Malia Mills is opening its newest and largest boutique at 1129 Montana Avenue in Santa Monica, marking a major retail move for the New York swim and ready to wear label as it looks beyond its first 30 years. The store opened on March 1 after the brand spent 17 years at the Brentwood Country Mart, giving the company a larger and more expressive home in one of Los Angeles’ best known shopping corridors.
The move feels like more than a relocation. It gives Malia Mills a chance to translate its “Love Thy Differences™” identity into a bigger physical setting at a moment when independent fashion brands are increasingly using stores to sharpen community, brand storytelling, and long term loyalty.
A Store Designed Around the Brand’s Point of View
The new Montana Avenue boutique is built around light, openness, and a more lived in sense of hospitality. The space features north and south exposures, a backyard garden, signature imagery, lush green carpeting, and window seating that helps blur the line between indoors and out.
That setting aligns closely with the brand’s tone. On its official site, Malia Mills describes “Love Thy Differences™” as its mission, mantra, and rally cry, a message rooted in celebrating women rather than trying to fix them. The new store gives that language a more physical expression.
A California Move With Deeper Roots
The new boutique also acknowledges the importance of the Los Angeles customer to the business. Malia Mills said, “Los Angelinos visiting us in Brentwood have helped us grow our business, and we’re pumped to open this new space. We have sun from both sides and a backyard garden begging for spontaneous shindigs. It’s one of many adventures that will define the next 30 years of Malia Mills.”
The Swimwear Brand That Built a Category Following
Launched in 1993, Malia Mills built its reputation on bra sized swim separates, an approach that helped recast how women shop for swimwear. The brand has since expanded into ready to wear and accessories, while keeping fit, tailoring, and body confidence at the center of the product story.
Why the Store Matters Now
At a time when many fashion labels are cautious about physical retail, Malia Mills is doing the opposite by investing in a larger, more experiential space. The move suggests the brand sees brick and mortar not just as a sales channel, but as a place to deepen its customer relationship and create a more immersive version of its identity.
That approach makes sense for a business built around fit, confidence, and personal service. Swimwear remains one of the most tactile and emotionally loaded categories in fashion, and Malia Mills has long stood out by treating the fitting room as part of the brand experience rather than an afterthought.
