Merch Motel, the brand that has spent years turning Los Angeles landmarks into wearable nostalgia, opened its first physical storefront in Pasadena on Saturday. The grand opening ran from noon to 3 p.m. at 300 S. Raymond, marking the first time fans could walk into a dedicated shop rather than hunting down the brand's goods online or through pop-up collaborations.
According to NBC Los Angeles, the shop's shelves include a Union Station baseball cap, vintage-inspired postcards honoring Bullock's Wilshire, and a Bob Baker Marionette Theater marquee pin. The outlet describes Merch Motel as a retro-styled, Route 66-obsessed brand that has built its name championing LA's historic spots, and the Pasadena location gives that catalog a permanent home for the first time.
A Pasadena Native's Tribute to Vintage LA
Merch Motel was founded by designer Barkev Msrlyan, who was raised in Pasadena and grew up admiring the city's architectural history, particularly its stretch of Route 66 motels. When he went looking for motel-themed merchandise online, he found the selection lacking, according to the Los Angeles Times. Before starting the brand, Msrlyan designed toys and merchandise for Hasbro and Disney, experience he later merged with his personal interest in midcentury roadside Americana.
That instinct has since expanded well beyond motels. The Times reports Msrlyan makes enamel pins and other goods inspired by motel culture while running product collaborations with Los Angeles businesses and organizations, including the Academy Museum, Bob Baker Marionette Theater and Canter's Deli. Msrlyan has also pointed to a broader cultural shift behind the brand's growth, telling the Times, “Since COVID, I think, there's been this huge resurgence in appreciation for vintage design.”
What's New at the Opening
The Merch Motel founder promised a ton of new items would be available for purchase at Saturday's opening, per the station's report. Some souvenirs were also described as exclusive to what the brand calls its Merch Motel Visitor Center, a detail that came from the company's own social media pages as relayed in the coverage. The specifics of what fell under that exclusive banner weren't spelled out beyond those statements.
Past Collaborations Hint at the Brand's Range
Merch Motel's track record of institutional tie-ins offers a sense of what the new storefront might eventually carry. The brand partnered with Los Angeles Union Station to mark the transit hub's 85th anniversary, according to Union Station Los Angeles, producing embroidered patches, stickers, a keychain, a magnetic photo frame inspired by the station's Information Booth, and a hat featuring its clock tower. Separately, Merch Motel launched a product collection aimed at raising funds for the Altadena community, as reported by PRINT Magazine, with Msrlyan saying, “I worked on a collection of products to help raise funds.”
Hours Will Vary After Opening Weekend
Shoppers hoping to catch the Pasadena store again shouldn't expect a fixed daily schedule just yet. The station's report notes that opening hours and dates after Nov. 7 will vary, and that keeping tabs on Merch Motel's own websites will be the best way to find details about future visits and events. For now, the Raymond Avenue address stands as the brand's first real foothold in the city that inspired it.
