Pomade-wearing hombres and rucas have been pining for Santa Ana-based hair-care brand Suavecito to open a brick-and-mortar for years, and that day is about to come. The flagship store, scheduled for a mid-September grand opening, carries all of the company's grooming and clothing products from both the Suavecito and Suavecita brands in one place, lumped together with its headquarters, factory, and shipping and receiving sections in a giant warehouse behind Iglesia de Cristo church in Santa Ana.
Suavecito products have always been carried in numerous salons and clothing stores, but Suavecito executive secretary J-Bird says the decision to finally open a storefront was simply based on demand. “People locally were always asking us, 'When are you going to open a store?'” he says. “And it's funny: When we released the news [about our store opening] on Instagram and all our social media, people were like, 'Great! Now open one in San Antonio!' or 'Now open one in Florida!'”
The warehouse, formerly an abandoned Carpenters Union building, is located across the street from the neighborhood J-Bird and fellow Suavecito chingones Tony and Pete Adame grew up in. Once you enter, you're greeted by giant shelves displaying memorabilia such as shirts, mugs and toys emblazoned with its greaser skeleton mascot. Suavecito products are easy to spot, but Suavecita ones, which you'd never find in stores or in public except at booths in rockabilly-themed festivals, can be found deeper into the store by the cash register. There are hair clips, body sprays, shower gels, pomade and new lipstick shades, including a soft nude color fittingly named “Santa Ana.”
In the works, according to J-Bird, is a space in the showroom to house the company's souped-up, sponsored trophy trucks, as well as holding meetings for wholesale buyers and hosting art shows. The first such show, which will feature fine art by tattooers such as local hero Tim Hendricks, is set for Nov. 19.
Keep track of the Suavecito grand opening at www.suavecitopomade.com.
Aimee Murillo is calendar editor and frequently covers film and previously contributed to the OCW’s long-running fashion column, Trendzilla. Don’t ask her what her favorite movie is unless you want to hear her lengthy defense of Showgirls.