Ciao Lucia is stepping into physical retail with the launch of its first temporary store, a 600-square-foot space on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice, Los Angeles, building on a series of shorter-term pop-ups and trunk shows.

The move is about deepening its relationship with its customers, said founder Lucy Akin, who launched the brand in June 2017 after years as a boutique owner and buyer in Los Angeles.

“We’ve been organically growing,” she said. “I’ve never taken on outside investment, so we’re just growing via profit.”

Ciao Lucia has remained profitable since Year Two, continuing to post seven-figure year-over-year gains, with direct-to-consumer sales up 20 percent and wholesale deliveries doubling. Dresses, rooted in a romantic, travel-driven sensibility inspired by vintage Italian cinema and French New Wave, account for roughly 75 percent of sales, while knitwear has emerged as the fastest-growing category. The company is tracking toward approximately 45 percent growth in 2026.

Production shifted from L.A. to India and China, enabling the brand to scale while expanding into more detailed categories like knitwear and embroidery, Akin said, adding that tariffs were “definitely a curveball” and that the company “moved our production around” to manage the impact.

“What’s really remained amazing is our core clientele has just kept coming back to the brand every season,” said Akin. Nearly half of the brand’s customers are repeat shoppers.

The loyalty has been built through social media marketing, word-of-mouth, exposure from HBO hit “The White Lotus,” and a roster of high-profile fans including Gigi Hadid, Kaia Gerber, Kendall Jenner, Hailey Bieber, Emily Ratajkowski and Irina Shayk.

The temporary store, which will run for approximately six months at 1410 Abbot Kinney Boulevard with the potential to extend beyond its initial term, serves as a brand expression and a learning tool.

“It’s just so much fun to apply the Ciao Lucia brand to a physical space,” Akin said.

The store will translate the brand’s cinematic, escapist identity into an immersive environment, with exclusive products like a curated “travel kit” featuring branded essentials.

The choice of Abbot Kinney aligns with the brand’s strategy, with Akin pointing to the area’s strong foot traffic and proximity to complementary brands and beachside culture. “Location is everything,” she said.

“We just knew that we needed to do something in spring and summer where it’s the most popular time for the brand,” said Marla Toplitzky, brand president at Ciao Lucia, who joined about a year ago to help drive growth and expansion.

The new space serves as a test for the brand as it evaluates future retail opportunities. With New York as its top market and San Francisco emerging as a stronghold, Ciao Lucia is mapping out where a physical presence could resonate next.

“We’re really open to anything,” Akin said. “It’s definitely a goal to keep trying more physical retail.”