When I first met Kevin he was spinning a sign on the sidewalk for Dominoes. It was two years ago in the middle of summer in Victorville where it hits triple digits at noon. Today he runs a shop, At Large, and its venue, The Ball Pit. As I scroll through their Instagram feed I dream about owning some of the vintage items they have in stock that would easily be sold by the time I make the trek there. For the first feature of ‘This Is’, I gave Kevin a call to get a rundown on the shop’s history and its endeavors for the year.
How did At Large begin?
The concept was inspired by buy-sell-trade in LA. They do things their own way and carry certain products and I’ve always been a big fan of that format. Being able to buy something, wear it a couple of times, and if you grow out of it then you can just go trade it in. I’ve always felt like I could give it my own twist. Also, here in the High Desert, we don't really have anything like that and I felt like there was a market that wasn't being catered to so I said, “Why not be the first one to start it up?”
Did you ever do resale online?
Yeah for sure. Even to this day, I sell on Depop, Poshmark, and Grail, but to be honest I do like the store because it provides an experience. There are certain aspects like the playlist or talking to customers about their interests, you know?
“Sometimes I feel like people might be intimidated by the shop, but I want to fight that stigma.”
How would you describe the atmosphere at your store?
I want to say that it’s welcoming. I don’t think a lot of people in the High Desert are used to mom-and-pop shops. Sometimes I feel like people might be intimidated by the shop, but I want to fight that stigma. I would say the vibe is really friendly with an urban feel. When we did our pop-up in the mall, people were asking, “Are you guys going to be in the mall now?” and I told them “No, that’s not really out vibe and we don't want to be too commercial. We want to keep it homegrown.” I never try to be the biggest salesman either. I want people to get what they really like.
What came to mind when you first saw the space? Did you have a lot of ideas or did you immediately know what you wanted at first sight?
When we got the location we’re at now I definitely saw the potential. In the first few months, we had to do slight modifications, but afterward, we did a renovation of the shop. I had a lot of inspo from other places too like Dover Street Market and Stussy. I wanted something elegant but in a way that wasn’t too bougie.
So how'd you come across your space that you're at now?
Before we were at the Victorville Galleria which is just the fancy way of saying indoor swapmeet. Now we’re at 16822 C St, Victorville. That whole building was already a 3 part store called Dead Celebs. It was like a vintage store with 60’s 70s items. It was a women’s store, antique furniture store, and a men’s store. It was all owned by an older lady. The only reason why she bought that building was for her kids so her daughter was running the women's side and the son was running the men's side. After a year or two, the kids kind of lost interest. The daughter moved to SF and the son moved with his band to Oregon and pretty much left everything with her mom. I went there randomly on a Saturday and I liked the space and she asked if I saw the men's side which I didn’t even know they had. I went over and I fell in love with the little building. I asked, “Would you ever consider me taking over the men’s side and she was like, ‘yeah.’ ”She asked what I paid at the galleria and she said she’d charge me the same thing and we moved in the same month.
“- I’ve always had a passion for music and I’ve always felt like the community had a lot of artists that could really shine if given the proper spotlight and that’s what the whole goal of the venue is. ”
You’ve had some shows there too. Do you have plans to keep it more of a venue or a store?
I do like to keep it interconnected because we do keep the store open when it’s a venue so people can shop which adds to the experience. I’ve always had a passion for music and I’ve always felt like the community had a lot of artists that could really shine if given the proper spotlight and that's what the whole goal of the venue is.
So what's next for you for 2020 and At Large?
Dang lowkey this feels like is the perfect time for an announcement. There’s a lot of stuff planned for this year. We’re coming out with a Spring/Summer collection at the shop. It’s going to be a lot of cut-and-sew garments with the highest quality stuff. Also, we're considering opening a second shop in Victoria Gardens. We’re thinking at the end of the summertime.
Jaden Padilla photographed by Jovi Brooks
The Ball Pit