On Wednesday evening, new lifestyle brand BAIT welcomed collectors to their brand new flagship store in Diamond Board for an Android S3 Signing featuring Sket One, kaNO and Scott Tolleson. The two-level retail space seamlessly blends sneaker, street wear, and toy culture into a one-stop location for the best of all three -– unparalleled in the San Gabriel Valley. Vinyl Pulse was on hand to cover the signing and to explore the new store.
The mid-week event drew a consistent crowd throughout most of the evening. Holding it down in the store’s split upper level which will serve as a rotating event/gallery space, each of the artists signed their respective Android figs, sketched in a few black books, and spent considerable time customizing DIY Androids which proved to be extremely popular. While LA collectors have regular access to artists and toy releases, those in SGV normally have to make a trek to the city for such face to face experiences. On Wednesday, locals got a chance to meet the three artists, pick up some cool freebies, and check out a nice retrospective display of each artists’ toy catalog as well as upcoming releases including Bad Juju’s Dripple resin designed by Sket, which will drop at DesignerCon (11.3).
As for the store itself, we came away rather impressed after our first visit. The large space features one of the most impressive art toy displays in a retail location in LA with two gorgeous, oversized, custom display cases on each side of the store and a central floor to high-ceiling ‘monolith’ showcasing larger sculptural pieces including a four-foot black-board Dunny at the moment. Currently, the display cases feature a mix of upcoming and current product as well as a look into the owner’s considerable archives including sections devoted to legendary creators including Michael Lau and KAWS. Keep an eye on BAIT for a full schedule of high-profile exclusives including not one, not two, not three, but four exclusive Deathshead figures by Dave Flores and Bic Plastics. In keeping with the store concept, art toys are but one key element of the retail concept – complimented by and complimenting sneakers, street wear and lifestyle accessories. If it’s cool, chances are good you’ll find it here.
In addition to the Android event, the gallery space is currently featuring a Kidrobot Retrospective timed with the brand’s on-going 10th anniversary, a nice West Coast compliment to the Kidrobot X show at KRNY. The exhibition is a great chance for to take a trip down memory lane with the wide variety of art toys the ‘bot has created over the past decade.
If you’re in the San Gabriel Valley, a visit to BAIT is a no-brainer. And if you live in LA county, a visit is highly recommended, if for no other reason to meditate (and drool) in front of the toy temple’s radiant, well-curated displays. And in the mean-time, be sure to check out the store’s well-done virtual tour.
BAIT
2753B S. Diamond Bar Boulevard
Diamond Bar, CA 91765
