After an eventful year in 2024 for our west coast operations - moving into a new warehouse and opening a new LA flagship store - this year was about getting back to basics and building a stronger foundation with our new infrastructure in place. We’re a small brand and we move slowly, opting to space out big efforts and endeavors over time to mitigate risk. 2025 was supposed to be a year for us to settle into a rhythm.

That feeling didn’t last long. At the start of the year, LA was ravaged by wildfires that destroyed entire communities in Altadena, Pacific Palisades and Topanga. We watched in horror as families fled homes, businesses lost livelihoods, and whole blocks burned to the ground. But as we’ve also see over two decades of businesses, the worst of times bring out the best in each other. We, along with countless other Angeleno businesses and individuals, quickly mobilized to help our neighbors. Together with you, we purchased, collected and delivered urgent donations to distribution sites across the city.

A few months later, we were thrust into economic confusion and chaos as President Trump enacted “Liberation Day” by levying punitive tariffs on every major US trading partner. A quick video we recorded the week everything happened ended up going viral and ended up getting us further press on political talk shows, NPR, GQ and Esquire. We never intended to be a spokesperson for the difficulties so many small businesses were facing, but were certainly thankful for the opportunity to voice our concerns. The tariffs had major implications on our business throughout the rest of the year, especially our FW25 collection which was hit with significant and unforeseen surcharges.

Christian Rivadeneira

King of The Hill: I have watched a bunch of one-off episodes since I was put onto this series when I was like 8, and I've loved every one. But it wasn't until this year that I decided to watch this from the beginning, and my goodness, this show is as hilarious as it is wholesome, and every character gets some love. Season 5 may be my favorite season of television I have ever watched. All hits, no misses. I wish Texans were real.

All ’n All (1977) – Earth, Wind, & Fire: I grew up listening to plenty of Earth, Wind, & Fire hits through NYE parties, movies, TV, etc., but I never gave a full-length album a proper spin until this year. I’m not exactly sure what led me to finally dive in, but it has easily been one of the better decisions I’ve made all year. I’m wrapped up in their entire discography at this point, but their 1977 album "All ’n All" really does live up to the name — because this record truly has it all. From beginning to end, the album is sonically impressive. Even its interludes are fantastic, and earworms like “Jupiter,” “Love’s Holiday,” and “Beijo” feature some of the most intoxicating grooves my ears have ever been blessed with. Best believe if this is playing in the shop, I’m singing and dancing right along with it.

The Elephant Man (1980), dir. David Lynch: I’ve seen a handful of Lynch’s projects over the years that I’ve really enjoyed, but never truly loved. Regardless, there’s no question that Lynch had the sauce as a director, and when we lost this icon earlier in the year, I made it a priority to seek out more of his work that I hadn’t yet seen. I always love my first viewing of a movie to be in a theater, so shout out to Metrograph for running this one last spring. This film is an absolute masterclass. Not just in visual storytelling and sharp camera work, but in its portrayal of both the beauty and the horror of being human. The performances from John Hurt and Anthony Hopkins genuinely brought me to tears, which if you know me, doesn’t happen often with movies. This became an all-timer for me the moment the credits started to roll.

John Ogelby

Hawaii: I got to visit Hawaii for the first time in May, and it exceeded my expectations in every way. From malasadas at Leonard’s to spotting sea turtles at Laniakea Beach and taking in the unreal views at the Kāneʻohe Sandbar, I was constantly struck by how beautiful everything was. The food alone would’ve made the trip worth it, but what I loved most was how easy it was to explore—just a 15-minute drive outside of Honolulu and suddenly you’re surrounded by lush trees, plants, and a completely different pace of life. It felt like the perfect balance of adventure and calm.

THREAD-LINE Canvas Tote Bag: For years, I carried everything I owned in a flimsy tote with zero structure, constantly digging for things or watching them spill out when I set it down on the floor. That changed when I found the Threadline Canvas Tote. It’s sturdy, well-designed, and actually stays upright, which feels like a small miracle. I never thought I’d get genuinely excited about a bag, but this one completely won me over.

Pino Palladino, Blake Mills, Sam Gendel & Chris Dave at Zebulon: When a friend texted me that some of my all-time favorite musicians were playing a small, intimate show in LA, I knew I couldn’t miss it. Pino Palladino, Blake Mills, Sam Gendel, and Chris Dave are artists whose influence runs deep. You’ve almost definitely heard their work, even if you don’t know their names. They’re often behind the scenes, but their fingerprints are all over so many records that feel truly special. Hearing them live at Zebulon, playing music from their recent album That Wasn’t a Dream, was unforgettable. The show pushed the boundaries of jazz and fusion while still feeling melodic, grounded, and surprisingly catchy. An all-time highlight for me this year.

