NEW YORK, NY.- On Saturday afternoon, the multi-hyphenate creatives of Los Angeles found a new reason to line up on Sunset Boulevard. Instead of sipping natural wine outside El Prado or waiting hours for a seat at Pijja Palace, they showed up for designer Gustaf Westmans pop-up shop.
I love Gustaf in general, said Billie Black, 27, a digital creator who snagged the first spot in line. I have my eye on the chunky mug. I also want the spiral magazine rack.
Westman, 30, started selling furniture and objects online in 2020 and quickly built a following on TikTok and Instagram. His curvy and chunky mirrors became coveted décor, and his dishware became the standard for internet it girls. His objects range from chunky cups ($68) and chunky plates ($58) to curvy mini tables ($750), mini flower mirrors ($2,200), pipe chairs ($1,150) and blob sofas ($3,360).
Nara Smith, a popular model and cooking influencer, often uses his plates to showcase her intricate homemade meals, and Swedish influencer Matilda Djerf drinks her coffee out of Westmans chunky cups. He has created a mirror for Swedish rapper Yung Lean and a custom side table for YouTube darling Emma Chamberlain.
So it came as no surprise that hundreds of shoppers showed up on the first day of his LA pop-up.
Kitty Rheault, an interior designer and prop stylist in Los Feliz, went to the pop-up to shop for herself and several clients.
Its whimsical and refined, Rheault said. Im working with a client right now who has a really colorful, bright style, and I feel like the style can easily go south if its not done with some restraint, but this is hitting it right on the nose.
Essie Park, 29, a fashion designer in Koreatown, bought the curvy pink mirror shed been dreaming about for years.
I like how maximalist it is, maximalist yet simple at the same time, Park said. Its a lot, and its bold, but its not too much.
The line outside was peppered with pastel-hued Adidas Sambas, purple- and orange-dyed hair and chunky sweaters with playful designs.
Westman, who is based in Stockholm, greeted people and handed out Nicks keto chocolate bars. About a dozen people were able to enter the pop-up at a time to pick up his chunky tableware, take selfies in his flower-shaped mirrors and sit on his blob sofas.
It feels pretty chill in here, Westman said as he watched people check out a shelf of dishes, vases, mirrors, candleholders and magazine racks. I love that you dont necessarily feel like you have to come here and buy something.
Shannon OHalloran, 25, and Mikayla LoBasso, 25, drove from Culver City to find fun décor for their apartment.
Honestly, Im not sure what Im getting yet, but I will be getting something, OHalloran said. I have the chunky cup already in yellow.
OHalloran, who works in comedy, and LoBasso, who works in the music industry, agreed that Westmans work stands out among the countless products pushed on social media.
Its such an innovative design, I feel like no ones really doing anything like it, LoBasso said. Not a lot of things catch everyones eye. These stop you in your tracks.
Samantha Klein, 38, an interior design influencer in Glendale, said that Westmans furniture and objects fit her vintage aesthetic.
Im just super into whimsy, pastels, cozy comfort, Klein said.
Its not like there are many small designers doing what hes doing and at the price point that hes doing, she added. If I bought something I was similarly excited about, in the same price range, it would probably be vintage.
Dulce Annese, 37, and John Forbes, 35, traveled down from San Francisco, where they work in tech, to get one of Westmans flower mirrors.
We already have a chunky mirror in my house, and Ive been eyeing the flower mirror for years, Annese said.
As Cassidy Sonnemann, 27, contemplated buying a vase or candle holders for her home in North Hollywood, she looked like a kid in a candy store. She already owned sets of Westmans dishes, but that only made the pop-up more enticing.
These plates and cups are the most complimented thing in my home, said Sonnemann, who works in product development. Its hand-wash only, but its actually quite satisfying to wash it because its so curved.
Though she said she hates doing dishes, she admits, I dont mind these.
This article originally appeared in
The New York Times.