For many years, Mission Workshop was based in a beautiful (albeit very small) workspace in the back of a dingy alley. Surrounded by some of San Francisco’s best dive bars, taquerias, and messenger scene, the company prospered.
To celebrate some well deserved growth, the company expanded from it’s original back alley location into an adjacent retail space – and into some prime real estate. The new storefront now opens onto Valencia Street, one of the most well trafficked streets in the heart of the cities bustling Mission District.
We were on hand for the opening party and caught a sneak peak at some new goods. Head past the break to read more…
The walls of the space are lined with wood paneling, a throwback to the design of the company’s original workspace.
Apparel is intermixed throughout, but the main draw is row upon row of high quality U.S. made bags.
Items from the company’s sister brand, Acre Supply, are also featured prominently.
The layout of the store encourages consumers to interact with the product.
And bags from all of the major lines are readily available to handle and try on.
The back walls are lined with bags and accessories in an assortment of colors.
A lounge area replete with cozy chairs, couches, and a reclaimed wood, encourages revelers to kick back. More than a few also took a moment to sign the guest book.
In addition to the beautiful new digs, Mission Workshop also gave party goers a sneak peak at two new product lines.
New from their Advanced Projects line are two technical jackets dubbed the Remi Hooded Blazer and Styrman Topcoat. These items bridge the gap between technical outwear and office attire with some innovative features and great design.
More details on these new pieces to follow in the coming weeks.
Also on display were some new pieces from Acre Supply. The new Meridian Alpine jacket is the spiritual successor of the well regarded Orion Waterproof jacket, but makes use of a high tech Polartec Nano Fabric to improve breathability. The new pieces show the divergence of the two brands, with Mission Workshop being more lifestyle oriented and Acre Supply the more rider-centric collection.
The Meridan Jacket and Vest are built utilizing the same materials and share an abundance of interior media pockets. Each piece also has integrated side pockets, which will easily fit an iPhone, and are designed to still be readily accessible when wearing a hydration pack.
Probably my favorite new piece of kit was the Traverse Riding Short. With a cut that’s somewhere between Giro New Road and TLD, the shorts are flattering, but won’t look goofy when paired with kneepads.
The shorts are also water repellent, include an adjustable belt system, and are made in the US. Price is $158.
From opening to closing, the new digs were packed.
The party spilled over into what is now the storage room, but was once the brand’s entire retail and workshop space.
Local brewery Fort Point kept the booze flowing.
And a lucky few sampled Margaritas mixed by this gentleman, Duncan Riffle, 2x US DH National Champ and SRAM PR Wizard.
While many party goers chose to walk or ride to the event, the skateboard parking was also on point.
Special thanks to Morgan Meredith for the invite and to the entire Mission Workshop/Acre Supply crew for the hospitality. If you missed out on the fun, rumor has it that a second store in LA is close to completion.
