Endless Summer

Meet Micah Cohen, the LA-based designer behind the namesake brand Shades of Grey by Micah Cohen. Together with his wife and design partner Jenny Cohen, he launched the clothing brand in 2009. The ethos of the line centers around well-made, thoughtful pieces that are released in exclusive, limited quantities while still maintaining an affordable price point.

With their minimalist chic ROW DTLA boutique steps away from the historic LA Flower Market, our district served as the perfect backdrop for the always-welcome Endless Summer ritual – picking up fresh flowers and mixing them with low-key cool looks to brighten up an already beautiful day at ROW.

We caught up with Micah to talk to him about how his summer has been going, what sets his line apart, and how he’s thinking about designing for future collections. Read below for the full interview and then shop their looks online. Their 20% off site wide Labor Day Sale is here now through September 7th, no code necessary.

ROW: Hey Micah!  We’re huge fans of your line and basically want to live in your summer collection – it’s simple and yet so unique, and we know we can wear it anywhere and feel great. To kick things off, can you tell us about the impetus for launching your own brand? 

MC: For as long as I can remember, I wanted to have my own line. I envisioned a brand that was accessible in both price point and aesthetic, and bridged the gap between high-end fashion houses and ubiquitous mall brands. I wanted to bring my own point of view as a designer as well as an integrity to the manufacturing process that doesn’t always exist in mass-produced labels. I thought there would be consumers who would want the same thing.  

ROW: We love your prints.  Can you tell us about how you source your fabrics and prints?

MC: We’re focused on cutting down on our environmental impact so we source most of our fabrics in Guangzhou at fabric markets and only use in-stock fabrics. Jenny and I always get excited for these sourcing trips. Even though the trips are absolutely exhausting, it’s one of the most fun parts of our job and we always go into them with an open mind. You never know what you’ll find. Oftentimes, we grab swatches of anything we could even possibly consider (which typically means returning to LA 3-5 large suitcases worth of fabric swatch cards!).

It’s always exciting when you find something that really speaks to you and really jumps out for a particular style. For this latest drop, it was definitely the Multi Color Patchwork fabric that I used for the Resort Shirt and Easy Short. Both Jenny and I knew it would be good and so far, it’s been a bestseller.

Creating from existing fabrics might take us longer to implement a design, but it’s a fair trade-off, knowing we are minimizing environmental impact while delivering our consumers exclusive, thoughtfully-made, and ethically-produced clothing, that is designed to last. 

ROW: Since those visits to your manufacturers to select fabrics and prints seem to be a big part of your process, how do you think you’ll plan to readjust for next year since travel is out?

MC: We’ve already started asking some of our favorite fabric vendors to send us new fabric swatches, but it’s definitely not the same as being able to pick from their showrooms.  We’re crossing our fingers.

ROW: Can you share more about your philosophy of creating limited runs to lessen your  environmental impact? When did you realize that an attention to sustainability would be core to the line’s ethos?

MC: Our philosophy really grew out of our own experience, and our attempt to become more efficient in all aspects of the business. We saw firsthand how the large production volumes that are typical in wholesale can ultimately be quite wasteful. Our pivot to a direct-to-consumer model significantly minimizes our environmental impact – less raw material, less packaging, less transportation. By producing less, it’s better for the environment, better for our customers, and better for our bottom line. 

ROW: Are there any pieces from the recent collection that you and Jenny have been gravitating towards wearing recently? 

MC: I’ve basically only been wearing our Nylon Easy Short in all 3 colors (Black, Navy, Mint) for the past few months. I like pairing the shorts with our Resort Shirts and Boxy Heavyweight Tees, which are both slightly oversized. Jenny has been wearing the Olive Trees Print Gathered Long Sleeve Mini Dress all summer. It’s a really loose, comfortable silhouette so it’s been great for quarantine.

ROW: How are you thinking ahead to designing for the next season? 

MC:  We’re never lacking in enthusiasm for the creative process. We absolutely love that aspect of the business, but it’s such a small part. We almost view it as a treat for doing everything else! While we’re still staying creatively inspired, we’re really trying to get a handle on how the pandemic has changed consumer preferences and demand.  After living in sweats and athleisure for so long, I'm hoping that people will be ready to get dressed up again.

ROW: Where should we go in your clothes? What kind of adventure should we take?

MC: I’ll let Kevin Garnett answer this one: “Anything is possible!”

ROW: If you could hop on a plane and go anywhere right now, where would it be and why?

MC: I’d grab Jenny and River (our 11 month old son) and fly to New York to see my dad. He hasn’t seen River since he was 3 months old and that sucks.

ROW: What’s your favorite part of being at ROW?

MC: I love the vibe. It doesn’t feel like a retail development. The space is spectacular. The retailers are unique. Nothing feels put on. I honestly love the community and frankly, the Row team has been a supportive and generous landlord from day one.

ROW: This year has obviously been...weird. Have you found yourself going down any unexpected rabbit holes in terms of entertainment, creative outlets, hobbies, or other fascinations - either because of more free time, or as a means to distract yourself outside of work?

MC: I’ve already watched all of TV. Bread still tastes better when a professional makes it. I burned myself on the pizza oven. My “creative” outlet is trying to “creatively” come up with ways to occupy an 11 month old. But no, not really. I just really miss playing basketball.  And I would never cheat on basketball with a floozy like tennis or golf or hiking.

Visit the Shades Of Grey at  ROW Wednesday - Sunday 12pm - 5pm.  And check out their new collection online here to plan your visit!