Andrew Chen

Finishing my first marathon: I had three goals for 2025 and running the NYC marathon was one of them, despite not having an entry at the time and never having run that distance before. My run crew came through for me with the bib and I came through for myself with 3 months of consistent training through the dead of summer. I got to the start line healthy and finished the race. For someone who couldn't run past a mile or two just a few short years ago, I'm pretty proud of myself.

Park at Kim's: We finally got a legit cafe in our neighborhood, and it's run by four absolute sweethearts. Someone said that one of the best things you can do for yourself is developing day to day routines where you know people and they know you. I am in here 3-4x a week either for a mid-day break or to take a meeting and I can honestly say that while the coffee is great, it's the sense of being at home that I really enjoy. Welcome to the neighborhood, guys.

Celebrating 20 years: This late summer, my wife and I celebrated our 20th anniversary. It's this milestone that feels really big when you say it out loud, but the reality is that our bond was built and rebuilt over years of working towards becoming better individuals and better partners to each other. We threw a little party with family and friends but it wasn't a victory lap at all, more of a "we're thankful to be here and thank you for journeying with us." It was a special time.

Cleopatra Ortiz

Best meal of 2025: Late in the year, but our company dinner at Betsy takes the cake. Perfectly cooked heritage pork chops, sides that felt just as special as the mains, compound butter on everything, plus killer dessert (get the wood oven cheesecake). Not to mention impeccable service. Not one thing missed, and I can’t wait to go back. Thanks to Johan and Andrew for such a memorable meal.

Top album of 2025: I’m a huge Big Thief fan, so needless to say I was stoked about their newest release, Double Infinity. I got to see them tour this album at the Hollywood Bowl with my 3s shop crew Nick and John, definitely a core memory from this year. I even went to Dallas to see them perform it again. I’d recommend starting with “No Fear,” but the title track, “Double Infinity,” is exactly why I think they're the best.

Top Unexpected Joy of 2025: I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the luxury of having Weiser Family Farms here at ROW. More broadly, connecting with so many different people in the space has been such a highlight this year. I’ve made genuine friends and truly look forward to running into familiar faces every day. Alex Weiser is among them, and he’s changed the game for me when it comes to eating quality/seasonal produce. He supplies to some of your favorite restaurants across the greater Los Angeles area, and also happens to be here at ROW twice a week (Th&Sa). Highly recommend grabbing a farm box from him when you’re visiting.

Brandon Daconceicao

Nomos Glashütte Metro Power Reserve: Nomos is a watch brand that I have loved ever since learning about them a few years ago and I finally picked a watch from their collection. They implement a lot of bauhaus design influence into their watches which makes for some very minimal and very thoughtful timepieces. I went with the Metro Date Power Reserve which checked all of the boxes for me when thinking about my next watch. The feature that I love the most is the power reserve indicator that is placed above the sub seconds dial that lets me know when I need to wind up my watch for more power.

Jumprope 5 Year Anniversary: Five years ago I took up jump rope as another option for cardio without the expectation that it would be so much more than just another form of exercise. It's been a great outlet to relieve stress and also tapping into the creative side of my brain to put together different combinations. It's been really rewarding to look back at where I started and I'm really proud of the progress I've made.

Selling the house I grew up in: 2025 was an emotional year with my mom and I selling the house that I grew up in. I'm so proud of my mom for starting over, making new friendships, and truly enjoying her retirement. It is truly a blessing to be able to be able to drive over to my moms place to hang out anytime I want.

Wesley Scott

Woodworking: Our apartment is in a constant state of redecoration and at the beginning of the year, we decided we needed a new dining table. After looking for one for a while, I decided that maybe I could build one myself. I bought some oak, some dowels, and basic hand tools, and had a go at it. Within the month I had finished our dining room table and fallen in love with woodworking. Since then, I’ve made a few more tables, some shelves, and pretty much anything else we’ve needed for the apartment. There was nothing more fulfilling than sharing Thanksgiving dinner with friends and family at a table I made myself. And now I have yet another hobby…

Kawai Kanjiro House: While in Kyoto this year, my wife and I visited the Kawai Kanjiro house. Kanjiro was a central figure in Japanese folk art. He mostly focused on ceramics, but also did some woodworking and glasswork as well. His home is now a museum of sorts and is kept closely to how he lived in it. As someone with a lot of creative hobbies, seeing a space totally centered around uninterrupted creativity was inspiring. He had built the furniture, thrown and fired the ceramics, carved the sculptures; I could have stayed there all day.

Don Delilo and Clarice Lispector: I’d read a few Delilo books before, and always enjoyed them, but this year I made an effort to work my way through his catalog and wow- every book floored me in its own way. He has this cold, somewhat detached writing style that seems like it shouldn’t work but somehow is so engrossing. I also discovered Clarice Lispector this year. Her writing served as a perfect pair to Delilo. Where Delilo focuses on how we’re all shaped by the grand powers of the world, Lispector focuses on the interiority and wading through the muck of the self. Somehow both writers can evoke so much with such sparse prose. Even writing about them both now makes me want to read one of each of their books back to back.