand Piano, fire-sculpted by Maarten Baas, which forms part of Baas' ongoing 'Where there's Smoke' collection for Moss. INFORMATIONAddressMoss Loss Angeles8444 Melrose AvenueLos AngelesTelephone+1.323 866 5260Websitehttp://www.mossonline.com
