Four years ago, former financial planner Brian Simpson opened East+West, bringing modern men’s apparel to Kirkwood. The store quickly built a reputation for a well-curated selection emphasizing quality and comfort. Clients traveled from all across the region to shop at the niche store. Then, this summer, Simpson announced that East+West would be moving to the Central West End. The boutique opened its doors anew last month.
Why move? In the last couple years, the CWE has seen a renaissance, with this new energy and development. We thought, long-term, it made sense to be a part of this new era in the neighborhood.
Stay up-to-date with the local arts scene
Subscribe to the weekly St. Louis Arts+Culture newsletter to discover must-attend art exhibits, performances, festivals, and more.
How is the new store different? The retail space is similar in size, but we have more storage area, which will allow us to develop our online business. We wanted to go a little more clean and modern.
What about the collections? We carried over a lot, but there’s a slightly more European influence. We’ve picked up a couple new brands, like Our Legacy, from Sweden, and Norse Projects, from Denmark, and we still carry a lot of the U.S.-made brands we’ve always carried.
And accessories? We’re excited to be picking up Aesop, which is a skincare line no one else in St. Louis is carrying. I see this as a men’s lifestyle store—not only do we want to dress the everyday guy but we want to give him things he can put in his home and carry with him. We want to be a one-stop shop.
Will the store still host events? We’re going to continue having parties and hosting brand events so customers can meet the people behind the lines.
How much of your style is reflected in the store? I fully believe in what I carry in my store, so everything we sell are things I would want to wear.
