Earthling has returned to Melrose — this time with a 4,350-square-foot store at 7207 Melrose Avenue.

The move marks a significant step for founders and co-creative directors Earth Crockett and Nicholas Baier, both 29 and originally from Minnesota. What began as a curated vintage operation at the Melrose Trading Post flea market down the street has evolved into a luxury label carried by H.Lorenzo, The Webster, Patron of the New and Nubian.

Now they are cementing their growth with a brick-and-mortar flagship.

The duo met as teenagers at a dance competition and began dating in high school before relocating to Los Angeles together in 2015 to pursue dance careers.

“Dance is what brought us to L.A., but we’re just both creative kids,” Baier said.

They quickly recognized the structural limits of dance as a long-term profession. “You can only go so far in dance,” Crockett said. “We needed to make a shift.”

That shift began at the flea market about a decade ago. Rather than operate as a typical resale booth, they merchandised with intention, color coordination and tight editing, they explained.

“We looked at the flea market like, this is our retail space,” said Baier, who, alongside Crockett, drives the brand’s cultural references and silhouette direction, pulling from decades of music, hip-hop and archival fashion history.

It was at the flea market that they met Tracy Mills, now partner and creative director, whose résumé includes two decades of fashion experience at Von Dutch and Ed Hardy, bringing operational perspective to the brand.

Customer demand led them to open a showroom inside their two-bedroom Silver Lake apartment; they renovated the unit, hosted a grand opening that drew roughly 300 people and established the space as a creative hub.

“No one even knew we lived there,” Crockett said. “It was an if-you-know-you-know spot.”

The private-appointment format helped cultivate a loyal client that includes professional athletes and artists such as Teyana Taylor, Tierra Whack and SZA. Custom pieces for tours, including Chris Brown and Mustard, further expanded visibility. And early wholesale placement with H.Lorenzo proved pivotal.

“We kind of got thrown in the deep end,” Baier said. “We’re students of the game.”

The new Melrose flagship sits near Rick Owens and other neighbors west of La Brea Avenue. Roughly 800 square feet at the front of the store is designed as a flexible activation space, capable of shifting between retail and cultural programming.

“Whether we’re doing podcast events, dance events, listening parties, it’s about creating a feeling before you even shop,” Crockett said.

Entry-level items — hats starting around $120 and select pieces between $250 and $400 — are near the front of the store, while the main collection begins at approximately $465 and reaches $10,000 for hand-finished leather and embellished pieces. Production is in L.A., with the exception of hand-beaded embroidery made in India.

The brand’s foundation remains denim and leather, presented through menswear and unisex silhouettes with cropped jackets and slim trousers. The flagship also marks the debut of Earthling’s first dedicated femme collection, led by Crockett, who is self-taught in pattern-making and garment construction.

“I wanted a new take on women’s fashion, but still also make it slightly unisex,” Crockett said.

The assortment includes micro leather shorts trimmed with denim and hardware, corset-influenced tailoring, a fitted leather trench referencing early 2000s Janet Jackson and a mini denim “puffer short” paired with a matching trucker jacket.

“The silhouettes are endless in the women’s world,” Baier said. “She’s been flexing her muscle.”

Earthling now operates with a 12-person team spanning design, in-house finishing, content and operations.

“Creativity can’t be taught,” Baier added. “It can only be explored.”