Erik Hart is No Regular Club Kid

In talking about what Erik Hart does, it’s difficult to not use words such as “interdisciplinary,” “creative,” and “program”—words that do not connate any one profession, but rather allude to a more all-encompassing mode of existence. At 32, Hart is a successful photographer and fashion designer, but a look at his frenetically arranged Tumblr reveals that his interests extend further: installation, design, material-based sculpture.

Hart’s newly designed Los Angeles “concept club,” The Lash, is a fitting approximation of the artist’s conceptual and aesthetic language. Like his fashion line, Atelier Erik Hart, the architecture of the club deals with the jagged interactions of high and low materials. Reappropriated subway tiles and broken mirrors line modular spaces that simultaneously feature Italian marble and chrome accents. Throughout the space, Hart has installed signage and lighting that dually function as art objects: neon text in Cyrillic lettering reading WISH YOU WERE HERE, and a cleverly titled disco ball inspired by post-war British survival objects called “I Will Survive.”

In the center of downtown Los Angles, The Lash retains its identity as a bar and nightclub, offering spirits and a lounge atmosphere amongst Hart’s design. Guests can enjoy a drink while sitting on pedestal-like furniture, or freshen up in an entirely black marble and tile restroom. Call him what you will, Hart’s lifestyle constructions are sensory treats that, through allusion and innovation, work to redefine luxury.