On Saturday afternoon, the multi-hyphenate creatives of Los Angeles found a new reason to line up on Sunset Boulevard. Instead of sipping natural wine outside El Prado or waiting hours for a seat at Pijja Palace, they showed up for the designer Gustaf Westman’s pop-up shop.
“I love Gustaf in general,” said Billie Black, 27, a digital creator who snagged the first spot in line. “I have my eye on the chunky mug. I also want the spiral magazine rack.”
Mr. Westman, 30, started selling furniture and objects online in 2020 and quickly built a following on TikTok and Instagram. His curvy and chunky mirrors became coveted décor, and his dishware became the standard for internet “it” girls. His objects range from chunky cups ($68) and chunky plates ($58) to curvy mini tables ($750), mini flower mirrors ($2,200), pipe chairs ($1,150) and blob sofas ($3,360).
Nara Smith, a popular model and cooking influencer, often uses his plates to showcase her intricate homemade meals, and the Swedish influencer Matilda Djerf drinks her coffee out of Mr. Westman’s chunky cups. He has created a mirror for the Swedish rapper Yung Lean and a custom side table for the YouTube darling Emma Chamberlain.
So it came as no surprise that hundreds of shoppers showed up on the first day of his L.A. pop-up.
Kitty Rheault, an interior designer and prop stylist in Los Feliz, went to the pop-up to shop for herself and several clients.
“It’s whimsical and refined,” Ms. Rheault said. “I’m working with a client right now who has a really colorful, bright style, and I feel like the style can easily go south if it’s not done with some restraint, but this is hitting it right on the nose.”
Essie Park, 29, a fashion designer in Koreatown, bought the curvy pink mirror she’d been dreaming about for years.
“I like how maximalist it is, maximalist yet simple at the same time,” Ms. Park said. “It’s a lot, and it’s bold, but it’s not too much.”
The line outside was peppered with pastel-hued Adidas Sambas, purple- and orange-dyed hair and chunky sweaters with playful designs.
Mr. Westman, who is based in Stockholm, greeted people and handed out Nick’s keto chocolate bars. About a dozen people were able to enter the pop-up at a time to pick up his chunky tableware, take selfies in his flower-shaped mirrors and sit on his blob sofas.
“It feels pretty chill in here,” Mr. Westman said as he watched people check out a shelf of dishes, vases, mirrors, candleholders and magazine racks. “I love that you don’t necessarily feel like you have to come here and buy something.”
Shannon O’Halloran, 25, and Mikayla LoBasso, 25, drove from Culver City to find fun décor for their apartment.
“Honestly, I’m not sure what I’m getting yet, but I will be getting something,” Ms. O’Halloran said. “I have the chunky cup already in yellow.”
Ms. O’Halloran, who works in comedy, and Ms. LoBasso, who works in the music industry, agreed that Mr. Westman’s work stands out among the countless products pushed on social media.
“It’s such an innovative design, I feel like no one’s really doing anything like it,” Ms. LoBasso said. “Not a lot of things catch everyone’s eye. These stop you in your tracks.”
Samantha Klein, 38, an interior design influencer in Glendale, said that Mr. Westman’s furniture and objects fit her vintage aesthetic.
“I’m just super into whimsy, pastels, cozy comfort,” Ms. Klein said.
“It’s not like there are many small designers doing what he’s doing and at the price point that he’s doing,” she added. “If I bought something I was similarly excited about, in the same price range, it would probably be vintage.”
Dulce Annesse, 37, and John Forbes, 35, traveled down from San Francisco, where they work in tech, to get one of Mr. Westman’s flower mirrors.
“We already have a chunky mirror in my house, and I’ve been eyeing the flower mirror for years,” Ms. Annesse said.
As Cassidy Sonnemann, 27, contemplated buying a vase or candle holders for her home in North Hollywood, she looked like a kid in a candy store. She already owned sets of Mr. Westman’s dishes, but that only made the pop-up more enticing.
“These plates and cups are the most complimented thing in my home,” said Ms. Sonnemann, who works in product development. “It’s hand-wash only, but it’s actually quite satisfying to wash it because it’s so curved.”
Though she said she hates doing dishes, she admits, “I don’t mind these.”
