A concept space with a deceivingly foreboding moniker, Please Do Not Enter has not kept Los Angeles’
throngs of art and design enthusiasts away, despite its
gently admonishing namesake. The inspired venture of
two French collectors and entrepreneurs-cum-Downtown Los Angeles residents, Nicolas Libert and Emmanuel Renoird, Please Do Not Enter has established
itself over the past year-and-a-half as an art, fashion
and design destination for curious novices and seasoned connoisseurs alike.
erate, concise and loved, from sculptural design objects by French designer Guillaume Bardet, poetically
functional furniture and lighting by Elise Gabriel, to
exquisite cashmere pieces by Denis Colomb, Peruvian
fashion line Misericordia, handcrafted men’s shoes by
Pete Sorensen and even luxury scents by cult perfumer Maison Francis Kurkdjian. As the mysterious name
suggests, the boutique’s entire collection inculcates a
feeling of intimacy and privacy; a subjective extension
of its curators passions and tastes.
Originally located on the 12th floor of the beautiful Beaux-Arts PacMutual building on Olive Street in
Downtown Los Angeles, Please Do Not Enter intentionally resisted expectation. At a remove from the
street and accessed by an elevator, the physical experience of entering the airy loft-like space, perched atop
conservative looking law offices, was nothing short of
unexpectedly immersive. Though originally envisioned
as a “by appointment only” destination boutique,
Please Do Not Enter has managed to maintain its rarefied ambience of luxury but has become too popular
to maintain the quiet covertness of its well-kept secret.
In May of this year, the selectively curated art, design
and fashion concept, now open 6 days a week, occupied its new street-level space in the same 1920’s architectural gem, twice the size of its first with soaring
30 foot ceilings, to accommodate the demands of its
steadily expanding art program and clientele.
Both Libert, a Parisian real-estate magnate, and Renoird, a respected Parisian interior designer, are avid art
and design patrons, boasting a personal collection of
an estimated 1,500 pieces of contemporary art, and a
34-acre sculpture garden on the grounds of their country house in the region of Normandy. Their decision,
to relocate to LA to begin an unconventional business model, having never pursued retail before, was
inspired by the open potential they felt in LA’s oft-forgotten downtown core. Part of what makes Please Do
Not Enter such a unique enterprise is its function as
an active, creative platform with ambitions beyond the
commercial purveyance of fashion, design and accessories. By facilitating public art projects and offering
gallery-level art programming, Please Do Not Enter’s
presence extends beyond the typical confines of a
brick-and-mortar boutique or a white cube. Libert and
Renoird engage the city, one with which they have fallen in love, contributing to the cultural landscape they
have full-heartedly adopted as their own.
Libert and Renoird relocated to Los Angeles from Paris two years ago, specifically to create a luxury, hybrid
boutique unlike anything else in LA. Catering to the
creative, contemporary and open-minded modern
man through their selection of men’s fashions and accessories, their space, nonetheless, offers something
uncommon for everyone. Recognizing Downtown LA’s
inexhaustible potential for self-reinvention, and sensing the nascent transformation of its art and design
scene, they fell in love with its historic architecture and
energy, feeling the time and location were prime. With
a concerted emphasis on rarity, craftsmanship, provenance and the experiential, their carefully curated
vision of luxury transcends the excessive hype of “it”
brands and trends, ubiquitous in airports the world
over. Opting for nuance and narrative over generic
opulence, Please Do Not Enter features hard to find,
limited edition and unique pieces of fashion and design, exhibits world-class artists and facilitates public
site-specific art installations.
Libert and Renoird have hand-selected a vast array of
rare, eclectic and beautiful things to populate their
exceptional space, importing varied European names
and brands rarely found in LA. Every detail feels delib-
In April of this year, Libert and Renoird handled one of
LA’s most talked-about public art projects, producing
and funding it in its entirety. An architectural, site-specific installation by French artist Vincent Lamouroux,
Projection involved the complete whitewashing of the
Sunset Pacific Motel on Sunset Boulevard in Silverlake,
a building ultimately condemned to future demolition.
In a simultaneous act of erasure and preservation, the
stark white building was imm