Last night, BESTDRESSEDMONK, a new line of apparel designed for the modern, mindful man, celebrated the opening of its flagship store in Montecito, CA. The Santa Barbara community turned out to welcome this dapper new addition to the chic Coast Village strip. Actor Billy Baldwin, Santa Barbara resident attended the opening dressed in BESTDRESSEDMONK and congratulated owners Allen and Kira Gold.
BESTDRESSEDMONK is a premium men’s clothing for the new creative class of men who think differently, act differently and have their own sense of personal style. Signature features of the line include organic fabrics, tailored tunic shirts not meant to be tucked in, luxurious textured scarves, and polished safari-style jackets.
Founder Allen Gold conceived of the collection following a seven-month retreat at a Buddhist hermitage in the company of fifteen monks and nuns. Upon returning stateside, he noticed that men like him, who don’t wear suits but still want to appear elegantly casual in their dress, were majorly lacking in options. After ten years of development with his partner Kira, a former costume designer, Gold has launched BESTDRESSED MONK as a lifestyle brand with the mindful existence at its heart.
“Our customer shares our core values”, says Gold. “Environmental and social sustainability, a conviction that life should be lived whole-heartedly, a commitment to healthy relationship and an understanding that his community is humanity.” With these core values in mind, BESTDRESSEDMONK uses earth-friendly textiles and manufacturing processes, wherever possible. Additionally, all manufacturing takes place locally in Los Angeles. The 850 sq. ft. retail space, designed by renowned architect John Mike Cohen, reflects the clean and contemporary aesthetic of the BESTDRESSEDMONK lifestyle with concrete faces, eucalyptus veneers, frosted glass, and mahogany floors.
BESTDRESSEDMONK is slated to launch an e-commerce site in January 2014 and plans to open stores in other key markets later in the year.
BESTDRESSEDMONK
1275 Coast Village Road
Montecito, CA
